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  • Olaba sentenced to six years in jail

    Olaba sentenced to six years in jail

    Former Kenya Sevens and Harlequins rugby player Alex Olaba has been sentenced to six years in prison for hatching a plot to kill a witness who was testifying in a rape case against him and former teammate Frank Wanyama.

    The trial Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo slapped Olaba with the sentence after finding him guilty of two charges of attempted murder and interference of witnesses in the case.

    “Although the accused person is remorseful the offences he faces are serious. l convict and sentence him to serve six years in count one of conspiracy to kill and two years imprisonment in the second account of interference with judicial process. The sentences will run concurrently,” the magistrate said.

    Olaba was jailed after he was found guilty of hatching a plan to kill the key prosecution witnesses in his rape case

    In May 2021,he denied charges of conspiracy to murder a key witness in his rape trial. Chief magistrate Francis Andayi said he and another magistrate, who is handling his gang-rape case, might come to different rulings, which might lead to double jeopardy. 

    Olaba allegedly committed gang rape offence in 2018 at an apartment in Highrise area.

  • Valencia fined and sanctioned with partial stadium closure for five matches

    Valencia fined and sanctioned with partial stadium closure for five matches

    Valencia have been sanctioned with a partial stadium closure for five matches following the racist abuse of Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr.

    Spanish police have detained three people in connection with the abuse directed at the Brazilian at Mestalla Stadium on Sunday.

    Valencia have also been fined 45,000 euros (£39,000).

    Vinicius’ late red card has been rescinded, meaning he will not have to serve a suspension.

    Valencia called the decision to partially close their stadium “disproportionate, unjust and unprecedented” and said they intend to appeal against that part of the sanction.

    The closure will apply to the Mestalla Stadium’s south stand, an area a clearly angry and emotional Vinicius was seen pointing to during Sunday’s second half before reporting the issue to the referee.

    The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) also said Vinicius, 22, will not be suspended after being sent off in the 97th minute of the 1-0 defeat and is available for Wednesday’s game against Real Vallecano.

    Vinicius was sent off following a video assistant referee (VAR) check for pushing Valencia forward Hugo Duro to the floor. However, the footage the VAR showed the on-field referee did not include the part where Duro grabbed the Brazilian around the neck before the incident, which is also a red card offence.

  • Nicky Bigfish unveiled as the latest 22Bet brand ambassador

    Nicky Bigfish unveiled as the latest 22Bet brand ambassador

    Sports betting firm 22Bet has signed more local celebrities as part of its efforts to support local talents.

    The newest entrant to the ever-growing 22Bet ambassadors is Nicky Bigfish famed for his street pranks.

    Bigfish was introduced this week and will now join Willis Raburu and Eric Njiru.

    “As a global brand, we are committed to working with the best and most talented individuals in all areas of our business, and we believe that Bigfish, Raburu and Njiru are the perfect partners to help us connect with our customers and fans in new and exciting ways,” 22Bet Chief Operating Officer (COO) Harry Bor said.

    Last month, the firm unveiled Khaligraph Jones as one of its brand ambassadors.

    “Khaligraph has earned his place in the music industry and as 22Bet, we are proud to be associated with him.

    “We are looking forward to working with him as we seek to reach our customers at the grassroots and support local talents through sports sponsorship,” the betting firm said in a statement.

    Speaking at the press briefing, Khaligraph Jones expressed his excitement after being named the brand ambassador for 22Bet.

    “I am thrilled to be partnering with 22Bet, a company that has established itself as a leading player in the sports betting industry. As an artist, I am always looking for new and exciting ways to connect with my fans, and I believe that this partnership will enable me to do just that.

    “I look forward to working with 22Bet to create engaging and innovative content that will resonate with our audiences,” he said.

    The betting firm was launched in Kenya in 2017 and it has allowed Kenyans to bet on live football, online games and casinos to win millions of shillings every day.

    The firm has made the betting process easier for Kenyan players by integrating mobile payment options, M-Pesa and Airtel Money.

    The options will include betting on major football leagues and tournaments, as well as all Kenyan leagues.

  • Gina Miles wins season 23 of “The Voice”

    Gina Miles wins season 23 of “The Voice”

    @KBCChannel1

    Gina Miles has been crowned the winner of season 23 of The Voice on Tuesday, making coach Niall Horan a first-time winner!

    Horan, 29, who joined the show this season and is set to return for Season 24, joined Gina on stage when the winner was announced.

    During the show, Miles performed Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” alongside the former One Direction member, Horan.

    The 18-year-old singer beat out Team Blake’s Grace West and NOIVAS, Team Chance’s Sorelle and Team Kelly’s D. Smooth.

    The singer grew up in Paxton, Illinois, and later moved to Sacramento, California, to pursue a career in music.

