As the nation prepares for the general election next year, the Democratic Party—founded by the late former President Mwai Kibaki—is anticipated to make an announcement about its future.

Following a major feud with President William Ruto, the DP made a stunning political comeback last year by formally distancing itself from the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance and reinstating Muturi as party head in June.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party made the announcement, but the National Delegates Convention (NDC) had to approve it.
After supporting Ruto in the lead-up to the 2022 general election, Muturi formally resigned as DP leader in October 2022 to take a position in the Cabinet.

But over time, their relationship deteriorated, leading to Muturi’s termination in March of last year.

His dismissal came after months of escalating hostilities, during which Muturi became an outspoken critic of the administration, particularly with regard to extrajudicial executions and kidnappings.
Ruto accused Muturi of being “incompetent” and replaced him un the Ministry of Public Service with Geoffrey Ruku, the MP for Mbeere North at the time.

In response, Muturi stated that he had asked to be excused from Cabinet sessions until the problem of forced executions and disappearances was properly addressed.

The Empowerment Christian Church’s (ECC) general overseer, Reverend Lucy Natasha, has announced that the ministry’s physical location in Nairobi will be temporarily closed. All services will now be provided online.

Reverend Lucy confirmed that the church will no longer host in-person services at the Biashara Plaza Rooftop, a location that has served the community for years, in a statement posted on her official social media accounts.

The Nairobi-based ministry saw a change on Sunday, January 11.
The notice stated that venue-related issues were the reason for the decision. It should be mentioned that Natasha did not provide any specific information, such as rent issues or any outside influences.

The church’s leadership also urged members to pray for the church as it works to secure a permanent place of worship.

Reverend Lucy assured the congregation that the relocation would not interfere with the ministry’s operations, pointing out that until further notice, all church services would be conducted virtually.

The content developer, who is well-known for his energetic broadcasts, arrived in Nairobi this week to start a tour that will showcase the nation to tens of millions of viewers globally.
An electric stop at Upper Hill School marked the start of the visit. When the streamer showed out, the students cheered, excited to see the personality they typically only see behind a screen.

Videos of his interactions with students and his embrace of the local school culture rapidly went viral.

A State’s Welcome to the “Origin of Wonder”

The visit has been warmly welcomed by the Kenyan government, which sees it as a significant “destination marketing” opportunity.

President William Ruto and Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Rebecca Miano led the formal greetings and celebrated the streamer’s arrival in “Magical Kenya” on social media.
Kenya is more than just a tourism destination, according to Ruto’s official response to the streamer.

The president has promised more than Ksh.630 million during his nationwide tour in the last year alone, indicating a return to the 2022 campaign season when he lavished money all over the country to win over the electorate.

The president, who is well-known for his political acumen, is in the news for keeping his pledge to silence those who claim that he came to power through a culture of deception.

Raila and Ruto called for a dialogue strategy on July 10, 2024, to decide on the nation’s new course of action. Gen Zs rejected the dialogue strategy, claiming that the president could have implemented important demands—like apprehending rogue police officers who killed peaceful protestors—without dialogue.

Attorney Otieno expressed doubts about the strategy’s effectiveness, arguing that the youth do not trust any political organization at this time and that Raila does not speak for them. He maintained that voting for the candidates they want in office is the only way to rebuild public confidence.

“Kenyans have taken back control of their government. President Ruto is working to restore legitimacy, but he is unable to speak for them in regards to the Gen Z protests. “The people said, ‘Keep off, this is our protests,’ when Raila first came out to say we have a dialogue,” the attorney recalled.

“You’re not going to gain credibility from Raila. We need to figure out a mechanism by which the electorate can return the sovereignty they have reclaimed. It must be by ballot, not through backroom deals, and Ruto is free to run for office if he so chooses.”

For many years, Raila has been hailed as the “political savior” who kept previous regimes’ presidencies intact during their darkest moments, rendering him something of a political mystic.

However, the Gen Z protests have completely upended the political landscape by demonstrating the youth’s unambiguous lack of leadership. Driven by the need for accountability and sound governance, they have stayed clear of the political narratives.

“You won’t obtain credibility from Raila. We need to figure out how the people can return their reclaimed sovereignty to an elected body. Ruto may run for office if he so chooses, but it won’t happen through backroom deals. It will happen through the ballot.”

Raila is a political enigma because, for many decades, he has been hailed as the “political savior” who kept the previous regimes’ presidencies intact through their darkest moments.

However, with the youth adamantly declaring their lack of leadership, the Gen Z protests have completely upended the political landscape. Because they are motivated by the need for transparency and sound governance, they have stayed away from political narratives.

The Kenya Medical Association (KMA) has rejected the formation of a Presidential Task Force on Human Resources for Health, citing a duplication of functions.
In a statement, KMA Secretary General Dr. Diana Marion stated that the task force’s mandate is already being carried out by other constitutional organizations.

Some of the organizations are the Kenya Health Human Resource Advisory Council (KHHRAC) and the Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority (KHPOA).
According to KMA, KHHRAC is responsible for examining policies and creating criteria for posting interns, inter-country transfers of healthcare professionals, welfare schemes, and keeping a master record.

At the same time, KHPOA maintains a duplicate registry for all health professionals, promotes and controls interprofessional liaison, handles patient complaints, arbitrates conflicts, and ensures that health practitioner standards are met.

Following the 56-day physicians’ strike, the Return to Work formula called for the formation of a task force.

However, the KMA advocated for the establishment of a constitutional Health Service Commission (HSC) to centrally manage the Human Resources for Health role.

Some of the suggested functions include developing training standards, a code of conduct, recruiting and remuneration, and registering health workers.

It will also manage recruiting and deployment, as well as the rationalization of remuneration and terms of service for the country’s health staff.

On July 6, President William Ruto named the 20-member committee.

He appointed Khama Rogo as chairperson and Judith Guserwa as vice-chairperson of the task force.

The police fired tear gas and guns. At least five people were reported dead from gunshot wounds, and more than 30 others were injured, according to a joint statement by Amnesty International, the human rights group, and several Kenyan civic organizations. The numbers could not be immediately confirmed by The Times.

Kenyans have widely criticized the bill, saying that it would drive up the cost of living for millions. But the government has argued that the legislation was crucial to securing revenue for important initiatives.

Other protests: The demonstrations spread beyond Nairobi, as protesters blocked streets with burning tires in Nakuru, a city some 100 miles away. Last week, at least one person was killed and 200 others were injured across the country, Amnesty International said. In recent days, the government has been accused of abducting critics and making mass arrests.

What’s next: Ruto now has two weeks to sign the legislation into law or send it back to Parliament for revisions.

On March 22, President William Ruto stated that the government would take action against out-of-control currency exchange rates at the listing of Laptrust Imara (REIT) at the Nairobi Securities Exchange.