On Saturday, November 29, the local dailies widely reported on the post–by-election review that shows candidates allied to the broad-based government securing most seats, tightening their grip ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The top stories in Kenyan newspapers on Saturday, November 29. Photos/screengrabs: Saturday Nation, The Saturday Standard, Weekend Star and Taifa Leo.
Source: UGC1. Saturday NationAs per the publication, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki entered the Mbeere North by-election on November 17, 2025, to find his party’s ground shaken.
UDA was bruised by weeks of pressure from three powerful figures, Rigathi Gachagua of DCP, DP leader Justin Muturi, and DEP’s Lenny Kivuti, who teamed up to block the ruling party from taking the seat.
The Muturi–Kivuti alliance was especially strong, given their deep influence in the constituency.
To rescue the campaign, Kindiki joined the UDA team led by former MP Geoffrey Ruku, Governor Cecily Mbarire, and Senator Alexander Mundigi.
He shifted strategy quickly, focusing on local issues and intensive engagements with community leaders.
Between November 17 and 26, he held more than 50 strategy meetings and 17 public rallies, a push UDA insiders believe changed the momentum.
At his first rally in Siakago, Kindiki sought to dismantle Gachagua’s political image, promising to “humble” him and prove he was not the Mt Kenya kingpin.
“I will teach Gachagua a lesson and show him that he is not, and will never be, the Mt Kenya kingpin. I will humble him and demonstrate that I am the real King of the Mountain,” Kindiki said.He framed UDA candidate Leonard Wamuthende as the development-focused choice for the constituency.
The message resonated in a region struggling with poor roads, water shortages, and low electricity access.
When the votes were counted, Wamuthende won by a narrow margin, 15,802 votes against DP’s Newton Kariuki Karish, who had 15,308.
Chama cha Kazi’s Duncan Mbui followed with 2,480 votes. With 33,947 voters turning out, the constituency posted one of the highest by-election participation rates in Kenya’s history.
The victory not only secured the seat for UDA; it also delivered a political blow to Gachagua, who has styled himself as Mt Kenya’s political kingpin.
Kindiki’s strong showing and hands-on approach allowed him to claim that mantle, at least for the moment.
2. The Saturday StandardThe publication reports that a Kenyan man who travelled to Russia barely a month ago in search of work has been confirmed dead on the frontlines of the Russia-Ukraine war, raising fresh alarm over a widening human-trafficking scheme targeting desperate job seekers.
Martin Macharia Mburu, a resident of Ruaka in Kiambu, left Nairobi on October 21 after being promised a driving job.
Instead, sources in Kyiv say he was coerced into joining Russian forces, given only three days of basic weapons training, and deployed to the Donetsk-Lyman frontline, where he was killed on Thursday morning.
His journey mirrors a growing pattern uncovered in recent months, where Kenyans are lured with false promises of jobs in construction, logistics, and hospitality, only to end up in military camps.
Macharia’s death comes as parliament continues probing claims that Kenyan citizens are being forced into Russian military service.
Kirinyaga Central MP Joseph Gitari recently asked the Defence and Foreign Affairs committees to investigate the coerced enlistment of Macharia and another Kenyan, Peter Kimemia, who also travelled to Russia seeking driving jobs. Macharia was killed before the committee could issue its report.
Foreign Affairs CS Musalia Mudavadi has said Kenya is working with Moscow to determine how many Kenyans may be held in Russian military camps and to facilitate their release.
3. Taifa LeoThe Swahili paper reports that the government is now under pressure as maize prices continue to rise, threatening its efforts to keep flour affordable.
Agricultural experts say the country is heading toward a supply shortfall, even with a projected bumper harvest.
A fierce scramble for quality maize between millers, animal-feed manufacturers, and the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has pushed prices from KSh2,800 to KSh3,250 for a 90kg bag.
The NCPB, offering KSh3,500 per bag to meet its two-million-bag target for the National Food Reserve, is also competing directly with millers.
In one month alone, the board bought more than 100,000 bags of 50kg, but demand keeps rising.
The price surge comes at a time when the government had predicted an increase in harvests from 67 million bags in 2024 to 70 million this year.
Millers warn that the market should be allowed to adjust naturally, a move that could push a two-kilogramme flour packet above KSh150 unless urgent intervention is taken.
Eldoret Miller David Maina says the rising demand is already straining supply chains.
Despite the concerns, the government insists flour prices will remain stable. President William Ruto says a two-kilogramme packet now costs KSh130, down from KSh250 in 2022, crediting the drop to increased maize production supported by the fertiliser subsidy programme.
So far, more than 21 million bags of subsidised fertiliser have been issued, cutting production costs by over KSh105 billion.
4. Weekend StarThe paper reports that President William Ruto unveiled the KSh170 billion Rironi–Mau Summit dual carriageway, calling it a turning point for a country long held back by stalled infrastructure.
He said the project marks the end of what he described as years of “quiet paralysis,” where delays, budget constraints and unsafe roads had become normal.
The expanded corridor, built under a Public-Private Partnership, will include multi-lane carriageways, new interchanges, lighting, pedestrian bridges and intelligent transport systems designed to ease gridlock on the busy western route.
Ruto framed the road as more than a transport project, saying it is the foundation of a modern economy that links Kenya to neighbouring countries and strengthens regional trade.
He insisted that PPPs will help the country avoid unsustainable borrowing while tapping private capital to deliver major works faster.
Ruto projected that the new road, expected to be opened on June 1, 2027, will cut accidents, save billions lost in delays and support the Naivasha ICD.
He also expanded his vision beyond the project, confirming plans for more nationwide upgrades, including major dual carriageways from Muthaiga to Kiambu and Machakos Junction to Mariakani.
Ruto said the government had secured funding for studies to extend the corridor to Malaba and Kisumu. He tied the new investments to his Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
