Today’s major Kenyan dailies are dominated by three issues: the health speculation surrounding Raila Odinga, a shocking drug trafficking scandal at JKIA, and the bungled police recruitment exercise.
The Star:
The Star leads with a political story that has sparked heated debate. The paper highlights growing speculation about the health of ODM leader Raila Odinga, after he skipped his party’s 20-year celebration at Gusii Stadium.
Close allies have dismissed the rumours, insisting Raila is in good health.
However, his conspicuous absence from such a milestone event has only deepened public curiosity.
The story captures the fragile nature of succession politics in opposition ranks, where even a whisper about Raila’s wellbeing sends ripples across the political scene.
The Standard: Cocaine Highway at JKIA
The Standard exposes what it calls the “Cocaine Highway” scandal at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
It details how 28-year-old Da Mata Dos Santos, travelling on a British passport but of Brazilian origin, managed to slip through security checks with millions worth of cocaine, aided by insiders in uniform.
His eventual arrest in London has cast a dark shadow on Kenya’s premier airport, raising tough questions about drug cartels infiltrating security systems.
With JKIA marketed as a regional aviation hub, the report underscores how easily international syndicates can exploit local corruption.
Daily Nation: Bungled Police Hiring
The Daily Nation turns the spotlight on governance and accountability. It reports on the dramatic suspension of a planned recruitment of 10,000 police officers following a turf war between Inspector General Douglas Kanja and the National Police Service Commission.
At the heart of the standoff is control over staffing and a Sh60 billion payroll. The recruitment saga, now in court, highlights the perils of power struggles within critical security agencies, with ordinary Kenyans paying the price as the process stalls.
Today’s papers expose three fronts where Kenya is under pressure: political uncertainty within the opposition, drug infiltration at a key international gateway, and institutional wrangles crippling the police service.
Each story carries weight — but the Standard’s “Cocaine Highway” investigation is arguably the most alarming, given its international implications and the questions it raises about Kenya’s image in global security circles.