Mohamud Siyad Abdihakim and Monteiro Tariq Kennedy Mangal were gang members in London. On August 12, 2019 they were part of a group that attacked Alex Smith in a gang-related feud.
Alex was attacked as he walked out of a restaurant near Euston station in Wembley, London and stabbed at least two times. He died from the injuries.
Mohamud and Monteiro fled to Kenya immediately after the stabbing. They rented an apartment in Kilimani, and were living the good life, even boasting about it on social media.
International arrest warrants were issued against the two men. British authorities noticed something in the social media pages of the two men. A selfie. Next to an oven.
The oven brand was not common to them, and further probing revealed that it is a brand mostly sold in Kenya. British authorities alerted Kenyan authorities, who traced the pair to an apartment in Kilimani. They effected an arrest, and deported Mohamud and Monteiro to the UK.
A UK court in May, 2023 sentenced both to life in prison. Under British law, Monteiro will serve a minimum of 24 years in prison. Mohamud will serve a minimum of 23 years.
But this was not the first time that criminals had slipped up in Kenya and led to their own arrest… Look out for Part 2
What you need to know:"This was recognition of something I have been building quietly for 17 years," Lily Nanga-Kitala says, almost to herself, during an interview at Nation Centre. It is a fitting way to sum up a journey that began not with a business plan, but with a mother simply looking for a decent school for her children.
The scramble for Mt Kenya voting bloc on Sunday went a notch higher following a verbal exchange between Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and his predecessor Rigathi Gachagua, regarding the unity of the region.
While Mr Gachagua accused Prof Kindiki of a scheme to divide the mountain into East and West ahead of the August 2027 General Election, the DP fired back, saying nobody was interested in splitting the region.
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku is championing the split, arguing that the Mt Kenya West had refused to support Prof Kindiki as he positions himself to retain the running mate position in President William Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid. The CS has been accused of speaking for his “masters”, interpreted to mean Prof Kindkiki and President Ruto.
The CS is pushing for political autonomy of the East that comprise Meru, Embu and Tharaka Nithi, claiming that he will mobilise more than three million votes from the region in support of President William Ruto’s re-election bid.
Dr Ruto is facing opposition from Nyeri, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua and parts of Laikipia, which are in the west of the mountain.
According to political analysts, the mountain bloc which played a key role in propelling Dr Ruto to power in 2022, if united against him, is likely to bring to reality Mr Gachagua’s campaign for Dr Ruto’s one term presidency.
The Sunday war of words between Mr Gachagua and the DP was sparked by Saturday’s incident during which one person was killed and several vehicles burnt following a confrontation between youths who were attempting to storm Prof Kindiki’s meeting at Nembule stadium in Embu County.
On Sunday, Mr Gachagua told Prof Kindiki to forget about splitting the region.
“We know, a fact that you cannot deny, that Mr William Ruto gave you a deadline of October 25, 2026, to divide the region into an imaginary Mt. Kenya East and West. How can you divide a people united by culture and a rich history for years?,” Mr Gachagua posted on his Facebook page.
He went on: “I have told you several times, and it is in the public domain, that you cannot divide the mountain; this is an exercise in futility. It is easier to cut a Mugumo tree with a razor blade than to divide the mountain. Haven’t you and your boss learnt any political lessons from the Olkalou by-election?”
Prof Kindiki fired back, and told off Mr Gachagua, insisting that nobody was interested in splitting the mountain.
“No mountain will be divided, may be in your evil dreams. Me and you found The GEMA united, it will forever remain so, and you have zero capacity to unite anything. Wachana na Mountain, it has its ways of remaining intact. Tafuta sera, let’s meet at the BALLOT,” Prof Kindiki responded, also in a Facebook post.
During his address to the more than 15,000 grassroots leaders, Prof Kindiki waded into the mountain split debate, and directed Mr Rutu to stop the campaign.
The DP emphasised the unity of the region and asked Mr Ruku and his supporters to go slow, saying the people of Mt Kenya East and West have co-existed for decades and they should not be separated.
