Kenya This Week: Gachagua Attributes JKIA Mishap To Uhuru's Regime, Other Top Stories

• A majority of Kenyans have demanded the sacking of Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, who is the man in charge of the vital energy docket
• However, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was of a different view about it, as he also defended Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen
• Also this week, a group of KDF personnel in Baringo county helped a woman experiencing labour pains on the 60th anniversary of Jamhuri Day

Dennis Lubanga, a Kenyan journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than 10 years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

On Sunday, December 10, Kenyans were left in darkness following a system fault at Kenya Power and Lighting Company that plunged the entire country into darkness.

The outage marked the third major blackout in three months, disrupting critical services, including those at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

A majority of Kenyans have demanded the sacking of Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, who is the man in charge of the vital docket.

However, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was of a different view about it, as he also defended Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.

Also this week, at Mukutani Military Camp in Baringo county, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel participating in "Operation Maliza Uhalifu" in the North Rift region helped a woman experiencing labour pains on the 60th anniversary of Jamhuri Day.

We look at these and other stories that made the news headlines this week, including reports that former Migori governor Okoth Obado was not at the scene of the murder of Sharon Otieno.

1. Gachagua Blames JKIA Backup Generator Failure on Uhuru

This week, Gachagua blamed the backup generator failure at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on the former president's regime.

Speaking in Baringo on Thursday, December 14, after buying goats worth over KSh 15 million alongside President William Ruto, Gachagua defended Murkomen against sacking calls.

The DP argued that Murkomen was not to blame for the failure of the generator at JKIA because he was not the Transport CS when it was purchased, claiming that the power generator was bought during the former regime under Uhuru.

"Our transport CS is doing well. I have seen some people calling for his resignation because the generator at JKIA was not working. It was not him who bought it. The generator, which is fake, was bought by the former regime"

2. KDF Soldiers Help Woman in Labour Pains Deliver Baby

On Jamhuri Day, the military medics had to step in when the expectant woman, Jenty Lesupen, 20, arrived at the camp in a more advanced stage of labour.

The committed medical professionals at the Regimental Aid Post, a field hospital not intended for obstetrical care, overcame obstacles to ensure a safe delivery.

In a statement, KDF announced that Jenty gave birth to a healthy baby girl, weighing about 5.5 pounds, two hours later.

While acknowledging the challenges of giving birth at the Regimental Aid Post, the military medics underlined their dedication to making sure the mother had a safe delivery.

3. Okoth Obado Was in Nairobi When Sharon Otieno Was Killed

This week, a Safaricom staffer revealed that Obado was in Nairobi between September 2 and 5, 2018, a period in which the Rongo University student was killed.

Quinto Odek Etyang was under instructions to produce call logs between Obado, his co-accused, and the deceased for the period between August 1 and September 9, 2018; also sought for investigation purposes were the geographical movements and MPesa statements for the aforementioned within that period.

In his testimony, Etyang told the court that the former county executive was not near the murder scene on that fateful day.

He demonstrated that on September 2, 2018, at 4:50 pm, Obado was at Suswa in Rift Valley; he would later be traced to Mai Mahiu at 5:32 pm the same day. He was at Sigona at 6:03 pm, and then in Lavington, Nairobi, at 6:27 pm.

4. Magistrate Faults Prosecution During Acquittal of Henry Rotich

Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich breathed a sigh of relief after the court acquitted him in the KSh 63 billion Arror, Kimwarer dam scandal.

Rotich, who served under the tenure of former president Uhuru Kenyatta, was facing several counts touching on abuse of office and flouting of public procurement laws about the tendering of the two multibillion-shilling dams in Elgeyo Marakwet county.

To his relief, trial magistrate Eunice Nyutu acquitted him and his eight co-accused because of a lack of evidence.

Nyutu boldly slammed the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) for being reckless in their prosecution of the matter.

5. Nairobi: Male Dancer Pretending to Be Lady in Trouble

Also this week, it emerged that a data analyst was in despair after a man pretending to be a lady drugged and stole from him.

Johnson Onyango lost KSh 8,000 in cash, five mobile phones, and a pair of shoes worth KSh 7,000, among other items valued at KSh 145,000, after the romantic encounter.

He later learnt that the woman he met at a nightclub in Kayole and took home was a man, Evans Willis Ouma, after he was tracked down and arrested.

A report by NTV Kenya revealed that Onyango was drinking at the bar when a 'woman' approached him and asked him to dance. After the dance, the two left the club to spend the night at his home.