Phode News Hub

 President Willam Samoei Ruto, the  Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, has made several promotions in the Defence Forces. The president, upon recommendation of the Defence Council, promoted Major General David Kipkemboi Ketter to Lieutenant General and appointed him as the Commander of the Kenya Army.  Keter replaced Lieutenant General David Kimaiyo Chemwaina Tarus who has been redeployed as the Vice Chancellor of the National Defence University of Kenya (NDU -K).  Prior to Ketter's appointment as the Kenya Army Commander, he was the Assistant Chief of Defence Forces in charge of Personnel and Logistics. Additionally, President Ruto appointed Major General Benard Waliaula as the Commander of Kenya Air Force.  Major General Benard Waliaula has filled the gap left by Major General Fatuma Gaiti Ahmed whose term of service has expired after 42 years of service.  Prior to Waliaula's appointment as Commander Kenya Air Force, he was the Director of De...

  President William Ruto led Kenyans in the celebration of the 62nd Madaraka Day at Raila Odinga stadium in Homa Bay County on Sunday. Homa Bay County governor Gladys Wanga used the occasion to heap praises on Ruto's broad-based government and the numerous economic development that her region had benefited as a result of their cooperation. Wanga applauded the president for initiating a dual-carriage road network in Homa Bay town and the establishment of national government funded modern fish market in the region. The Madaraka Day event that was feted in Raila Odinga’s stronghold was themed: Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs. What Raila Odinga said The protocol was altered when Deputy President Prof Kithure Kindiki invited former Prime Minister and the doyen of opposition politics, Raila Odinga to speak. Raila asserted that the holding of the event in Homa Bay county was a clear testimony that 'coalition works’. The former premier rose to the occasion and urged President Ruto to...

President William Ruto has finally urged the Gen Zs to forgive him.  Ruto was forced to seek forgiveness after being requested by Rickey Bolden, an American preacher who had been invited at the 2025 annual National Prayer Breakfast. “To our children, if there’s any misstep, we apologise,” President Ruto apologised to Gen Zs after a request from Pastor Bolden. Former NFL player-turned-pastor Rickey Bolden gave his keynote address on Wednesday during the National Prayer Breakfast at Safari Park hotel in Nairobi. Rickey Bolden prayed that Kenya leaders would apologise to the Gen Z for the massive arrests and closing down the internet. In June 2024, the government of Kenya had deployed the police to stem down the Gen Z protests that was held in various towns, including the Capital City of Nairobi. The young generation, christened as Gen Zs, were protesting against punitive tax measures that had been introduced in the 2024/2025 Finance Bill. Bolden urged the government of Kenya to re...

  The reason why the Public Seal was allegedly transferred from the Attorney General office to the Chief of Staff in the office of the President of Kenya is yet to be known with quite a number of contradictory remarks. Phode News Hub delved deeper and unearthed imponderable dirty corrupt schemes and conspiracy to privatize State parastatals through illegitimate means.  Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru alleged that the Public Seal is in the custody of the Head of Public Service, Felix Kipatarus Koskei. All commercial engagements and accords will allegedly be sealed by Koskei on behalf of Kenya government. Kenya is glaring at the risks of  being auctioned by a person who lacks the legal knowledge to discern what should be sealed and what should not. According to the Attorney General Act 2012, Section 28 specifically provides that, “The Attorney-General shall have custody of the public seal of the Republic of Kenya." Standard Media exclusively reported that President William Ruto sec...

  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...

 When Kenya president William Ruto was almost overwhelmed with gen z revolt, his landmark decision was to dismiss the entire cabinet. This occurred immediately after his refusal to sign the Finance Bill 2024/2025. Ruto endeavored to reconstitute a new cabinet, dubbed broad-based executive. He incorporated key opposition figures drawn from the ODM Party - a move that appeased the doyen of opposition Raila Amollo Odinga. Cabinet Secretaries drawn from ODM included: Hassan Ali Joho, Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya, John Mbadi Ng'onga and James Opiyo Wandayi. ODM is as good as dead, and Raila's age factor limits him from flying the Party's presidential flag again and has opted out by contesting as Africa Union Commission (AUC) chairman. President Ruto will heavily rely on two members of his cabinet in his reelection bid. Both Musalia Mudavadi and Hassan Ali Joho are billionaires going by their own assertion while appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments. President...