“I urge my brother Ruku to stop the campaign he is running. The people of this region will remain united, peaceful and tolerant, despite attempts by some politicians to fan ethnic and regional animosity,” he said.
The DP said elders from both Mt Kenya East and West are engaging to sort out the emerging political differences in the region and they should be given time to pursue the matter.
In the same meeting, Embu County Assembly Speaker Murithi Thiriku had sought to clarify that those who are running the split campaign are doing so out of reluctance by some leaders from Mt Kenya West to support Prof Kindiki, despite the East having supported the West since independence, an argument that has been advanced by Mr Ruku.
According to sources around Prof Kindiki, the elders had demanded that Mr Ruku stops the split the mountain clamour, which they said was causing animosity and discomfort among the people in the region.
“The elders from both sides of the mountain said since time in memorial, the West and East are brothers and sisters with shared culture, religious beliefs, commercial interests, political choices and social orientation and that any talk of splitting the region was not only counterproductive but practically untenable,” said an on condition of anonymity.
The development came even as President Ruto’s allies stepped up efforts to woo Mt Kenya west into his fold.
While Energy Principal Secretary Mr Alex Wachira told Nation he will hold forums in Nyeri next week, elders are expected to meet in Nyeri with the intention of bridging the political divide between Mt Kenya East and West.
Financial markets can look chaotic at first glance. Prices move by the second, news can shift sentiment quickly, and traders may interpret the same market in different ways. To make sense of that activity, many traders use technical analysis tools that organize historical price and trading data into patterns they can study.
A missing land file, a fresh invasion by armed goons and a court order protecting the property have plunged the Salvation Army Church into a new battle over 964 acres of land worth an estimated Sh4 billion.The church says armed men invaded the disputed property near Del Monte Kenya on September 5 and again on September 8, overpowering its security guards, subdividing the land and erecting beacons despite a court order restraining interference with its ownership and use of the property.
Hassan Omar is in trouble again. This time, at a political gathering in Mombasa, the UDA secretary-general suggested that even the dead could be made to vote for President William Ruto. The remarks sounded less like those of a former human-rights commissioner than of a politician intoxicated by proximity to power.
The national men’s volleyball team, Wafalme, must strive for a strong performance at the Men’s African Nations Volleyball Championship, which starts tomorrow in Tunis, Tunisia. A lot is at stake at the 16-team championship. The winners will earn a direct ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, while the top three will qualify for the 2027 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup in Poland.
Kenyans are hoping Wafalme will emulate their women counterparts, Malkia Strikers, who finished second at the just-concluded Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship in Nairobi.
Malkia Strikers may have missed out on qualification for the 2028 Olympics after losing 3-0 to Egypt, but they had already secured a place at the 2027 FIVB Women’s World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States and Canada.
The Strikers have competed at the Olympics four times and will be making their sixth appearance at the World Cup. They have also featured at the Women’s World Championship eight times.
Wafalme, by contrast, are still chasing their maiden appearance at all three global events, as well as their first podium finish at the continental championship.
Their best performance came in 1995 in Tunis, where they finished sixth in a six-team tournament. They also finished ninth in the last two editions, in Kigali in 2021 and Cairo in 2023.
The team, under coach Gideon Tarus, can improve on that record if the players combine hard work, discipline and self-belief.
However, Kenya must rethink how Wafalme are prepared for major international competitions. The Kenya Volleyball Federation, government and National Olympic Committee of Kenya must provide adequate training, competitive build-up matches and proper welfare.
It is unacceptable that the team entered this championship without adequate build-up matches and with allowances not fully paid.
Kenya cannot expect world-class performances while failing to provide world-class preparation and basic welfare. Wafalme deserve better support if they are to end their long wait for continental and global success.
Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji resurfaced on Sunday evening, accusing police of laying siege to his home over Saturday’s violence at Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s meeting in Embu.
The uniformed and police officers in civilian clothes had been at his home in Mutunduri as early as 6am, allegedly waiting to apprehend him.
“Sending such a big number of police to my home is unnecessary. There is a better way to use the police. A simple summon to any police station is enough. This is pure misuse of taxpayers’ money,” Mr Mukunji wrote on his Facebook page.
