George Maina Muriithi is accused of luring a businessman in October 2022 with a fake investment deal, claiming to sell 48,800 shares in the lodge company at Sh1,000 each. 

The Director of Mara Ndovu Lodge Limited has been arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts over an alleged Sh48.8 million fraud involving a bogus share sale.

George Maina Muriithi is accused of luring a businessman in October 2022 with a fake investment deal, claiming to sell 48,800 shares in the lodge company at Sh1,000 each.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the complainant paid the full amount in two instalments to Muriithi after a formal share purchase agreement was signed on December 22, 2022.

However, the promised shares were never transferred.

“The suspect became elusive and never honoured the terms of the agreement,” the DCI said in a statement.

“Detectives established that the entire investment scheme was a sham.”

Muriithi pleaded not guilty to the charges with prosecutors opposing his release on bond, citing concerns that he might flee.

The court ordered that he remain in custody at Capitol Hill Police Station pending a ruling on his bond application, which is scheduled for July 15. By Phidel Kizito, Capital News

Garowe, Puntland – British Ambassador to Somalia, Charles King, made his first visit to Garowe, the capital of Puntland State, to meet with President Said Abdullahi Deni and discuss key issues aimed at fostering a secure and stable Somalia. The meeting, held at the Presidential Palace, was attended by Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor, members of the Puntland Cabinet, and a delegation accompanying the ambassador.

The discussions focused on several critical areas, including Somali political dialogue, joint stabilization efforts, and the ongoing fight against terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State (Da’ish). Both sides emphasized the importance of progress in these areas to ensure long-term peace and security in Somalia.

During the visit, Ambassador King commended Puntland’s commitment to combating terrorism, particularly highlighting the region’s counter-terrorism operations in the Almiskaad Mountains. In a show of support, the British government donated medicines and medical supplies to aid these efforts, reinforcing the UK’s partnership with Puntland in addressing security challenges.

The meeting also covered Puntland’s internal affairs, including efforts to strengthen democratic processes and development projects supported by the UK in the region. President Deni and Ambassador King expressed optimism about deepening bilateral cooperation to promote stability and growth in Puntland and Somalia as a whole.

Ambassador King described Garowe as a “dynamic city” and underscored the significance of the visit in advancing UK-Somalia relations. The discussions reflect a shared commitment to tackling Somalia’s challenges through collaborative efforts in security, governance, and development. By Hanad Askar, Horseed Media

Police Constable Hiram Kimathi has claimed his life is in danger following a KTN interview, saying he fears abduction rather than lawful arrest.

Kimathi, who has spoken publicly on police reforms and human rights, believes Friday’s appearance on KTN WeekendPrime may have triggered threats against him.

“I’m not comfortable disclosing more but I have my own intel, they are planning to pounce on me today, my fear is not being arrested lawfully but being abducted to unknown places,” he told a Standard reporter. 

He added that authorities are monitoring his calls, urging journalists to switch to safer platforms. “I know they are listening to my calls, we better switch to a different platform, I know for sure they are,” he noted.

Kimathi said he was recently transferred from Kyumbi Police Station near Machakos Junction to Todonyang Police Station on the Kenya-Ethiopia border, describing the move as punishment for speaking out. 

“This is not a transfer. It is a warning shot to every officer with a conscience. Speak out against the state, and you’ll be buried in isolation,” he stated on his social media page. 

According to a letter he posted, he was ordered to report to the Officer Commanding Station upon arrival at Todonyang for further instructions.

“You will proceed from Kyumbi Police Station to Todonyang Police Station and upon arrival, report to the officer commanding station for further instructions,” the transfer order read. 

Kimathi said the transfer followed his viral TikTok video criticising Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s order to shoot violent protesters.

“Sack me if you want. I will not be intimidated for speaking the truth,” he observed.

He explained that he expected the transfer but argued it was carried out in bad faith, questioning why he was singled out.

“It was not genuine. It was out of malice. Why me, in the whole nation? Why are you transferring Hiram Kimathi alone?” he explained.

Kimathi noted that the move points to a deeper problem within the police service and that he was prepared for the transfer despite the circumstances. 

“I expected it because I knew they would transfer me regardless of the cost. But I didn’t take it badly,” he added.

During the KTN interview, Kimathi said he had hoped to serve as a voice within the police to advance community policing and repair relations with citizens.

He told the Standard that he has served in forward areas and should now be posted closer to town to raise his family.

“I am not eligible to go back to the forward areas. My work is done there,” Kimathi explained.

The officer said he is not afraid of losing his job and would return to society if dismissed.

“Nobody was born employed. If I lose this job, I will go back to society and start again,” he noted.

Kimathi clarified that Todonyang itself is not a punishment area but argued that the transfer was meant to punish him for speaking out.

“The people there are not being punished. But for me, it’s a punishment because I spoke out,” he noted. By David Njaaga,The Standard

The Court of Appeal has emphasised the need for a serious discussion regarding the mandatory minimum sentences for convicts of robbery with violence, especially in cases where only threats were involved.

Sitting in Nakuru, Justices John Mativo, Paul Gachoka, and George Odunga expressed their bewilderment that a murderer could receive a lighter sentence, while those convicted of robbery with violence, even when threats were the only element, faced the death penalty.

Their remarks came when delivering the judgment on a case against Daniel Chege, a man on death row, for stealing a bicycle, valued at Sh4,000, on February 28, 2010, in Naivasha.

“This glaring discrepancy is one that the public finds difficult to understand. We cannot rationally justify it, except with the old response that ‘it is the law.’ It is a question we pose but cannot answer,” the judges remarked.

They expressed hope that, sooner rather than later, this inconsistency would be addressed. The facts of the case were that Bernard Karanja was riding his motorcycle when Chege and an accomplice approached him. 

In his appeal, Chege claimed that the victim had not been injured during the incident.

Judges Mativo, Gachoka, and Odunga noted that section 296(2) of the Penal Code mandates the death sentence for robbery with violence.

“With heavy hearts, we must reiterate that the evident discriminatory sentencing framework needs to be reviewed and reconsidered as soon as possible,” the judges ruled. 

They found it puzzling that murderers could receive a sentence of just one day in prison at the court’s discretion, while other offenses automatically incur a mandatory death or life sentence. By Yvonne Chepkwony, The Standard