As the world welcomes 2024, the spotlight shines on Ayo Dee, an emerging Kenyan talent poised to make waves internationally. 

Hailed by many as the next Burna Boy, Ayo Dee is set to captivate audiences worldwide, supported by his home country of Kenya. Ayo Dee burst onto the music scene with his debut EP, "Ready the EP," in 2022, featuring hits like "Mary Jane" and "Turuturu," captivating Kenyan audiences and establishing his unique sound.

Kicking off the new year with a bang, Ayo Dee has dropped the lead single, "Wanjiru Wants My Baby," from his highly anticipated second EP, "Connect the Dots," - the song was officially released on January 1st, 2024.

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/pLQjwUdiSVs 

This track, a masterful fusion of reggae vibes and Afro Fusion, delves into the theme of making conscious life choices, challenging societal conditioning that can hinder personal growth and prosperity. Accompanied by a vibrant music video, "Wanjiru Wants My Baby" showcases Kenya's top music talents, uniting as a community dedicated to conscious artistry and growth.

ODM leader Raila Odinga has warned President William Ruto against interfering with other arms of government and that by attacking Judiciary he has crossed the line.

Speaking during a press conference at Maakazi hotel in Mombasa, Mr Odinga displeasure at President Ruto’s continued attacks on the Judiciary after his Nyandarua County sentiments where he intimated that his administration would no longer follow court orders as he accused the Judiciary of taking bribes in order to sabotage the government.

Mr Odinga challenged President Ruto to learn that his best insurance is to obey the law and there is no other way about it and we will not allow him to invent any other way other than the law.

Mr Odinga accused the President of trying to capture the judiciary by intimidating judges and magistrates not to hear cases against his policies, dismiss such cases or always rule in his favour. 

“It was my hope that after the tumult and pain experienced in 2023 and from which Kenyans are still deeply suffering, the Kenya Kwanza administration would begin this New Year with much more reflection and humility that would plant hopes that vital lessons have been learnt and 2024 would be better. We were wrong,” said Mr Odinga who is also ODM party leader.

Odinga was flanked by Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir, Mombasa women representative Zamzam Mohamed, county senator Mohammed Faki and Mombasa county speaker Aharub Khatri.

Mr Odinga accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of corruption and that Mr Ruto should be the first to respect courts since his entire political career has been saved by the Judiciary. 

“When he was charged with fraud and stealing of Kenya Pipeline land, it was the Judiciary that saved him. When he was sued to stop his presidential bid with President Uhuru Kenyatta on account of commission of crimes against humanity, it was the judiciary that saved him. And in 2022, the Judiciary sanctified his power grab after he rigged elections. It is ridiculous to now hear the biggest political beneficiary of judicial decisions in Kenya's history now accuse the institution of sabotaging him,” said Mr Odinga.

He added, “President Ruto wants to establish an absolute dictatorship. Kenyans know we have been here before when judges heard cases in the dead of the night, way past official working hours and sent opponents of the state to jail and those not obeying executive rule got transferred, sacked or even got poisoned.”

Mr Odinga claimed that the threats that Kenya Kwanza regime continues must be seen in their correct context as a scapegoating and diversionary tactic from the pressing social and economic pressures that the regime has subjected the people to. The Azimio la Umoja leader said President Ruto cannot convince Kenyans that the Judiciary is more corrupt than the Executive branch of government, which he leads and that he should respect the independent body. 

“Mr Ruto’s latest strange rage to the Judiciary is too critical to the well-being of our country and our democracy, making it extremely important that we call Mr Ruto out and tell him that he has crossed the line. Kenyans will recall that when the Supreme Court made its contemptuous ruling against Azimio la Umoja’s presidential election in 2022, we said we strongly disagreed, but accepted it in the interest of furthering the rule of law, democracy, stability and healing of our nation and him should follow our steps,” said Mr Odinga. 

He added, “It remains our position to date that disobeying court rulings is a sure path to chaos and the collapse of a nation. If there was ever any doubt about the malevolent intent of the Kenya Kwanza regime in regard to the Constitution of Kenya, the attack by Mr Ruto on the Judiciary removes all the doubt.”

Mombasa County government is planning to install smart (automated) gates at the Kongowea market in a bid to fight corruption.

According to Mombasa Governor, Abdulswamad Nassir the county government has been losing some money daily from gate collection due to corruption.

