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A senior judge, who was arrested Friday over his relationship with a murder suspect, has been released from custody.

Justice Sankale ole Kantai of the Court of Appeal in Nairobi was released on police bond Saturday afternoon.

He will be arraigned on Monday.

The judge is accused of interfering with the murder case of Dutch businessman Tob Cohen.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed that the judge will be charged with conspiracy to defeat justice and interfering with witnesses contrary to section 117 (A) of the Penal Code.

A policeman who was on duty when former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa visited Deputy President William Ruto’s office has been found dead.

Sergeant John Kipyegon Kemei, 33, was at the Harambee House Annex in Nairobi the day Mr Echesa visited and was later arrested over a fake Sh40 billion military equipment tender.

He was found with a gunshot wound to the head at his house in Imara Daima, Nairobi County, on Thursday.

Sergeant Kemei’s workmates decided to visit his house at Twiga Court after failing to contact him by phone for more than 12 hours. 

On reaching his house located at the Vila Franca area, they found the main door open. 

His body was found in the sitting room at about 2pm with a bullet wound to his chin. The bullet exited from the top of his head and hit the ceiling. 

County Police Commander Philip Ndolo said they would investigate suicide.

“The bullet exited through the head and hit the ceiling. Beside the body was a Jericho pistol loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition,” the police report states.

“Also, one spent cartridge was recovered from the house. It is suspected that the officer committed suicide. A note bearing the words ‘call my cousin Ben’ was recovered inside the house.”

The body was taken to City Mortuary.

Detectives visited the office, which is being treated as a crime scene, for the third time on Tuesday, after reviewing CCTV footage recorded on February 13.

The sleuths also asked for footage recorded two days earlier.

So far, they have questioned all the staff members who were present when Mr Echesa was arrested just outside DP Ruto’s office, minutes after appending signatures for the deal.

Those interrogated include security guards, secretaries and orderlies said to have been in contact with Mr Echesa.Meanwhile, the DP’s office says that when Mr Echesa arrived at the Harambee House Annex, he said he had an appointment.

But preliminary investigations found no records of an appointment booked earlier

The Chinese government has accused the US of causing “panic” in its response to the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

It follows the US decision to declare a public health emergency and deny entry to foreign nationals who had visited China in the past two weeks.

There are more than 17,000 confirmed cases of the virus in China. Some 361 people have died there.

Outside China, there are more than 150 confirmed cases of the virus – and one death, in the Philippines.

The virus causes severe acute respiratory infection and symptoms seem to start with a fever, followed by a dry cough.

On 23 January, the US ordered the departure of all non-emergency US personnel and their family members from the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, where the virus originated.

Less than a week later, the US allowed for the voluntary departure of non-emergency personnel and relatives of US government employees from China.

On 30 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency over the new virus.

Following this, the US ordered the departure of all US personnel family members under the age of 21 in China.

Any US citizen who has been in Hubei province will be subject to 14 days’ quarantine upon returning to the US

How deadly is the virus?

More than 75,000 people may have been infected in the city of Wuhan, experts say.

But estimates by the University of Hong Kong suggest the total number of cases could be far higher than the official figures.

A report on the early stages of the outbreak by the Lancet medical journal said most patients who died from the virus had pre-existing conditions.

The report found that, of the first 99 patients treated at the Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, 40 had a weak heart or damaged blood vessels. A further 12 had diabetes.

Most people infected are likely to fully recover – just as they would from a normal flu.

An expert at China’s National Health Commission (NHC) said that one week was sufficient for a recovery from mild coronavirus symptoms.

Neno Evangelism Centre leader James Ng’ang’a Sunday announced that he is ready to fight tooth and nail with Kenya Railways (KR) to retain ownership of the land where his main church in Nairobi stands.

The controversial pastor scoffed at a letter from Kenya Railways Corporation Managing Director Philip Mainga claiming that the church on Haile Selassie Avenue stands on property meant for the agency.

In the letter he wrote on Friday, Mr Mainga notified the Neno church founder that the corporation is planning to reclaim the parcel because it was not converted from public to private use as per the law.

“(The church) encroaches on land initially reserved for railway use,” said the letter which explained that the tract of land was initially reserved for Kenya Railways.

A number of other businesses, including churches and petrol stations, are also located on the mentioned section.

Mr Mainga demanded that Mr Ng’ang’a surrenders to Kenya Railways all the documents pertaining to the “irregular” allocation of the property.

The notification from the railways boss comes at a time when the Neno establishment plans to build a multi-storey building dubbed Neno Tower in the place where the current structure stands.

Already, the congregants have started contributing for the ground-breaking of the tower, which will have basement parking lots among other features.

While addressing the congregants during a televised sermon on Sunday, Mr Ng’ang’a was categorical that Neno bought the property from Central Bank of Kenya.

“The owner of this field had a bank that borrowed money from the Central Bank. The bank went under and Central Bank seized its property which it sold to get money to pay back [the] depositors,” he said.

In his characteristic tough-talking style, Mr Ng’ang’a promised dire consequences against anyone who would dare displace the church, which has been at the current location since 2003.

“You can go and change (the registration documents) if you are man enough,” he dared. “Go and backdate and say it belongs to the railways.”

He further threatened: “I swear before God, hutabakisha hata mjukuu duniani hapa (you won’t even have a grandchild left on the face of the earth).”

“Will I keep issuing blessings? We also curse. It is inconceivable that people wake up to joke with a man of God. Which God are you playing with?”

Kenya Railways says it is seeking to reclaim its properties across the country, working in partnership with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Assets Recovery Agency.

The reclamation has already happened in Kisumu, the result being the eviction dozens of businesses, and demolition of a number of structures on Kenya Railways premises.