On Thursday, January 8, newspapers turned their attention to the intensifying political chessboard, detailing shifting alliances and planned moves as leaders put themselves in place early, with the 2027 General Election looming.
Source: UGC
1. The Star
According to the newspaper, one family there Nanyuki lives in agony after their relative, an experienced mountain guide, disappeared while leading a climbing expedition on Mount Kenya, sparking fresh concerns about safety at the country’s highest peak.
Samuel Macharia, aged 35, disappeared on December 23 during a guided hike through the Sirimon pass. He was part of a team of five guides escorting two Japanese tourists to Shipton Camp.
According to his elder brother, Daniel Kagwaini, the group left Nanyuki early in the morning and arrived at the camp at about 8pm after a difficult seven-hour journey, only to find that Macharia had not arrived.
Kagwaini, himself an experienced guide, said Macharia had been tasked with carrying food and showed no signs of fatigue, illness, or stress during the hike.
What followed was a desperate and frequent search along the trail, but no sign of it was found.
The mystery deepened when personal belongings believed to belong to Macharia, including his national identity card, mobile phone, and the food he was carrying, were discovered neatly placed along the footpath.
The disappearance was reported in Chogoria and Timau police stations, with hope and fear hitting the family in equal measure.
On January 5, relatives gathered quietly at the Old Moses Camp, looking at the vast mountain landscape, holding out the possibility of a miracle or at least an answer.
Macharia’s aunt, Lucy Kagwaini, made an emotional appeal for the government to intervene, saying the family had exhausted all avenues.
They believe he may have wandered into the woods after developing a brain tumor, a condition known to cause confusion and nightmares.
2. Daily Nation
The daily reports that the Ministry of Education has confirmed that the 2025 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) results will be released on Thursday next week, ending weeks of worry for candidates, parents, and schools across the country.
A total of 929,262 candidates who took the national exam will finally know their fate after the exams are completed on November 14, 2025.
The announcement comes amid growing public concern about what some parents described as unusual delays.
However, Education Minister Julius Ogamba dismissed the fear, insisting that the release schedule for students remains in line with the current tradition of January.
In a major policy change, form four graduates will collect their KCSE certificates from sub-county education offices instead of their old schools.
The move aims to end the long-standing practice of schools withholding certificates due to unpaid fees, a challenge that has locked out thousands of students in past years.
The 2025 KCSE exams ran from October 21 to November 14, with the authorities reporting 418 cases of examination rule violations.
The examination revision process faced a brief setback after about 800 candidates at Maryhill Girls’ High School in Thika to strike, citing poor working conditions and weak communication from the Ministry.
The National Examinations Council of Kenya later said the dispute had been resolved, all candidates had been paid, and the corrections continued as planned, clearing the way for the release of the long-awaited results.
3. The Standard
According to the newspaper, the police in Mbita, Homa Bay county, have launched an investigation into the night raid that led to the theft of computers from two important government offices inside the Mbita Police Station.
The incident happened on Monday night when unknown persons entered the office of the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The attackers forced open the doors and made off with two computer monitors and one processing unit, raising serious questions about security at the facility.
The theft was discovered after the officer DCI to report the raid, shortly before the ODPP officer made such a complaint. Mbita Sub-County Police Commander Nathan Sanya confirmed the incident, saying detectives were investigating whether the robbery could have been an inside job.
Sanya assured the public that preliminary checks showed that no sensitive data was compromised.
He explained that the equipment stolen from ODPP was recently delivered and had not been installed or used, meaning no important information or documents were lost.
Despite the assurances, the incident has drawn criticism from civil society. Human rights defender Michael Kojo of the Asego Public Litigation Forum said the theft undermined public confidence in police officers tasked with protecting government buildings.
He wanted a thorough investigation to be done on the officers who were on duty at that time.
Kojo also urged the Ministry of Interior to strengthen security in police stations by installing CCTV cameras, saying that such measures would prevent theft and improve accountability.
4. Nation Today
According to the Kiswahili newspaper, new questions have arisen about the use of the White House after it was allowed to spend an additional KSh4 billion in the financial year 2025/26 without prior approval from the National Assembly, despite a strong warning from the Comptroller of the Budget (CoB), Dr. Margaret Nyakang’o.
The additional spending was authorized under Article 223 of the Constitution, a provision intended for emergencies or unavoidable needs such as drought, floods or health crises.
However, financial experts and parliamentary analysts say that the White House’s request did not meet this threshold and could wait for the next budget cycle.
Documents tabled in Parliament show State House first requested KSh2 billion on September 8, 2025, just three months into the financial year, to fund “other expenditure” described as non-emergency.
Cabinet Minister of the Treasury John Mbadi he defended the move, saying the National Treasury acted within the Constitution and later sought the approval of the Parliamentarians after the funds had already been spent.
The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) has warned that the move indicates weak fiscal discipline and risks destroying confidence in the national budget process.
The palace had been allocated KSh8.58 billion for the financial year 2025/26, from KSh12.07 billion in 2024/25.
However Dr. Nyakang’o warned that the high budget utilization of 55% in the first quarter increases the risk of running out of funds before the end of the year.
He warned that such spending patterns could affect the credibility of the budget and force more unplanned withdrawals, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in the management of public finances.
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