Speaking to the media at his office on Wednesday, Nassir revealed that the county will soon advertise for the tender of installing the automated gates.

"I did my own investigation and realised that the number of cars that pass through our cess points and those getting in the market do not tally and this also prompted the decision. We will know how many cars will be getting into the market, there will be cameras apart from the smart gates." said Nassir.

Adding " We are soon advertising for the tender. We need to bring sanity, there is no way that some cars pay to drop goods at the market while others do not. I currently do not have the right figures off head but we are losing alot"

The smart gates will only allow a motorist to pass through after they have made their payment.

The governor also called on all stall owners within the market pay their rents accordingly revealing that the county has formed a special enforcement team that will be enforcing the payments starting next month (February).

"It is not fair for you to expect good services from the county yet you don't pay the rates. My intention is not to increase the rent but just to make sure that everyone pays what they are supposed to pay, things will not be the same from next month (February."

"The expenses that we use to run the market is way above what we collect. It is important for every single person to play their part."

Kitui senator Enoch Wambua has accused  President William Ruto of lying to Kenyans that they were going to lower the cost of living.

Wambua said to the detriment of Kenyans, the cost of living has been unbearable for the entire Kenyan population.

He said under the President Ruto administration, the cost of basic commodities like unga, bread, cooking oil and fuel are way beyond the rich of many Kenyans.

“The Kenya Kwanza regime took over the reins of power on a lie that it would be a mwamanchi government”

“As it were, this regime has not only turned its back on the people, it is eating its own children,” said Wambua.

Wambua was speaking in Mombasa Sunday afternoon as he delivered his four-point agenda end of the year media address titled ‘For the Love of my Motherland’.

The senate deputy minority leader said that several negotiation attempts by the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance to truthfully address the cost of living puzzle have been thwarted with impunity by the KK administration.

First was during the aborted bipartisan talks and later at the revived national dialogue committee.

Wambua said that Azimio la Umoja – OKA leaders have clearly demonstrated their determination to lessen the burden of life weighing heavily on the shoulders of ordinary Kenyans.

“All these attempts have fallen on the deaf ears of an administration that does not care at all about the suffering of Kenyans,” said wambua.

The senator accused the international community for failing to help the cause of ordinary Kenyan citizens.

He said that there is a universally accepted principle called the responsibility to protect where under this principle, when governments are either unwilling or unable to protect their own citizens, the international community is expected to exercise a duty of care and move in t save the suffering masses.

“The big brothers who in yesteryears stood in the gap for the ordinary citizens against the excesses of previous governments are today either looking the other way or overdoing each other in singing praises to the Ruto administration,” he said.

Senator Wambua said that in the Kenyan case, as citizens scream for help, the international community especially representatives of the United Kingdom and United States of America governments in Kenya, are busy giving the thumbs up gesture to president ruto and his administration.

The senator also accused the executive of capturing parliament.

Wambua said that if previous administrations were guilty of capturing parliament, the Kenya Kwanza regime will go down in history as the regime that drove in the final nail on the coffin of parliamentary independence.

“Without shame, MPs elected on parties affiliated to Kenya Kwanza and a bunch of self-seeking Azimio-OKA members have found comfort as lapdogs and puppets under the full command of president William Ruto,” said senator Wambua.

Wambua said that drafters of the 2010 constitution made explicit provisions for the separation of powers between the three arms of government that is the executive, legislature and the judiciary.

One arm of government he said therefore cannot and must not be allowed to load it over the other two arms of government.

“One cardinal role of the legislature is to tame the excesses of the executive in defense of the masses,” he said.

He cautioned his colleagues in parliament that they were attracting and inviting curses on themselves by blindly passing legislations that an average Kenyan in an ordinary setting knows that such legislations are aimed at oppressing the poor.

Concerning the road map to 2027, the senator said that Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka is the president that Kenya has been waiting for.

Wambua said that political parties forming the Azimio OKA must swing into action in the new year with one accord and make bold steps towards forming the next government to save Kenyans from the inept, clueless and incompetent Kenya kwanza administration.

“We can no longer continue pretending that we do not know who our best bet for the presidential race in 2027 is. We can no longer continue to pretend that all the Azimio-OKA principals stand an equal chance of beating Rut on the ballot,”

‘I refuse to live in a make-believe world. We must confront our reality and deal with it today, not tomorrow,” he said.

Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir has mourned the death of his advisor on port affairs Gilbert Langat.

