2018 was an eventful year in Kenya and the political scene was a beehive of activities ranging from Raila Odinga’s swearing in to the popular handshake and the deportation of Miguna Miguna.
A lot also happened in the entertainment scene and celebrities made headlines for the wrong and right reasons in equal measure.
Sports lovers were also treated to the Russia 2018 World Cup which was eventually won by France while in the field of commerce, Kenya Airways launched the first direct flight to New York.
Here at Ureport, we covered all those stories plus many others that were sent in by citizen journalists. Below we take a look at 10 of the stories that were most read in the past twelve months.
1. Lilian Muli lashes out on people trolling her for spending sh250k on maternity bill, says she spent more
Citizen TV news anchor Lilian Muli told off people criticizing her for spending Sh250, 000 on the birth of her second baby.
In a long Instagram post, Lilian said she responded since the comments about her maternity bill were becoming ‘boring’.
“I’m only going to give this my attention because it’s becoming BORING. If I could spend 10 million or more that God has given me the ability to afford to spend I would spend it to give my baby the best experience, “read part of the post.
2. More trouble in Sonko's house as three aides are shown the door
Nairobi County governor Mike Mbuvi aka Sonko on January 23 published a notice on the dailies notifying the public that personal assistant Bernard Kiio Mulwa, deputy head delivery unit Joseph Ireri Kamunde (alias Joe) and Michael Mutua were no longer working with his office.
According to the notice, the three were fired for allegedly soliciting bribes from County Government contractors and suppliers under the pretense that they could influence the speedy processing of their payments.
3. Uhuru announces changes to KCPE and KCSE
President Uhuru Kenyatta assured all candidates that the national examinations would be fair and more secure.
The President said the government was committed to ensuring quality and integrity in the country’s education system.
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4. University student marries herself after pressure from parents
32-year-old Ugandan student Lulu Jemimah finally gave in to the pressure of getting married by marrying herself.
The Oxford University student stated that her parents often asked her to settle down and she decided to fulfill their wish by planning the ceremony.
The event took place in Kampala, Uganda at the Quepasa Pub on August 27, 2018, and cost roughly Ksh250 which she used to pay for a taxi.
5. The bleaching chemical used by Kenyan butchers to make meat look fresh
A recent investigation revealed that most butchers in Kenya are adding a killer chemical to preserve meat.
The butchers are said to be using large quantities of sodium metabisulfite- a white powdery chemical locally referred to as dawa ya nyama (the meat drug) - to make meat look fresh.
The chemical, which is used as a bleaching agent in some creams, is usually mixed with water and once smeared on meat which has been in the butchery for weeks, it gives it a fresh red look, duping unsuspecting customers.
6. Manchester United star caught cheating on model girlfriend with single mom
Hours after Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Manchester Derby last year, it is reported that Red Devils star Jesse Lingard cheated on his model girlfriend Jena Frumes with Leonie Borek, a super United fan and also a single mom.
According to The Sun writers Stephen Moyes and Dean Wilkins, Lingard allegedly slept with the single mother three times on December 10th, moments after the Old Trafford tunnel bust-up.
7. Photos of Jacque Maribe’s Father protecting her touch Kenyans’ hearts
Citizen TV journalist Jacque Maribe was a suspect in the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani and during her questioning at the DCI headquarters in Kiambu, she was pictured in the company of her father who appeared to protect her from all the media attention.
This picture quickly went viral and Kenyans commended her dad for protecting her during that difficult period.
8. Itumbi’s statement on Maribe’s fiancé involvement in Monica Kimani’s murder
Dennis Itumbi penned a long letter saying we all fall in love with strangers and later learn each other’s weaknesses.
He stated that Maribe had innocently fallen in love and would give her story to detectives.
9. Fear strikes Nairobi CBD after video of woman being raped by street boy surfaces online
A video of a street urchin appearing to be raping a woman in Nairobi’s River Road has surfaced on social media, sparking fear in the hearts of the Capital’s residents.
In the undated two-and-a-half minute clip seen by Ureport, the woman is seen screaming for help as a crowd watched the street boy attack her.
10. PHOTOS: Male MPs disturbed by Sabina Chege’s dressing code in parliament
There was a heated debated in parliament in August between the male Members of Parliament and Murang’a Woman Representative Sabina Chege after the MPs complained of her ‘inappropriate’ dressing code.
Makueni MP Daniel Maanzo, however, said he understood that it was her birthday and that she wanted to stand out.
We wish to thank all those who took time to share their articles and story ideas with us.
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