The MP said he was away from home attending a Sunday service in Mwea Ward, Mbeere South Constituency, when the officers arrived.
“Police came home but I had already left for church. I’m now in church, let them come and arrest me,” he said.
Heavily armed officers, some in plainclothes, had surrounded the MP’s rural home in Mutunduri a day after hostile youths attempted to disrupt Prof Kindiki’s meeting at Nembure Stadium in Embu County.
The officers camped at the MP’s gate for hours seeking to establish the lawmaker’s whereabouts following the violence that erupted during Saturday’s meeting.
The presence of the officers caused panic at the homestead as they remained there for several hours.
However, Eastern Regional Police Commander Stephen Chebet denied claims that police were looking for Mr Mukunji.
Asked why officers were deployed around the MP’s home, Mr Chebet said they were conducting patrols to maintain peace in the area.
“The officers were patrolling Mutunduri and the MP’s home area is not restricted,” he said.
Mr Chebet, however, said police would question the MP if investigations established that he was linked to the violence.
“If it is established that the MP is responsible for the violence, then we shall visit him,” he said.
The police boss confirmed that several suspects had been arrested in connection with the chaos at Nembure.
“I can confirm that we are holding some suspects and we are compiling the list,” he said.
The reported police presence at Mr Mukunji’s home came a day after violence disrupted Prof Kindiki’s meeting at Nembure, where one person was killed and several vehicles were torched.
The Deputy President strongly condemned the violence, saying the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) regretted the loss of life and damage caused by youths who attempted to disrupt the party meeting.
“I condemn violence and demand that law enforcement agencies take punitive measures against all those responsible for perpetuating political violence,” Prof Kindiki said.
He stressed that UDA stood for issue-based politics and a contest over which party had a better development record and policy agenda for Kenya, rather than forcing political support through “lies, violence and useless slogans.”
“Our party leadership in Embu has been tasked with verifying the exact nature of the loss and damage, and to coordinate responses to stand in solidarity with all those adversely affected in one way or another,” he said.
The violence has since escalated political tensions in Embu, with Mr Mukunji denying involvement in the disruption while accusing the government of targeting him.
Meanwhile, Prof Kindiki has asked the Kenyan electorate to accord President William Ruto a fair assessment based on his development record and not the vengeful narrative waged by his opponents in next year's General Election.
The DP, while outlining the Kenya Kwanza Administration's performance scorecard in the last four years, said President Ruto had exceeded the expectations of his critics in the designing and implementation of transformative development projects and programmes, aimed at growing grassroots economy and empowering millions of Kenyans to rise from poverty.
He also hit out at the critics of the Government, accusing them of inciting anger and hatred against the President, instead of offering alternative policies.
“When you ask them to table alternative policies and development programmes, they tell you ‘Kasongo must go’. When you ask them what plans they have to help millions of young people across the country looking for jobs, they say ‘soprano’ and other useless things. How can such people be trusted with the leadership of our country? How can such clueless people be an alternative for President Ruto who has a solid plan that envisages Kenya beyond 2030? Let us be fair to President Ruto,” he said.
According to Prof Kindiki, opponents of the Ruto administration had given the Government 6 months to collapse under the weight of public debt and economic pressure, but innovative policies and interventions had managed to save the economy from a total shutdown.
The government has allocated Sh1.65 billion for the maintenance of the deteriorating Thika Superhighway, highlighting the growing cost of maintaining the Sh27 billion infrastructure project that was once hailed as a masterpiece.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure told Parliament that the maintenance allocation for the financial year 2025/26 was Sh1,400,632,612.41, while Sh1,649,541,319 has been allocated for the current financial year.
Kenyan farmers and the fertiliser supply chain could get a reprieve after Somali pirates released a cargo vessel carrying fertiliser bound for Mombasa, ending a four month ordeal that has highlighted rising piracy risks along the Horn of Africa shipping route.
Turkish-managed general cargo vessel Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged MV Sward was released off Garacad on the Puntland coast after being held by pirates since April 26.
