On Tuesday, August 1, the Kenyan dailies spotlighted an array of topics; the political status quo in the country got much coverage.
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The dailies also had space for an insight into the high-level talks that ultimately led to President William Ruto meeting ODM leader Raila Odinga.
1. The Star
The publication reported that a 31-year-old woman is in agony after her 18-year-old son was crushed by a lorry carrying waste at the Malindi Mayungu dumpsite.
Jane Mwango, a mother of seven, lost her only son, Daniel Thomas, who she depended on in a tragic accident as the lorry that was being reversed to dump waste at the Malindi dumpsite on June 28.
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Mwango is a dumpsite dweller for more than 20 years and is a widow whose livelihood depends entirely on the waste from the dumpsite and other manual jobs.
The home is less than 300 metres from the dumpsite, and her house is just a temporary shelter covered with canvas collected at the dump site.
She showed a portrait of her son and described him as the only hope he had as the thirdborn since the firstborn developed a mental illness.
Mwango appeared depressed and could not hold her tears upon looking at the photo of his son, who was in Grade 7.
Mwango said her son woke her up in the morning and informed her he was going to the beach and reminded her she was getting late to the chama.
“I was out for the chama the whole morning up to 3 o’clock when my fifth-born child came running and crying informing me that Dan (the son) was dead as he had been crushed by a lorry,” she said.
Sadly, Mwango, who then had four boys and three girls, said some dwellers who saw the tragic incident refused to be witnesses at the police station despite seeing all that transpired.
To her, the son was the only hope for her as her parent, and now she has lost hope since the first two dropped out of school, and the others are still young.
James Kahaso Mayungu, a dumpsite dweller, said this is the third time such an incident happened, and no family has ever gotten justice from the authority.
2. The Standard
The daily reported six leaders played an integral role in organising the meeting between President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga in the presence of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in Mombasak.
On Sunday, July 30, Ruto admitted that he held talks with Raila where they agreed that the opposition would end weekly protests.
He said he has a duty to ensure peace and harmony in the country, and that is why he held the talks.
Ruto allies Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, and National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah together with Raila’s confidants former Mombasa governor Hassan Joho, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed and political strategist Prof Makau Mutua played a critical role in brokering the talks.
The leaders had secretly been talking with the Head of State and the opposition chief to come to the round table to end the anti-government protests that had led to the loss of lives and disrupted business.
Murkomen, Ichung’wah and Sudi are said to have separately convinced Ruto to meet Raila to cool down the political temperatures in the country.
Both Ruto and Raila had come under intense international pressure to put their heads together, with international calls made from Washington and London.
Ruto had been advised against agreeing to talks through politically active mediators such as sitting presidents or neighbour personalities.
It is then the name of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo was broached, a man both parties hold in high esteem.
Long retired, ageing and having previously dealt with them in the post-2008 election crisis, they easily consented to his name.
3. Daily Nation
The daily reported Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha’s order for the transfer of the officer in charge of Matisi police station continues a trend by President William Ruto’s Cabinet Secretaries’ attempts to exercise powers beyond their mandates.
Nakhumicha, in contravention of the constitution, said she has the power to transfer the officer in her capacity as a CS and that her directive was final.
She said the Kenya Kwanza government is implementing a “one-government approach” where any CS can make pronouncements over roles outside their ambit.
Her pronouncement comes hot on the heels of one by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua informing Azimio leaders their withdrawn security will only be reinstated if they “behave well” for the next three months.
The security detail of Raila, Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka and more than 50 MPs and governors allied to the coalition was withdrawn two weeks ago at the height of anti-government protests.
According to Article 245 of the Constitution on the command of the National Police Service, Section 4 states that no person may give direction to the Inspector-General with respect to employment, assignment, promotion, suspension or dismissal of any member of the service except the CS responsible.
Gachagua and Nakhumicha are among a growing list of Kenya Kwanza leaders who are acting beyond their powers, begging the question of whether their actions are by design or just being rogue
4. People Daily
According to the daily, three lawyers moved to court to quash the Judicial Service Commission's (JSC) decision to appoint magistrate Clarence Awuor Otieno as the new Registrar of the High Court
Lawyers Omwanza Ombati, Robinson Kigen and Brian Ochieng’ Saka, in their petition filed at the High Court, argued that the appointment of Otieno was irregular and unlawful.
They explained this was because she was not among the persons shortlisted by JSC for interviews during the recruitment process.
“The petitioners are reasonably aggrieved with the appointment (of Otieno), as it wouldn’t be expected that a person who had never been shortlisted would be the successful candidate,” the three lawyers state in court papers.
According to the lawyers, Otieno was handpicked in an opaque process. On Tuesday, July 25, JSC appointed Otieno as the new registrar, but her name was not among the shortlisted candidates in a Monday, May 22 statement by the commission.
Those publicly shortlisted for interviews were magistrates Ann Wanjiru, Pauline Wangari, Dennis Kipkirui, Fredrick Momanyi, Elizabeth Juma and Elizabeth Tanui. The interviews were conducted on May 31.
5. Taifa Leo
The Swahili paper reported that Haiti had welcomed with a "warm heart" Kenya's initiative to lead a coalition of forces from several countries in restoring peace in the country.
The Foreign Affairs Minister of Haiti, Jean-Victor Geneus, expressed great joy in the support shown by African nations.
The Caribbean nation has been facing an increase in violence driven by criminal gangs.
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