Kajiado County faces a severe water crisis as its three main utilities—Nolturesh Loitokitok, Oloolaiser, and Olkejuado—are teetering on the brink of financial collapse, with a combined negative working capital exceeding KSh 586 million. This was revealed during a recent Senate session where Governor Joseph Ole Lenku responded to an audit report detailing systemic failures and alleged mismanagement.

• The utilities reported a combined negative working capital exceeding KSh 586 million, largely due to high non-revenue water rates, with Nolturesh Loitokitok losing an unprecedented 80 percent of its water.
• Governor Joseph Ole Lenku defended the utilities, citing ageing infrastructure and high electricity costs, and proposed solarizing boreholes to cut expenses.
• Senators highlighted the unauthorized use of customer deposits, including Oloolaiser tapping KSh 21 million from restricted funds, and unremitted staff statutory deductions, with Nolturesh alone owing over KSh 19.7 million in pension and gratuity arrears.

Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen affirmed the government's openness to constructive criticism during the groundbreaking ceremony for Wakili Towers, the future home of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) in Lavington, Nairobi.

• Murkomen urged the LSK to balance oversight with its legal mandate to advise the government, stressing that balanced criticism and collaboration are vital for strengthening governance.
• The event highlighted the role of legal professionals and civil society in holding the government accountable.
• Murkomen acknowledged that his office is frequently targeted by groups like the Law Society of Kenya and Amnesty International, stating that he does not take such criticism personally.

A coalition of Kenyan Civil Society Organizations, led by the National Integrity Alliance (NIA), has petitioned the Public Service Commission (PSC) regarding recent staffing changes and job advertisements at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

• The NIA expressed concerns over the redeployment of seven senior management-level officers at the ODPP after the current DPP took office in 2023.
• The petition questioned the selection criteria and short interview times given for newly advertised senior positions by the ODPP on December 29 last year.
• Copies of the petition were also sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, and the ODPP Advisory Board, as interviews are scheduled for next week.