Everything Trending This Easter Weekend

As we embark on the long Easter weekend, this is what’s trending in Nairobi.

source http://nairobiwire.com/2021/04/everything-trending-this-easter-weekend.html

Polish National In Court For Flying Drone Over DP Ruto’s Karen Residence

A tourist of Polish origin was Wednesday arraigned at the Milimani law courts over a drone that strayed into the private residence of Deputy President William Ruto in Karen on Monday night, March 29.

Piotr Lukasz Litwiniuk was charged with four counts: importation of unmanned aircraft without a permit issued by the authority, operating an unmanned aircraft system without authorisation, operating an unmanned aircraft system without a pilot licence, and failing to register an unmanned aircraft.

According to the charge sheet, Piotr Lukasz imported the Mavic Air2 drone model number MA2UE3W through the Moi International Airport on January 7, 2021 without a permit from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority(KCAA).

He was also charged with operating an unmanned aircraft system without authorisation from KCAA on March 29.

The court heard that GSU officers manning Ruto’s residence spotted the drone flying over the home and monitored it as it retreated to a neighbour’s compound.

The incident was reported to Hardy Police Station before it was referred to the DCIO’s office who later visited the scene together with the OCS for Hardy police station.

They discovered the drone in the neighbour’s residence. The suspect, who is the owner of the drone, told police he is in Kenya for holiday.

Appearing before Milimani chief magistrate Martha Mutuku, Litwiniuk denied the charges.

The court released the accused on a cash bail of Sh200, 000 or a bond of Sh500, 000.

The matter will be mentioned after two weeks.

source http://nairobiwire.com/2021/04/polish-national-in-court-for-flying-drone-over-dp-rutos-karen-residence.html

AstraZeneca Vaccine Recipients Reveal Side Effects of Covid-19 jab

As of Wednesday, March 30, 2021, over 130, 500 people had been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Kenya since the country received 1.12 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines on March 3.

The AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab has been received halfheartedly in Kenya after several countries suspended its use over safety concerns.

A couple of Kenyans who have since been innoculated shared their experiences, revealing some of the jab’s side effects.

Businesswoman Mercy Claire said she started feeling some of the effects hours after getting the shot.

“Getting the jab itself is not painful. The nurse gives you a shot in the arm and you go away, to await the second dose after eight weeks. The nurse says you should contact the doctor if you have a headache or any other symptom.

“After getting the jab, I did not feel anything the whole day until the night fell. I started feeling feverish and sweaty and a little dizzy,” she said as quoted by the Star.

Mercy added: “I did not pay much attention to what was happening, but the night was not smooth and I could barely sleep. I have headache, fever, nausea and a lot of pain in my left arm. I could not sleep on the left side where the jab was administered because of pain. It is stinging a lot.”

According to the publication, Mercy said when she woke up the next day, the nausea was worse and she had an elevated temperature with no appetite.

“The headache, fever and sweating became too much. I even tried taking breakfast but could not do it. I am still feeling dizzy,” she recounted.

To alleviate the fever and nausea, Mercy took a mixture of ginger, honey and lemon.

“I got some relief but not a lot. Dizziness still persists. I still cannot lift my left arm without pain. I have to position my hand with a formula when typing! Direct touch to the site of jab is like a bee sting!” she said.

Another AstraZeneca Vaccine recipient, Edward Mathenge, said he also got a bad fever at night.

“I woke up from my sleep shaking at around 3am and the first instinct was to pull over a blanket from the foot of the bed for double cover,” Mathenge said.

After a while, the businessman said he started sweating profusely.

“I started sweating heavily but could not get out of bed because my body was very numb. I managed to get out of bed at 6am,” he revelead.

Mathenge said he was forced to take paracetamol which reduced the fever and numbness.

“The arm that was jabbed is still numb,” he said.

The Centre for Disease and Control says the side effects are normal and that they may be more intense after the second shot.

“These side effects are normal signs that your body is building protection and should go away within a few days,” CDC notes.

The Ministry of Health added: “Mild reactions go away within a few days on their own.  Severe or long-lasting side effects are extremely rare.”

Health ministry acting director general Dr Patrick Amoth, who was the first Kenyan to take the vaccine on March 5, said he did not experience any effects as he encouraged more Kenyans to get the jab.

