Kenyan Newspapers Review For August 3: Safaricom To Pay Former Employee KSh 2.5m For Losing Her Voice

The dailies on Thursday, August 3, majorly covered on the country's political developments.

One of the newspapers highlighted the win of a former Safaricom employee who court awarded 2.5 million from the company.

1. Daily Nation

Daily Nation reports on a former employee of telecommunication giant Safaricom winning her legal suit against the company after her employment was terminated in 2012.

Eva Kathambi was onboarded into the company in 2008 but left four years later after she lost an important item of trade in her work; her voice.

Before joining the company, Kathambi had been medically examined, and it was established she was in good health.

Her run with the company had been good until 2011, when she was diagnosed with functional dysphonia - vocal cord paralysis.

Unable to serve in the call centre, Kathambi was moved to a different department before being handed a termination letter in 2012.

She sued the company in 2013; the case died after the file went missing.

The file was reconstructed in 2021, seeing both Kathambi and Safaricom facing off in the Employment and Labour Relations Court.

Justice James Rika established that the 42-year-old suffered pain and mental anguish following the termination of her employment.

The court therefore ordered that Kathambi be settled KSh 2.5 million for damages.

2. The Standard

The publication reported on the developments as regards the oncoming dialogue between the government and the Opposition.

Kenya Kwanza Alliance on Wednesday unveiled its five-member team for the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party talks.

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah will be the team leader.

The team will also comprise Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot and Governor Cecily Mbarire, who is also the UDA party national chairperson.

Others are East African Legislative Assembly Member (EALA) Hassan Omar and Bungoma woman representative Catherine Wambilianga.

In the statement, the government side insisted that there would be no discussion on a handshake with the Opposition coalition.

"As agreed, there shall be no discussion of whatever nature on matters handshake or nusu mkate," read the Kenya Kwanza statement.

The Kenya Kwanza reiterated that their team would only engage the Azimio counterparts on five issues.

Ruto's team was instructed only to discuss the reconstitution of IEBC, implementation of two-thirds gender rule, entrenchment of constituency development fund, establishment and entrenchment of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition and embedment of the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.

3. The Star

The Star reported on the Worldcoin matter, which has caused a frenzy in the country.

The government suspended all activities related to the organisation in the country after concerns over the unregulated mining of personal data from Kenyans.

Kenyans in their numbers had been trooping to some malls and Nairobi's KICC to scan their eyeballs for a free token of 25WLD coins, equivalent to KSh 7,000.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki said the entity's activities would remain banned until relevant authorities prove its authenticity to data privacy.

"Relevant security, financial services and data protection agencies have commenced inquiries and investigations to establish the authenticity and legality of the aforesaid activities, the safety and protection of the data being harvested, and how the harvesters intend to use the data.

"The government has suspended forthwith, activities of Worldcoin and any other entity that may be similarly engaging the people of Kenya until relevant public agencies certify the absence of any risks to the general public whatsoever," said Kindiki.

As of Tuesday, August 1, more than 350,000 Kenyans had scanned their eyeballs for the cryptocurrency-free coins.

4. Taifa Leo

The Swahili publication also spared space for the Worldcoin craze as government bureaucrats differed in their positions regarding the matter.

ICT and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo defended the operations of Worldcoin in the country.

He disclosed that the Kenya Kwanza administration is aware of OpenAI’s operations in the country and sought clearance in April before the Worldcoin registration process began.

“This is something that started way back in April. We have a fully-fledged Data Commissioner’s office charged with the regulation of data security and privacy. In April, the office of the Data Commissioner got wind of Worldcoin and wrote them a letter to clarify what they wanted to do,” Owalo said.

The ICT CS stated that despite the concerns over data security issues due to scanning people’s irises, Worldcoin is not breaching the Data Protection Act.

However, hours after Owalo's pronouncement, the Interior CS suspended the activities of Worldcoin and any other entity that may be engaging Kenyans.

He said the suspension would be in effect until the government certifies the absence of any risk to the public.

Kindiki's position was supported by Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, calling on Kenyans to aid the government. Kenyans share their sentiments

The lack of synergy among the Cabinet members has exposed President William Ruto's administration with Kenya.

5. People Daily

People Daily reported on Ruto suffering a setback after a Nairobi court stopped the implementation of his order to lift the ban on logging.

The Environment and Lands Court also barred the State from granting permits to cut trees.

“Orders are granted staying the government directive on the revocation of the Gazette Notices previously issued for de-gazettement of Forest areas/designating areas as Forests and the and re-introduction of the Shamba System," read the order partly.

Justice Oscar Angote also barred the State from granting such licences and permits to fell trees.

The court further directed that the Application and Orders granted be served upon the parties for a hearing on August 14, 2023.

In the case, the Law Society of Kenya moved to court to challenge the decision by the president to lift the said ban on logging of forests.

They argue that directives issued have neither provided the scientific reasons, research, policy directives, or specific environmental assessment impact, nor public participation done in the areas likely to be affected by the removal of the ban on logging activities by the State.

“The government has indicated its push and commitment targeting to plant 15 billion trees over the next seven years to restore 10.6 million hectares (26.2 million acres) of degraded land and enlarge forest cover to 30%. This is after the region was hit by its worst drought in four decades last year. Previously, the head of state has been involved in tree planting campaigns, that now seem mere political rhetoric as with the recent pronouncements on the logging,” the order read on.