The usual suspects in terms of newsmaking were given a run for their money in 2018, with the likes of Jacque Maribe and Philomena Mwilu making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Governor Okoth Obado joined them in the naughty corner, in sagas that are set to extend into 2019 as they are played out in court.
On the bright side, Eliud Kipchoge put Kenya on the map with his record-breaking marathon performance, while a sluggish economy got a boost from the oil and manufacturing sectors.
Below are the highlights from different sectors, from politics to sports.
POLITICS: YEAR OF HANDSHAKE
In politics, the biggest news was the surprise truce between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his long-time nemesis and ODM leader Raila Odinga on March 9.
The deal, popularly known as the handshake, stabilised the country that was teetering on the brink of devastating divisions. But it also struck the political landscape like thunder and immediately rearranged the country's political equation.
Only a few of the two leaders' trusted allies were in the know. It was completely unexpected. Its consequences are many. To begin with, Deputy President William Ruto is no longer seen as the automatic choice of President Kenyatta as his successor in 2022. Central Kenya, Uhuru's political turf, has been sending mixed signals on their promised backing for the DP.
On the other hand, the deal almost instantly sounded the death knell for the Opposition behemoth, Nasa. This is especially after Raila and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka were handed plum continental jobs courtesy of their camaraderie with Jubilee.
The worst news was the brutal killing of university student Sharon Otieno, the lover of Migori Governor Okoth Obado. She was seven months pregnant with his son.
After days of investigation, the governor was arrested alongside his aides and charged with murder. He was held at the Industrial Area Prison for more than a month before being released on bail. Obado also faces corruption charges.
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SHOWBIZ: TROUBLE IN PARADISE
In social and lifestyle, the biggest stories revolved around crime, death and interesting personalities.
The death of Monicah Kimani in her posh apartment in Kilimani hit the headlines when the prime suspect, Joseph 'Jowie' Irungu, was arrested. Jowie was at the time engaged to TV anchor Jacque Maribe, who was also charged with murder.
The court case is ongoing.
The recent death of a TV actor, Jamal Gadafi, also garnered a lot of interest. He was allegedly stabbed by his girlfriend Grace Namu.
According to police, Jamal was having a party at Arks Hotel near 67 Airport Hotel on the night of December 11. There was a quarrel between him and Namu. She is said to have picked up a knife and stabbed him. He was buried in Mombasa but the murder case is ongoing.
Besides crime and death, eyebrows were raised by Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o’s son, who was photographed in a crimson red thong, matching heels and lipstick.
The photographer, Lyra Aoko, remarked: "My favorite image from this entire series has to be the black depiction of the reclining nude art form. Renaissance and classic paintings do not have enough people that look like me, and I’m working to change that. A million years from now, this will be the norm."
Other personalities who made showbiz headlines were Vera Sidika and Otile Brown, with their acrimonious public breakup that left tongues wagging.
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BUSINESS: STAR LIFTS LID ON SCANDAL
In business, the manufacturing agenda, one of the four economic pillars of President Uhuru Kenyatta, got a boost in April with the launch of a training plan.
The Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority 2018-22 was unveiled with the aim of improving skills and drive. The state corporation will also focus on providing world-class skills for irrigation and construction, maintenance of health facilities, and entrepreneurial skills for trade and investment. This will absorb close to one million Kenyans, who face the risk of unemployment due to skill limitations.
In other news, Uhuru joined 43 counterparts in signing the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement in Kigali, Rwanda. It commits governments to remove tariffs on 90 per cent of goods to boost intra-African trade. It also prioritises production of value-added goods and services and pushes for a Made in Africa slogan.
The banking sector was once again hit when MPs resolved to retain the law capping interest rates under the Finance Act 2018. The rate cap law has seen banks significantly reduce lending to the private sector, especially households.
During the year, more green energy was pumped into the national grid. Turkana Wind Power added 310 megawatts, while Garissa Solar Power added 55 megawatts.
Kenya moved closer to becoming an oil-producing country, with President Uhuru Kenyatta launching the Early Oil Pilot Scheme at Ngamia 8 in Turkana.
We hosted the Blue Economy Conference, a first-of-its-kind high-profile business event that brought together 12,000 participants from across the world. We also actualised the first cross-trading in East and Central Africa when we welcomed the Bank of Kigali on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
On the flip side, Kenya experienced high-voltage corruption scandals, touching mostly on government agencies. Taxpayers are said to have lost Sh9 billion in dubious tenders at the National Youth Service in a fresh scandal that was unearthed in May.
This was followed by several other corruption cases at the National Cereals Produce Board, Kenya Power, Kenya Pipeline and National Health Insurance Fund. DPP Noordin Haji and DCI George Kinoti earned Kenyans’ support for taking the bull by the horns.
The Kenya Power saga was notable for the role that social media played in unearthing shady deals and attempts to bribe the media to cover the rot at the distributor. Star actually lifted the lid on the scandals that eventually led to prosecution of senior management of Kenya Power.
Five listed firms, Kenya Power, Uchumi, Mumias Sugar, Athi River Mining and Deacon, issued profit warnings this year, illustrating tough economic times. Two of them, Athi River Mining and Deacon, are currently under an administrator.
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COURTS: TOP JUDGE IN THE DOCK
The low for judiciary this year was when one of the topmost judges was charged in court with graft and tax evasion.
Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu was dragged to the magistrate's court to answer to claims of failing to pay taxes, and conducting herself in disregard of the law.
The offence facing the DCJ is said to have been committed from as far back as during her tenure as a Court of Appeal judge, prior to her appointment to the current position in October 2016.
Chief prosecutor Noordin Haji said there was enough evidence to prove she abused her office to enrich herself while handling the Imperial Bank case while she was an Appeal Court judge.
She is yet to officially plead to the charges, as she has filed an application before the High Court challenging her prosecution, which is currently being handled by a five-judge bench.
The prosecution on its part has hired the services of Queen's Counsel Prof Khawar Qureshi to handle the matter.
The positive this year for judiciary is when the court ruled against the government on the Finance Bill, 2018. In the ruling, judge Wilfrida Okwany held that Treasury CS Henry Rotich did not follow the right procedure when he presented the Finance Bill, 2018.
She further said there was no public participation on the bill before it was implemented
"The finance bill, including taxation, cannot be implemented before going through Parliament," the judge held.
SPORTS: MIXED FORTUNES
In sports, the biggest news was Eliud Kipchoge's world marathon record (2:01.39), which saw him smash compatriot Dennis Kimetto's previous mark by 78 seconds. He went on to be crowned UN Person of Year and the IAAF Athlete of the Year.
The worst news for the country was when he missed out on the list for Presidential awards on Jamhuri Day.
Harambee Stars' qualification to the Africa Cup of Nations was also major news. Stars deservedly qualified after running over Ghana and Ethiopia, and were given a walkover against Sierra Leone.
On the other hand, failing to host the Africa Cup of Nations in January was a minus for a country that has always been touted as a sports powerhouse.
Finally, we won the bid to host the 2020 World Under-20 Championships, arguably on the strength of having successfully hosted the 2017 World Under-18 Junior Championships at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani Stadium.