Latest Updates: Busia

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Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Ex-MP Otuoma beats Florence Mutua for Busia ODM governor ticket

Eric April 12, 2022 0

Former Funyula MP Paul Otuoma has won the Busia ODM gubernatorial ticket in a tightly contested nominations held on Monday.

Mr Otuoma was declared the winner after he garnered 49,330 votes by national election board County returning officer Charles Tipps.

Busia woman representative Florence Mutua who also was eyeing the ticket got 30,696 votes from all the 160 polling stations.

At the same time,Catherine Omanyo has been duly nominated as ODM candidate for the County woman representative seat after garnering 29,273 votes.

Mrs Omanyo floored Beatrice Naburi Nakholi who got 17, 642 while Mrs Pamela Riziki Ojiambo came third with16, 219 votes.

Speaking shortly after been declared the winner, Mr Otuoma promised to work closely with other party members to strengthen the party in the county.

“Let us work together for the betterment of Busia County. We have been nominated to carry the ODM ticket to face other aspirants in the August polls, let us prove that we are indeed the best for the County,” he stated.

Detectives arrest 2 people in Butula over the murder of their elder brother

Counties

Eric September 24, 2021 0

Two people who allegedly killed their elder brother in Elukhongo area, Butula have been arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

On Friday, the DCI released a statement indicating that the suspects, 19-year-old Bonventure Ouma and 29-year-old Pascaliano Odhiambo assaulted their brother after they found him assaulting their mother.

“The deceased had returned home at 8pm in a drunken stupor and demanded food from their mother. When she responded that food was not ready, the 32-year-old son descended on her with blows and kicks leaving her wailing in despair, for dear life."the statement read

"Her two other sons Pascaliano Odhiambo, 29 and Bonventure Ouma, 19, immediately responded to their mother’s screams only to find Juma assaulting her. They gave him a dog’s beating before they retired to bed,” it read further.

According to the DCI, the mother went to his house early morning she was shocked to find the victim lying dead on the doorstep of his house with deep cut inflicted on his head, slightly above the ear.

The DCI stated that when the victim’s mother went to the deceased's house early morning she was shocked to find the him lying dead on doorstep with a deep cut inflicted on his head, slightly above the ear.

“She immediately alerted the local authorities who called in detectives based at Butula. A machete, jembe and a rungu believed to be the murder weapons were found at the scene of the murder, documented and collected by the Busia based crime scene personnel,” the DCI stated.

The two suspects are held at the Bumala Police Station as they wait to be arraigned in court.

Busia, West Pokot assemblies approve BBI Bill

Counties

Eric February 16, 2021 0

Busia and West Pokot County assembly are the latest assemblies to adopt the Building Bridges Initiative Bill.

In Busia, a majority of the MCAs voted for the bill which was opposed by one MCA.

On the other, West Pokot MCAs unanimously approved the bill citing increased allocation, equalisation fund and Ward development fund as some of the issues that made them adapt the bill.

The bill was tabled at the house on Tuesday by the Leader Majority Thomas Ngolesia and it was seconded by Leader of Minority Peter Lokor.

West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo and Pokot South MP David Pkosing were in attendance during the passing of the bill.

West Pokot becomes the first county assembly in Rift Valley to pass the constitutional amendment bill.

So far 5 county assemblies have adapted the bill which requires at least the support of 24 counties before it proceeds to the National Assembly .

High Court rules in favor of Coca-Cola over a case on bad soda claims

Counties

Eric January 28, 2021 0

Coca-Cola Company has won a lawsuit case in which 60 residents had sued them demanding compensation for allegedly taking bad soda.

The High Court in Busia dismissed the case with Justice Kiarie Waweru ruling that the complainants lacked proof of the claims.

According to Justice Waweru, there was no proof of contamination as none of the bottles of soda the complainants claimed had foreign matter was presented to an independent body for analysis.

The judgment read in part, “The plaintiffs, in this case, did not ensure that the evidence, the bottles and the contents were secured and the same submitted for analysis. They also did not prove that there was contamination.”

Richard Bwire, Zablon Barasa and Stephen Serulo were the plaintiffs who also represented 57 others that they drank the soft drink with between 2011 and 2014.

They sued Coca-Cola Company as first defendant, Coca-Cola Central, East and West Africa Limited as second defendant and Equator Bottlers as the third defendant.

The plaintiffs had demanded a compensation of Sh750,000 for each in general damages for allegedly suffering abdominal pains, vomiting, general body malaise and passage of loose stool.

“It is evidently clear that none of the plaintiffs has proved his or her claim on a balance of probabilities. The role of the first and second defendants is clear, it is facilitation of the third defendant’s production of the beverages. Having said so, each claim by each plaintiff is dismissed with costs,” the judge declared In a 10-page ruling.

