As Uganda endured a tense wait after Thursday's polls, Museveni had a commanding lead against Wine, 43, a former singer turned politician who was arrested ahead of Uganda's last election in 2021. With final results due around 1200 GMT Saturday, there were conflicting reports about Wine's whereabouts, following claims that police and the army had raided his home on Friday night. "I want to confirm that I managed to escape from them," Wine posted on X on Saturday. Ugandan military police officers detain a voter on the ground near a polling station in Kampala on January 15, 2026, during Uganda's 2026 general elections. Police officers detain a voter on the ground near a polling station in Kampala on January 15, 2026, during Uganda's 2026 general elections.

January 17, 2026 12:04 UTC

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has hit back at The Standard over a headline alleging a multi-billion-shilling graft scandal at the National Youth Service (NYS). The Standard, in its Friday, January 16, newspaper headline titled 'NYS III bombshell', alleges that suppliers submitted false or dubious payment claims totalling about Sh6.2 billion to the NYS. A photo collage of Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku and the Standard Media Group newspaper front page. Photo Geoffrey Ruku/ Standard DigitalIn response, Ruku dismissed the newspaper's style of reporting the matter, insisting that the Standard media was meddling in old issues, intending to mislead the public. "I have seen the standard newspaper saying that NYS is corrupt.

January 17, 2026 11:03 UTC

The US justice department is investigating two prominent Minnesota liberals over alleged attempts to impede federal immigration operations, an escalation of the Trump's administration's clash with Democrats. Protests have ramped up in the city after Renee Good, 37, was shot and killed by an ICE agent last week. "The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her." Democratic lawmakers travelled to the city for a hearing there and spent Friday condemning federal immigration operations in the state, accusing ICE of reckless and lawless actions. Ilhan Omar, a congresswoman from Minnesota who has long feuded with Trump, said that ICE was trying to "provoke chaos and fear".

January 17, 2026 10:25 UTC

The White House has released the names of the members who will form the Trump administration's new "Board of Peace" for Gaza. Each member of the "Board of Peace" is expected to be in charge of a portfolio that will be "critical to Gaza's stabilisation", the White House added. Sir Tony BlairFormer UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair had long been talked about as a potential member of Trump's "Board of Peace, with the US president confirming back in September that he had expressed an interest in joining the body. He previously described Trump's plans for Gaza as the "best chance of ending two years of war, misery and suffering". In November, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss key sticking points in the peace deal.

January 17, 2026 09:55 UTC

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah at the Bunge Towers, Nairobi on July 29, 2024. [Elvis Ogina,Standard]People living with HIV are calling for the withdrawal of the case that has halted the implementation of the landmark United States financial health support to Kenya. Through their umbrella, the National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV/Aids in Kenya (Nenphak), they have urged Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah to reconsider his position and allow the release of the funds.

January 17, 2026 09:50 UTC





President Donald Trump speaks to the media while signing executive orders in the Oval Office. [AFP]A threat by US President Donald Trump to impose a 25 per cent tariff on any nation trading with Iran has thrown Kenya’s strategic push into the Middle East into disarray, forcing Nairobi to choose between a resurgent tea market and vital access to American consumers. The warning, posted by Trump on his Truth Social platform on Monday, targets countries conducting business with the Islamic Republic, calling the order “final and conclusive.”

January 17, 2026 09:26 UTC

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sheriff Nassir has reiterated that the Coast region will no longer be pushed to the margins of national decision-making. The meeting was also attended by Cabinet Secretary Hassan Ali Joho and members of the Coast Parliamentary Group. Speaking after the engagement, Abdulswamad noted that the Coast has endured decades of marginalisation in national conversations. The governor said Coast leaders have now adopted a united and deliberate approach to overturn this pattern. Abdulswamad added that the Coast will no longer accept being spoken for or spoken down to, insisting that the region is organised, resolute and ready to play a central role in Kenya’s future.

January 17, 2026 08:54 UTC

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January 17, 2026 08:01 UTC

It has been 12 years since Metal Refinery (EPZ) Ltd was closed after toxic lead poisoning changed the lives of this Changamwe community forever. Metal Refinery and the government tragically overturned this historic victory in the Court of Appeal. Owino Uhuru is one of Kenya’s largest-ever environmental compensation awards. The case of Metal Refinery Ltd disaster is relevant for Tuesday’s hearing on the Presidential initiative to compensate victims of violent protest policing. State failure to resolve both mass injustices will predictably provide rich fodder for non establishment candidates in the General Election.

January 17, 2026 07:12 UTC

A suspect appears before Justice Diana Kavedza of the High Court in Mombasa, January 16, 2026. The court was told that the offences were committed over a prolonged period between January 2021 and September 2023. Preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie before the High Court in Mombasa, January 16, 2026. The prosecution in the Shakahola case before the High Court in Mombasa, January 16, 2026. After confirming that the facts were accurate, Justice Kavedza convicted Amanya on his own plea of guilty.

January 17, 2026 07:01 UTC

Policemen caught on CCTV brutalising Nandi residents. [Courtesy]Adark cloud of fury hangs over Nandi Hills town following a harrowing night raid in which police officers are accused not only of brutalising residents but also of stealing from them. The incident exposes a chilling new low in police misconduct, transforming law enforcers into alleged robbers and goons in uniform.

January 17, 2026 06:08 UTC

Investigating officer grilled over Sh1.1 billion Finland-Canada programme. [Courtesy]The investigating officer in the Sh1.1 billion Finland and Canada Education Programme was interrogated yesterday over alleged “shoddy” investigations. Chief Inspector Martin Munene was questioned on how he arrived at the Sh1.1 billion figure in the case against Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and county officials Meshack Rono and Joshua Lelei.

January 17, 2026 06:00 UTC

A section of Social Health Authority(SHA) building on March 5, 2025 located at Upper Hill in Nairobi. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]A dramatic courtroom showdown unfolded at the Milimani High Court yesterday that threatens to collapse the Kenya Kwanza flagship medical cover that anchors the universal health coverage plan. Petitioners challenged the Sh104.8 billion Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) digital system, pushed for its disbandment as they accused the government of secrecy, illegal procurement and constitutional violations.

January 17, 2026 06:00 UTC

Students at Nakuru city reporting back to their varoius school after schools. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]The Ministry of Education is considering a major overhaul of senior secondary schools that could see more than 1,000 institutions upgraded to national school status amid low student enrolment across the country. The Saturday Standard has established that the plan seeks to ensure that every administrative ward has at least one senior secondary school of national status.

January 17, 2026 05:50 UTC

The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and international interest.

January 17, 2026 05:50 UTC