Regulator, union oppose Machakos County's suspension of six water chiefs
WASREB warned that the county’s actions could disrupt operations and threaten any planned external support for the utilities. The decision by Machakos County to place six managing directors of local water companies on compulsory leave has drawn sharp criticism from both the water sector regulator and the workers’ union. WASREB warned that the county’s actions could disrupt operations and threaten any planned external support for the utilities. The union also pointed out that the county itself owes over Sh14 million directly to water companies, with total arrears for the sector exceeding Sh50 million. The affected companies include Mavoko Water and Sewerage Company, Machakos Water and Sanitation Company, Kathiani Water and Sanitation Company, Kangundo Water and Sanitation Company, Yatta Water and Sanitation Company, and Mwala Water and Sanitation Company.
Source:The Star
January 24, 2026 08:55 UTC
Inside Ndindi Nyoro’s proposed national kitty for free secondary education
/NDINDI NYORO/FBKiharu Member of Parliament, Ndindi Nyoro, has proposed the creation of a national education kitty to fund free day secondary education nationwide, including meals. The remaining Sh10 billion would be injected by the national government through budget adjustments within the Ministry of Education. County governments would collectively add another Sh10 billion, while the national government would provide the final Sh10 billion. He said the push for free secondary education is long overdue and should begin immediately, calling for urgency in the implementation of the initiative. “My call is to have free basic education from term two of 2026,” Nyoro said, adding that a national education kitty would end the practice of politicians using education support as a campaign tool during election periods.
Source:The Star
January 24, 2026 08:10 UTC
Opposition plots 2027 strategy as President lines up own meetings
The 2027 campaigns have started in earnest as the United Opposition moves to strategise its bid, while President William Ruto intensifies nationwide engagements. This is premium contentSubscribe to Continue ReadingHelp us continue bringing you unbiased news, in-depth investigations, and diverse perspectives. Your subscription keeps our mission alive and empowers us to provide high-quality, trustworthy journalism. Join us today to make a difference!
Source:The Star
January 24, 2026 08:02 UTC
The star of the Russian chanson was disembarked from the plane with a scandal and the police — EADaily, January 23rd, 2026 — Society, Russia
Singer Lyubov Uspenskaya was forced to transfer to another flight when flying from Moscow to Omsk because of the scandal that broke out on board. According to Uspenskaya, she took her dog (Yorkshire terrier Junik) on board the plane during the flight in a carrier. "In general, I transferred to another plane, away from this abnormal one, and flew with my dog to Omsk," the actress concluded the story. As reported by EADaily, singer Lyubov Uspenskaya on Ukraine was considered a threat to national security. It is specified that the decision on this was made after monitoring and analyzing media and social media materials.
Source:The Star
January 24, 2026 07:51 UTC
Kite-flyers from 56 countries expected
THE 28th Pasir Gudang International Kite Festival is set to record its highest international participation, with entries from 56 countries this year. Pasir Gudang mayor Datin Paduka Hazlina Jalil said the figure surpassed the previous record of 49 participating countries in 2012. Also present were Johor Kite Association president Hasrin Kamal Hashim and Pasir Gudang City Council chief whip Datuk Mohd Amin Ahmad. Kites from the Pasir Gudang International Kite Festival last year. “The Pasir Gudang International Kite Festival continues to serve as an important platform for cultural exchange and international friendship through the art of kite flying.
Source:The Star
January 24, 2026 07:04 UTC
Britain to get its own 'FBI' in biggest shake up to UK police in 50 years
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is preparing to announce the biggest reshaping of the service’s structure in more than 50 years. One police official said they expected the number of remaining forces across England and Wales could be ‘counted on both hands’. The Home Secretary will argue larger forces are vital to make policing more effective at tackling quality-of-life crimes such as shoplifting, phone theft and anti-social behaviour. But the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, which represents elected officials currently overseeing most forces, warned against creating larger force areas. Instead, she will hand oversight of forces to local authorities and elected mayors.
Source:The Star
January 24, 2026 05:50 UTC
Braless Love Island star Uma Jammeh nearly slips out of daring plunging dress in very sexy new video
EX Love Island beauty Uma Jammeh has turned up the heat in a flesh-flashing new video. Wearing a cleavage-bursting yellow halter-neck outfit, the reality TV star showed off her moves in the short clip. Uma, 24, rocketed to fame after she appeared on last year’s series of Love Island as a bombshell but ended up quitting the show. Fans and fellow Islanders questioned her decision at the time, claiming she would come to ‘regret’ cutting her Love Island journey short and following her heart. RECOMMENDED STORIESReplying to one social media user, Uma fought back: “Thankfully I am a woman of self worth who is thick skinned.”
Source:The Star
January 24, 2026 05:08 UTC
BETWEEN THE COVERS: Promises written in ‘dust’ tested by nation’s rebirth
Yet as the world shifts around them — colonial tremors, Mau Mau rebellion, the birth-pangs of an independent Kenya — their childhood alliance is tested, twisted and nearly destroyed. The story begins in 1950s Kenya, a land shimmering with heat and political tension. The Mau Mau uprising simmers in the distance, and beneath its surface runs a quiet current of privilege and guilt. “When she reached the house, the sun had turned the morning air into a shimmering mirage of heat and dust devils,” she writes. As the girls grow up, the narrative stretches from colonial farms to London’s fashionable chaos, from isolated homesteads to bustling Nairobi streets.
