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Milestone for Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital as it becomes the first hospital in Africa to record epilepsy device implants

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By Sandra Blessings

Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) is breaking the barriers in the medical world by achieving a milestone in Africa.

The hospital became the first health institution in Africa to record a major milestone in neurosurgery after specialists implanted Vagus Nerve Stimulators (VNS) in patients suffering from drug-resistant epilepsy during the ongoing neurosurgical camp at the facility.

JOOTRH’s milestone, supported by LivaNova, marks the first time the VNS devices have been implanted in East, Central and Western Africa.

The achievement positions JOOTRH at the forefront of advanced epilepsy treatment in the region.

The devices were implanted by neurosurgeons Dr William Owiti and Dr Carrie Muh as part of the September neurosurgical camp, which is an initiative of the Kisumu Neuroscience Initiative and JOOTRH, expanding the range of highly specialised neurological procedures available at the Level Six referral hospital.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation is an established treatment option for patients living with drug-resistant epilepsy, particularly those whose seizures are not adequately controlled by anti-seizure medicines.

The small device was implanted under the skin, usually in the chest, and connected to the vagus nerve in the neck.

It delivers regular electrical stimulation to the nerve, helping regulate abnormal electrical activity associated with seizures.

For patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, the treatment can significantly improve seizure control. VNS has been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of seizures, in some patients by up to half, offering renewed hope to individuals whose condition has remained difficult to manage despite medication.

The introduction of the technology at JOOTRH represents another step in the hospital’s drive to expand access to specialised and complex medical services within the region, reducing the need for patients to travel outside the country in search of advanced neurological care.

The achievement also highlights the growing capacity of JOOTRH to undertake highly specialised neurosurgical procedures through partnerships, specialist expertise and targeted medical camps.

The September neurosurgical camp has therefore not only provided treatment to patients with complex brain and spine conditions but also created an avenue for the introduction of advanced technologies and skills that could transform the management of neurological diseases in the region.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Joshua Okise, said with the successful implantation of the VNS devices, JOOTRH has opened a new chapter in the management of drug-resistant epilepsy and strengthened its position as a referral centre for specialised neurological care in East, Central and Western Africa.

He said the local anaesthesia and surgical teams established dedicated pre-operative screening clinics a week before the camp to ensure that patients are fully assessed and prepared for surgery. The approach is expected to reduce delays and allow eligible patients to transition more efficiently from assessment to treatment.

The camp brings together a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons and other specialists from the United States and JOOTRH.

The neurosurgical team, led by Dr Bethwel Raore, was expected to operate on patients presenting with a range of neurological conditions, including brain tumours such as meningiomas, epilepsy, Chiari malformation, disc herniation, spondylosis, spinal stenosis, spinal fractures and syringomyelia, among other conditions affecting the brain and spine.

“For patients, the collaboration provides access to highly specialised care that may otherwise require them to travel outside the region. For local healthcare professionals, it provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience and exposure to advanced neurosurgical techniques,” he said.

He said JOOTRH Neurosurgery Partnership has recorded 700 surgeries since the inception of the collaboration in 2017.

He said the partnership between Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) and the Kisumu Neuroscience Initiative has reached a major milestone, with 700 brain and spine surgeries successfully performed.

“The partnership is now entering a new phase, with 41 patients lined up for specialised treatment during the ongoing neurosurgical camp, which runs until September 11, 2026,” he said.

He said the partnership was now focusing not only on providing patients with access to complex neurosurgical procedures but also seeking to establish a sustainable model for specialist training and capacity building in the region.

“The partnership has been strengthened by the involvement of the Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS), which is working alongside JOOTRH and the Kisumu Neuroscience Initiative to move the programme beyond periodic surgical camps towards long-term development of local neurosurgical expertise,” he said.

International specialists, including experts from New York, together with representatives of medical technology company Medtronic, are working alongside JOOTRH clinicians during the camp.

The collaboration will also facilitate the introduction of advanced neurosurgical technologies and structured training opportunities for local medical professionals.

A key component of the strengthened partnership is the establishment of residency and fellowship training programmes in neurosurgery, with the aim of developing home-grown specialists capable of providing highly specialised brain and spine care within the region.

The programme will also promote knowledge and skills exchange, including bilateral opportunities for local surgeons and registrars to train internationally on emerging technologies and techniques and bring the acquired expertise back to Kenya.

The partners further plan to support the adoption of advanced medical technology, including the modernisation of JOOTRH’s Health Management Information System (HMIS) with AI-assisted clinical decision-support capabilities. Longer-term ambitions include exploring robotic-assisted surgery.

