Newspapers on Saturday, December 20, discussed various topics, with political and educational news gaining prominence in the pages.
Source: UGC
1. Saturday Nation
The newspaper reported on the anxiety and confusion experienced by more than 1.13 million students who took the Grade 9, Kenya Secondary Education Assessment (KJSEA) examination, and their parents over the Grade 10 placement results.
Parents and students were waiting for many hours since Friday morning for the Ministry of Education to announce the results of the secondary schools they will join.
The day that was expected to mark an important step in continuing their education turned into a day of fear, with the message failing to deliver results and increasing costs for families across the country.
On Wednesday, December 17, the Secretary General of Basic Education, Julius Bitok, announced that the results would be released on Friday and even provided an SMS number that candidates could use to check the schools of their choice.
However, the SMS number, 22263, turned out to be a nightmare as Bitok insisted that the situation was calm and students and teachers would get answers to their messages.
“Dear student, Class 10 school selection results are still in progress. You will be notified when it is complete. Thank you,” the messages read.
Each message cost the parents KSh 30, and some said they sent several messages until they gave up.
“I sent three messages, and each message cost me KSh 30. It is expensive; I gave up,” said one parent angrily.
Principals and vice-principals who arrived at the school to help worried parents expressed their frustration.
“Imagine if more than one million parents had sent that message. How much money did the Internet make? That’s about KSh 33 million, and there’s nothing to show for it,” said one teacher.
However, while presiding over the 58th convocation of Kenyatta University, Education Minister Julius Ogamba announced that students would receive their school work by noon on Friday.
2. The Standard
The newspaper reserved the opportunity to be imprisoned for the candidate who confessed to the crime of killing a 3-year-old child in the church.
Court of Nakuru sentenced Lizzy Njeri to 20 years in prison.
The court said unequivocally that the accused was not capable of committing such crimes again.
The judge described the 18-year-old fourth-grader as a danger to society and gave him the long sentence as a lesson to others, despite his young age.
The judge said the sentence was correct because the court did not believe that the defendant was unconscious when he carried out the brutal murder in broad daylight and again outside the church yard.
“The defendant committed a cruel act against the deceased that requires punishment to prevent him from repeating it. Trying to balance the interests of justice, I sentence him to twenty years in prison,” the judge said in a decision issued on Thursday, December 18.
3. Nation Today
The newspaper reported on a heated war of words between the Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and President William Ruto.
Kalonzo shrugged off Ruto’s harsh criticism, accusing the president of deliberately misrepresenting his public service record as the political race to the 2027 general election heats up.
For several weeks now, Ruto has been using public meetings and political platforms to question Kalonzo’s contribution to development, repeatedly asking him to show his development record of what he claims are more than 40 years in government.
The attacks were aimed at portraying the former vice president as a politician who, according to Ruto, has not directly benefited ordinary Kenyans despite serving in government for many years.
However, in a strong response, the leader of the Wiper Patriotic Front denied the claims, saying the president’s statements are an attempt to distort the history of Kenya’s development and have started early politics against the opposition leader.
“This is not a fair discussion about development. These are political attacks born of a sense of failure,” said Wiper’s secretary general, Senator Shakila Abdalla, in a statement.
The party noted that Musyoka’s record cannot be ignored on stage, insisting that his contribution to the government should be seen in terms of collective leadership and long-term planning.
Wiper referred to Kalonzo’s position during the administration of the late president Mwai Kibaki when he was vice president and previously as a cabinet minister.
“Kalonzo Musyoka was a key figure in the creation of Vision 2030, where this nation mapped out the most ambitious development it has ever seen. Roads, institutions and reforms were planned and funded then, they did not emerge yesterday because of the campaign,” Wiper added.
The party strongly rejected the president’s claims that Kalonzo served in government for many periods without bringing any progress, saying those arguments ignore how big projects are planned, financed and implemented for many years by different administrations.
Wiper also accused the president of taking credit for projects started before his administration, especially in the South-East region of the country.
The party cited the Kibwezi-Mutomo-Kitui-Bondoni road, saying it was started and upgraded when Kalonzo was in government, but construction stalled due to subsequent political decisions.
“It is wrong for the president to go to certain areas today and claim that he is bringing development when the projects were launched in 2013 and they failed. Kenyans are not stupid. They remember who started these projects,” Wiper said.
Beyond infrastructure, the Wiper party expanded the discussion to issues of governance and integrity.
It compared Kalonzo’s time in government with Ruto’s time as deputy president and president.
“When did Kalonzo Musyoka leave the government without corruption scandals, without untold wealth and without the moral burdens that burden the current government?” it asked.
4. Weekend Star
The newspaper reported on the call for unity in ODM, with party leader Oburu Oginga asking members who oppose the party to consider returning.
Senator Oburu emphasized his determination to lead the party forward, noting that he has faithfully carried the mantle of leadership entrusted to him following the death of his brother Raila Odinga.
Speaking at the funeral of journalist Festus Amimo, he said the responsibility given to him by the people did not weaken his determination but strengthened his commitment to keep the party united and focus on its future.
“When Raila died, our people left me with the mantle of being the leader of the ODM party. That role has not defeated me. I hold that mantle firmly,” he announced.
He stressed that his success as a leader depends on the collective support of party members, urging them to remain united and work together.
According to him, ODM continues to serve as a political vehicle through which its supporters will achieve their aspirations.
“ODM is our ship. It is the vessel we will use to cross to Canaan. But I can only move forward if you give me your hands and your support,” he said.
Oburu also reached out to members who had previously broken ranks with the party, inviting them to return and help strengthen ODM.
“For those who rebelled, even if you were angry or left, I ask you to come back. Let’s sit together, speak with one voice and move forward as a united force,” he called.
He defended ODM’s participation in the wider government, saying the party must participate in shaping the next administration to get better results for its supporters.
“In the next government, we must be part of the formation of the government so that we can negotiate more for our people,” he explained.
Oburu also emphasized that ODM is not restricted by any community but is a national party that draws strength from all over the country.
“ODM is not ours alone. It is a party of all people, from every community. Let’s join hands, stay together, be stronger and move forward as one with other communities,” he said.
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