The publication reported that the simmering feud between Siaya governor James Orengo and Senator Oburu Oginga has escalated after Oburu moved to court to block the construction of a new market for second-hand clothes traders in Bondo.

Oburu, alongside Dickson Oruko, secured a court injunction through their lawyer Sylvia Nyambeki, effectively halting the Siaya County government’s plans to develop the proposed Mitumba market.

The case, filed under a certificate of urgency at the Siaya Environment and Lands Court, was granted by Justice Edda Dena, who ruled that the current status of parcels Bondo Township/58 and Bondo Township/59 must be preserved.

The judge directed that no further construction should take place until the court gives additional orders.

This legal challenge comes just weeks after Governor Orengo launched the market project, which he said would offer a safer and more organised space for second-hand clothes vendors.

However, in sworn affidavits, Oburu and Oruko argue they hold a valid 99-year lease for the disputed land, acquired on July 1, 2024.

They accuse the county government of unlawfully encroaching on their private property and failing to follow due legal processes.

They also contend that the parcels have long been used informally by traders, a situation the county government is now trying to formalise without consulting or compensating the rightful leaseholders.

Siaya County is named as the respondent in the case, with the National Land Commission listed as an interested party.

As per the paper, opposition parties in Kenya are coalescing into a powerful alliance modelled on the 2002 National Rainbow Coalition that ended Kanu’s decades-long rule.

Their goal: to unseat President William Ruto in the 2027 elections. So far, at least seven parties have committed to joining the yet-to-be-launched coalition, with more expected to follow.

Key players include the Democracy for Citizens Party led by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper, and Eugene Wamalwa’s DAP-K.

Others signalling interest include Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee, Peter Munya’s PNU, Justin Muturi’s Democratic Party, and Martha Karua’s People’s Liberation Party.

The alliance aims to bring together regional political heavyweights to isolate Ruto nationally.

Political analyst Herman Manyora says this approach could significantly narrow the president’s re-election path, especially if the opposition locks him out of Mt Kenya, Eastern, Western, and Gusii regions.

During a rally in Kitui, Kalonzo and Gachagua assured supporters that leadership roles would be shared, with one leader chosen to face Ruto.

They hinted the coalition’s official name and structure would be announced soon. Regional coordination roles have already been assigned. Gachagua for Mt Kenya West, Kalonzo for Lower Eastern, Matiang’i for Nyanza, and Munya, Natembeya, and Malala for Western.

Former CS Fred Matiang’i, backed by Jubilee, is seen as a possible flag bearer, though Gachagua urged him to establish his own party. Meanwhile, the opposition is still scouting for strong figures to lead in the Coast and North-Eastern regions.

With Raila Odinga maintaining an ambiguous stance after a cooperation deal with Ruto, the president’s options are shrinking.

ODM figures have begun pushing for their own 2027 presidential candidate as public dissatisfaction with Ruto’s administration grows over taxation and the rising cost of living.

According to the daily, the high-stakes opposition meeting at Kalonzo Musyoka’s rural home in Tseikuru, Kitui county, took an unexpected turn when Gachagua seized the moment to issue a strategic challenge to the Kamba community, subtly shifting the gathering’s tone from unity to electoral arithmetic.

The event, meant to solidify Kalonzo's influence in Ukambani and position him as a top opposition contender for 2027, saw Gachagua demand that the region deliver at least four million votes if it hoped to be taken seriously in opposition power-sharing.

Though Gachagua praised Kalonzo, he warned against declaring a flagbearer too early, saying it could prompt State House interference.

His remarks unsettled some Wiper allies, who felt Ukambani was being unfairly singled out.

But Wiper Deputy Chairperson Mutula Kilonzo Jr and Kitui senator Enoch Wambua defended the target as achievable, citing the national spread of the Kamba community.

The forum, attended by prominent opposition leaders, also served to counter Ruto’s growing presence in Ukambani.

Kalonzo slammed leaders who recently visited State House, calling their move “begging for roads,” and insisting development is a constitutional right, not a political favour.

While several leaders hinted at backing Kalonzo’s bid, none made a formal declaration.

The Swahili paper reports that three months after attempting to set up an unauthorised police station in Kesses, Uasin Gishu county, Collins Leitich, popularly known as Chepkulei or "General of the Ground", has now turned the controversial facility into a bar.

Leitich, 26, had rented a building in Cheboror and named it the "Cheboror Police Patrol Post," despite lacking any official approval or security clearance.

The move went viral online and drew the attention of local police, who visited the site and declared the makeshift station illegal.

When revisited this week, the building showed a complete transformation. The police signage had been removed and repainted white, and the premises were operating as a bar.

Residents expressed disappointment and concern over the shift in purpose.

Philip Natui, a local, said the community had hoped the government would legitimise the station and deploy officers, but were instead "shocked" by its conversion. He worried the new bar could worsen security issues in the area.

Eunice Kirori, a market vendor, criticised the move, saying it would only deepen the community’s struggle with alcohol abuse.

Source: TUKO.co.ke