The partnership will also seek to upgrade surgical infrastructure, including improvements to operating theatres, equipment and surgical beds to create a modern environment capable of supporting increasingly complex neurosurgical procedures.

The latest camp has also adopted a more proactive approach to patient management following challenges experienced during previous surgical camps.

Fire in the mountain as Ndindi and Gachagua lock horns over the turf

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By Anderson Ojwang’

It was just a matter of when and not if the two leading political leaders from Mt Kenya, former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua and former chairman of the National Assembly Budget Committee Ndindi Nyoro, would lock horns.

Gachagua had in the recent past engaged in a turf battle with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, with the latter advocating the split of Mt Kenya between West and East.

The signs were too glaring, punctuated by shadow boxing in the emerging bitter rivalry between the two regional leaders and political parties, namely Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) and the People’s Party of Kenya (PPK).

And interestingly, Mt Kenya is witnessing the political rivalry that was witnessed in 1992 between former Kiharu MP and opposition doyen, the late Kenneth Matiba, and former Othaya MP, the late Mwai Kibaki.

The rivalry

Nyeri and Murang’a counties became the main protagonists in the 1992 first multi-party election. Matiba, together with the late Charles Rubia and the late Raila Odinga, had been detained for agitation for constitutional change and were later released from jail.

For Kibaki, he remained in the Moi government and described the opposition’s quest for multipartyism as one cutting a Mogumu tree with a razor blade.

And now the 1992 rivalry is replaying between Gachagua and Nyoro and is likely to once again divide Mt Kenya ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The 1992 repeat

Methu said President Ruto was scheming to return Mt Kenya to 1992, where Matiba and Kibaki formed two parallel parties and subsequently handed the victory to then President, the late Daniel Moi.

“Ruto having realised that Mt Kenya have formed their own party under one leadership, Rigathi Gachagua, he wants to take us back to 1992. Ruto has decided to cut down the Mt Kenya community to size and he thinks that he can take us to the direction of 1992.

These wheelbarrows that are coming up, all of them, and you saw one of them that was launched yesterday and we were waiting for it because we had been told of the wheelbarrow coming from Murang’a,” he said.

Ndindi rebuttal

Gachagua, while speaking in the USA, said in Mt Kenya West, President Ruto had introduced a green wheelbarrow to divide the Mountain.

Previously, DCP designate Secretary-General John Methu had described Ndindi’s party as a green wheelbarrow sponsored by President Ruto.

Naivasha MP Jane Kihara said Ndindi was a Ruto project aimed at dividing the Mt Kenya votes.

“Currently, he is speaking the opposition language but later he will declare his presidential bid. Ruto has known he cannot get votes in Luhya and Luo land and has now returned to haunt for Mt Kenya votes,” she said.

But Nyoro said he had been supportive and respectful to Gachagua but would not lie low to be intimidated in the new power matrix.

“I want to say I am also capable of being party leader. For the longest time in your politics, Ndindi Nyoro has been supporting you in everything you have done,” he said.

Ndindi said during the 2022 UDA deputy president nomination for the running mate, of which he was a contestant, he supported Gachagua.

“During the elections for the running mate, we were four contestants and I was among them. I signed and you got the slot,” he said.

He said despite their fallout, during Gachagua’s impeachment, he did not vote because it was an unjust move.

“During the impeachment, I never participated and that time we were not in good terms. You know why.

At impeachment, I did not participate because I knew it was injustice.

You people have seen I have remained respectful but every day you wake up I become your topic,” he said.

He challenged Gachagua that if he wanted to go back to work with President William Ruto, he was free to do so.

“Those who want to go back to Ruto. Kindly go back. If you want his money, go get it and leave me alone.

If you want to work with him, join him and leave me alone, I have no time to waste over infighting in the opposition,” he said.

He said nobody would guide him in the opposition on how to conduct his campaigns and that he would not beg anyone.

“I am not in the opposition to be guided on how I will conduct my campaigns. I will work with those who are ready and those who are not interested can stay away, I will not beg,” he said.

Not a project

Ndindi has denied the allegations, saying he severed links with President Ruto and his UDA party a long time ago.

Nyoro told a local TV station on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, that he would defend his party against any direct political attacks, but maintained that he had not heard any opposition leader accuse the People’s Party of Kenya of undermining the opposition.

“I have not heard any leader directly accuse our party. If they do, I will come out and defend it,” Nyoro said.

He said leaders should avoid creating conflicts between political allies where none existed.

