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Nation

Why court refused to stop Gachagua-allied MPs’ Gen Z protest probe

Embakasi North MP James Gakuya (right) and Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru at the DCI headquarters on July 31, 2024.The High Court has dismissed a petition by two political allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to stop police investigations into allegations that they planned, mobilised or financed the June 2024 Gen-Z protests.Justice Gregory Mutai ruled that MPs James Gakuya (Embakasi North) and Benjamin Gathiru alias Mejja Donk (Embakasi Central) failed to prove that the investigations violated their constitutional rights or that they had been unlawfully arrested or detained.The court also rejected their bid to block any future arrest or prosecution in relation to the said protests, saying they had not demonstrated abuse of investigative powers.“An apprehension of arrest, however sincerely held, is not evidence that an arrest would be unlawful,” Justice Mutai said.Also Read: Broad-based unity put to the test as parties flex muscle in Nairobi City politicsThe MPs moved to court after being summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on July 31, 2024, over allegations linked to the anti-government protests.Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (left) and Embakasi Central MP Benjamin Gathiru alias Major Donk attending a church service at PCEA Mwiki church in Kasarani on April 6, 2025.The DCI was investigating allegations that the MPs and other people had helped plan, mobilise or finance violent elements of the protests. The DCI later recommended charges against five people, including the two MPs.It proposed charges like conspiracy to commit a felony and directed a separate inquiry into money laundering and financial crimes.The petitioners had earlier secured temporary court protection following an order barring the DCI from arresting or detaining them over the allegations.The MPs said they were held for one day, interrogated under threats and faced possible arrest and prosecution. They relied on constitutional protections covering equality, security of the person, association and arrested persons.However, the court found that their evidence did not establish unlawful detention. It noted that Mr Gakuya’s affidavit said they were held incommunicado and interrogated under threats, but did not identify who threatened them, what was said or whether they were prevented from leaving.A police officer, Martin Munene, in a replying affidavit for the respondents, gave a different account. He said the MPs appeared at DCI offices with advocates, recorded statements voluntarily and attended on dates they had proposed.The MPs filed no further affidavit to rebut that evidence. Justice Mutai found their attendance consistent with compliance with the summons.Also Read: Nairobi MPs James Mwangi, Mejja Donk questioned over role in anti-government demos“The petition says that the petitioners honoured DCI summons and visited their premises. That is the language of voluntary attendance, not arrest,” he said.“There is no evidence that they were arrested, placed in cells, booked, or prevented from leaving,” the judge added.The MPs also complained about a second summons requiring them to appear on August 1, 2024. Justice Mutai said Section 52 of the National Police Service Act did not limit investigators to one interview where investigations remained active.“A second summons in an ongoing investigation is not on its own evidence of harassment, nor does the petitioners’ parliamentary schedule exempt them from lawful summons. The unchallenged evidence is that the Directorate allowed them to propose dates that did not interfere with their legislative work. This, in this court’s view, does not constitute harassment,” Justice Mutai said.The court said that their parliamentary schedule did not exempt them from lawful summons, while investigators had allowed them to propose dates that would not interfere with their legislative work.On equality, Justice Mutai found that the petitioners had not identified another person or class treated differently from them. They also failed to show that people suspected of similar conduct had been left alone.“Article 27 (1) of the Constitution guarantees equality before the law. It cannot be read as entitling holders of elective office to be excused from investigative processes that apply to every other person,” he said.The MPs raised parliamentary privilege in their submissions. Justice Mutai said the claim had not been properly pleaded and could not be introduced through submissions because respondents had no opportunity to answer it with evidence.“Parliamentary privilege does not shield a member from investigations of conduct outside parliament, such as the alleged planning or funding of violent protests,” Justice Mutai said.The court rejected the claim that the summons interfered with their freedom of association, finding no evidence that questioning prevented political party participation.The court said investigations into crime are a constitutional and statutory function of the National Police Service. Section 35 of the National Police Service Act gives the DCI responsibility for investigating serious crime, while Section 52 allows police to summon people believed to have relevant information.

