Author: Erastus Maleve
Erastus Maleve
Erastus Maleve is a Daystar University graduate with a BA in Electronic Media. He began his career as a newsreader at Ghetto Radio 89.5 before serving as a producer and radio host at Radio Thome 88.1 FM in Kitui for four years. Erastus further honed his skills with an attachment at BBC East Africa Correspondence. He is the founder of Channel 15 News, where he leads news coverage, social media management, and digital marketing. Well-versed in event organizing, Erastus combines his media expertise with a keen understanding of social media dynamics to shape local and national narratives.
The political gridlock at the Kitui County Assembly took a new twist on Tuesday morning after the long-awaited Supplementary Budget II report for the 2024/2025 Financial Year was officially tabled—but conspicuously in the absence of embattled Speaker Kevin Kinengo. Pursuant to Section 131(1) of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012, as read together with Standing Order No. 186(3), Hon. Godfrey Muthengi Ndagara (Tharaka Ward), a member of the County Budget and Appropriations Committee, laid the report on the Table of the Assembly during a morning sitting. He also gave a formal Notice of Motion for its consideration. The session was…
The Kitui County Assembly is expected to receive the much-anticipated Supplementary Budget II report today, offering a glimmer of hope for the county’s stalled financial operations. This follows confirmation from the Assembly Majority Leader, Hon. Harrison Maluki, who told Channel 15 News that the Budget and Appropriations Committee worked throughout the weekend to finalize the report. Maluki, who is a Wiper Party MCA, made the remarks last night in response to a question by a local journalist during an exchange in a popular Kitui County WhatsApp news forum. “The Budget Committee has worked tirelessly over the weekend. The Supplementary Budget…
The Higher Education Department is on the spot for gobbling up taxpayer money through the extravagant procurement of high-end electronics at grossly inflated prices—more than 200% above market rates. According to a damning report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu, the department purchased MacBooks at an eye-watering Sh499,320 each, while iPads were acquired at an almost similar cost of Sh460,000 apiece during the 2023/24 financial year. Market rates for similar devices typically range between Sh150,000 and Sh200,000, depending on specifications. “The procurement prices were highly irregular and unjustifiable,” Gathungu’s report states. “The items were acquired at more than twice their current retail…
In a harrowing and deeply disturbing account, renowned Kenyan activist and photojournalist Boniface Mwangi has accused Tanzanian security forces of abducting, torturing, and sexually assaulting him during a visit to Dar es Salaam in May 2025. Mwangi, who had travelled to Tanzania in solidarity with opposition leader Tundu Lissu—then facing what he called trumped-up treason charges—says he was subjected to unspeakable violence at the hands of police and state security agents. His alleged crime: standing up for democracy. Adressing the members of thr press today in Nairobi, an emotionally disturbed Mwangi claims that he legally entered Tanzania as part of…
In a landmark moment for Kenya’s aviation and trade sectors, Gulf Air has made a triumphant return to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) today, reconnecting Nairobi with the Kingdom of Bahrain for the first time in over 13 years. The inaugural flight from Bahrain was met with a spectacular water cannon salute on the JKIA runway, symbolizing the rebirth of a once-crucial route between East Africa and the Gulf region. Passengers were welcomed by top industry leaders and government officials in a colorful ceremonial reception held at the airport. Among those in attendance were Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Chairman Hon.…
The quiet forests of Homa Bay came alive with diplomatic energy and the hum of bees on Sunday afternoon, as Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Livestock Development, Jonathan Mueke, led the visiting President of Slovenia, H.E. Dr. Nataša Pirc Musar, on a transformative tour of a community apiary tucked inside the Wire Forest. With smoke rising gently from the hives and golden honey glistening under the afternoon sun, Mueke declared that empowering locals through beekeeping in gazetted forests is not just good policy—it’s a powerful pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. “Using gazetted forests through Community Forest Associations to boost…
Tensions are running high in Kitui East after area MP Hon. Nimrod Mbai issued a fiery declaration during Madaraka Day celebrations in Voo-Kyamatu Ward, warning that no one will be allowed to criticize President William Ruto within the borders of his constituency. Mbai, speaking before a charged crowd, made it clear that Kitui East is off-limits to anti-government sentiments. He stated that they would not tolerate anyone insulting the President while in Kitui East — not during funerals, not at the market, not at any public gathering. The warning is being widely viewed as a veiled defense of an incident…
A fiery political showdown is unfolding in Embu after Governor Cecily Mbarire, who also serves as the UDA National Chairperson, publicly lashed out at unnamed senior figures within the Kenya Kwanza administration for allegedly plotting to unseat her through covert political maneuvers. While addressing Madaraka Day celebrations at Makarima Primary School in Embu, Mbarire launched into a scathing, impassioned speech that left no doubt she was under siege — not from the opposition, but from within the ruling coalition itself. In front of a stunned audience, she accused powerful Kenya Kwanza operatives of conducting secret night meetings in Embu with…
With each passing week, the political tide in Kitui County appears to be shifting dramatically in favor of one name: Dr. Irene Kasalu. The current Woman Representative and Wiper Party’s silent yet formidable gubernatorial hopeful for 2027 is receiving a wave of support that many seasoned politicians in the county can only dream of. While most of her competitors are grappling with lukewarm receptions and visibly strained grassroots structures, Dr. Kasalu is riding a tide of public goodwill and political maturity that’s difficult to ignore. A Turning Point at Kalonzo’s Home: The #MunaaFarmTseikuruDeclaration A recent pivotal moment came during the…
Tension gripped mourners in Kitui East on Saturday after a funeral ceremony turned chaotic when a group of angry youths attacked Wiper nominated MCA Jacinta Mwoni moments after she publicly endorsed Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka for the 2027 presidency. In a now-viral video circulating widely across social media platforms, four heavily built men are seen storming toward the MCA just as she was concluding her tribute. The situation escalates rapidly as the men forcefully snatch the microphone from her hands, shoving her in the process, sending shockwaves through the crowd. Witnesses say the chaos erupted immediately after Mwoni uttered…