“Even the leadership of all opposition parties, including DCP, have sent me congratulatory messages. It is important that we do not try to make brothers fight where there is no fight,” he said.

“People’s Party is having a lot of acceptance and goodwill across the country. We are receiving aspirants every day here. This means as more join, they are adding to opposition numbers,” Nyoro said.

Land is burning

The mountain is burning, and who will bring the water? It will soon get murkier in the mountain, with heavy casualties.

Mixed reaction over Homa Bay goons expose as Wanga hits back at Standard Media Group

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By Valentine Omondi

The last weekend expose by KTN and the Standard newspaper on the violence that rocked the recent Linda Mwananchi rally received a mixed reaction.

While Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga hit back at KTN and The Standard over an investigation into the violence that rocked Homa Bay during the August 16 Linda Mwananchi rally, accusing the media outlets of airing and publishing fabricated, unverified and prejudicial allegations against her.

But Linda Mwananchi luminary and Siaya Governor James Orengo said the truth was finally out in the open and demanded the government to act on the plotters of the violence.

Wanga formally wrote to the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) to complain and challenge the expose by KTN broadcast aired on Sunday, September 6, and a Standard newspaper report published on Monday, September 7, over their coverage of the chaos that erupted when opposition leaders led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna visited Homa Bay.

In her complaint, the governor said her objection was not to legitimate media scrutiny but to what she described as a failure by the media outlets to verify serious allegations and give her administration adequate opportunity to respond.

She has asked the Media Council to review the reports against the Code of Conduct for the Practice of Journalism and direct KTN and The Standard to issue what she termed an immediate and prominent retraction and unconditional apology.

Orengo: “Finally, the truth has come out”

Orengo welcomed the revelations contained in the KTN expose, saying his name had repeatedly been dragged into the controversy before the latest revelations emerged.

“They used to call my name every now and then, finally the truth has come out,” Orengo said.

Orengo also pointed to his long history in Kenya’s political struggles, saying he had personally paid a price for his involvement in the country’s political affairs.

“I’ve fought for this nation for a longer time now and I’ve scars on my body for that,” he said.

His remarks add another layer to the growing political dispute, with Orengo appearing to suggest that the investigation had helped answer questions that had previously been directed at him.

KTN investigation revisits August 16 chaos

Wanga’s response comes a day after KTN aired an investigative report titled “Homa Bay Bloody Hands: The Untold Story Behind the August 16 Violence.”

The investigation revisited the events surrounding the violence, examining how groups of youths were allegedly mobilised before the Linda Mwananchi rally and the events that followed as the political gathering descended into chaos.

The violence left people dead and dozens injured, while vehicles and property were damaged. Earlier reporting on the incident also documented attacks that extended beyond the rally, including damage to a church and a hospital.

The investigation examined alleged networks involved in mobilising the youths and mentioned several political figures, including Governor Wanga and Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma.

The KTN investigation also featured Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma in a hidden-camera recording, where he made allegations against a senior police officer over the events surrounding the August 16 chaos. Kaluma was also questioned about Abdi Guyo, with his account appearing to differ from other details presented in the investigation, raising further questions about what he knew about the individuals allegedly linked to the violence.

The revelations add another layer to the controversy surrounding the Homa Bay clashes, with the identities of those involved, their alleged links to political actors and the role of security officials remaining subjects of scrutiny.

The allegations remain allegations, and neither Wanga nor Kaluma has been convicted of organising the violence.

Wanga disputes report as Kaluma enters the political fallout

Wanga has particularly challenged the portrayal of her administration in the reports, arguing that the coverage created a false impression of her role in the violence.

She also questioned the use by The Standard of a photograph showing a man wielding a machete, claiming that the individual was a Siaya County employee and arguing that his presence raised questions about the involvement of people from outside Homa Bay.

Meanwhile, Kaluma has also featured in the political fallout surrounding the August 16 violence, with accusations and counter-accusations emerging over who was responsible for the mobilisation of youths and the ensuing chaos.

The confrontation has reopened questions about political violence in Homa Bay ahead of the 2027 General Election, with the August 16 incident already having triggered demands for investigations and accountability.

Wanga’s complaint now puts the spotlight on the Media Council, which will be expected to consider whether the KTN and Standard reports met the required standards of accuracy, fairness, verification and the right of reply.

Kenya’s Health Sector Faces Fresh Crisis as Doctors Issue Seven-Day Ultimatum

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By Valentine Omondi

Kenya’s health sector is facing a fresh crisis after doctors issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government to resolve the ongoing nurses’ strike or risk a doctors’ walkout.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary-General, Dr Davji Atellah, issued the ultimatum on Monday, September 7, 2026, during a press briefing in Nairobi, warning that doctors could join the industrial action if the nurses’ dispute remains unresolved.

