Fresh headlines and publisher-supplied excerpts from Kenya, Africa and the world—collected in one transparent, attributed briefing.
Africanews reports that opposition mobilization in Kenya drew large crowds despite efforts to interfere, keeping political tensions elevated ahead of the 2027 election cycle.Why it matters: It signals ongoing political contestation and security concerns in Kenya, a core campaign concern for any balanced local agenda.
Read briefingAirtel Africa has switched on satellite-to-mobile service in the Democratic Republic of Congo, marking what telecom outlets across the continent are uniformly describing as the first time the technology has moved from pilot to full commercial deployment anywhere in Africa. The launch was unveiled in Kinshasa on August 14, 2026, through Airtel’s partnership with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and puts the DRC ahead of every other Airtel Africa market in bringing satellite-backed mobile connectivity to ordinary customers.The service lets customers with compatible smartphones connect directly to Starlink’s satellite network in areas with no terrestrial mobile coverage, provided they have a clear view of the sky. No dish, no separate satellite terminal, and no specialised equipment is required. At this stage, the service supports light-data applications only, WhatsApp messaging and SMS, delivered through what is being described as the largest satellite-to-mobile constellation in the world, with roughly 650 satellites currently in orbit. To use it, customers need a compatible Long Term Evolution (LTE) Android smartphone and either an active Airtel DRC data bundle or data roaming switched on. Eligible customers can register through the MyAirtel App for a free 30-day introductory trial, after which access moves to paid data bundles. Apple device support is expected to follow later, and SpaceX has said the service already works across more than 100 device models.The timeline behind the launch stretches back several months. Airtel Africa and Starlink first announced their strategic partnership in December 2025. That was followed by a pilot of Starlink Mobile’s data and messaging services in Kenya in March 2026 — a test run only, never opened commercially to customers. The DRC is where that groundwork turned into an actual product people can buy, and Airtel and industry coverage alike frame it as the first commercial go-live for the initiative anywhere on the continent.Airtel DRC Managing Director Thierry Diasnoma has pointed to the country’s size and geography as the reason terrestrial infrastructure is so difficult to deploy economically in remote areas, positioning the satellite layer as a way to keep customers reachable where ground networks don’t extend. “The commercial launch of Starlink Mobile is an important step in extending essential connectivity across the DRC,” Diasnoma said. “Our country’s size and geography mean that many people live, work and travel beyond the reach of conventional mobile infrastructure.” In a separate statement, he added: “This service provides an additional layer of connectivity, helping customers remain reachable, informed and connected even in areas where terrestrial coverage is unavailable.”Airtel Africa CEO Sunil Taldar framed the launch as a company-wide milestone rather than a DRC-only story, tying it to the broader strategic bet on pairing ground infrastructure with satellite coverage. “The first-ever commercial launch of Starlink Mobile in Africa is a significant milestone for Airtel Africa through our partnership with SpaceX,” Taldar said. “By combining Airtel’s terrestrial network with Starlink’s satellite technology, we are extending essential connectivity beyond the limits of conventional mobile infrastructure. The DRC is leading this important development, and the experience gained here will support the progressive expansion of the service across our markets, subject to country-specific regulatory approvals.”Airtel has said the service is expected to be particularly useful for transport and logistics operators, humanitarian organisations, health workers, farmers, mining operations, and communities living, working or travelling beyond the reach of conventional mobile infrastructure. It could also serve as a backup communications channel during emergencies, natural disasters, or temporary disruptions to terrestrial networks.On where this leaves the DRC among Airtel’s markets: it is currently the only one where the service is commercially live. Kenya remains the sole other market touched by the initiative, and only as a test case, not a launch. Taldar has said the DRC deployment is meant to serve as a blueprint for gradual expansion across Airtel Africa’s 14 markets in sub-Saharan Africa, but he tied that explicitly to country-specific regulatory approvals, no next market or timeline has been named publicly yet.Starlink separately holds its own telecommunications licence in the DRC, granted by the Congolese Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPTC) to the locally registered Starlink DRC S.A., which allows Starlink to operate as an internet service provider in its own right — a dish-based broadband product, unrelated to the Airtel-branded satellite-to-mobile service, and one that has been available in the country since around December 2025. That ISP licence marked Starlink’s entry into its 22nd African market for that separate business line.
Read briefingFormer DP Rigathi Gachagua says the opposition doesn't need financial sponsorship in the 2027 poll battle, accuses President Ruto of attacking Uhuru Kenyatta.
