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Murkomen: Majority of Osotsi attackers fled the country

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Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said some persons of interest linked to the assault on Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi in Kisumu fled to a neighbouring country as security agencies step up efforts to track them down.

Speaking before the Committee on Administration and Internal Security in Parliament on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, Murkomen said investigators had already identified several persons of interest after images were circulated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

“The DCI circulated the pictures. As you said, some of them presented themselves. Three of them presented themselves,” he told the committee.

He added that a larger group of persons of interest escaped Kenya shortly after the incident. “The rest of the 13 or 14 ran out of the country to the neighbouring country,” Murkomen said.

According to the CS, Kenyan authorities are now working with security agencies across the border to pursue them. He said arrests will be made once they return.

“The IG and the DCI are with them, working with the authorities in the neighbouring country. And we will arrest all of them eventually,” he said. “As soon as they step in in this country, they will all be arrested,” the CS insisted.

Sending a strong message

CS Murkomen said the government intends to use the case to send a strong message against political violence. “I hope that will be the first example to show that violence doesn’t pay,” he maintained.

The remarks come days after Osotsi narrated how he was attacked in Kisumu by a group of youths while at a barber shop. The senator said the group approached him while shouting his name before turning violent and beating him unconscious.

He linked the attack to his political stance, saying the assailants questioned his position on President William Ruto’s leadership.

Policing rallies remains difficult

Murkomen used the incident to highlight what he described as a growing challenge in policing political gatherings. He said it is often difficult to separate ordinary supporters from individuals who later engage in violence.

“There’s a thin line between a criminal and political supporters,” he said. “Political supporters who are criminals when they are committing crime and when they are just present as physical supporters.”

He told lawmakers that politicians cannot always guarantee the conduct of crowds they mobilise for rallies.

“Can you for sure tell this House that you will not mobilise criminals to accompany you to the rally? You cannot say with certainty,” he said.

Murkomen noted that supporters often travel from different regions, making it hard for security agencies to act before any offence is committed.

“Before they commit a crime, you cannot say I arrest them preemptively,” he said.

He also warned that some individuals arrive at events unarmed but are later supplied with weapons at the scene, escalating tensions.

“Sometimes they come empty-handed. Reaching there, somebody supplies rungus and so forth,” he said.

The CS maintained that policing alone cannot fully address the problem, especially during large political events where rival groups converge.

“This issue can only be sorted not by the police,” he said, pointing to the large numbers expected at rallies and the presence of opposing sides.

The case has added to growing concern over political violence as the country moves closer to the next election cycle, with pressure mounting on authorities to contain organised attacks linked to political activity-PeopleDaily.digital.

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National Assembly dismisses claims Sacco Bill is being rushed through Parliament

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The National Assembly has dismissed reports that the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is being rushed through Parliament, saying the proposed law is still undergoing public participation.

Through infographics shared on Facebook on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Parliament said misleading information had been circulating online about the Bill, formally known as the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, National Assembly Bill No. 32 of 2025.

Bill was published in June 2025

The National Assembly said the Bill was published on June 30, 2025, and had remained under consideration for more than 12 months.

It rejected suggestions that lawmakers were fast-tracking the proposed amendments without allowing enough time for scrutiny.

According to Parliament, the lengthy period between the publication of the Bill and its current consideration shows that it is not being rushed.

Bill currently before the National Assembly committee

The Sacco Societies Amendment Bill is currently before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

The committee is conducting public participation and receiving views from members of the public and other stakeholders.

The submissions are expected to help the committee assess the proposed amendments before presenting its recommendations to the National Assembly.

What happens after public participation?

After the public participation process is concluded, the committee will prepare a report containing its findings and recommendations.

Parliament said the views submitted by members of the public and stakeholders could inform further amendments to the Bill.

The proposed legislation will then proceed to the National Assembly for consideration by MPs.

This means the Bill has not yet completed the legislative process and could still be amended based on the submissions received during public participation.

Bill will be forwarded to Senate

The National Assembly also clarified that the Bill will not proceed directly for presidential assent after being passed by MPs.

Because the proposed legislation concerns county governments, it will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration in accordance with the Constitution.

The Senate will be required to consider the Bill before it can complete the parliamentary process and be presented for presidential assent.

Parliament urged members of the public to rely on verified information about the Sacco Societies Amendment Bill instead of unconfirmed reports circulating online-PeopleDaily.Digital.

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Digital house-hunting platform bets on technology to reshape Nairobi’s rental market

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NAIROBI, Kenya, July 14 – A growing shift towards digital property searches is changing how Kenyans find rental homes, with real estate technology platform Reemio positioning itself as a solution to longstanding challenges.

This included fraudulent listings, costly house searches and limited market transparency.

As younger, tech-savvy consumers turn to online platforms to make purchasing decisions, the company says digitizing the rental process could improve efficiency for both tenants and landlords while lowering transaction costs.

“Our niche is to solve the problem of house hunting and also bring trust into that process. We use technology to connect renters and landlords,” said Kimani.

Kimani said the platform seeks to address inefficiencies that have traditionally made house hunting expensive and time-consuming.

Instead of physically visiting multiple properties, users can browse verified listings, take virtual tours, compare amenities and access information on additional costs such as water charges, electricity bills and service fees before scheduling physical viewings.

Beyond improving convenience for tenants, Reemio argues that technology can help landlords reduce marketing costs, shorten vacancy periods and reach a wider pool of prospective tenants, including Kenyans living abroad.

The company says its platform also generates market data that can help property owners and developers better understand evolving consumer preferences, although its long-term impact will depend on wider adoption of digital property platforms and continued investment in trustworthy online real estate marketplaces-Capitalfm.co.ke.

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ORPP edges two parties closer to joining Kenya’s political arena

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The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has issued a notice for the provisional registration of two proposed political parties, opening a seven-day window for members of the public to lodge objections.

In a notice published by the Registrar of Political Parties and Chief Executive Officer J.C. Lorionokou, the ORPP announced that the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) and the People’s Alternative Voice (PAV) are in the process of being provisionally registered under Section 5(2)(a) of the Political Parties Act.

The ORPP, a State office established under Section 33 of the Political Parties Act and Article 260 of the Constitution, said its mandate includes registering and regulating political parties as well as administering the Political Parties Fund.

According to the notice, the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) has adopted pink, white and sky blue as its official party colours, with the slogan “Change – Mageuzi.” The party’s symbol is the acronym SDP enclosed inside a circle.

The party’s listed founder members are Nyangong’ Duncan Nyumbah, Omwandasi Jared Dishon and Kinyua Mary Wacuka.

The founders of PAV are listed as Odenyo John Fitzgerald Elly, Nyando Rachel Mmboga and Ali Hussein Kiplangat.

The Registrar said particulars of the two proposed political parties have been published on the ORPP website to facilitate public scrutiny as required by law.

Any person wishing to oppose the provisional registration of either party has seven days from the date of publication of the notice to submit objections either in writing or in person to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties at Lion Place, Fourth Floor, Waiyaki Way at Karuna Close, Nairobi.

The provisional registration marks the first step in the legal process of establishing a political party in Kenya.

Kenya has 91 fully registered political parties. The ORPP’s updated register indicates that, as of January 2026, there were 91 parties that had met the legal requirements for full registration under the Political Parties Act-STAR.

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