Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has challenged former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua to a televised debate over development in the North Eastern region. Addressing the gathering, Duale criticised Gachagua’s recent remarks on development in the region and called for a public discussion. “I am challenging Gachagua to a debate on development in the North Eastern region. In his remarks, Gachagua cited shortages in key public services, including hospitals, clean water, classrooms, teachers, and medical personnel. However, President Ruto appeared to distance the government from the proposal, saying his administration would not be drawn into political confrontations.

ODM Party Leader Oburu Odinga has declared that the Orange party will formally exit what he termed the “moribund” Azimio coalition, even as he urged party officials to respect and uphold official party positions. On Wednesday morning, Oburu was categorical that ODM remains the dominant party in the coalition and cannot be sidelined in decision-making. You cannot purport to appoint a new leader of Azimio excluding ODM,” he said. “Azimio was dead when ODM left it. We are going to exit that moribund organization called Azimio,” Oburu declared.

Saboti MP Caleb Amisi, former counsellor Kipkorir Menjo and Taita Taveta Senator Johnes Mwaruma have been removed from ODM NEC. Deputy party leader Godfrey Osotsi, Siaya Governor James Orengo, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino and Ruth Odinga (Kisumu Woman Representative) are also earmarked. The high-stakes National Executive Committee meeting is currently ongoing amid growing indications that the fate of secretary general Edwin Sifuna could also be decided. This is the second NEC sitting since the demise of the party’s long-serving leader Raila Odinga in October last year. However, according to the ODM Party Constitution, a member of the party should officially file a complaint to the Disciplinary Committee registering a misconduct.

No journalist or media worker should face such a risk to his life while reporting in the public interest. This incident follows concerns raised after the 24 January 2026 protest in Tirana, when journalists and media workers were exposed to dangerous conditions while covering public gatherings. These developments highlight the increasingly dangerous environment in which media professionals operate during periods of political tension. The SafeJournalists Network emphasizes that the safety of journalists and media professionals during public gatherings is a shared responsibility. We reiterate our full solidarity with Aldo Kashri and all journalists and media professionals reporting in challenging conditions.

Dua Lipa and Callum Turner were visibly distressed after being hounded by paparazzi this week, as the couple pleaded with them to leave them be. AdvertBut Turner's requests were denied and as his wife-to-be Lipa exited the restaurant, the paparazzi followed them. Callum Turner and Dua Lipa were recently mobbed by photographers in Paris (@dualipa/Instagram)"No, no, no. They walked around the corner hand-in-hand and the paps followed them, sparking Lipa to shout 'please go away'. Dozens of other people online agreed that Lipa and Turner should have been left in peace.

Kalugamage moved from Sri Lanka to Lucca in Tuscany as a 15-year-old and is one of five home-based players in Italy’s 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup. A sporty kid, Kalugamage made friends competing in athletics and then started playing some amateur cricket near his adopted hometown. Kalugamage’s job as a pizza maker often came second to playing cricket. Nathan Lyon called Davison the “best spin coach in the world” and has worked with him since his teens. If we can finish in the top eight, that’ll change the lives of a lot of our cricketers and put Italian cricket on the map” says Madsen.

The man allegedly killed his wife. Source: FacebookDuncan Kimaru is said to have killed his wife, 24-year-old Jelagat, in an escalation of a domestic dispute, and she died while being rushed to the Kilibwoni health centre for management. Even more painful, the alleged killer husband had shared a lovely photo of his family on his Facebook page. Jelagat was in an emerald green dress, while the man was in a shirt and jeans. Kenyans heartbroken by death of Nandi coupleTheir deaths have broken the hearts of many on social media.

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A trader adds the finishing touches to a money bouquet for her client at her Nakuru gift shop on Valentine's Day 2025. [File, Standard]The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) advisory on the use of banknotes in decorations provoked my economic instinct. Before we go to the legal part of it, let’s appreciate the creativity of decorators or better, innovators. Definitely, a bouquet with banknotes carries some emotional weight. Giving someone a Sh1000 bank note is not the same as sending the same amount on M-Pesa!

Having capital is no longer advantageous but its velocity isOrganisations and leaders that thrive now are not those with the most resources. They are the ones where resources flow toward value instead of gathering in approval queues.

Senate CPAC Committee Chair Moses Kajwang at Bunge Towers, Parliament, Nairobi on June 16, 2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]Senators have rubbished claims by some governors that they have involved themselves in improper conduct, as urged to account for the billions of shillings allocated to counties by the Treasury.

The Ministry of Public Service has revealed that it is in the process of introducing a new policy that will adjust how promotions are made in government departments. Speaking during the SemaNaSPox podcast on Tuesday, February 11, Public Service and Human Capital Development Principal Secretary Jane Imbunya said that the changes will be made through the upcoming Public Service Transformation policy. Ibunya is optimistic that the move will be fundamental in empowering youth and unlocking the untapped economic potential they hold through public service. Public Service PS Dr Jane Imbunya, during an induction programme that brought together Secretaries, Directors, Assistant Directors, and Heads of Departments and Sections on August 22, 2025. Photo Jane Imbunya"We are penning a policy known as the public service reforms policy, and this is a gift for the youth of Kenya.

President William Ruto at the NYS paramilitary Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, on December 8, 2023. [File, Standard]As the residents of the drought-stricken Northern Kenya pluck leaves from wild trees to cook and feed, President William Ruto continues to dish out millions of money and sumptuous lunches to thousands of well-fed UDA party followers at State House in Nairobi.

Andela, the global marketplace for technical talent, has announced a significant expansion of its Andela AI Academy. With a bold goal to train 15,000 technologists by 2026, Andela aims to establish the world’s largest pipeline of AI-fluent engineering talent. The LLM Engineering track covers the foundations of Generative AI, including prompt engineering and model evaluation. The Agentic AI Engineering track focuses on the creation of autonomous agents and orchestration frameworks. Another 200 participants recently finished an AI Engineering program that focused on scalable agentic architectures and real-world deployment.

Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer has reportedly made a huge bid of $1.8 billion (Rs 16,303 crore) to buy the IPL franchise, underlining RCB’s growing value in world cricket. That on-field success, combined with the team’s massive fan following, has made RCB one of the most attractive assets in Indian cricket. The Glazer family, who already own Premier League giants Manchester United and NFL team Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have previously explored opportunities in the IPL. Rajasthan Royals also on the radarApart from RCB, the Glazers are also believed to be interested in the Rajasthan Royals. However, BCCI regulations allow an owner to control only one IPL franchise, meaning they’ll have to choose carefully if their bids progress.