Source:Daily Nation
January 24, 2026 03:15 UTC
Kenyan man recounts chilling escape from Russia-Ukraine battlefield
A man from Kiambu County shared a harrowing ordeal after being reportedly misled into joining the Russian military and deployed to the battlefield in Ukraine, where he lost comrades and narrowly escaped with his life. Faced with what he described as the grim reality of frontline combat, Chege said he began planning his escape. “I have firsthand experience, and I can tell you it’s a death trap,” he said, urging young Kenyans to seek lawful opportunities and avoid possible exploitation. “Don’t think about joining the Russian military. He said out of about 130 registered recruitment agencies in Kenya, around five had been flagged, with three already suspended and two others under investigation.
Source:The Star
January 24, 2026 03:06 UTC
Smriti Mandhana’s cricketer friends caught Palaash Muchhal with a woman in bed, was beaten up; explosive claims shock netizens
Smriti Mandhana and Palaash Muchhal were considered the power couple and were also supposed to tie the knot. After Palaash was accused of cheating on Smriti on the internet, he landed in a new controversy. While speaking to Hindustan Times, he made some explosive claims against Palaash. Mane claimed that Palaash was caught red-handed with another woman in bed and was beaten up by the Indian female cricketers. https://news24online.com/sports/cricket/smriti-mandhana-georgia-voll-power-rcb-to-fourth-straight-win-in-wpl-2026/715473/Also Read: Smriti Mandhana, Georgia Voll power RCB to fourth straight win in WPL 2026
Source:News 24
January 24, 2026 01:38 UTC
ANC interim party leader mulls ending merger with Ruto's UDA
Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi chats with President William Ruto at a past meeting at Nyayo Stadium. [File, Standard]The High Court ruling that dismissed the Amani National Congress (ANC) Party and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party merger portends another legal landmine for President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition after interim ANC party leader Stephen Mutoro yesterday announced that the agreement is legally dead. Mutoro, who successfully challenged the merger between the two parties at the High Court, has since installed himself as the interim party leader. Yesterday, he announced that a temporary party leadership team would be announced in two weeks’ time with a key agenda being the reconsideration of ANC’s relationship with UDA.
Source:Standard Digital
January 24, 2026 01:30 UTC
Agony for 00s dance group behind UK No. 1 hit as star suffers tragic loss
'LOVED BEYOND MEASURE' Agony for 00s dance group behind UK No. 1 hit as star suffers tragic lossA MUSIC star behind a smash UK No.1 hit has been left heartbroken after suffering a tragic loss. Simon Marlin, one of the DJ duo behind the The Shapeshifters, announced the sad news on Instagram. Their second single, Back to Basics, was released in March 2005 and soared to number 10 on the UK chart. The Shapeshifters then released their debut album, Sound Advice, in March 2006 and peaked at number 76 in the UK Albums Chart.
Source:The Star
January 23, 2026 22:30 UTC
All the signs Harry Styles & Zoe Kravitz are an 'endgame' couple
But while in the past, Harry would have dashed from city to city, this time he’s doing things very differently. It really is no secret now that Harry and Zoe are endgame. It’s not the first time Harry has had a girlfriend on tour – he was dating model Camille Rowe during his first solo world tour, Harry Styles Live on Tour in 2017. They said: “It really is no secret now that Harry and Zoe are endgame. Harry and Zoe certainly see a future together, but if that will manifest itself in a traditional union, only time will tell.
Source:The Star
January 23, 2026 22:23 UTC
Why Kenya avoided US visa restrictions
Kenya’s strategic position may have helped it avoid the recent visa restrictions imposed by the United States, governance experts now say. Kagwanja, appearing on Spice FM on Friday, January 23, said Kenya is not inherently different from other African countries but benefits from its geopolitical importance. The US has one of the largest embassies in Kenya serving much of the continent,” adding that Kenya was key to help US maintain its influence on the Indo-Pacific region. Peter Kagwanja: Venezuela is said to hold about 30% of the world’s petroleum capacity. He argued that the United States has historically justified military interventions through claims of collective security, democracy, and human rights, but is now retreating from that framework.
Source:Standard Digital
January 23, 2026 21:33 UTC
Kenyan Newspapers Review: Court Stops Payment of Salaries to Ndii, Over 20 Ruto's Illegal Advisers
On Friday, January 23, Kenyan newspapers highlighted the High Court ruling that declared the appointment of President William Ruto's advisers unconstitutional and null and void. The StandardJustice Bahati Mwamuye of the High Court declared on Thursday, January 22, that President William Ruto had improperly appointed 21 advisers to assist in running his administration. The judge ordered Attorney General Dorcas Odour and the Public Service Commission (PSC) to stop the payment of their salaries. However, the former deputy president claimed defectors were 'bought' by President William Ruto to cut his influence in the vote-rich Mt Kenya region. Kenya, which contributes the largest share of police officers to the international security support mission (known as the Multinational Security Support - MSS, previously referred to as GSF), has indicated it intends to continue its deployment in the nation.
Source:Daily Nation
January 23, 2026 21:17 UTC