15 officers to face charges over assault during curfew enforcement

Counties

Eric January 21, 2021 0

As per the directive of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), 15 police officers and six Busia county enforcement officers are to face charges over assault during Covid-19 curfew operations.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) investigated an incident that happened in Nambale town on March 30, 2020 and the findings instigated the directive.

According to IPOA Chairperson Anne Makori, the authority learned of the incident in which police allegedly lobbed teargas canisters into a private home and seriously assaulted the owner - Benard Orenga - his wife, children and neighbours afterwards.

She stated, “IPOA immediately launched investigations into the matter. On finalising of the investigations and upon independent review and concurrence with Ipoa’s recommendations, the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that 15 Police Officers and six County enforcement officers attached to Nambale sub- county who were assigned police duties be charged in court."

Their charges will include assault causing actual bodily harm, malicious damage to property and attempting to injure by an explosive substance.

The Ward Commander who led the operation will face an additional charge of negligence in the discharge of official duty.

The officers are to take plea on February 1 in Bungoma.

IPOA continues to investigate similar incidents to hold officers accountable.

Ivory seller arrested by detectives disguised as customers in Busia

Counties

Eric December 19, 2020 0

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives arrested an ivory seller in Busia.

The officers acted alongside their colleagues from the Kenya Wildlife Service.

According to the County Police Commander John Nyoike, the detectives based in Busia were tipped off about the ivory seller's business.

Nyoike said the officers then moved to Airstrip area where the ivory was kept inside a house to meet Michael Ochokol, the owner, thereby gaining access to the items.

“He was selling the ivory and our officers went disguised as customers and he was arrested. It is not that he was moving them," the County Police Commander stated.

There were six pieces of ivory with each weighing 7.2kg. The value of the ivory remains unknown.

Nyoike said the suspect, Ochokol, was arrested on Friday at 3pm and he is to appear in court on Monday.

Currently, he is being detained at the Busia police station.

On Saturday Nyoike affirmed that police will remain vigilant at the border now that Christmas holidays are approaching.

Househelp arrested while attempting to flee with employer’s children in Busia

Counties

Eric December 06, 2020 0

Two minors, who were abducted yesterday in Buruburu Nairobi, have been rescued and a househelp arrested.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI),the coordinated efforts between Buruburu’s detectives and their counterparts at Busia border led to the interception of the suspect with the minors aged eight and four years in a bus which was headed to Kampala, Uganda.

The children had been left under the care of the 32-year-old house girl identified as Scovia Namataka.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the offence was committed while the children’s parents had travelled to Meru to attend a kin’s burial, ” the DCI said.

“The suspect is in lawful custody awaiting arraignment.”

Drama as 'dead' man shows up in Busia

Counties

Eric November 15, 2020 0

Steven Ogolla who was believed to have been buried four months ago narrates his ordeal on learning his family "buried" him.

Steven Ouma fled when he saw his brother Steven Ogolla, who just four months ago the family had conducted his burial. Ogolla who had been away from home for about four months was looking forward to be with his family. But his brother Ouma was convinced that he had seen a ghost: his elder brother Ogolla was dead and buried.

“I couldn’t tell how a brother, whose body we had identified and buried could be alive,” says Ouma.

Ogolla, 40, stood helplessly. He had no idea what was going on. He wondered why the people he knew very well were treating him with a lot of suspicion and were unwilling to come close to him. To Ogolla, it seemed like a script straight out of a movie, and the plot thickened after some bodaboda operators carried him and handed him to police officers at Matayos Police Post.

Police chase in Busia goes wrong as one losses life

Counties

Eric November 14, 2020 0

One person was killed in a police chase that went wrong in Busia County.

According to reports, a police car chasing a vehicle ferrying contraband goods along the Busia Nambale Road hit a boda boda rider who died on the spot.

Locals began protests against the action by the police. They lit bonfires and barricaded the road causing traffic.

However, police lobbed teargas to disperse the protestors, and pursue those on the run.

Residents told a local media outlet that the boda boda rider was by the roadside when police shot him.

One resident recounted, "The police vehicle was speeding and knocked the rider who was innocently on the road."

The rider's body was taken to Busia County Referral Hospital Mortuary after hours of controntation between the police and protestors regarding the collection of the body.

Another similar incident occurred in August 2020 when one person was killed during a chase between a police car and a matatu.

The matatu hit two pedestrians who were waiting to cross the road as it sped-off evading police arrest. One pedestrian died and the other was injured.

According to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), the increasing cases of road fatalities and boda boda operators accidents are quite alarming.

52 students and 6 teachers test positive for COVID-19

Counties

Eric November 03, 2020 0

Fifty-two students from Kolanya Boys High School in Teso North Sub-County in Busia County have tested positive for COVID-19, Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong confirmed.

Six teachers and two members of the subordinate staff at the institution have also tested positive for virus.

The 60 cases emanated from 100 samples collected at the institution last week.

The patients have been placed under mandatory quarantine at the school, with health officers from the Busia County Hospital deployed to attend to them.