Summary Of The Daily Nation Newspaper
Page 1: Reports indicate a significant discrepancy in student numbers, with 122,878 Grade 6 students from 2022 not appearing for the 2023 Grade 9 assessment. A further and more drastic variance of 217,953 students is noted between the 2021 KCPE cohort and the 2023 KCSE exam takers. This has prompted serious questions from parent associations demanding an explanation for these missing students.
Page 2: Reports show that 122,908 students who took the Grade 6 exam in 2022 will not be present for the upcoming Grade 9 assessment, challenging the government’s 100% transition policy. Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Ombago attributed the variance to factors including natural attrition, students transferring to vocational schools, and temporary absences due to pregnancy or illness. However, parents and teachers’ unions are calling for a formal investigation to determine the exact whereabouts of these missing learners.
Page 3: Reports indicate that learning was paralyzed at the University of Nairobi as students protested over missing exam marks and delayed results, which has stalled their academic progression. The demonstrations, which involved running battles with police and caused major traffic disruptions, were led by student leaders demanding a clear roadmap for their studies. The issue is widespread, affecting more than half of the university’s faculties, with Health Sciences, Law, Business Management, and Built Environment & Design being the hardest hit.
Page 4: Reports detail widespread chaos stemming from the rushed rollout of the new Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) system, which has left companies unable to register and supply goods to the government. This failure has caused a critical disruption, preventing counties and public agencies from purchasing essential items like medical supplies and carrying out development projects since July. While the government promotes the system as a tool for enhancing transparency and efficiency, suppliers and officials are struggling with technical glitches and a lack of support, leaving them unable to conduct business.
Page 6: Reports indicate that Kenya’s political landscape is undergoing a digital transformation as the 2027 elections approach, with politicians increasingly using artificial intelligence to engage the influential Gen Z voting bloc. This demographic, which played a key role in the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests, is being targeted through AI-driven tools like chatbots, memes, and live sessions that make political content more accessible and relatable. Politicians are employing these technologies to micro-target young, digitally-savvy voters who spend most of their time online, in an effort to shape the political narrative and drive voter registration.
Page 7: Reports from the Auditor-General reveal that a majority of Kenya’s 91 registered political parties are non-compliant with the law, as they lack the required physical offices in at least half of the counties. This failure to meet the legal stipulations from the Political Parties Act of 2011 puts them at risk of being locked out of upcoming by-elections and disqualifies them from receiving government funding. The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties is responding by conducting audit clinics and training to help parties build capacity and address these compliance issues.
Page 8: Reports confirm that the Labour Relations Court has upheld the Salaries and Remuneration Commission’s (SRC) decision to scrap retreat, task force, and sitting allowances for Members of County Assemblies (MCAs). The court ruled that these additional perks amounted to double compensation, as the MCAs’ regular monthly remuneration already covers their responsibilities for attending plenary sessions. The judgment found the SRC’s 2023 decision to be constitutionally sound and based on valid reasons for reducing the public wage bill.
Page 10: Reports indicate that while direct intervention from national leaders has granted Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja a temporary reprieve from impeachment pressure, MCAs warn he is not yet out of political danger. Legislators are calling on the governor to foster a more harmonious working relationship by addressing their key demands, including the timely disbursement of bursaries and ward development funds. Although his administration has touted record disbursements compared to previous governors, MCAs maintain that the significant grounds for impeachment have not been fully dismissed.
Page 12: Reports state that the Kenyan government has denied the presence of foreign military forces in Mandera, despite local pressure to evict alleged Jubbaland troops from Somalia. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindike insisted Kenya is only hosting Somali refugees on humanitarian grounds and that its policy does not allow foreign combatants to operate from its territory. While admitting that clashes from the Somali border town of Bula-Hawa often spill over, the government maintains it is difficult to verify the identity of those crossing and is addressing residents’ security concerns.
Page 14: Reports highlight the retirement of Hesbon Imbwaka, a 60-year-old gardener who tended to the German ambassador’s premises in Nairobi for 34 years. As he returns to his rural home in Kakamega, he plans to start a poultry project with five chickens gifted by the ambassador, a gesture that sparked mixed reactions but which he values positively. His retirement marks the end of a long career during which he appreciated the embassy’s support, including medical cover and the opportunity to nurture plants.
Page 19: Reports indicate that the Isiolo County Assembly is in a state of dysfunction, operating with two parallel Speakers and clerks, each claiming legitimacy and holding separate sittings in different towns. This political standoff, which began with an attempt to impeach Governor Abdi Guyo, has resulted in chaos, including vandalism of the official chambers and a stalled budget process for 2025. The conflict has been exacerbated by controversial gazettement notices and a disputed relocation of the assembly, pushing the county government to the brink of collapse.
Page 24: Reports indicate that the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) may soon be able to develop forests on private and community land if Parliament approves proposed amendments to the Forest Conservation and Management Act of 2016. The amendments aim to expand KFS’s functions to include providing technical assistance to county governments and individual landowners for agro-forestry and commercial forestry projects. This initiative is intended to create an additional revenue stream for the agency and support national efforts to increase forest cover in response to climate change threats.
Page 30: Reports state that Kenya Police Bullets head coach Beldine Odemba has expressed confidence as her team begins its campaign in the 2025 CAF Women’s Champions League Cecafa qualifiers in Nairobi. The FKF-WPL champions will open their Group A matches against Uganda’s Kampala Queens, with defending champions Commercial Bank of Ethiopia also featuring in the same group. Despite finishing as runners-up in last year’s debut tournament, Odemba emphasized her team’s focus on winning the trophy and not underestimating any opponents.
Page 32: Reports indicate that Kenya has begun its bid to reclaim the men’s 10,000m gold medal at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, a title it last won 24 years ago. The country will be represented by a strong team selected during trials, including US-based NCAA champion Edwin Kurgat and World Cross Country bronze medalist Benson Kiplangat. The team, which also features World Under-20 Cross-country champion Ishmael Kipkurui, aims to end Kenya’s long drought in the 25-lap event at the championships scheduled for September 13-21.