Langat who doubled up as the Shippers Council of Eastern Africa CEO passed on Sunday at his Kericho home after a long illness.

In a statement, Nassir said Langat's ideals and vision for a Port that bears benefit for its host county will remain a guiding force in national discourse in the future.

"Gilbert’s work helped open minds and bring people together, blending national patriotism with pragmatic governance of county affairs to capture our attention and ignite our imagination on the possibilities of the Port of Mombasa." said Nassir.

Adding "He was a trailblazer in his field, as Chief Executive Officer of the Shippers Council, and his legacy lives on in Kenya and across the region. While he will be dearly missed, we trust his ideals and vision for a Port that bears benefit for its host county will remain a guiding force in national discourse in the future."

Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen joined Nassir in mourning Langat.

“His business acumen saw him steer the Shippers Council to new heights, contributing a great deal to the growth of trade in the region. A team leader par excellence, Langat worked tirelessly with the Government, the private sector, and development partners to improve the efficiency of port services in the country and the wider region”. said Murkomen in a statement.

As millions of Kenyans gear up to usher in the new year 2024, fireworks are expected to rock different parts of the country.

A quick spot check shows most of the entertainment spots, recreational parks, and churches have lined up different activities.

GTC/AVIC is set to spend a staggering KES 150 million for a grand New Year's Eve (NYE) fireworks show which will be done off their build.

The show is designed and choreographed by Jays Pyrotechnics.

Kenyans are eager to witness the historical fireworks.

  "I will spend New Year's Eve with my family at the newly refurbished Mama Ngina Water Front. I can't wait to capture the moments," said John Mureithi, a resident of Nairobi on holiday in Mombasa.

On his part, Mombasa Deputy Commissioner Ronald Mwiwai said that security has been heightened across the island.

 "Anybody arrested for robbing others will face the full force of the law.  I urge you to show love to our visitors and the less privileged members of the society since coastal residents are known for their kindness, let us not lose the honor this city is known for,” said Mwiwai during a press briefing at Mama Ngina Water Front.

Organizer of the Mombasa International (MIfest) Charles Kitula says they have been running different activities since Christmas day and the event will culminate on New Year's Eve.

 "Holidaymakers should expect a lot of entertainment, mouth-watering coastal cuisines, and cultural heritage," said Kitula urging Kenyans to come out in their numbers.

A Kenyan girl stranded in India is seeking assistance from well-wishers to help her raise Sh6 million in order to undergo a third kidney transplant.

Young Fyona Wanjiku has been in India since March 2022 hoping that she will undergo the much needed operation to save her life.

This is after the operation failed to take place twice due to lack of funds after they exhausted the money raised by family, friends and well-wishers to help her in her medication.

Wanjiku was scheduled to undergo the third transplant in December 28, 2023, but this could not take place due to lapse of her NHIF Edu Afya medical cover.

The operation was earlier scheduled to for July 28, but could also not take place. She is now set to undergo the transplant in January 8, 2024 if funds are available.

Despite the pain and agony she is undergoing, she remains hopeful that she will recover as she appealed to Kenyans and well-wishers to come to her rescue.  

In a video recorded by her father Walter Njoroge in her hospital bed in India, Wanjiku has also appealed to President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua to intervene and help her undergo the operation.

“I am begging and appealing to them and all Kenyans to help me finish my medication so that I can come back home,” said Wanjiku.

Wanjiku was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney failure when she was just six years.

She got her first kidney transplant from her father back in 2011 when she was 7 years old. Unfortunately the kidney failed in 2018 and she was forced to undergo a second transplant to save her life.

In the process of waiting to undergo the surgery, her mother was overwhelmed and passed away in 2019 due to a heart attack, leaving behind Wanjiku and her younger brother Eldon (now 15).

She successfully underwent the surgery in February 2020, but two years later her body refused the kidney and was flown back to India in March last year with the hope of salvaging the kidney.

The kidney could not be saved and she was forced to seek another donor to undergo a third kidney transplant.

“After getting the third donor, the funds had dwindled making it hard for the third operation to take place,”

“Our plea is that we do not have any money, NHIF is not there for Fiona and it looks like without funds, Fiona the, father and the donor will be forced to come back to Kenya and we wait for God’s will,” said Jayne Githere, a family friend.

Githere, a family friend to Fiona and her father, was addressing the media in Mombasa on Friday as she appealed for Kenyans to help the family.