“I did not experience major side effects, apart from soreness (which lasted for 47 hours). I took no medication for the side effects as I expected them to be transient. Better take the vaccine when your turn comes. It is either you get the vaccine or Covid-19.”

source http://nairobiwire.com/2021/04/astrazeneca-vaccine-recipients-reveal-side-effects-of-covid-19-jab.html

Jennifer Wambua Murder Probe: Sh2M Withdrawn From Account of Deceased NLC Official

A probe into the murder of National Lands Commission (NLC) official Jennifer Wambua has taken a new twist after detectives established money was withdrawn from her bank account prior to her death.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) discovered that Sh2 million was withdrawn from her account two days before she went missing.

The money was part of some Sh2.7 million that NLC had wired to Wambua’s account to pay for supplies of goods and services offered during the launch of the 2021-2026 strategic plan for the commission.

Wambua, who was the deputy director of communication at NLC, was in charge of the launch which was commissioned on March 5.

Detectives handling the case say suppliers claimed that they have not been paid.

The investigators are now trying to establish whether Wambua’s death was linked to the money.

Officers are also looking into the 58 calls that were made to Wambua’s mobile phone days and hours before her death.

Among those who called her on the day of her death was her pastor who police say talked to her “for long”.

Wambua’s husband Joseph Komu, who was questioned for two days, told police that the pastor in question was close to Wambua and had been “praying for her”.

No arrests have been made as Wambua’s family said it was losing hope of getting justice due to a lack of substantial progress in the first two weeks of the investigation.

source http://nairobiwire.com/2021/04/jennifer-wambua-murder-probe-sh2m-withdrawn-from-account-of-deceased-nlc-official.html

This is What’s Trending in Nairobi This April Fools

It’s the first day of April, and this is what’s trending.. for real.

source http://nairobiwire.com/2021/04/this-is-whats-trending-in-nairobi-this-april-fools.html

Man Strangles Sons To Death Before Committing Suicide

A man and his two sons have died in an apparent murder-suicide in Mbooni, Makueni County.

The 37-year-old -man is said to have strangled the children aged 9 and 4 years at their home in Nduluku location on Wednesday morning.

He then took his life by hanging himself on a mango tree within his farm.

Nduluku Chief, Jeremiah Makau, said the man’s wife, a casual labourer, was away on night duty in Mlolongo at the time of the incident.

The bodies of the children were found lying in one of the rooms of the three-bedroomed house.

Neighbours later found the body of the man dangling from a tree.

It was not immediately clear why the man killed his own children and hang himself thereafter.

The three bodies were moved to a mortuary in Tawa town in the same county.

source http://nairobiwire.com/2021/04/man-strangles-sons-to-death-before-committing-suicide.html

Governors Summoned Over Misuse Of COVID-19 Billions

All 47 county governors will in coming weeks undergo grilling on how they spent billions of public resources disbursed to counties to fight the coronavirus pandemic in the 2019/2020 financial year.

The Senate Health Committee says it has issued summons to county bosses and their Executive teams to appear before it for the probe.

The summon follows an in-depth analysis by the committee on a Special Audit Report on the utilization of COVID-19 funds by the devolved units.

According to the report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu, counties flouted procurement laws, awarded tenders to select firms, and made questionable payments where billions of taxpayer’s money may have been lost.

Gathingu recommended to the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate at least 27 counties.

Some of these include Nairobi (Nairobi Metropolitan Service), Trans Nzoia, Murang’a, Busia, Kakamega, Meru, Embu, Homabay, Kisii, Bungoma, and Bomet counties.

Trans-Nzoia Senator Michael Mbito, who chairs the committee, tabled the findings of his panel saying they have summoned governors to explain the illegalities and irregularities flagged by the auditor.

“I wish to inform the House that the committee is seized of the special audit report of the Auditor-General on the utilization of Covid-19 funds by the county governments and is set to commence hearings with various county governments,” Mbito said.

“The committee is scheduled to hold hearings with the 47 county governments in the coming weeks. The hearings will be held for purposes of seeking clarifications from the Counties on the findings of the Special Audit Report, and establishing the level of pandemic preparedness and response across the counties,” he added.

The committee will hold hearings with two counties per day, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

“At an average rate of six counties per week, the Committee expects to finalize conducting its hearings in approximately two months,” he added.

source http://nairobiwire.com/2021/04/governors-summoned-over-misuse-of-covid-19-billions.html