Kenyan Newspapers Review, May 23: Shock As Woman Drops Child's Body At Ex-hubby's Siaya Home

On Thursday, May 23, the local newspapers still maintained focus on President William Ruto's state visit to the United States, but spared pages for the politics in the ever-dramatic Mt Kenya region where Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is now courting former president Uhuru Kenyatta.

Elsewhere, a strange display was witnessed at a home in Siaya where an estranged wife dropped her child's lifeless body at her ex-husband's home.

1. Daily Nation

The daily covered the happenings in Ruto's historic state visit to the US.

Ruto was received by President Joe Biden at the White House, in Washington DC, on Wednesday, May 22.

The duo of presidents held a roundtable meeting where they deliberated on, among other things, technology.

In a statement, Ruto appreciated the US government for pledging to put more resources in the digital space.

On Thursday, May 23, the two will hold a bilateral meeting, followed by a joint media address and later a state dinner in honour of Ruto and First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto.

2. Taifa Leo

The newspaper reported on a strange happening in a village in Siaya where a woman ferried her child's lifeless body.

Elizabeth Adhiambo visited her ex-husband's home in Kalkada Uradi, where he caught the hosts unaware of her plot.

The 35-year-old arrived at the home on the evening of Tuesday, May 21, while carrying two children; a boy, 4, and a girl, 2.

She took the boy, who appeared to be deep in sleep, to her former mother-in-law's house.

Adhiambo lied to them the young boy was asleep.

She then left the home aboard the boda boda that had ferried her and the children there.

"They broke up with her husband and left with the children. She came with them and left them at their grandmother's house. When she arrived, she told us the boy was fast asleep and left her on a seat. She then asked to be excused for a call before we saw her hopping on a motorbike and leaving," a sister of Adhiambo's ex-husband confided in Taifa Leo.

Back in the house, Adhiambo's former mother-in-law went to pick the 'sleepy' boy to bed when she learnt he was long dead.

The family contacted the police who showed up at the home and found the body lying on the floor.

He was taken to the Siaya County Referral Hospital morgue ahead of an autopsy.

3. The Standard

The Standard covered the happenings in the Mt Kenya region where political unrest has been witnessed in the recent past.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been facing opposition from a host of the region's politicians within the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

Despite the wayward political conduct of his juniors, Gachagua has been fixated on his clarion call for Mt Kenya unity.

The highlight of the political goings-on in the region was Gachagua's olive branch to former president Uhuru Kenyatta.

Uhuru and Gachagua have not been seeing eye to eye politically for the longest time, with the deputy president constantly blaming Uhuru for the socio-economic challenges Kenya has been grappling with.

For a while, the deputy president held the belief that Uhuru's tenure messed up the country, until recently when he (Gachagua) seemed to have had a change of heart.

Gachagua made overtures to the former president on Tuesday, May 21, while addressing residents of Kianyaga town, Kirinyaga county.

As he extended his invitation to Uhuru, Gachagua noted the importance of all the leaders from the region coming together at this point, regardless of their political affiliations.

Because Uhuru is a native of Mt Kenya, Gachagua implied that the time was ripe for him to join the team and help chart the region's political course.

In his new resolve, Gachagua vowed not to fight his fellow Mt Kenya natives, while admitting that political unrest was simmering in the region.

He claimed external forces were the ones sowing discord among Mt. Kenya voters.

For that, he swore never to face off with a 'brother or sister' from the mountain.

4. People Daily

The publication spared space for the woes faced by Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) chief executive officer Dr Evanson Kamuri.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) secured orders from the court to freeze Kamuri's bank accounts in the course of the probe into the corruption allegations levelled against the CEO.

Kamuri is accused of masterminding corruption and economic crimes to the tune of KSh 634 million.

The anti-graft body's investigators were granted the liberty to probe two bank accounts held in Kamuri's name.

They would scrutinise the original account opening documents, bankers' books, original cheques, mandate cards, transaction slips, disbursement authorisations, large transaction forms, and statements from 2019 to date.

According to the EACC, Kamuri had accumulated wealth that was not commensurate with his known legitimate source of income.

He was arrested during a raid conducted at his residence in Nairobi.

The EACC established that Kamuri's assets stood at upward of KSh 800 million; pointing to possible economic crimes and corruption.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke