A Kenyan man is being charged in the US with murder-for-hire after authorities thwarted his plan to have a woman, with whom he has a long-running legal dispute, assassinated.

The 52-year-old former top banking executive Leonard Thuo Mwithiga was charged in Putnam, Connecticut, after he instructed a friend to find a hitman for him so that he could “finish that woman” or “inject something into her food or water to kill her slowly like cancer.”

In order to avoid being connected to the woman’s death, Mwithiga allegedly intended to have her killed between January 28 and February 3 of the following year while he would be in Kenya. He assured the hitman he would give him $4000 (Sh609,000).

Mwithiga, the prosecutor claims, found a would-be killer, whom he gave $300 (Sh46,000) “in good faith”, not knowing he was dealing with an undercover police officer. He had also given the associate $100 (Sh15,238).

Both the associate, an Uber driver, who turned informant for the police, and the woman who was supposed to be the victim have not been identified.

According to local media sites, the informant informed a state police officer, who then went up to Mwithiga and pretended to be the hitman-for-hire he required.

According to investigation files submitted to the court, the undercover police officer “spoke with Mwithiga for more than an hour on Monday night, finalising the details of” the scheme while wearing audio and video monitoring, according to CT Insider, a Connecticut-based news site.

The Kenyan man was apprehended right away by the officer after they met at a motel in Putnam, the capital of Connecticut.

The family of Florence Wabaiya Kariuki is sad to inform you that she passed away on Thursday 23rd November 2023 at her home in Austin Texas USA.

She was the last surviving child of the late Eliud Gitome Kariuki and the late Penis Muringe. She was a stepdaughter to Isabera Wambui Eliud.

She was the mother of Charles Kariuki (CK) and Rahal Muringe Morabu. Grandmother to Ng’ang’a Kariuki, Wabaiya Kariuki, Warucu Kariuki, Kuki Murugi Kariuki, Kena Muringe Kariuki, Audrey Amani Morabu and Isaiah Morabu. Great grand mother to Nakia Grace Cherono Ng’eno.

She was the mother-in-law to the late Caroline Kariuki, Alice Wangari Kariuki and Andrew Morabu. She was grandmother-in-law to Robin James Kennerley and Benson Ng’eno.

She was sister to Hesbon Mwangi, Njora Kariuki, Diana Muthoni Macharia, Janet Wanjiru Abdallah, Eunice Wangari, Marion Wanjiku Gikandi, Monica Wairimu Ngugi, Gerald Muchira Kariuki and Mwembu Mbugua (all deceased). She was the stepsister to James Mwangi, Stephen Macharia, George Muchiri, Samuel Karuga, Dinah Muthoni, Lucy Watiri and Godfrey Mureithi. She was an aunt, grandaunt, and great grandaunt to many.

Plans are underway for her repatriation and interment in Kenya.

Friends and family are meeting at the All-Saints Cathedral from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm every Tuesday and Thursday starting from 30th November to 14th December 2023 to comfort and support the family with prayers and raise funds towards funeral expenses.

Further details will be shared during the meetings.

Financial contributions may be sent to number [paybill details to be shared soon]

The US Department of State has granted Ksh1.5 billion to Kenya and Ghana to improve the condition of their soil.

This cash infusion arrives just hours after Kenya’s agriculture sector was intended to be strengthened and its health system modernized with a Ksh38.8 billion acquisition from India.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said in a statement that the money that has been given to both nations is intended to be used for mapping soil fertility.

“The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed the announcement of an additional $10 million from the United States Department of State for projects mapping soil fertility in Ghana and Kenya to promote climate-smart agriculture and adaptation measures, resilient crops, fertilizer use efficiency, and soil health,” FAO stated.

FAO Deputy Director-General, Maria Helena Semedo, said the financial support is expected to have a far-reaching impact on local farmers and communities.

“Not only will the additional funding from the United States bring the benefits of this project to smallholder farmers and their communities in two more countries, but it also underlines the vital role that healthy and fertile soils play in building resilience to the impacts of climate change and in transforming our agrifood systems,” Semedo stated.

Kenya was promised Ksh38.3 billion by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to support its modern health system and agriculture industry.

The money set aside for modernizing Kenyan farming methods will be mostly used for healthcare treatments and agricultural mechanization.

Hussein Mohamed, the spokeswoman at the State House, shared a statement from President William Ruto thanking him for the support.

Ruto promised to quickly start implementing previously decided projects in order to make the best use of the funding.

“I thank you, Prime Minister, for the consideration of the US$250 million for supporting Kenya in the space of agricultural mechanization and the whole space of vaccines and other interventions. I want to assure you that we will immediately embark on programs that have already been agreed on so that we can leverage this facility to provide much-needed services for the people of Kenya,” Ruto affirmed.