 Like the proverbial cat, Raila Amollo Odinga has nine political lives. Despite losing 5 presidential elections, he has always manoeuvred his way to government. It beats common logic how the ODM leader managed to sneak 4 allies to holding key cabinet positions in Ruto's government. The nomination of Ali Hassan Joho, Wycliffe Oparanya, John Mbadi and Opiyo Wandayi as Cabinet Secretaries got Kenyans unaware and left mixed reactions among citizens. The mystery that merged the two political giants occurred amidst widespread protests drawn from Generation Z popularly dubbed as Gen Z. Gen Z, comprising a group of youths born in the late 90s and early 2000s, who were dissatisfied with punitive tax measures imposed on Kenyans by Kenya Kwanza government storm the streets demanding change. The protests that culminated into a section of Gen Z youths storming the precincts of parliament led to the withdrawal of the 2024 Finance Bill and dissolution of the Cabinet by President William Ruto. Owi...

 President William Samoei Ruto swapped Defence Cabinet Secretary nominee Aden Duale with Soipan Tuya from the ministry of Environment. The president's decision was publicized in his communication to the National Assembly speaker Moses Wetang'ula. When the Speaker read the president's message to the House, there was uproar in the National Assembly as members demanded to know why there were contradictions in the message with the one that was read by the president about the 11 cabinet nominees. Minority Chief Whip Junet Mohammed was the first one to query the list that was read by Wetangula as he sought clarification. Duale was removed from the powerful docket owing to allegations of haswap influenced the recruitment to the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), of many Kenyans from his Somali tribe, which made him brush shoulders with top military Generals. In recent times before the Gen Zs national protest, Duale, a key Ruto ally, is also believed to have denied Deputy President Rigath...

  Raila Odinga's quest to liberate Kenyans from authoritarianism remain unstoppable. History of the Saba Saba event in Kenya The original Saba Saba rally was organized by Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia and Raila Odinga. However, the three didn't make it to the Kamukunji venue. The first Saba Saba rally in Kenya took place on 07/07/1990. The aim of the event was to bludgeon the then president Daniel Arap Moi to repeal section 2(A) of the Constitution in paving way for multiparty democracy. Political players Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia, Raila Odinga, lawyers John Khaminwa and Gitobu Imanyara were arrested by the police. Kiraitu Murungi who was on a trip to Ethiopia, chose to cut-off his journey back to Kenya and fled to the United Kingdom. Lawyer Mohammed Ibrahim, currently a judge of the Supreme Court, was arrested by the Special Branch officers after they failed to find the then Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Paul Muite at his office. Senior Counsel Gibson K...

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...

  ODM leader Raila Odinga has intensified his call for the reopening of IEBC servers for public scrutiny to identify who really won the 2022 Kenya Presidential election. Raila has called for mass protest over increased cost of living, while advancing his own political agenda. The increased cost of living has given Raila impetus in his renewed assault against the government which, in his own view, lost in 2022 elections. Will Raila manage to oust Ruto? President William Ruto is yet to unleash any physical confrontation of State machinery against his political nemesis, despite heightened pressure to lessen the tax burden from the previous pupulace. Kenya's appetite for foreign debt is still high. The government totally erred when it attributed that the current inflationary rate is occasioned to the fluctuating global oil prices. Russian incursion on Ukraine had also pinned as a contributing factor to increased prices of essential commodities. The scion of Jaramogi underpins the re...

  Many Kenyans wonder why President William Ruto hasn't sent security forces to thwart Raila's rallies. ODM leader Raila Odinga is arguably Kenya's last strong man that's still standing and daring the Kenyan bulls by their horns. Political underdogs in both camps have made a name by either praising or ridiculing him, depending on which region you are based. Raila has dared four Kenya's presidents in a row. History have it that he almost dethroned Daniel Arap Moi through military in 1982. Former President Uhuru Kenyatta succumbed to the 'handshake deal' to lessen Raila's impact on economic sabotage, that would have cost the country's GDP. The doyen of opposition politics has a massive following and is most feared by Kenya government.  Deployment of security forces to preclude his political operations might amount to human rights violations such as extrajudicial killings. President Ruto fears going the Hague route again, as most of Raila's supporte...