Phode News Hub

 Former President Uhuru Kenyatta's office has declined a planned visit by a youth group (described in reports as a "youth lobby group" or "group of youths/young people," often linked to Gen-Z or emerging leaders) to his Ichaweri residence in Gatundu. This development was reported across Kenyan media outlets on February 22, 2026. The office issued an official statement signed by Communications Secretary Kanze Dena Mararo, clarifying that Uhuru Kenyatta is currently not in a position to host the group. No prior formal communication or arrangements were made with his office, and organizers were encouraged to reach out formally in advance for any future engagements. The statement emphasized Uhuru's respect for Kenya's youth—their energy, ideas, and patriotism—and his belief in the importance of inter-generational dialogue for the nation's future.  He remains open to constructive meetings, but stressed they should occur in a dignified, structured manner t...

  Former Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta appears in the Jeffrey Epstein files (referring to unsealed court documents, emails, and correspondence from Epstein's network, released in batches over recent years) primarily through indirect mentions tied to business and political connections.  The connection is not direct involvement in Epstein's criminal activities. The main reference comes from emails involving Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai Ports World (DP World), a business figure who had documented communications with Epstein.  Key details from these emails, as reported in credible sources like Nation Africa: 1. In April 2013, bin Sulayem emailed Epstein that he was attending Uhuru Kenyatta's presidential inauguration in Kenya. Epstein reportedly replied asking about "plans for NY" (New York), with no further context provided. 2. On October 24, 2014, Bin Sulayem updated Epstein about a three-hour meeting he had with then-President Kenyatta in Mombasa. T...

  Former President Uhuru Kenyatta received a standing ovation as he rose to mourn the late Raila Amollo Odinga . The former President was among thousands who thronged Nyayo Stadium on the 17th October 2025 for the funeral service in honour of Raila. As soon as Uhuru stood and took to the podium, there was a brief moment of wild chants from the gathering. Uhuru used the occasion to assure Kenyans that he will continue championing the ideals of the departed ODM leader. He mourned Raila as a true statesman who put the interest of nation first before his own. He urged Kenyans to remain steadfast in defending the democracy that Raila fought for during the course of the liberation struggle. "Raila Odinga loved this country more than anything else. He was a father to all, a man who saw no tribe and stood for every Kenyan. As we bid him farewell, we must promise ourselves that the freedoms, rights, and democracy he fought for will never be taken away from us,” Uhuru said. In a moving trib...

  President William Ruto is so witty in his endeavors. He is not taking anything to chance in his re-election bid. Ruto has been on an offensive charm to woo his esrtwhile political nemeses. In a well choreographed manoeuvre, the president of Kenya under the guise of uniting the nation has retracted his initial stance of battling against dynastical rule and has distanced himself from the over-hyped Kenya hustlers. The sequence of dynastical capture Just like his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta, president Ruto started with luring his 2022 presidential competitor and a perennial presidential contender - Raila Odinga. President William Ruto reached out to Raila after the 2024 Gen-Zs protests that almost turned into a revolution against the State. The handshake between Ruto and Raila led to the inclusion of ODM diehards in the hastily formed broad-based government. Hassan  Joho, Wycliffe Oparanya, Opiyo Wandayi and John Mbadi were appointed to the Kenya cabinet courtesy of a rapport be...

  Former Interior cabinet secretary Dr. Fred Matiang'i is a great rival to President William Ruto in his 2027 re-election contest. Matiang'i is set to give Ruto a run for his money, owing to his track record as a cabinet secretary in the previous regime.  Former President Uhuru Kenyatta trusted Matiang'i more than any other cabinet secretary due to his workaholic nature and might be forced to finance his presidential quest.  The former Interior CS is reportedly eyeing the presidential seat on a Jubilee ticket, as alluded by the party's secretary general Jeremiah Kioni. Ruto's dalliance with the doyen of opposition politics and ODM party leader Raila Odinga had complicated the opposition's quest to unseat the sitting Head of State. Matiang'i comeback seals the vaccum left by Raila's departure. Why Ruto might lose Kenya's presidential seat in 2027 Ahead of 2022 general elections in Kenya , President William Ruto promised Kenyans heaven on Earth onl...