Before leaving for India last year, Fiona was a student at Star of the Sea Secondary School in Mombasa. She was set to sit her KCSE exams this year.

“She (Fiona) is a child who has been left behind in education just because of her sickness. We thank her fellow students at the school who have been very supportive helping to raise money for her medicines,” Githere said.

She said despite NHIF ending the Edu Afya cover, the fund has come through for the family in the previous two operations.

Fiona’s father said that he has severally tried to reach out to the ministry of health and other government offices, but his efforts have borne no fruit though he remains hopeful help will come their way.

“We tried looking for the president during his recent visit to India, we met with members of his team but we could not get to him,”

“Hopefully the president will hear Fiona’s cry and help in bring her back home as we urge other Kenyans and well-wisher to help join in assisting us in any way,” he said.

Kenyans willing to assist the family can send their contributions through Paybill number 222111 Account number 1913797.

Contributions can also be channeled through Fiona’s father M-pesa line 0716727012 (Walter Njoroge) or through the treasurer Jayne 0722411510.

Smiles in the villages as Terik community donates Christmas merchandise to the needy

It was a joyous moment in various villages of Nandi and Vihiga counties during christmas day, as the Terik Community Worldwide in collaboration with well wishers came together to provide christmas merchandise to the needy.

Speaking to the press after the excercise, Solomon Choge, the coordinator of the Terik Community Worldwide, said they formed a WhatsApp group of at least 300 people who then contributed a minimum of KSh 100 each to aid the 100 needy fafamilies.

"Our aim as the Terik community in conjunction with our friends was to celebrate Christmas by remembering the less fortunate than us, who struggle to meet their basic needs and face hardships every day. On other occasions we assist with school fees, medical bills among others, but this month we focussed on Christmas. We donated to all people regardless of tribe or other affiliations, and that is what Christmas is,” Choge said.

Ken Ngetich , a member of the Terik Community technical committee said they had traversed atleast 20 villages distributing the christmas gifts. 

“The families we visited were so happy, and that really touched my heart. I am thankful to all members of the community for uniting for a noble course. We hope to reach a more wider coverage next time as many people in the villages are really struggling to put a meal on the table.” Ngetich said.

The team of well-wishers distributed foodstuff to 101 families in Nandi and Vihiga counties, benefitting at least 300 people directly. 

“I was not sure what i will feed on this Christmas, things have been thick, some days i do not have anything to eat.Thank you for this food," Kezia Nyangweso ,a beneficiary from Gambo village.

"I am overwhelmed with joy. Be blessed." Samson Eboi, Muguya village 

"I can now celebrate like the rest,with the hard economic times, i had not planned for any meal." Sarah Tenai from Kapsengere village.

Terik tribe is a marginalized community in Kenya declared by the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2000 to be in danger of extinction.

Terik language is amongst the Kalenjin sub tribes and it is spoken in parts of Nandi South of Nandi County and Vihiga County.

Some of the professionals, politicians and friends that joined the community in contributing to the course included Nandi Governor Stephen Sang, MPs Marriane Kittany (Aldai), Julius Melly (Tinderet), Prof. Maritim Songok, KEMRI Director General and CEO, Prof. Haroun Mengech and Shoka Millers.

A new online radio station that will focus on matters of youth, women and the vulnerable communities has been unveiled in Kisauni, Mombasa County.

The radio popularly known as DAYO-Radio will broadcast in both Kiswahili and English during their well researched programs with an aim to educate, inform and set the agenda.

The radio station at Mtopanga area is an initiative by Dream Achievers Youth Organisation, through the sponsorship of the Aga Khan foundation funding. The idea was conceived last year and actualized this year.

“There is a lot of young people who are yarning to get information online, so DAYO radio is an online radio ready to solve that gap, so we have partnered with Aga Khan foundation  to ensure we sensitize the young people on very many things that affect their lives,” said Jira.

Speaking during a colorful ceremony held at the DAYO office compound in Mtopanga,Kisauni Mombasa on Thursday,DAYO executive director Seif Jira termed the radio project a game changer

The colorful event also witnessed the presence of media council of Kenya MCK officers, National cohesion and integration commission NCIC and Mombasa county youths affairs chief officer Khamis juma kurichwa among other dignitaries who witnessed the launch.

Our programs will focus on community affairs like health rights and education because many do  not know they have rights to health, we have also launched a resource center, which will help the young people,” said Jira.