Atellah said the more than 40-day nurses’ strike has placed immense pressure on doctors and disrupted the delivery of essential healthcare services in public hospitals.

He argued that doctors cannot continue shouldering duties normally performed by nurses, particularly in critical areas where continuous nursing care is required.

Nurses’ strike enters sixth week

The nurses’ strike, which began on July 29, has affected public health facilities across the country, with nurses demanding the implementation of their Collective Bargaining Agreement and resolution of other longstanding employment grievances.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives has maintained that the strike will continue until its demands are addressed.

The prolonged dispute has disrupted services in hospitals and raised concerns over the impact on patients, particularly those requiring emergency, maternity and specialised care.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has also raised concern over the disruption of healthcare services, calling for an urgent resolution of the dispute.

Pressure mounts as nurses plan demonstrations

The doctors’ ultimatum comes as nurses and midwives prepare to stage demonstrations in Nairobi on Tuesday, September 8, piling further pressure on the government and county authorities.

Thousands of health workers are expected to participate in the demonstrations as they push for the resolution of their grievances.

The emerging confrontation between health workers and the authorities now threatens to widen the disruption in public hospitals.

With doctors giving the government seven days to act, attention will now turn to whether the two sides can reach an agreement before the ultimatum expires and Kenya faces the possibility of a broader health workers’ strike.

JOOTRH Neurosurgery Partnership hits 700 Surgeries as Focus Shifts to Local Training

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Western Insight Newsroom
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By Sandra Blessings

Seven hundred brain and spine surgeries have been successfully performed since 2017, in a partnership between Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) and the Kisumu Neuroscience Initiative.

The partnership has reached a major milestone and is now entering a new phase, with 41 patients lined up for specialised treatment during the ongoing neurosurgical camp, which runs until September 11, 2026.

Apart from providing patients with access to complex neurosurgical procedures, the latest initiative seeks to establish a sustainable model for specialist training and capacity building in the region.

The partnership has been strengthened by the involvement of the Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery (FIENS), which is working alongside JOOTRH and the Kisumu Neuroscience Initiative to move the programme beyond periodic surgical camps towards long-term development of local neurosurgical expertise.

International specialists, including experts from New York, together with representatives of medical technology company Medtronic, are working alongside JOOTRH clinicians during the camp.

The collaboration will also facilitate the introduction of advanced neurosurgical technologies and structured training opportunities for local medical professionals.

A key component of the strengthened partnership was the establishment of residency and fellowship training programmes in neurosurgery, with the aim of developing home-grown specialists capable of providing highly specialised brain and spine care within the region.

The programme will also promote knowledge and skills exchange, including bilateral opportunities for local surgeons and registrars to train internationally on emerging technologies and techniques and bring the acquired expertise back to Kenya.

The partners further plan to support the adoption of advanced medical technology, including the modernisation of JOOTRH’s Health Management Information System (HMIS) with AI-assisted clinical decision-support capabilities. Longer-term ambitions include exploring robotic-assisted surgery.

The partnership will also seek to upgrade surgical infrastructure, including improvements to operating theatres, equipment and surgical beds to create a modern environment capable of supporting increasingly complex neurosurgical procedures.

The latest camp has also adopted a more proactive approach to patient management following challenges experienced during previous surgical camps.

Local anaesthesia and surgical teams established dedicated pre-operative screening clinics a week before the camp to ensure that patients are fully assessed and prepared for surgery. The approach is expected to reduce delays and allow eligible patients to transition more efficiently from assessment to treatment.

The development of the partnership follows a courtesy call by the team to JOOTRH Chief Executive Officer, Dr Joshua Clinton Okise, with the hospital and its partners expected to sign formal Memoranda of Collaboration to strengthen the relationship and secure long-term training opportunities for local healthcare professionals.

The neurosurgical team, led by Dr Bethwel Raore, was expected to operate on patients presenting with a range of neurological conditions, including brain tumours such as meningiomas, epilepsy, Chiari malformation, disc herniation, spondylosis, spinal stenosis, spinal fractures and syringomyelia, among other conditions affecting the brain and spine.

The camp brings together a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons and other specialists from the United States and JOOTRH.

For patients, the collaboration provides access to highly specialised care that may otherwise require them to travel outside the region. For local healthcare professionals, it provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience and exposure to advanced neurosurgical techniques.

