Welcome to our weekly roundup, where we bring you the top stories that made headlines this week. It has been an eventful week, and at the top of our list is the impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
The impeachment motion against DP Gachagua gained momentum after 291 Members of Parliament (MPs) endorsed it.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula approved the motion and scheduled a special hearing for Tuesday, October 8.
At the same time, the DP was accorded the opportunity to appear in person or through a legal representative to defend himself, with two hours set aside for his defense from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
The National Assembly also organized public participation in all 47 counties, starting Friday, October 4. However, a court order extended the process, requiring a second round of public participation.
DP Rigathi Gachagua Impeachment
Among the ten grounds for impeachment is that DP Gachagua has inexplicably amassed a humongous property portfolio estimated at Ksh5.2 billion for the past 2 years.
Also, the impeachment grounds include Gross violation of the Constitution or any other law pursuant to article 150 (1) (b) (1) of the constitution and Gross Misconduct (bullying).
Another charge is “serious reasons to believe that Gachagua has committed crimes under sections 45 (1), 46, 47 (a) (3), and 48 (1) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act and sections 2, 3, 4, and 7 of Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Other charges against the second in command are undermining the President and the Cabinet, interfering with leadership of Nairobi County government, attack against Lady Justice Esther Maina of the High Court, violating the Oath of office, and misleading the public.
SHA Rollout
The government on October 1 officially rolled put the Social Health Authority (SHA) with Kenyans now required to pay 2.75 percent of their income as individuals or households to the scheme.
In the case of a household whose income is derived from salaried employment, contributions will be made through a monthly statutory deduction from the wages or salary by the employer.
However, in the case of a household whose income is derived from salaried employment, contributions will be made through a monthly statutory deduction from the wages or salary by the employer.
The Authority, in collaboration with the Ministry of cooperatives and micro, small and medium enterprises development and other financing institutions, shall provide premium financing to non-salaried persons to enable them to pay their annual contributions within the intervals under which their income becomes available.
Those whom the means testing tool determines to fall in or below the threshold of Ksh 300 will contribute the base premium of Ksh300.
Censure Motion Filed Against Ruto
Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo has filed a censure motion against President William Ruto. In his motion, Maanzo argued that the Head of State has reduced the allocation to counties and delayed financing to devolved units causing untold suffering to Kenyans who are sick by failing to devolve Health and Agriculture fully as required by article four (4) of the constitution.
He added that Ruto has failed to protect Kenyans against police brutality and killings that has been recently witnessed in the country.
The senator also in his motion mentioned that President Ruto has marginalized section of Kenyans created and continues to heighten tension among different segments of Kenyans due to lack of proper public participation on SHIF, SHA and University education fees module.
TSC Announces 46,000 Jobs for Teachers
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) announced plans to recruit 46,000 teachers on permanent and pensionable terms. Applications are open for 6,000 positions in primary schools, 39,550 in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS), and 450 in secondary schools.
To qualify, applicants must be Kenyan citizens registered with TSC. For primary school positions, a minimum of a P1 certificate is required, while a diploma in education is needed for JSS and secondary school roles.
Interested candidates should submit their applications online via the TSC website www.tsc.go.ke, under ‘Careers’ or teachersonline.tsc.go.ke, not later than 7th October 2024, at midnight.
“Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications online through the Teachers Service Commission’s website. Details on available vacancies per county, sub-county, or school are also accessible on the TSC website.
US Opens Green Card Application
The United States Department of State opened applications for the Diversity Visa (DV) Immigrant Program, commonly known as the Green Card, starting on Wednesday, October 2. The Green Card allows non-US citizens to gain permanent residency, granting them the rights and privileges of US citizens.
Each eligible country, including Kenya, cannot receive more than seven percent of the total available DVs in a year, meaning no more than 3,850 Kenyans will be selected from this year’s applicants.
Applications for the program must be submitted electronically on the official Department of State DV Program website between Wednesday, October 2, 2024, and Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
Only one entry per person is accepted, as submitting more than one entry will disqualify all entries for that individual. The online submission is entirely free.
Also, Big This Week
- Former Jubilee Digital Communications specialist Pauline Njoroge dismissed rumors about former President Uhuru Kenyatta being critically ill, labeling them as a fictional story created by someone with ill intentions.
- Moi University was on Thursday October 1 closed with immediate effect following staff industrial action and subsequent student unrest, according to the university’s announcement.
- Kericho Governor Eric Mutai was impeached by the County Assembly Members (MCAs) after 31 voted in favor of the motion, while 16 boycotted the session.
- The High Court of Kenya issued a conservatory order halting the implementation of the Higher Education Funding (HEF) model after a petition was filed by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and other parties.
- The Office of the Chief of Staff and Head of the Public Service on Saturday September 28 announced that the government lost 366 title deeds.
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Thank you for reading this week’s roundup! Stay tuned for more updates and keep engaging with us for the latest developments. Until next time, stay informed and stay inspired!
Graphics by Felix Kabugi