2009 in Kenya
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Events
January
- January - Two corruption cases, the 2009 Triton Oil Scandal[1] and the 2009 Kenyan Maize Scandal[2] broke out.
- January 16 - Kenya makes an international food appeal due to drought-induced famine in certain parts of the country [3]
- January 23 - Amos Kimunya is appointed the Minister of Trade. Kimunya resigned from the post of Minister of Finance in July 2008 due to Grand Regency Scandal. Former minister of Trade Uhuru Kenyatta is now appointed for the vacant position of Minister of Finance.[4]
- January 28 - A Nakumatt supermarket in the Nairobi CBD was destroyed by a fire (main article: 2009 Nakumatt supermarket fire).[5]
- January 31 - An oil spill ignition kills over 50 people in near Molo town (main article: 2009 Kenyan oil spill ignition).
February
- February 19 - Kenyan fishermen are forced to flee the disputed Migingo Island in Lake Victoria after Uganda deploy troops on the island [6]
- February 25 - An UN report recommends dismissing the Attorney General Amos Wako and police commissioner Mohammed Hussein Ali due to killings by the police [7] (The report[usurped]). On September 8, 2009, Mohammed Hussein Ali was transferred to the position of the Chief Executive of Postal Corporation of Kenya. The new Police Commissioner is Mathew Iteere, the former General Service Unit Commandant.[8]
March
- March 30 - Student riots at the Kenyatta University results in one fatality and destroyed property, including a computer laboratory.[9]
April
- April 6 - Kenyan minister of Justice Martha Karua resigns citing lack of progress with her reform agenda.[10]
- April 20 - Over 20 people die at a clash between the mungiki sect and local residents in Karatina (Main article: Mathira Massacre).[11]
- April 24 - Eliud Wabukala is elected the new archbishop of the Anglican Church of Kenya, replacing the outgoing Benjamin Nzimbi[12]
May
- May 1 - A government official was forced to cut short his speech and abandon the May Day rally as angry workers hurled stones at dignitaries in protest over the government's refusal to deal with difficult living conditions [13]
- May 7 - Thomas Cholmondeley was found guilty of manslaughter [14]
June
- June 12 - The Othaya Police Chief, John Nzau was shot dead. Fellow policemen were arrested as suspects.[15]
- June 16 - An oil tanker fire kills at least four and injures nearly 50 people at Kapokyek village near Kericho. The victims were siphoning fuel from the tanker that had fallen off the road.[16]
July
- July 9 - the UN Secretary general Kofi Annan handed names of the main suspects of the 2007 Post-election violence to the International Criminal Court.[17]
- July 21 - A collision of two buses in Siapei along the Narok - Mau Mahiu road causes 22 fatalities [18]
- July 23 - The SEACOM cable becomes operational, raising hopes of higher speed and lower cost internet connections in Kenya.[19]
- July 30 - Kenyan cabinet announced that no special tribunal will be formed to handle the 2009 post-election crisis, and that the cases will be dealt in local courts instead[20]
August
- August 1 - A small airplane belonging to AIM-Air crashes into a flat in Nairobi's Highrise estate, while approaching the Wilson Airport, resulting in one fatality [21]
- August 4–6- The 8th African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) conference was held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi. Hillary Clinton, the United States Secretary of State, was among the speakers.[22]
- August 23 - A bus and a truck collide near Gilgil, resulting in 16 deaths [23]
- August 24 - The Kenyan census in 2009 is initiated [24]
- August 24- Long-distance buses and matatus are banned for entering the Nairobi CBD, in order to reduce traffic congestions [25]
