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Talk of Town: MP blinded by power, governor awakens ahead of polls
Parliament Buildings in Nairobi County..
Top honcho finds ‘love’
A Cabinet Secretary has become the subject of intense corridor whispers after his private life took an unexpected turn. The man has wandered away from his long-time family life and found love in a controversial female politician from the capital. Insiders say the pair is quietly exploring plans to formalise the union.
The romance is said to have rattled those closest to the senior official who feel he’s subjecting himself to disgrace. Sources claim members of his inner circle and his family are less than enthusiastic about the reported developments and are quietly working to end it.
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Party leader’s ultimatum to CS
Still on Cabinet, a CS who intends to run for governor in an opposition-controlled region is in a dilemma. While they have kept in touch with the party leader who calls the shots in their home region, mostly through intermediaries, mounting pressure from the politician has triggered a fresh crisis.
He insists that anyone wanting to run on his party’s ticket must resign from their government job by the end of December if they are to stand a chance of getting the ticket. The minister, who had hoped to quit by set deadline of February 2027, has sent emissaries to beg for more time to resign, but the leader is unmoved.
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When donors pull out before the main run
A presidential aspirant is reportedly grappling with growing anxiety after it emerged that some of the financiers who had initially pledged to bankroll his campaign are beginning to pull back.
Sources familiar with the developments say the uncertainty over funding has thrown his political plans into disarray, with whispers that he is even weighing whether to scale down—or altogether shelve—his ambitions. According to one of his close allies, confidence within the camp has noticeably waned as financial commitments continue to dry up.
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When power gets into a leader’s head
A once promising MP has allowed power to get into his head with critics accusing him of getting detached from the very people who propelled him into office. Once seen as a youthful and relatable leader, the lawmaker is now said to be dismissive of young people, often lecturing them instead of listening to their concerns.
His latest remarks, boasting about moving around in helicopters while belittling ordinary wananchi, have sparked criticism from both supporters and political rivals. Some within his own camp fear the displays of extravagance are creating the image of a leader intoxicated by privilege and disconnected from the economic realities facing many Kenyans.
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A sleeping governor finally wakes up
A governor seeking a second term appears to have suddenly discovered the urgency of service delivery, barely a year before voters return to the ballot. After spending much of his first term under fire over stalled projects and a low public profile, the county chief has now become a familiar face on social media, posting almost daily updates of road inspections, market launches, hospital visits and commissioning ceremonies. Some residents are joking that the county has only begun functioning after the governor caught sight of the electoral calendar.
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Wife rebuffs bid to politicise home
A vocal politician from Western Kenya is reportedly grappling with a domestic dispute that insiders claim is beginning to spill over into his political operations. Efforts to turn one of his homes into the nerve centre of his campaign were opposed by one of his wives, prompting him to shift some of his political activities to another residence. The fallout stemmed from suspicions of infidelity, leading to their separation and the construction of another home for the wife.