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Nation

Ruto’s Sh56 claim, court battle and fresh protests: Inside Kenya’s tea bonus storm

President William Ruto’s claim that small-scale tea growers were earning an average of Sh56 per kilogramme of green leaf supplied to factories has sparked a storm in the sector, with farmers saying he was completely off the mark.This comes as the High Court in Nairobi gave small-scale tea growers in Nyamira and Kisii counties the go-ahead to initiate judicial review proceedings over the 2025/2026 second tea payment, popularly known as the bonus, citing alleged discrimination, irregular financial calculations and violations of the Tea Act, 2021.At the same time, tea growers in Nandi, Kericho, Bomet and Nakuru counties protested low bonus payments ranging from Sh12.50 to Sh22 per kilogramme, compared with Sh50 paid by factories in the larger Mt Kenya region.President Ruto announced on Thursday, during a town hall meeting at the ongoing Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Summit in Nairobi, that reforms in the tea sector had raised farmers’ earnings to an average of Sh56 per kilogramme of green leaf across the country.“Three years ago, the prices were Sh34 per kilogramme, but the average prices now is Sh56,” Dr Ruto said, with the figures confirmed by Tea Board of Kenya Chief Executive Officer Willy Mutai.But Mr Joseph Rono, an agricultural expert and spokesperson for the Tea Small Scale Farmers Association, said the President should be properly briefed on the real situation in the tea industry to avoid embarrassing himself before farmers.President William Ruto during the Agriculture and Food Security Transformation Summit at the Jamhuri ASK Showground in Nairobi on Thursday, October 8, 2026.“The President might have meant well, depending on the brief that he has. But to tell farmers they are paid Sh56 on average when the actual payment is Sh26 per kilogramme and an average of Sh17 on second payment (bonus), bringing the total average to between Sh41 and Sh43 per kilogramme, is completely off the mark,” Mr Rono said.Mr Rono asked: “Where did the President get the additional Sh13 per kilogramme? And if indeed that is the situation, where is the difference? That amount does not hit our bank accounts and is not in the payment slips. Who pockets it?”Mr Alexander Rono, who supplies his produce to Tirgaga Tea Factory in Bomet County, confirmed that in April, the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) increased the price of green leaf per kilogramme to Sh26 from Sh23, which had prevailed for two years.“We are shocked that the President, without interrogating the figures, went public and made a statement that has made him look bad before the farmers. It is totally misleading to claim the prices have risen to Sh56 when the facts contradict his statement,” Mr Rono said.Mr Willy Mutai (left) the Tea Board of Kenya Chief Executive Officer and Dr Paul Ronoh, the Principal Secretary for Agriculture, confer during a meeting with farmers at Tirgaga tea factory in Bomet county on August 24, 2024. Farmers in the sector, which has 700,000 small-scale growers, have strongly disputed the President’s claim, saying it does not reflect the true situation on the ground.A spot check showed that most factories pay farmers between Sh22 and Sh26 per kilogramme of fresh leaf in the West of Rift, while those in the East of Rift pay an average of Sh30 per kilogramme.KTDA, which has a major stake in the industry, has been pushing factories to pay farmers at least Sh26 per kilogramme.The discrepancy in prices has been attributed to alleged differences in the quality of plucking, with the recommended two leaves and a bud. Farmers in the West of Rift are accused of not adhering to this standard, while those in the East of Rift are said to have embraced it.Low bonus payments for farmers in the West of Rift have triggered protests and legal action by small-scale tea growers, who are demanding better returns from an industry that is one of Kenya’s leading foreign exchange earners.The protesting farmers are seeking a halt to bonus payments and the adoption of a fair and equitable payment formula.The High Court in Milimani, Nairobi, has granted small-scale farmers in Nyamira and Kisii permission to initiate judicial review proceedings against the Tea Board of Kenya and other parties over low bonus payments.Justice Nabil Orina directed the farmers, represented by I.N. Nyaribo & Company Advocates, to file their substantive motion within seven days, with the respondents given 21 days to file their replies.“Leave is granted to commence judicial review proceedings as prayed. The substantive motion shall be filed in a separate substantive cause within seven days of these directions. The same shall be served upon the Respondents and Interested Parties within that period,” Justice Orina ordered.The respondents in the case are the Tea Board of Kenya, KTDA Management Services Ltd, the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, and the Attorney-General. Jeremiah Migosi Nyaribari is the ex parte applicant. Sanganyi, Kebirigo and Tombe tea factories, as well as 68 small-scale tea farmers’ factories in Kenya, are listed as interested parties.

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Nation

‘Not you, Edwin. Sit down’: Day Raila stopped Sifuna from quitting SG post

The late Raila Odinga (right) with Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna at Capitol Hill in Nairobi on February 2, 2024.When four key ODM officials relinquished their positions to take up Cabinet slots in the broad-based government in 2024, then ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna believed he had found a way out of an increasingly uncomfortable job.The party was preparing to fill positions left vacant by the departure of two deputy party leaders - Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya - as well as National Chairperson John Mbadi and Opiyo Wandayi, who had joined the Cabinet. The Nairobi senator saw an opportunity to relinquish his position as secretary-general and take up one of the deputy party leader slots.“Not you, Edwin. Sit down,” Mr Sifuna recalls Raila telling him when he rose to leave the room, as the late ODM leader had requested all aspirants to do before the discussion began. The remark drew laughter from the other leaders in the room.Nairobi Senator and The Equitable Party (TEP) leader Edwin Sifuna during a joint media engagement at Four Points By Sheraton Nairobi Hurlingham on October 9, 2026.The intervention, Mr Sifuna says, ended his attempt to use the recruitment process to escape a job that had become increasingly difficult as ODM navigated its relationship with President William Ruto’s administration.In a revealing account of his relationship with his former boss, Mr Sifuna says he had reached a point where he wanted to stop being the person required to defend the party’s decisions in public, particularly when he believed those decisions risked compromising its political identity.The encounter, which he places at a meeting in Upper Hill in August 2024, offers a glimpse into the relationship between the two men before Raila’s death and the subsequent rupture between Mr Sifuna and sections of the ODM leadership.It also provides his response to claims that his relationship with Raila had deteriorated in the final months of the former Prime Minister’s life.Mr Sifuna says that, contrary to accounts suggesting Raila wanted him removed, the former Prime Minister had expressly rejected his request to leave the secretary-general’s office and assured him that he remained free to criticise the government.The senator recounted during a media roundtable on Friday that the meeting had been convened to discuss filling positions left vacant by officials who had joined the government.As the discussion turned to potential candidates, Raila asked those interested in the positions to leave the room.From left: Then-ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna,  ODM leader the late Raila Odinga and Siaya Senator James Orengo.Mr Sifuna said he attempted to persuade Raila to let him go, joking that the former Prime Minister had received his papers first. But Raila refused.Instead, according to Mr Sifuna, the veteran politician explained that the secretary-general’s position was more important than the vacancies being discussed.“He gave a story there about how the SG is the heart of the party. You know, these positions here, really, they cannot compare to this,” Mr Sifuna recalled.The exchange was light-hearted, but it exposed a serious dilemma for the senator. As secretary-general, he was responsible for communicating the party’s position, even when he was uncomfortable with the direction it was taking.Mr Sifuna then asked Raila whether he was certain he wanted him to remain in office.He warned that he would continue to cause friction because he intended to speak truth to power and call out the government whenever he believed it was acting wrongly.“I want to continue to speak truth to power. I want to be able to call out this government when they do wrong. And I can see I’m causing unnecessary friction within the party,” he said he told Raila.Nairobi Senator and The Equitable Party (TEP) leader Edwin Sifuna during a joint media engagement at Four Points By Sheraton Nairobi Hurlingham on October 9, 2026.His proposed solution was to leave the secretary-general’s position and take up one of the deputy party leader roles, allowing someone else to manage the increasingly difficult task of explaining ODM’s political choices.“He refused. And he said expressly, ‘Sifuna, nobody has told you not to say anything. You proceed,’” Mr Sifuna recalled.The account is significant because it places the disagreement over ODM’s cooperation with the Kenya Kwanza administration within the context of an earlier decision by Raila to retain a secretary-general whose public statements sometimes generated controversy within the party.The late Raila Odinga (left) with Mr Edwin Sifuna during the ODM National Governing Council meeting in Nairobi on March 1, 2019.It also offers a window into the relationship that Mr Sifuna says allowed him to survive repeated attempts by colleagues to have him removed.The senator has repeatedly rejected suggestions that he and Raila were estranged before the former Prime Minister died in October 2025.