- August 27 - Parliamentary by-elections were held in the constituencies of Shinyalu and Bomachoge. ODM retained the Shinyalu seat, the new MP is Justus Kizito, replacing the deceased Charles Lugano. In Bomachoge, Simon Ogari of ODM narrowly beat the 2007 winner Joel Onyancha of PNU. The Bomachoge seat was vacated after the 2007 Elections at the constituency were nullified due to irregularities.[26] For the first time in Kenya, the ballot boxes were transparent.[27]
September
- September 30 - Aaron Ringera resigns from the position of the director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) due to pressure.[28] He had been reappointed as the director of KACC on 31 August 2009, sparking mixed reactions [29]
October
- October 4 - Fourteen people die when a matatu and a truck collided in Kericho[30]
- October 20 - A building collapsed in Kiambu, killing several people [31]
- October 27 - Mungiki chairman Maina Njenga was acquitted after murder charges on him were withdrawn for lack of evidence [32]
November
- November 5 - Mungiki spokesman David Gitau Njuguna was shot dead in Nairobi by unknown assailants.[33]
- November 9 - A light cargo plane crashes at the Wilson Airport, killing two crew members. The plane was carrying miraa to Somalia (main article: 2009 Kenyan Beach 1990D crash)[34]
- November 15 - Ten people died when Samburu cattle raiders attacked the Kisima village in Samburu County.[35]
- November 16 - The Kenyan government started to evict settlers from the Mau Forest[36]
- November 17 - The Harmonized Draft Constitution of Kenya was released for public (The Draft)
- November 22 - Six people die when a trailer hit a matatu along the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway in Kiptenden, near Nakuru [37]
December
- December 2 - Eleven people died as a bus and a lorry collided along the Nakuru–Eldoret highway at Mlango Tatu, Koibatek District[38]
- December 17 - The High court declares the South Mugirango Constituency parliamentary seat held by James Magara vacant due to irregularities in the election,[39]
Deaths
January–March
- January 1 - Kenyan al-Qaeda members Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam and Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan were killed in a US airstrike in Pakistan.[40]
- January 26 - Pamela Mboya, former UN-HABITAT Kenya representative and widow of Tom Mboya[41]
- January 28 - Angel Wainaina, Actress and radio presenter, known for her role as Sergeant Maria of Cobra Squad TV-series, victim of the Nakumatt supermarket fire.[42]
- January 28 - Peter Serry, the CEO of Tusker FC, victim of the Nakumatt supermarket fire.[43]
- February 1 - Kadir Farah, former international football player died of illness.[44]
- February 25 - Atieno Odhiambo, 63, scholar and writer, died of illness.[45]
- March 5 - Oscar Kamau Kingara and John Paul Oulo, human rights activists, were shot dead by the police.[46]
April–June
- April 9 - Farakh Yusuf, 54, rally co-driver.[47]
- April 13 - James Bett, a peacemaker dies following a car accident [48]
- May 1–3 - Bantu Mwaura, 40, human-rights activist, actor, director, poet and storyteller who wrote poetry in English, Swahili and Gikuyu[49]
- May 4 - Charles Lugano, 59, Kenyan politician, illness [50]
- June 18 - Professor Peter Kenya from Kenyatta University was shot dead by gangsters [51]
July–September
- July 9 - Kinuthia Murugu, Youth and Sports Permanent secretary dies of gunshot wounds [52]
- August 11 - Campbell R. Bridges, 71, Scottish born Kenyan resident gemologist, stabbed to death near Voi[53]
- August 13 - Major General Simeon Mutai, former Kenya Air Force commander, illness [54]
- August 14 - Kimani Maruge, ~89, World oldest pupil, stomach cancer[55]
October–December
- October 9 - Francis Baldacchino, 72, the first Bishop of Malindi, dies of liver and heart complications in Malta.[56]
- October 26 - Patrick Ndururi, 40, runner [57]
- November 2 - Kirugumi wa Wanjuki, 86, the hangman at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison dies of pneumonia.[58]
- November 28 - Patrick Konchellah, 41, runner, Commonwealth Games gold medalist dies of illness [59]
- December 4 - Ronald Kiluta, former MP and assistant minister from Masinga Constituency, road accident [60]