The partners said the next chapter of the collaboration will be defined not only by the number of patients treated, but also by the number of specialists trained and the capacity created to ensure that advanced neurosurgical services remain available locally.

𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐃𝐎𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐆 𝐊𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐀 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐆𝐔𝐘𝐎

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Western Insight Newsroom
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By Team

The County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) has re-invited Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to appear before it to explain why he has not arrested Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo and presented him before the Committee.

The Inspector General had been scheduled to appear before the Committee on Monday, September 7, 2026, to explain to Senators the circumstances under which the National Police Service has failed to arrest the Governor and produce him before the Committee.

However, Mr Kanja did not show up for the meeting and instead sent a letter, which the Committee rejected, dismissing the reasons advanced therein.

In the letter, the IG said he was scheduled to travel to China on an official visit on the same day of his appearance and requested the Committee to reschedule the sitting to a more suitable date upon his return.

The IG said he had constituted a special team to arrest the Governor and present him before the Committee.

“Apparently, the Governor got wind of it and successfully evaded our dragnet,” he said in the letter.

However, the Committee rejected this line of argument and accused the IG of trivialising an important national matter.

“The wording in the letter is not useful at all,” said Senator Moses Kajwang’, the Chairperson of the Committee, noting that the language was casual.

“It is unfortunate that the impression he creates in the letter is that the NPS is clueless, ineffective and powerless.”

He said Governor Guyo is a well-known public figure and that there could be no excuse for the police failing to arrest him.

“The failure by the police to arrest such a known public figure is sending the wrong signal to the public.”

Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo said the IG was contemptuous of Parliament, accusing him of using every available excuse to avoid appearing before the Senate.

The Senator urged the Committee to convince the Senate to compel Mr Kanja to appear before the plenary and explain why he had not arrested the Governor, who has skipped all the Committee’s invitations and summonses.

“It is not enough for the IG to explain to the Committee his efforts,” said Senator Dullo, adding that the Governor was campaigning across Isiolo in the company of police officers.

“This Committee should move the House to compel the IG to appear before the Committee of the Whole,” she said, adding that the Senate risks losing the trust of the people of Isiolo if it fails to act and ensure the police comply with its directive.

The proposal to summon the IG before the Committee received the support of Senator Samson Cherarkey, the Vice Chairperson of the Committee.

“We are being mob-lynched by the public on matters of accountability. People think we are not serious,” said the Senator.

“Let’s issue the summons because this is contempt. He has defied the invitation and we should make him appreciate the importance of respecting constitutional institutions.”

However, Senator Okong’o Omogeni called for caution as he opposed the issuance of summons against the police chief.

“If we can confirm that his trip to China is legitimate, the best solution would be to give him another date to appear,” he said, warning the Committee against creating enmity with the NPS.

“We have a good working relationship with the IG. Taking the route of issuing summons will take the focus away from the real issue, which is the Governors who are running away from accountability.”

Senator Enock Wambua supported calls to escalate the issue and have the IG taken to the Committee of the Whole.

In his ruling, the chair acknowledged the concerns raised by members and directed that the issues surrounding the challenges facing the County Government of Isiolo and those of the IG should be isolated.

“We reiterate that the IG must appear before this Committee and explain why he has failed to arrest the Governor.”

It was also decided that a special report specific to the challenges facing the budgetary issues and accountability specific to Isiolo be prepared and tabled in the House before October.

Among the recommendations in the report will be a forensic audit of the county’s finances.

Senate Committee wants Governor Bii to boost Eldoret City own-source revenue to sustain growth

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Western Insight Newsroom
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By Team

The Senate Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations has directed Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii to improve Eldoret City’s own-source revenue so as to sustain its growth, fund critical infrastructure development, achieve financial independence, and deliver essential public services effectively to its residents.

During the session, lawmakers expressed deep concerns over the city’s current financial trajectory and its ability to fund critical infrastructure projects.

Senators pointed out that the current annual collection figures remain inadequate to support the expansive demands of the rapidly growing urban centre.

“This is a new city, and your revenue streams are still limited. You are collecting annually Kshs 1.2 billion. Will this amount of money sustain the city?” posed the Committee Chairperson and Wajir Senator Mohamed Abbas, emphasising that a billion shillings cannot meet the basic service delivery and infrastructural requirements of the area.

The directive follows deliberations between the committee and county leadership at Parliament Buildings regarding the governance, financial sustainability, and administrative operationalisation of Kenya’s newest city.

Members of the Committee highlighted that despite total county revenue collections reaching Kshs 6.45 billion over six years, with Eldoret City accounting for Kshs 5.048 billion of that total, the city’s independent revenue generation remains a bottleneck.

Lawmakers noted that without aggressive revenue enhancement strategies, the operationalisation of transferred functions like infrastructure, waste management, and public amenities will face severe funding gaps.

“The city is actually a growing city that needs a lot of infrastructure development. With the minimum collections you’re making, you will not be able to sustain its function and provide services to the residents,” Senator Abbas said.

Senator Margaret Kamar questioned whether the revenue collection system was fully automated and covered every corner of the city, noting that the collections remain extremely low compared to other cities that have appeared before the committee.

Joining the critique, Senator Chute pointed out that revenue collection in the county had systematically dropped from Kshs 1.1 billion in the 2020/2021 financial year to Kshs 1.058 billion in 2025/2026, warning the county executive that Eldoret risks slipping back into a municipality if revenue trends do not improve.

Responding to the Senators’ concerns, Governor Bii explained that the county’s official figures had not factored in revenue collected from health facilities due to appropriations in aid regulations.

He noted that once hospital revenues are fully incorporated, the city’s actual own-source revenue stands at Kshs 1.7 billion, further outlining that the city board is developing a comprehensive strategy to tap into Eldoret’s strong positions in sports, medical services, agriculture, logistics, and education.

“There are ongoing efforts to grow revenues through local infrastructure expansion and international collaborations, including a newly established sister-city investment relationship with the City of Minneapolis in the United States,” Bii said.

Human resource

Beyond revenue performance, the session addressed serious concerns regarding human resource balance and compliance with national diversity mandates.

Committee members put the county leadership to task over the composition of the city board and staff establishment, observing that 90 per cent of employees were drawn from a single community.

Senator Catherine Mumma, the Vice Chairperson of the Committee, warned that non-compliance with the constitutional requirement for inclusivity exposes the board to legal challenges and potential nullification.

Senator Hezena Lemaletian reminded the Governor that Eldoret serves as the primary urban hub for the entire Rift Valley region, making equitable representation for all Kenyan communities a priority.

Governor Bii committed to reviewing the city board’s legal framework and recruitment mechanisms to ensure subsequent appointments reflect the face of Kenya.

The committee granted the county executive time to review the board list, rationalise its human resource structures, and submit a detailed revenue expansion roadmap to ensure the city achieves financial and operational sustainability.

Project or no project? The tag that Ndindi Nyoro must shed off

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Western Insight Newsroom
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By Anderson Ojwang

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro is a man walking with a tag on his neck. The tag of suspicion and perception emanating from what is believed to be about his once close ties with President William Ruto.

Nyoro, viewed by many as a potential future president and leader of Mt Kenya, carries a heavy yoke on his back over the term project and mole.

Despite speaking the opposition language, the majority of the people, and especially Mt Kenya, are guarded about him and believe he could be working for President Ruto.

Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, while speaking in the USA, said in Mt Kenya West President Ruto had introduced a green wheelbarrow to divide the Mountain.

Previously, DCP-designate Secretary-General John Methu had described Ndindi’s party as a green wheelbarrow sponsored by President Ruto.

Naivasha MP Jane Kihara said Ndindi was a Ruto project aimed at dividing the Mt Kenya votes.

“Currently, he is speaking the opposition language but later he will declare his presidential bid. Ruto has known he cannot get votes in Luhya and Luo land and has now returned to haunt for Mt Kenya votes,” she said.

But Ndindi has denied the allegations, saying he severed links with President Ruto and his UDA party a long time ago.

Nyoro told a local TV station on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, that he would defend his party against any direct political attacks, but maintained that he had not heard any opposition leader accuse the People’s Party of Kenya of undermining the opposition.

“I have not heard any leader directly accuse our party. If they do, I will come out and defend it,” Nyoro said.

He said leaders should avoid creating conflicts between political allies where none existed.

“Even the leadership of all opposition parties, including DCP, have sent me congratulatory messages. It is important that we do not try to make brothers fight where there is no fight,” he said.

“People’s Party is having a lot of acceptance and goodwill across the country. We are receiving aspirants every day here. This means as more join, they are adding to opposition numbers,” Nyoro said.

The 1992 repeat

Methu said President Ruto was scheming to return Mt Kenya to 1992, when the former Kiharu MP, the late Kenneth Matiba, and then Othaya MP, the late Mwai Kibaki, formed two parallel parties and subsequently handed the victory to then President, the late Daniel Moi.