We have two permanent staff so far, we are looking at hiring more, so far we want to look for resources, we have talked with the media council and they have promised to support us by bringing paid interns to us, we will give them platforms,” said Jira.

Jira said during this festive season, many youth indulge in crimes and consume drugs, adding that the station will continue churning out peace messages to caution young people against crime.

Although the media landscape is growing so fast and has its own share of economic challenges,Jira said the organization will look for donors to support various programs that will be able to pay staff.

“The reason we launched it during this festive season is because we want to run messages of hope and peace, we want young people to refrain from crimes and drugs ,by doing so we will reduce crime levels in Kisauni,”said Jira.

On his part, national cohesion and integration commission NCIC coast region coordinator urged the owners to ensure the Says the radio will be used to spread peace in Kisauni.

Sensitize the young people against crime and drugs. Kisauni is among the areas mapped as insecure.Kisauni is notorious for crime.

On his part Mombasa county youth gender and sports chief officer Khamis juma kurichwa affirmed the county government commitment in advancing affairs of the youth through the radio talk shows.

"This is a big milestone, in community building, Kenyans will have a voice through the radio. We are in an information revolution, without information you can't be heard,” said Kurichwa.

Researchers from Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), University of Washington (UW), and Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) published results in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The results of the study have been highly anticipated, as this is the first study of doxycycline PEP among cisgender women, following multiple studies that showed a high level of STI protection with doxycycline use among cisgender men and transgender women in France and the United States.

In February, Dr. Jenell Stewart presented initial results from the dPEP Kenya clinical trial at CROI demonstrating that doxycycline taken after sex does not prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) chlamydia or gonorrhea  among cisgender women, but the reason for this had not yet been established.

Objective measure of doxycycline detection in hair samples indicate that use of doxycycline was low in this study.

“Doxycycline PEP needs to be studied further among people assigned female sex at birth. I am hopeful that it will work for everyone regardless of sex and gender, but in our study many women didn’t take the doxycycline they were given. We need STI prevention that is proven, accessible, and easy to use.” said Dr. Jenell Stewart, the dPEP Kenya Study Director, Infectious Disease Physician at Hennepin Healthcare and University of Minnesota.

In addition to low use of doxycycline, antibiotic resistance offers an explanation for why gonorrhea wasn’t prevented. The rate of doxycycline resistant gonorrhea was very high, including 100% of the infections acquired prior to starting the study. This is much higher than rates in the US and France, currently estimated to be ~20% of cases. There are no known cases of antibiotic resistant chlamydia, and none were detected in this study.

At a single site in Kisumu, Kenya, the study enrolled 449 cisgender women who were taking daily oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and were randomized to receive doxycycline or standard of care. 18% of participants had an STI at the time they entered the study and PRESS RELEASE over the course of the study the rate of STIs remained high  an annual incidence of 27%, which is comparable to rates among men who have sex with men in high income countries.

There were 109 new STIs diagnosed, 50 among those using doxycycline PEP compared to 59 among those randomized to no doxycycline and standard of care, during the course of the 12-month follow-up. Most, 78%, of the new STIs diagnosed were chlamydia, 35 among people taking doxycycline PEP and 50 among standard of care, which was not statistically different. Only one new case of syphilis was diagnosed in this study, consistent with other studies in the region, and therefore, the impact of doxycycline PEP on preventing syphilis among cisgender women could not be evaluated.

“The results from the study are deeply disappointing, and we are committed to understanding why doxycycline PEP wasn’t taken. We are actively working to find ways to support adherence that will work for and can be used by women,” said Prof. Elizabeth Bukusi, a Principal Investigator of the dPEP Kenya Study and Senior Principal Clinical Research Scientist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute and Professor at University of Washington in Departments of Global Health and Ob/Gyn.

Bacterial STIs in women can lead to lasting and severe consequences including pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pain, infertility, pregnancy complications, and increased susceptibility to HIV.

The dPEP Kenya study team continues to understand why use of doxycycline was low and investigate new ways of deliverying doxycycline prophylaxis that are acceptable and effective. Dr. Stewart is working with Dr. Cherie Blair, Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases at UCLA, and the Adolescent Trials Network to secure funding for a study of doxycycline prophylaxis against STIs in people assigned female sex at birth regardless of gender in the United States.

The dPEP Kenya trial was funded by the National Institutes of Health (R01AI145971, P30AI027757, K23MH124466) and was conducted at the KEMRI Lumumba site in Kisumu, Kenya.

The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.