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Nation

Stalemate: Crisis talks fail to unlock lecturers’ strike

Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Constantine Wesonga briefs union members gathered at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) on the first day of the nationwide lecturers' strike on October 02, 2026.Talks to end the one-week strike that has ground learning and other operations in public universities on Thursday, October 8, failed to unlock the stalemate as contentious issues remain unresolved.The meeting was attended by technical teams from the three unions whose members have downed tools since Friday last week, the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and the Ministry of Labour.“We met and did simulations on the process. The chairman will present to the government and let them consult, decide and give a counter-offer. We hope after consultations they’re going to invite us,” Constantine Wasonga, the secretary-general of the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) told Nation.The secretary-general of the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) Charles Mukhwaya described the process as “Miniature progress; nothing to write home about” and later revealed that no deal had been struck.However, the Principal Secretary for Higher Education Beatrice Inyangala told Nation that the government is hopeful the dispute will be resolved and students resuming learning.“We have made substantial progress, and I want to put this in the right context. The CBA issue we are dealing with today did not start yesterday. Some of these matters have been carried over from previous agreements and previous administrations. This government inherited those challenges, but we have not used that as an excuse. We have gone back, looked at the outstanding commitments and started resolving them. We have made progress on the 2017–2021 and 2021–2025 CBAs, and a number of issues that had remained unresolved for years have now been addressed,” Dr Inyangala said.She added that there is still work to do on the current dispute, “but the discussions are at a point where we believe the remaining issues can be resolved through engagement”.Alongside UASU and KUSU, members of the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha) are also on strike.State Department for Higher Education and Research Principal Secretary Dr Beatrice Inyangala.“Our approach has been very straightforward: listen to the unions, look at the commitments, look at the resources available and find an agreement that government can actually implement,” Dr Inyangala said. “We have no interest in signing an agreement simply to end a strike and then come back with another dispute because the commitments cannot be honoured. We want a CBA that is fair to our university staff, but equally sustainable for our universities and the government. That is the conversation taking place now.”She however, could not give an exact date when students in public universities will resume learning. Over the past one week, the students have not been learning although they continue to incur living expenses.“We want our students back in class as soon as possible. But I would rather give students an honest answer than announce a date for the sake of making headlines. Once the parties conclude the outstanding issues, we will move quickly to facilitate the resumption of learning.The disruption has consequences for students, parents and the universities themselves. Nobody benefits from a prolonged dispute,” said Dr Inyangala.“I therefore call on the unions and all stakeholders to stay at the negotiating table, maintain good faith and focus on finding a workable settlement.”Follow ourWhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.Education CS Ogamba held an emergency meeting with Treasury counterpart John Mbadi and top presidential economic advisors to address the ongoing strike.UASU proposes, among other things, a new salary structure covering six academic grades.We come to you. We are always looking for ways to improve our stories. Let us know what you liked and what we can improve on.