“Ruto, having realised that Mt Kenya have formed their own party under one leadership, Rigathi Gachagua, he wants to take us back to 1992. Ruto has decided to cut down the Mt Kenya community to size and he thinks that he can take us to the direction of 1992.

These wheelbarrows that are coming up, all of them, and you saw one of them that was launched yesterday and we were waiting for it because we had been told of the wheelbarrow coming from Murang’a,”he said.

The party

Nyoro recently took over the leadership of the People’s Party of Kenya (PPK), one of the country’s oldest political parties founded in 1996.

Talk with Gachagua

Nyoro said he had held consultations with a wide range of opposition leaders, including Gachagua (DCP), former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i (Jubilee), Martha Karua (PLP), Siaya Governor James Orengo, Kalonzo Musyoka (WPF) and Peter Munya (PNU).

“I have taken time to consult almost all the opposition leaders,” Nyoro said, listing the leaders he had engaged as he weighs the political path ahead.

Nyoro also sought to cast his political project as a national undertaking, appealing to communities across traditional political strongholds to unite behind a common agenda.

“I am for one united Kenya. We cannot leave any Kenyan behind,” he said.

He said his politics was about inclusivity and with no preference to any party region.

“I want to engage in an inclusive politics to treat all the regions the same in terms of development with no specific preference,” he said in an interview.

The Finance Bill vote ghost

The ghost of Nyoro disappearing and skipping the Finance Bill voting looms large over his political career and casts doubt on his move.

During the Finance Bill vote, 187 members of Parliament skipped, with only 40 MPs voting against the Bill.

Gachagua posted on his social media platforms, directing MPs from Mt Kenya allied to his DCP party to vote against the Finance Bill 2026 and stay in the House to force a Division.

“The People Kenya must know who was for or against them.

Those members who keep away from the vote and sit on the fence must be deemed to be against the people of Kenya,” he said.

He said there was no neutral position when the welfare of the people of Kenya was at stake and the MPs were either for the people of Kenya or against them.

Caught flat-footed

Nyoro wrote on his social media platforms, firstly seeking peace and requesting room to be understood.

“Wadosi Wakenya Wote, I come in Peace and humility.

The vote for the Finance Bill happened yesterday; disappointingly, I was not in Parliament.

I travelled out of the Country on Wednesday evening for engagements that could not have been postponed. But no explanation should absolve the blame,” he wrote.

He said the feedback would be a milestone in helping service the country and that nobody was perfect.

“As human as we are, we are far from being perfect and we will always seek to learn from the feedback we receive.

As for the feedback we have received from all Kenyans, we take it with humility. All the feedback will go a long way in making us better as we discharge our duties in Parliament and outside in service to the great people of Kenya,” he wrote.

Rebrand

The Kiharu MP must move faster to rebrand and shed off the tag ahead of the 2027 election.

Another Kakamega Green Commandos lad earns football scholarship to USA

By
Western Insight Newsroom
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By Anderson Ojwang

The talent born and nurtured from playing football at the family cattle grazing field has finally landed the Kakamega Green Commandos of Kakamega High School lad, Raphael Mulagu, a scholarship to the United States of America.

Last Sunday, September 6th, 2026, the family converged at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to bid him goodbye. For the family, it was the first time to set foot at the airport and for the lad, it was history in the making.

The first time he was visiting the airport and boarding a flight, and the humble background that he grew up in his local village in Malava was transformed overnight.

Raphael joined the long list of young, talented footballers from the school who have benefited from the full football scholarship to the United States of America.

Chairman of the Green Commandos, Mr Isaack Kwoba, said the lad joined Green Commandos and Kakamega High School last year, 2025, after a successful recruitment drive by the coaches.

‘He moved from Bokoli Boys to Kakamega High, Green Commandos, where he was instrumental in the team winning the regional and national secondary school ball games this year,’ he said.

He said Raphael was one of the footballers who were recruited in February by the scouts from the Mount Verde Academy in Florida, USA, led by Mr Kevin Vernado.

He said the Sports Institute of Mount Verde Academy, just like the Green Commandos, plays in the local Florida soccer league and it is a multi-disciplinary institution.

Sports runs in the family

Raphael’s mother, Everline Nangila, could not believe and thought she was in a dreamland seeing her sixth-born child board a flight to the land of plenty.

**“It never occurred to me in my wildest dream that this day would come to pass. When I was told that my son had secured a football scholarship to USA, I was hesitant and thought it may just be words that may not come to pass.

I kept on praying and finally my prayer was answered and a new story was written in our home,”** she said.

