Petals of Blood Stories

Tundu Lissu on death of Ngugi wa Thiong'o: A prisoner's eulogy from Ukonga prison in Dar es Salaam
Tundu Lissu  |  Aug 24, 2025

He started his long literary career as James Ngugi, but soon dropped the ‘James’, becoming the Ngugi wa Thiong’o known to the world, and in keeping wi...

Kenya’s silent crisis: How blood shortages are driving maternal deaths
Charity Kilei  |  Aug 23, 2025

According to the WHO, postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal deaths worldwide, responsible for approximately 70,000 deaths annual...

Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei lauds committees as Parliament’s ‘engine room’
Lucy Mumbi  |  Aug 21, 2025

She explained that Committees had held a total of 2,115 sittings, including 820 by Audit, Appropriations and General Purpose Committees and 1,295 by D...

Four tips for a healthy heart from a biokineticist
The Conversation  |  Aug 19, 2025

Many cardiovascular conditions develop silently. Elevated blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol often go unnoticed until a serious event, like a hea...

Two men charged with stealing Sh1.1 million in blood collection kits from Kenyatta National Hospital
Carolyne Kubwa  |  Aug 06, 2025

The magistrate released them on a Sh400,000 bond with an alternative cash bail of Sh200,000 each.

Stephen Munyakho recounts how he narrowly escaped execution in Saudi Arabia
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jul 31, 2025

Stephen Munyakho, who had been living in Saudi Arabia since 1996, was sentenced to death after a deadly fight with a Yemeni colleague in April 2011.

"I lacked patience": Stephen Munyakho regrets fatal altercation in Saudi Arabia that changed his life
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jul 30, 2025

Munyakho regretted that the death of his Yemeni colleague, Abdul Halim, was not intentional, describing it as a misunderstanding that spiralled out of...

Kenya losing 10 mothers daily to preventable postpartum haemorrhage, experts warn
Charity Kilei  |  Jul 31, 2025

Kenya’s high maternal death rate stems from systemic failures that are avoidable but consistently overlooked, endangering women’s lives and destabilis...

It’s a miracle, says Stephen Munyakho on arrival in Kenya after 14 years in Saudi jail
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jul 29, 2025

His return marked the end of a harrowing chapter that began in 2011 when he was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by the sword after a fatal...

Stephen Munyakho to arrive in Kenya tonight after Saudi death row release, Mudavadi confirms
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jul 28, 2025

His execution, initially handed down last year, was halted after the family of the deceased accepted diyya, blood money, amounting to approximately Sh...

Stephen Munyakho expected in Kenya later today after release from Saudi death row
Mwangi Maina  |  Jul 23, 2025

President Ruto spoke directly with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, urging for clemency and a delay in execution.

Nairobi residents urged to donate more blood amid 30 per cent shortfall
Barack Oduor  |  Jul 04, 2025

There is a deficit of 30 per cent in blood donation in Nairobi, placing the city in a bad situation should a catastrophe that needs mass blood donatio...

Most packaged foods in Kenya need health warning labels - report
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Jul 01, 2025

In Kenya, the sale of processed packaged foods surged by 16 per cent between 2018 and 2023. Over the same period, obesity rates have tripled since 200...

Rewriting blood donation story: How Mombasa nurse is saving lives through mobile app
Farhiya Hussein  |  Jun 15, 2025

RedSplash began humbly, with informal donation drives with friends, social media appeals, and borrowed hospital spaces. But what started as a grief-dr...

Kenya marks World Blood Donor Day as state, Red Cross urge donations to save lives
Mary Wambui  |  Jun 14, 2025

The annual event seeks to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products.

Five things you should know about Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, one of Africa’s greatest writers of all time
The Conversation  |  May 30, 2025

It’s hard to pick a favourite from Ngũgĩ’s over two dozen texts. But there is concurrence among critics that A Grain of Wheat, which was voted among A...

DPP granted more time to decide on charges for four filmmakers linked to BBC's 'Blood Parliament' documentary
Carolyne Kubwa  |  May 28, 2025

When the matter came up for a mention on Wednesday, a senior prosecutor applied for adjournment, saying they needed more time to make a decision on wh...

World Hypertension Day: How high blood pressure is killing a lot of Kenyans as it goes undetected
Charity Kilei  |  May 17, 2025

Unlike many diseases that present clear symptoms, high blood pressure often goes unnoticed for years. Many people have no idea they suffer from it unt...

DCI summons Mukuru activists over suspected links to BBC documentary "Blood Parliament"
Barack Oduor  |  May 12, 2025

The organisation's coordinator, Anami Daudi, told The Eastleigh Voice that they had received summons from the detectives directing them to present the...

Four filmmakers linked to BBC's Blood Parliament documentary released on Sh10,000 bail
Carolyne Kubwa  |  May 07, 2025

LSK said the arrests was carried out without a clear explanation and that the applicants were compelled to sign a document acknowledging the seizure o...

LSK, Amnesty urge DCI to release equipment seized from ‘Blood Parliament’ filmmakers
Joseph Ndunda  |  May 06, 2025

The four filmmakers were at the DCI headquarters, but LSK and civil society organisations took them to safety after learning the DCI was planning to d...

Oluga calls for urgent reforms in blood services to avert crisis, boost UHC goals
Rachael Mutabasi  |  May 06, 2025

He highlighted the importance of strategic planning, strengthening internal supply chains, and upgrading equipment to ensure a consistent supply of sa...

From studio to cell: Filmmakers arrested over BBC exposé narrate ordeal in hands of police officers
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 03, 2025

In an interview with investigative journalist John-Allan Namu, Wambugu recalled arriving at Denver’s office around 3 pm and spending about 30 to 45 mi...

Outrage forces state to release 'Blood Parliament' filmmakers amid fears of more exposés
Barack Oduor  |  May 03, 2025

Following the arrest of the four filmmakers, Kenyans online expressed their displeasure and frustration, with many believing their involvement in the...

No freedom to celebrate: On World Press Freedom Day, Kenya mourns a silenced press
Amina Wako  |  May 03, 2025

President Ruto's administration has not only failed to uphold press freedom but has also failed to lead with transparency, accountability, and respect...

Freed but not silenced: Fury erupts over arrest of BBC filmmakers behind Gen Z protest exposé
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 03, 2025

The creative industry and civil society have interpreted the police action as part of a broader pattern of repression targeting independent voices tha...

Police release four filmmakers arrested over BBC documentary ‘Blood Parliament’
Mary Wambui  |  May 03, 2025

The film that exposed the identities of some of the security officers behind the shootings that led to the killings triggered a public outcry and cond...

Filmmakers behind BBC’s ‘Blood Parliament’ arrested in Nairobi amid outcry over police killings
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 03, 2025

The documentary has generated a significant public outcry, raising questions about the use of force by the Kenyan security forces during the protest.

LSK warns IPOA of legal consequences over delayed police brutality investigations
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Apr 30, 2025

This follows the release of BBC documentary as well as the recent tragic event in Ang'ata Barrikoi, Kilgoris where five people were shot dead.

MPs' reaction to BBC documentary sparks fury among Kenyans amid calls for accountability, justice
Mary Wambui  |  Apr 30, 2025

Mandera North MP Major (Rtd) Bashir Abdullahi claimed the documentary was interfering with the reconciliation that has been going on in the country si...

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