Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has issued a stern warning to politicians, including MPs and governors, threatening a crackdown on those hiring "goons" to disrupt political campaigns ahead of the upcoming by-elections. Murkomen stated that the government would apprehend both the hired individuals and their political sponsors within the next month.

• Murkomen highlighted that the hiring of goons is particularly prevalent in the Western region.
• Members of County Assembly (MCAs) are accused of controlling up to 100 goons, while Members of Parliament are linked to groups ranging from 200 to 500.
• Senior county leaders are implicated in managing groups of 1000 to 2000 goons.
• The warning comes ahead of nationwide by-elections for over 20 political seats, including senatorial, constituency, and ward levels, scheduled for November 27.

The Kenyan Ministry of Education has uncovered a massive scandal involving over 50,000 ghost students in secondary schools, leading to billions of shillings in lost government funds. This discovery was made during an ongoing data verification process aimed at streamlining education capitation disbursements.

• The government has lost Ksh1.1 billion annually, totaling Ksh4.4 billion over the students' supposed duration in secondary school due to these non-existent students.
• Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok revealed that only 17,400 out of 32,000 schools have been cleared to receive capitation so far.
• The ministry expects a 5 to 10 percent reduction in student numbers and a significant decrease in the number of schools after the verification is complete, with a new Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) to be launched in January 2026.

Makueni County Governor Mutula Kilonzo has appealed to the national government for intervention regarding the escalating school fires in Makueni and other counties, warning that these incidents threaten the safety of students and could compromise national examination outcomes. The governor urged security agencies and school management boards to develop strategies to end the arsons.

• Two schools were reportedly burnt in Makueni County in the past week, specifically Mbooni Boys High School and Kalawa.
• Governor Mutula Kilonzo expressed concerns about the safety of students, especially as schools are in their third term.
• The Kenya Red Cross reported no student injuries in the Mbooni Boys High School dormitory fire on Friday, September 12, but significant property damage occurred.
• The Ministry of Education recently closed all schools in Gatundu South due to similar fire outbreaks, with national exams scheduled for October and November.