    Miles — who released her first EP, Who Are You, in 2022 — quickly caught the judges’ attention during her battle round performance of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love.”

    On Monday night, ahead of the finale, Miles said she wanted to make the best of her experience during the last show.

    “I’m going to live it up no matter what happens because to me it’s not about winning, it’s just about the experience as it’s come along,” she said at the time. “For me, I never thought I would make it this far but I did. I want to be living my best life.”

    To celebrate Blake Shelton’s final season, several familiar faces returned to the show, including Camila Cabello, Jennifer Hudson, Nick Jonas, John Legend and Adam Levine, who all previously coached alongside Shelton on The Voice.

  • Kenya makes active reforms aimed at transforming healthcare delivery

    Kenya makes active reforms aimed at transforming healthcare delivery

    In a proactive move towards transforming healthcare delivery and fostering self-reliance, Kenya’s Ministry of Health team led by Ag DG Dr. Patrick Amoth alongside Hon Dr. James Nyikal from the Parliamentary Committee on Health, joined by CS Nakhumicha S. Wafula met GAVI alliance CEO, Seth Berkeley.

    Kenya has been actively making investments and implementing reforms aimed at transforming healthcare delivery in Kenya.

    One of the key priorities for the country over the next five years is Universal Health Coverage (UHC), with immunization playing a crucial role.

    Over 1.5 million infants, pregnant women, and 700,000 adolescent girls receive FREE immunization services annually.

    With 9,000+ health facilities, including public, private, faith-based, and NGOs, Kenya is committed to protecting the health of its population

    During the meeting, the GAVI alliance expressed their intention to provide financial support to Kenya through the Treasury and are also planning a high-level visit to further solidify the partnership.

    The collaboration with Berkeley highlights the importance of engaging with international organizations to enhance healthcare initiatives.

    Recognizing the need for self-reliance and innovative solutions, the MOH, through institutions such as the Kenya Biovax Institute (KBI) and KEMRI, is focused on manufacturing vaccines and other specialized Human HPTs, including therapeutics and biomedical products.

    As the chair of the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) and a member of the East African Community (EAC), Kenya has aligned with other member states to achieve a stockpile of essential HPTs.

  • Uhuru briefs US, Swiss ambassadors over DRC peace process

    Uhuru briefs US, Swiss ambassadors over DRC peace process

    Former President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday met a European Union (EU) delegation for talks on the current operational situation, progress made, and their support for the ongoing political process of finding lasting peace and stability in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

    The EU delegation was led by Bernard Quintin, who is the Deputy Managing Director for Africa.

    Kenyatta, who is the facilitator of the East African Community (EAC)–led Nairobi peace process, also met with US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman as well as her Switzerland counterpart Valentin Zellweger for the deliberations.

    The former Head of State also received a report from his technical advisors following a meeting with the East African Community Monitoring and Verification Mechanism earlier.

    The former Head of State recently expressed hope that the ongoing process will ultimately bring peace to the region and that the displaced persons will be able to go back to their homes and farms.

    He spoke on May 8, 2023 after he paid a courtesy call to Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye at the State House in Bujumbura, where he stated the importance of peace to the region.

  • Kenya set to secure Ksh 74.5B loan from IMF

    Kenya set to secure Ksh 74.5B loan from IMF

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached an agreement with the Kenya government for a loan amounting to Ksh 74.57 billion.

    The credit assistance is expected to help President William Ruto’s administration build economic resilience amid debt pressure and revenue shortfalls.

    The latest support from the IMF is the fifth review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangements approved in 2021 to the tune of Ksh 332.91 billion ($2.43B) at the current exchange rate.

    Kenya will also receive additional Ksh 74.57 billion ($544M) from the lender under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement bringing the total assistance under the three facilities to Ksh 482.24 billion ($3.52B), a Ksh 149.3 billion increase.

    “Upon completion of the fifth reviews by the IMF Executive Board, Kenya would have immediate access to bout Ksh 56.17 billion ($410M) including from the augmentation of access under the ECF/EFF. This would bring total IMF financial support disbursed under the EFF and ECF arrangements to about Ksh 276.32 billion ($2.017B). With the EFF/ECF augmentations and the RSF support, the total IMF commitment under these arrangements would be about Ksh 482.24 billion ($3.52B),” said Haimanot Teferra who led the IMF staff team.

    During the staff meeting with Kenyan authorities earlier this month, IMF agreed to extend EFF/ECF support by 10 months to April 2025, a move the multilateral lender says will give enough time to meet programmes objectives.

    The extension stems from Kenya’s request for a new 20-month RSF arrangement that will run in parallel with the EFF/ECF arrangements until April 2025, IMF said.

    While Kenya’s economic outlook in the medium-term is expected to remain favourable, IMF says there still significant challenges amid slow global economic growth and tight monetary conditions.

    “While agricultural output is expected to improve and food prices to come down on increased rainfall, the tighter fiscal and monetary environment to maintain macroeconomic stability will continue to weigh on growth in the year ahead,” added Teferra.

    The lender backed government’s spending terming it prudent as Kenya seeks to further reduce the fiscal deficit from the current 5.7pc to 4.1pc of GDP in the FY2023/24.

    As the government embarks on fiscal consolidation, IMF expects funding cut for some loss making state owned enterprises.

    “It will also be important to make inroads on the agenda to reform state-owned enterprises and stop the drain on budget resources stemming from, among others, Kenya Airways and Kenya Power and Lighting Company. The policy actions underway in these areas will take some time to bear fruit but will support what remains a favorable medium-term outlook for the Kenyan economy,” said IMF.

    The new loan is still subject to approval by the IMF management and consideration by the Executive Board.

  • Shopkeeper arrested in Riverside over adulterated sugar

    Shopkeeper arrested in Riverside over adulterated sugar

    Police have arrested a shopkeeper in Riverside on suspicion of selling adulterated sugar.

    According to the NPS, they received information from a member of the public who had allegedly bought half a kilo of sugar from the shop within Riverside, and on using it, found pellets which she suspected to be poisonous substances.

    In response, NPS officers arrested the shopkeeper, one Otieno, and recovered assorted sugar brands including 48kg of sugar in a 50 kg Brazilian bag; 40 pieces of 1 kg packets of Kabras and Ndhiwa sugar.

    The suspect also led the Officers to Njeka wholesale belonging to one Kamau, where the Officers also seized more items, among them, 60 bags of 50kg bags, bearing different brands including Kakira sugar, Indian brown sugar, and Diamond sugar bag.

    Meanwhile, Police Officers from Kabete Police Station apprehended two suspected criminals and recovered two firearms from Kurt, 21 with a pistol, one pistol capable of firing, a panga, and a motorcycle ongoing other items.

    From the second suspect, Ngaira, 25, Police recovered two power banks, WiFi router, a mobile phone – two power tablets and memory cards.

  • Lupita Nyong’o addresses Janelle Monae relationship rumours

    Lupita Nyong’o addresses Janelle Monae relationship rumours

    Academy award Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o has finally addressed online speculation about her relationship with musician Janelle Monae.

    The actress, who has been friends with Monae since the 2014 Met Gala said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the actress said that she can understand why.

    “She has magnetism that they were obviously picking up on,” Nyong’o said of the speculation. “She is that enigmatic. I was not surprised. And I don’t mind being associated with her in any capacity.”

    The rumours began in 2014 when the pair were photographed hugging on the steps of the Met.

    Speaking of the hug, Lupita said, “[Janelle] came up to me and just gave me the realest hug,” Nyong’o said. “I think we may have swayed to the music. She was just like, ‘I’m so proud of you, and just thank you for being you.’”

    Nyong’o had just won an Oscar for her performance in the Steven McQueen movie “12 Years A Slave.”

    Further reiterating that they are still close friends, she said that there are things she still doesn’t know about Monae.

    “Just because you’re a close friend of hers doesn’t mean you get to know everything about her,” Nyong’o said. “I think that’s what makes her interesting as an artist,” Lupita said.

    Nyong’o is currently dating television host and designer Selema Masekela. 

  • Court bars Churchill, Wahu, Azziad, Akothee and more appointments to Talanta Hela

    Court bars Churchill, Wahu, Azziad, Akothee and more appointments to Talanta Hela

    Comedian Daniel Ndambuki better known as Churchill, musician Wahu, social media content creator Azziad Nasenya, Sports commentator Carol Radull and musician Esther Akoth better known as Akothee have been barred from taking up appointments on the Talanta Hela Initiative after the High Court suspended its implementation.

    The Talanta Hela Council which has two technical committees, one for sports headed by Radull and one for creatives headed by Churchill, was spearheaded by Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba with the blessing of President Ruto. The council was gazetted on February 10.

    Other members of the Creative Technical Committee are Akinyi Odongo, actor presenter Jimmy Gathuu, actress Catherine Kamau, Kizito Makhande, Awadhi Salim Awadhi, Douglas Kipkurui and Langat Susan Ekasiba.

    The matter was brought before the court by petitioner and creative enthusiast Charles Mugane in March citing there was a contravention of the laws of the land and the constitution in the committee’s formation.

    The petition further states that the appointments were made without adherence to the national governance values and principles – public participation, transparency and accountability.

    “Certainly, no selection process has been shown as to how the eleven were arrived at from the massive eight million Kenyans on the TikTok platform from which the appointees appear to have been drawn. Your (Namwamba’s) actions above are in flagrant disregard of the law which our client will not countenance,” Mugane Advocates said in court papers.

    Mugane further wants transparency in the budget allocation that supports the council’s work.

    Read more.