News headlines that shocked Kenyans in 2018

The Christmas festive season is once again here with us as we end 2018.

Santa Claus has already made known his presence and is in town with his red and white attire wishing the world a happy festive season.

The year 2018 began on high political temperatures following the disputed presidential elections in 2017.

Even as we remain hopeful and optimistic to welcome the year 2019, below are the news headlines that shocked Kenyans brought the whole nation to a standstill.

Raila Odinga ‘swearing in’

After days of anxiety and a postponement of Raila Odinga’s swearing in on December 12, 2017, the ODM leader finally took an ‘oath’ as the people’s president.

Holding a green Bible to his right arm and sandwiched by his former aide Miguna Miguna and Siaya Senator James Orengo, Raila recited his ‘oath of office’ before thousands of NASA supporters at Uhuru Park, Nairobi on January 30, 2018.

The controversial 90-word long oath was administered by Ruaraka Member of Parliament (MP) TJ Kajwang and fiery lawyer Miguna Miguna.

Miguna Miguna deportation

Vocal lawyer Miguna Miguna was deported aboard a KLM flight on February 6, days after administering Raila Odinga’s oath at Uhuru Park Nairobi.

The Government said that Miguna violated provisions of section 33(1) and 43(1) of the Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Act, 2011.

Interior Ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka claimed Miguna lost citizenship when he acquired a Canadian passport in 1988 after his application for a Kenyan one was denied on September 12, 1987.

NYS Scandal II

The National Youth Service (NYS) was hit by a second Sh10.5 billion scandal.

The money was allegedly siphoned from the institution in the last three years, according to multiple sources, in a well-orchestrated scheme involving senior government officials and ghost suppliers.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) instituted investigations in 2017 and its findings revealed a trail of plundering of hard-earned taxpayers’ money.

 

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Noordin Haji, confirmed that his office was engaged in the NYS issue and investigations were ongoing.

Four members of the Ngirita family - Ms Ann Wambere Wanjiku Ngirita who was paid Sh59 million for supplying nothing to the NYS, her mother Ms Lucy Wambui, sister Phyllis and brother Gicini were arrested in May following the scandal.

Uhuru-Raila handshake

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga met in August at Harambee House and speaking after the meeting, the leaders stated that it was time to bury the hatchet.

Raila stated it was time to unite the nation as diversity had turned out to be a national curse.

His sentiments were echoed by President Uhuru who admitted that the country was greater than any individual.

Since then, political temperatures have gone down as the country continues to heal.

Demolitions in Nairobi

Upscale shopping malls, luxury hotel and high-end apartments were among thousands of properties earmarked for demolition.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko in August asked land and property owners in the county to secure their valuables before demolitions.

Leading by example, Sonko pushed for the demolition of his own property, about one acre in Buru Buru, Nairobi.

Sonko reiterated he would not allow impunity to thrive under his watch citing that he would better be a one-term governor and leave a legacy.

About 4,000 buildings were earmarked for demolition in an operation to clear illegal structures from river banks in the county.

In June, the parliamentary committee on environment and natural resources identified Limuru Road, Lang’ata Road, Arboretum Road, Spring Valley, Globe Cinema Round-About, Riverside Drive, Westlands, Parklands, Fuata Nyayo estate in South B, Village market, Gem Suites in Riverside and Alina Villas in Spring Valley as some of the areas with developments sitting on river banks.

The regeneration exercise received Sh800 million for the 2018/19 financial year.

Sharon Otieno murder

 

Sharon Otieno’s body was found dumped in Kodero Forest, Homa Bay County in September. She was seven months pregnant at the time. Her body was found with stab wounds and preserved at the Oyugis Level Four Hospital in Oyugis Town.

A postmortem examination revealed she was strangled, stabbed eight times and possibly raped by her assailants. Her unborn baby was also stabbed.

Detectives then arrested people linked to the gory murder of Sharon as the scope of investigations widened.

Migori Governor Okoth Obado’s aide, Michael Oyamo, was arrested and later arraigned alongside eight other suspects at the Homa Bay Law Courts in connection with the murder.

Governor Obado was also apprehended after establishing enough evidence linking him to the murder of the student.

Fast forward to November, Governor Obado was released on a Sh500,000 bond or Sh 200,000 cash bail.

Monica Kimani murder

The fiancé of TV journalist Jacque Maribe, Joseph Kuria Irungu, popularly known as Jowie, was arrested in connection with the murder of Ms Monica Kimani in Kilimani.

He was arrested as police could not corroborate his claim of being shot in the shoulder at Langata which he reported at Lang'ata Police Station.

28-year-old Monica Kimani was found dead in the apartment the same day she got back from South Sudan. Her brother found her lifeless body in the bath tub with her throat slit.

Maribe’s minimal connection with Monica’s murder and good conduct during the investigation period saved her from a long stay in custody as Wakiaga released her on Sh1 million cash bail. Jowie on the other hand was denied bail.

On Jowie’s release, Justice Wakiaga said his past record of military training, lack of known place of abode, possibility of fleeing the country, his mysterious lifestyle and the threat he possessed to witnesses informed his decision.

He ruled that Irungu depended on Maribe and had nothing of his own in the country to depend on.

“The picture that emerges from the prosecution evidence as set out in the case and the pre-bail report of the accused is that he is a male version of a slay queen and for lack of a better terminology, I will call a woman eater,” said Wakiaga.

Jowie was reportedly moved to the Kamiti Maximum Prison.

 

Architect reveals unusual design inspiration behind KICC

Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) design was inspired by a donkey’s penis, David Mutiso, one of the architects behind the iconic building revealed two months ago.

In an interview with Citizen TV, Mutiso who was among the first African Chief Architects, said that Jomo Kenyatta wanted a building that will house the headquarters of the Kenya African National Union(KANU).

According to Mutiso, the president required that the architects get instructions of the building directly from him.

The construction that took place in the 1960s and involved three phases took six years to complete. The first phase was the podium, the main tower and finally the plenary, costing Sh80 million.

Central Bank unveils Kenya's new currency coins

President Uhuru Kenyatta launched new generation coins at the Central Bank of Kenya, Nairobi.

He also received a symbolic cheque of dividends on behalf of the government during the function on December 11/12/2108.

The new coins will be available in denominations of Sh1, Sh5, Sh10 and Sh20.

The visit was the first official one to the bank since President Uhuru Kenyatta took power in 2013 and most recent since 1984 when he visited the institution on personal business.