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Nation

Gachagua confirms ‘Wamunyoro Texas’ ranch is his US home as he extends tour

Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has confirmed that a ranch in Texas that recently came into the public spotlight is his private home, where he plans to spend 15 days after concluding his extended stay in the United States.Mr Gachagua, who left Kenya on August 26, is scheduled to conclude his 50-day US tour in Boston on October 10. He will, however, not return to Kenya immediately, instead proceeding to the Texas property for what his party describes as a 15-day political conclave.The ranch came into the public spotlight on September 28 after Mumias East MP Peter Salasya posted photographs and videos of himself meeting Mr Gachagua at the property.Asked about the property, Mr Gachagua yesterday confirmed to the Nation that it belonged to him.“Why not... yes, the property is mine... It is my other Wamunyoro private home,” he said.His sentiments appear to corroborate a statement he made in an engagement forum Kenyans living in Texas on September 26.“I am happy we have this here and welcome to our Wamunyoro Texas.it was thoughtful of the organisres to come here at home instead of hotels so that we have a homely atmosphere,” he said.On August 2,2025 Mr Gachagua also posted photos of the home with the caption “Feeling at Home, far away from home.”The house is a single-storey, sprawling brick home with a broad, low-pitched, multi-section roof. The exterior is predominantly exposed reddish-brown brick, with large dark-framed windows and several glass doors opening onto the veranda.Also Read: Gachagua US tour exposes DCP’s silent wars with Uhuru’s Jubilee, Nyoro new partyThe house sits on a large, exceptionally well-maintained lawn with neatly trimmed grass extending well out from the building with outdoor seating, tables and chairs arranged beneath it.Photos shared by Mr Gachagua show the property set within a fenced pasture with green grass, horses and Texas longhorn cattle.A white utility golf cart was also seen at the property, which had markings reading “Wamunyoro Texas” and “Riggy G”.“I will one day own one like this. Mr Gachagua told me all I need is hard work, financial discipline and trust in God,” Mr Salasya told the Nation.The property will now become the base for the next phase of Mr Gachagua’s stay in the US, during which he is expected to hold meetings with political allies, international contacts and experts as he works on his party’s plans for the 2027 General Election.According to DCP Secretary General-designate John Methu, Mr Gachagua’s US tour has so far covered five cities.He spent 10 days resting before beginning his political activities in Spokane, Washington, from September 4 to 10, where he held community gatherings.He then travelled to Portland, Oregon, from September 10 to 16, where he attended religious services and an interdenominational fellowship. On September 18, he proceeded to Kansas City, Missouri, for community engagements and one-on-one meetings.Former DP Rigathi Gachagua and his wife, Pastor Dorcus Gachagua, outiside their Texas ranch in United States.He was in Texas from September 24 to October 1, where he held engagements with Kenyans living in the state, before beginning the final leg of his tour in Boston on October 1.Mr Methu said Mr Gachagua’s time at the Texas property would include discussions on the DCP’s political agenda, coalition-building and the selection of a joint presidential candidate to face President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.DCP-USA Chapter coordinator Joseph Warui said several meetings had been lined up at the property.“We are going to review all the 86 public and private sessions that Mr Gachagua has had so far in the USA for the past 50 days,” Mr Warui said.He said some of the meetings had involved international contacts and focused on Kenya’s economic and human rights situation, as well as what he described as the country’s transition towards an alternative government.Mr Warui said the Texas meetings would also be used to refine the party’s economic proposals and prepare its manifesto ahead of the 2027 election.Among the issues to be discussed is a proposed strategy for reducing Kenya’s debt burden, including freezing net new borrowing for recurrent expenditure, restructuring domestic borrowing and increasing reliance on concessional financing.The DCP proposal also includes merging 35 parastatals, reviewing stalled projects, widening the tax base, increasing county own-source revenue and creating a sinking fund for future debt repayments.Mr Gachagua’s return date to Kenya remains unknown and will be communicated later, Mr Methu said.Follow ourWhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.The dilemma is tied to his continuing legal battle over the impeachment that removed him from office in October 2024.The "careful consideration" puts DCP at odds with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, the coalition’s convener.The bench often issues a summary judgment on day 14, followed by a comprehensive, detailed ruling later.

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