Nangila said from a tender age, Raphael and his playmate turned the grazing field into a football pitch and that is where he honed his skills and talent.

“Just like his father, who was a respected footballer in the village, Raphael has gone a step ahead to explore and exploit the potential in full,” she said.

Despite the humble background, Nangila said the family supported the lad in developing his talent and attended most of the football matches he played in to support him.

“We made it upon us as the family that a member would attend the games. That was the only support we could give,” she said.

Nangila, who played volleyball in her earlier years, said they have given birth to a family of sports persons.

“Most of my children played volleyball like me and it is Raph who took to playing football like his father. I am happy that the talent is now repaying,” she said.

Raphael started playing for the school team in class three and remained instrumental in the school team even in high school.

“I was offered scholarship at Bokoli Boys. My parents didn’t pay for my school apart from the basic requirements. And when Green Commandos came calling, I jumped in and took over the offer,” he said.

Raphael said he was lured by the team playing in the Super League as it provided him with the opportunity for exposure and to develop his talent.

“At Green Commandos, it was a dream come true. I didn’t only win the regional and national but I earned a scholarship to the USA. A new chapter and a new dream,” he said.

Nangila said several teams and scouts had started circling her son to play for them and it was just a matter of time before he could have signed for one of the top teams in the Premier League.

Appreciation

Nangila said the family was appreciative of the role played by Kakamega High School Principal, Dr Elphas Aliva Luvaso, head of the coaching unit, Enock Lucheveli, the teachers and the school fraternity.

“As a family, we are grateful to the opportunity and especially the school administration and the coaching staff. You have rewritten our story,” she said.

Abala Wanga withdraws from Gem parliamentary race, supports re-election of President Ruto and MP Elisha

By
Western Insight Newsroom
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0

By Valentine Omondi

Credited for turning around the image of Kisumu and making the city the cleanest city in Kenya and top three in East Africa, the City Manager, Michael Abala Wanga, has opted out of the race for the Gem parliamentary seat.

Abala, who was one of the front runners for the Gem parliamentary seat, had developed a network in the constituency, which could have handed him victory at the ODM nomination and eventually at the general election.

But on Sunday, emotional Abala broke the news of his decision to his shocked campaign team and through social media platforms.

The withdrawal ends months of speculation over his political ambitions in the Siaya constituency.

Wanga announced his decision in a statement on Sunday, September 6, 2026, saying he had made the move after extensive consultations with his boss, Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, his family and close friends.

He cited his current work commitments and personal responsibilities as the main reasons behind his decision, describing the choice as difficult.

“For a long time, I have carried the aspirations, hopes, and dreams of the people of Gem close to my heart,” Wanga said, adding that he had hoped to present himself on the ballot and work with residents to build a stronger and more prosperous constituency.

The City Manager had previously positioned himself as a potential contender for the Gem seat, with his political activities and public engagement on constituency issues fuelling expectations that he would seek the parliamentary position in 2027.

From City Management to Gem Politics

Wanga’s potential candidature had added another dimension to what was expected to be a closely watched contest for the Gem seat.

His interest in the position became increasingly public as he engaged in matters affecting residents of the constituency and built his profile among local communities.

In July 2026, Wanga was reported to have declared interest in the Gem parliamentary seat while calling on ODM leaders, including incumbent MP Elisha Odhiambo, to address issues surrounding the Shanta Gold dispute in East Gem.

His community profile has also been strengthened through involvement in education initiatives supporting needy students in Gem, including the Gem Educational Empowerment programme.

His decision now leaves incumbent Elisha Odhiambo as the beneficiary of Wanga’s direct political support.

Backs Elisha and Ruto

In announcing his withdrawal, Wanga made it clear that stepping out of the race would not mean withdrawing from politics or public service.

He pledged to support Odhiambo in his continued service as Gem MP and also threw his weight behind President William Ruto’s bid for re-election in 2027.

“In the spirit of unity, stability, and putting the interests of our people and nation first, I will support the incumbent Member of Parliament, Hon. Elisha Odhiambo, in his continued service to the people of Gem. I will also support H.E. President William Samoei Ruto in his bid for re-election in 2027,” he said.

Wanga urged Gem residents to remain united and focused on development, particularly in empowering young people and women and strengthening local communities.

He maintained that his withdrawal should not be interpreted as an end to his relationship with the constituency.

“Though I will not be seeking your votes in 2027, I remain available to serve, support, and engage with the people of Gem in whatever way I can,” he said.

Wanga concluded by assuring residents that Gem remained home and that his commitment to the constituency remained unwavering.

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