President William Ruto is in a dilemma. Having been elected on the platform of uplifting the 'hustlers', there's no single move to substantiate his initial argument. Opposition boss Raila Odinga has every reason to capitalize on Ruto's tax appetite. The ODM Party Leader alongside his Azimio brigade, mobilized Kenyans to resist the new tax measures.  Raila read a riot act and asked his supporters to embrace walking to work places to deny the government the hyped fuel tax.  Did Uhuru Kenyatta leave an empty coffer? When Ruto took office in September 2022, his deputy Rigathi Gachagua confided that the government was almost broke. Kenya Kwanza leaders complained that during Uhuru's twilight days as president, his close allies looted from treasury to puncture operations of an incoming government. Uhuru's last months in office saw the increase in prices of essential commodities, which gave Ruto a leeway to convince Kenyans that it was as a result of Ra...

  2010 constitution drastically curtailed presidential powers limiting the Head of State in making appointments anchored by the supreme laws of the land. Mwai Kibaki was the last Kenya's powerful president who never suffered the wrath of judicial decisions. Ruto's major setback President William Ruto suffered a major setback when the High Court quashed his Cabinet Assistant Secretaries (CASs) appointments on Monday. The 3 judge bench termed the appointment of 50 CASs as unconstitutional, for there was no public participation for the 27 extra appointees.  Ruto had appointed his allies, including those who had been rejected by Kenyan voters in the 2022 general elections. Azimio leaders, led by Raila Odinga and a host of ODM mandarins, applauded the Court's verdict and urged the president to respect judicial decisions. The decision to overturn Ruto's appointments come days after the same court stopped the implementation of the Finance Act 2023 . The contentious Finance Ac...

Ke nya President William Ruto is on a vengeful mission, using State Power to wrestle his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta and attempting to crush the opposition. Recent scenario in which thousands of people stormed Uhuru's Northlands farm in Ruiru,without police alert, is something that speaks volume. The government was fully aware of the raid and might have had a secret hand in it. Opposition leaders led by Raila Odinga castigated the act.  The attack occured days after National Assembly Majority Leader, who doubles as Kikuyu MP, Kimani Ichungwah sent retaliation signals to the street protests organized by the opposition. Ichungwah had stated that if the protests would lead to stealing and vandalism of people's properties, then their supporters might also be prompted to destroy properties of key opposition leaders and their alleged funder, Uhuru Kenyatta. The Kenyatta family owns vast land in diverse parts of Kenya.  Just after the Northlands farm attack, the maasai community in N...

  Kenya is set to undergo a democratic process in which Kenyans will have a chance to vote in leaders of their choice. The country has experienced a vicious electioneering period, characterized with harsh exchanges, sometimes leading to physical confrontation among antagonizing camps. The heat of the election moment will be felt ahead of the announcement of a new president. Opposition leader Raila Amollo Odinga is expected to face a fierce contest with Deputy President William Samoei Ruto . The two top presidential contenders have not left anything to chance. Raila is making his fifth presidential stab, while Ruto will be on his first attempt. If history was to repeat itself, Raila Odinga has the highest chance of being elected to replace President Uhuru Kenyatta. Former President Mwai Kibaki and his successor Uhuru Kenyatta failed on their first attempts. Basing on the same precedence, it's expected that Ruto will not make it to presidency. However, this fact is hypothetical a...

  COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has disclosed a highly classified detail on how President Uhuru Kenyatta might have his way back to presidency after the exhaustion of his two-term tenure limit in August 2022. The firebrand COTU boss has been reported on numerous occasions stating that Uhuru is too young to retire. Atwoli was speaking in a presser ahead of Labor Day celebrations, where he stated that the president can still contest for presidency after 10 years from his retirement. “President Uhuru’s labor day speech may not be the last one because he is retiring as a young person, he may stay for 10 years then be back in leadership, and it has happened in many countries in the world, so we can’t rule out President Uhuru cannot come back,” Atwoli said on Saturday. President Uhuru Kenyatta will retire this year on August. His succession has sparked some bitter rivalry between opposition leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto, who are presumed to be top contende...

D eputy President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga stare at a possible predicament as they seek to expand their coalition lattices in order to accommodate new players. The entry of ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya colleague Moses Wetangula into Ruto’s camp has compounded things on the DP’s initial camp. Recently, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua spilled everything and told new entrants to forget about the running mate position. According to Gachagua, the Deputy President slot is a preserve of Mt Kenya. This argument is reinforced basing on the numerical strength of supporters being brought onboard.  Mt Kenya region is among the top vote-rich zone in Kenya. The region has produced three presidents of Kenya – Jomo Kenyatta (Kiambu), Mwai Kibaki (Nyeri) and Uhuru Kenyatta (Kiambu). Owing to their proximity to power, leaders from the region want to remain a heartbeat away from presidency after the retirement of President Uhuru Kenyatta.  Raila Odinga is mos...

P resident Uhuru Kenyatta met Mt Kenya regional leaders allied to Azimio La Umoja, amidst Kenyans outcry over increased food prices. Ruto and allies have attacked the government over augmented cost of living. The President has declared open support for opposition leader Raila Odinga to the chagrin of the Deputy President William Ruto . Uhuru made known his intentions at the Sagana 3 State Lodge meeting. Uhuru had in the past hinted his support to his erstwhile political nemesis, though, he hadn’t declared it publicly. Sagana 3 ended speculations of whether Uhuru would direct Mt Kenya region in a different direction or not. His declaration of Raila’s support come months after Mt Kenya Foundation under the auspices of business moguls declared their support for the ODM leader.  The President has been accusing his deputy over early campaigns, instead of working. Uhuru christened Ruto as ‘ tangatanga, due to his energy of traversing the country in his popularization campaigns.  “I...

As Uhuru’s term approaches a tumultuous end, he will walk out of office boasting of the efficacy of his Cabinet. Unlike his predecessor Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta came into office after the enactment of a new constitution. The current constitution prohibits public servants from politicking and cabinet secretaries have been categorized as such. Unlike the past where Ministers were sourced from Parliament, Uhuru picked his team from outside Parliament thus setting a new precedence. Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) majorly focus on discharging their ministerial duties, unlike their predecessors dubbed as Ministers who had to attend parliamentary sessions as MPs of their respective constituencies. Uhuru’s most amiable CS is Dr. Fred Matiang’i. The son of Abagusii has bestridden Kenya like a colossus owing to his acumen and ability to instill sense in his ministry. Matiang’i single-handedly thrashed exam cheating cartels while he was the Education CS. President Uhuru Kenyatta rewarded him with th...

Opposition Chief Raila Amollo Odinga will be making his fifth presidential attempt in 2022. The Mt Kenya Foundation comprising of wealthy business moguls drawn from Central Kenya have endorsed his candidature ahead of his official declaration on December 10 th 2021. The Friday event is a culmination of the ‘Azimio La Umoja’ rallies, where the ODM boss will be endorsed by his Party to contest for presidency. Raila has been engaging with Kenyans and various friendly political parties ahead of the Friday event. Parties Supporting Raila’s Presidential Bid  So far there are a number of political parties that support Raila Odinga’s presidential candidacy. Most of the Parties supporting the ODM leader were recently formed by key political players who want to be part of the presidential transition. The Parties include: Devolution Empowerment Party (Kiraitu Murungi), National Ordinary People Empowerment Party (Mpuru Aburi), Ubuntu Peoples Party (Lee Kinyanjui), Democratic Act...