Kenya Newspapers Review: Ruto Returns to Raila’s Nyanza Base for Tour to Woo Voters Ahead of 2027
On Saturday, May 3, local newspapers focused on the investigations into the killing of Kasipul MP Ong'ondo Were and the triumphant return of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to the Gusii region.
Source: UGC
1. The Saturday Standard
As per the paper, Members of Kenya’s National Assembly were visibly relieved when Speaker Moses Wetang’ula announced they would go on recess.
This is the second break of the year, and MPs are excited not only to rest but also to earn generous mileage allowances while away from Parliament.
MPs, among the highest-paid public servants with a salary of over KSh 1 million monthly, spend 172 days, nearly five and a half months, on recess.
This contrasts sharply with the 25–41 annual leave days for regular Kenyan workers. Critics have questioned their lengthy breaks despite their hefty benefits.
The parliamentary calendar limits sittings to three days a week and is split into three sessions with several recess periods. Currently, MPs are on a 24-day break from May 2 to May 26.
Besides their salaries, MPs get monthly car allowances, sitting fees for committees, access to loans, and a fixed mileage allowance of KSh 366,011 from April 2025.
Mukurweini MP John Kaguchia defended the breaks, saying MPs often work harder in their constituencies during recess.
Committees also continue handling key matters like the Finance Bill 2025 and public participation on the NG-CDF Bill.
Still, watchdogs like Mzalendo Trust have raised concerns about absenteeism, ignored public views, and pending legislative work.
2. Saturday Nation
According to the publication, former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero failed to stop the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) from using bank documents in a case linking him to the loss of KSh58 million at City Hall.
The EACC told the court that Kidero, in his own statement, admitted receiving KSh14.4 million from Cups Limited, a company involved in the case.
Justice Lucy Njuguna dismissed Kidero’s attempt to block EACC investigator Mulki Umar from presenting the documents.
The court heard that Umar had collected the evidence legally and linked Kidero and others, including MP Aduma Owuor, to the 2014 scandal.
Justice Njuguna ruled that since the bank documents were lawfully obtained and Kidero had not denied receiving the money, there was no issue with the investigator presenting them in court. She also noted that Kidero had not challenged any details in the bank statements.
Kidero's legal team argued that only a bank official could present the statements, but the judge disagreed, stating that the investigating officer had the right to do so under the law.
The court, however, barred the same officer from producing electronic evidence without a sworn affidavit from the person who created it. The case has been ongoing since 2021.
3. Taifa Leo
The Swahili daily reported that married women, those who are educated, and those who have previously had children are now leading in rates of voluntary pregnancy termination in Kenya, according to a new study.
The findings, released recently, indicate that nearly 800,000 women underwent pregnancy termination in 2023. Among the 2,022 women surveyed, 58% were married, and 32% had two or three children.
Women aged 25 to 34 led in the statistics, disproving the common assumption that abortion is primarily an issue affecting young, unmarried girls.
The study found that a majority of women who sought post-abortion care were aged 25 to 34 (41.8%), married or living with a partner (78.6%), had attained at least secondary education (37%), and identified as Christians (91%).
Approximately 66% had previously given birth, while 29% had experienced more than four pregnancies in their lifetime.
About 89.4% used only one method to terminate their pregnancy, with medication being the most common (61.8%). Traditional methods were used by 27%, and 12.2% used other methods.
The research, conducted between April 2023 and May 2024 by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), NADC, and the Guttmacher Institute, revealed a total of 792,694 abortions, which translates to 57.3 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age (15–49 years).
4. Weekend Star
The paper reported that President William Ruto is set for a three-day development tour of Migori County, a stronghold of ODM leader Raila Odinga.
The visit is widely viewed as part of Ruto’s strategy to gain political support in the region ahead of the 2027 elections.
It is still unclear whether Raila, who recently signed a cooperation deal with Ruto, will join him.
According to Migori MP Mark Nyamita, the president will launch projects worth billions, including a KSh5 billion KenGen project, affordable housing, markets, and electricity programs.
Ruto’s tour starts Sunday, May 4, in Suna West with an interdenominational prayer service. He will then visit Suna East, Kuria West, and several other constituencies to inspect or launch development projects.
On Monday, May 5, he will tour Rongo, Awendo, and Uriri constituencies, and on Tuesday, May 6, he will visit Nyatike and Kuria East to inspect markets, roads, and housing projects, and issue school buses.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