Read briefingGachagua spoke a day after goons allegedly attacked his convoy at Kaptembwo in Nakuru West Sub-County
Read briefingAfrica’s digital economy is growing rapidly, but much of the technology powering it has been designed elsewhere. Dennis Maina, Founder and Managing Partner of Suss Ads, believes that needs to change. His vision is to build advertising technology that reflects the realities of African consumers and businesses while creating solutions capable of competing on a global stage.In this interview, Maina explores why Africa needs technology built around its own markets, data and consumer behaviours; how AI could reshape digital advertising and business decision-making; and why privacy, trust and first-party data will become increasingly important. He also shares his perspective on scaling across diverse African markets, building world-class technology talent and balancing bold innovation with commercial discipline.For Maina, the opportunity goes beyond advertising. It is about shifting Africa from being primarily a consumer of technology to becoming a place where technology is designed, built and exported to the world.Q: What gap in the market something global platforms and existing African players weren’t solving made you decide to build Suss? What was the moment you knew this needed to exist?A: My journey into advertising technology was unconventional. I grew up in Mukuru kwa Reuben, studied political science and began my career in research before moving into media and digital marketing. That path taught me to look at people, systems and markets before looking at technology. As I worked across African markets, I kept seeing the same contradiction: Africa was generating enormous consumer activity, yet many of the tools used to understand and reach African audiences had been designed somewhere else, around different realities.For advertisers, the immediate problem was fragmentation. The major digital platforms operated as walled gardens: a client could see what was happening inside one platform, but not the full campaign or customer journey. Data, inventory, payments and reporting lived in separate systems. Local publishers and channels were often underrepresented, and when something went wrong, support could feel distant from the market and the moment.The moment of conviction came when I realised that we were repeatedly solving the same problem manually for clients. We needed one place where an African business could plan, buy, measure and optimise media across channels, with local context and accountable support. If that infrastructure did not exist, we had to build it.That is how Suss Ads began in 2021 – not simply as another agency, but as an effort to build advertising technology from Africa, for Africa, and eventually for the world. We started with programmatic advertising and expanded through integrations to create a more unified view of media. The larger vision is to ensure that African consumers, publishers and businesses are represented by technology that understands their realities, rather than being reduced to assumptions imported from elsewhere.Q: Beyond the slogan, what tangible advantages does locally developed technology give enterprises operating on the continent and where have global platforms fallen short?A: The advantage of locally developed technology is not geography alone; it is proximity to the problem. When the people building the product operate in the same markets as the people using it, feedback travels faster, context becomes product input and support becomes accountable.That has tangible consequences. African enterprises operate across different currencies, payment habits, languages, regulations, levels of data availability and media ecosystems. A platform designed around credit cards, abundant datasets and centralised support will not automatically fit a market where mobile money is the preferred payment method, connectivity varies and a campaign may need to combine the open web, digital out-of-home, radio, connected television and messaging channels. Locally built technology can make those realities part of the architecture rather than treating them as exceptions.At Suss Ads, one of our greatest strengths is reachable, responsive expertise. We do not measure success by how much a client spends; we measure it by whether the advertising works and whether the client can see, understand and improve the outcome. When a campaign encounters a problem, our team understands both the technology and the local market well enough to act quickly.Global platforms have delivered extraordinary scale, but they can fall short when they treat Africa as one market or as an extension of a global playbook. Our approach is not to reject global technology. We connect it with African inventory, channels, payment systems and intelligence. The opportunity is to build the connective layer that gives enterprises global reach without losing local relevance.Q: As AI reshapes industries, where do you see the biggest opportunities for African businesses to leverage it over the next five years?
Read briefingPresident says the new blueprint could help push Kenya towards first-world status by 2060.
Read briefingDCP leader Rigathi Gachagua has dismissed President William Ruto's declaration that his coalition "must win" the 2027 General Election, calling it wishful thinking.
Read briefingAhunna Eziakonwa: Time to dismantle Africa’s risk premium African Business
Read briefingSafaricom PLC is reshaping its Board with the appointment of two senior Vodacom Group executives, bringing additional expertise in fintech, corporate finance, human resources and organisational transformation to the telecommunications company.Safaricom has appointed Mariam Cassim and Matimba Mbungela as Non-Executive Directors, effective August 13, 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. The company also announced the resignation of James Ludlow and Dr. (Eng.) John Kipng’etich Mosonik from the Board, effective the same date.Cassim, the Chief Executive Officer, FinTech at Vodacom Group, brings experience spanning corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, commercial management, innovation and business development. Her appointment comes as financial services become increasingly central to Safaricom’s growth strategy, particularly through M-PESA and other digital financial services.Mbungela, Vodacom Group’s Chief Officer, Human Resources, has more than two decades of experience in human resources and organisational leadership, including regional roles covering talent, organisational effectiveness and change.His appointment comes as Safaricom and the wider telecommunications industry navigate rapid technological change, including AI adoption, new workforce requirements and digital transformation.The composition of the new Board therefore points to two areas that are likely to be increasingly important to Safaricom’s next phase of growth: digital financial services and organisational transformation.Cassim’s fintech and corporate finance background could strengthen the Board’s oversight of Safaricom’s expanding financial-services business, while Mbungela’s expertise could support the company’s approach to talent, leadership and organisational change as technology reshapes the workplace.The appointments also deepen the representation of Vodacom Group, Safaricom’s parent company, on the Board, potentially strengthening strategic alignment between the Kenyan operator and the wider Vodacom Group.Safaricom said the new directors bring extensive experience that will support the company’s continued growth and transformation.The company thanked Ludlow and Mosonik for their contributions to Board and committee meetings and wished them well in their future endeavours.
Read briefingArgentina's Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football.
Read briefingCongo’s latest data show a sharply worsening Ebola toll, with the outbreak spreading far faster than past crises.Why it matters: This is a major health crisis, but it is outside the 48-hour window; included only as background context and not a current lead.
Read briefingIEBC has formalised campaign-finance regulations for the 2027 cycle, setting the governing period for expenditure and compliance obligations for parties and candidates.Why it matters: Funding limits and reporting rules affect national and county races and are central to enforcement, disclosure and dispute risk; mark for sensitive editor review.
Read briefingToday is Thursday, Aug. 27, the 239th day of 2026. There are 126 days left in the year.On Aug. 27, 1883, the island volcano Krakatoa erupted with a series of cataclysmic explosions. The explosions (which could be heard 3,000 miles away) and resulting tsunamis in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait claimed some 36,000 lives in Java and Sumatra.In 1894, Congress passed the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act, which contained a provision for a graduated income tax that was later struck down by the Supreme Court.In 1964, the film “Mary Poppins” had its world premiere in Los Angeles, California.In 1979, British war hero Lord Louis Mountbatten and three other people, including his 14-year-old grandson Nicholas, were killed off the coast of Ireland in a boat explosion claimed by the Irish Republican Army.In 1982, Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A’s stole his 119th base of the season, breaking Lou Brock’s single-season stolen base record. (Henderson would finish the season with a still-unmatched 130 stolen bases.)In 1990, blues musician Stevie Ray Vaughn and four others were killed in a helicopter crash near East Troy, Wisconsin.In 2001, Israeli helicopters fired a pair of rockets through office windows in the West Bank city of Ramallah, killing senior PLO leader Mustafa Zibri.In 2005, coastal residents jammed freeways and gas stations as they rushed to avoid Hurricane Katrina, which was headed toward New Orleans.In 2008, Barack Obama was nominated for president by the Democratic National Convention in Denver, becoming the first Black presidential nominee from a major political party.In 2011, Hurricane Irene made landfall in the United States; the storm would be responsible for 49 total deaths and more than $14 billion in damage.In 2025, a shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis and struck some of the nearly 200 children celebrating Mass during the first week of school, killing two children and wounding 17 people. The attacker shot dozens of rounds toward the children seated in pews at the Annunciation Catholic School; police said he later died by suicide.Today’s Birthdays: Author William Least Heat-Moon is 87. Actor Tuesday Weld is 83. Actor G.W. Bailey is 82. Rock musician Alex Lifeson (Rush) is 73. Actor Peter Stormare is 73. Rock musician Glen Matlock (The Sex Pistols) is 69. Golfer Bernhard Langer is 69. Gospel singer Yolanda Adams is 65. Fashion designer and filmmaker Tom Ford is 65. Actor Chandra Wilson is 57. Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Thome is 56. Rapper Mase is 51. Actor Sarah Chalke is 50. Actor Aaron Paul is 47. Actor Patrick J. Adams (TV: “Suits”) is 45. Singer Mario is 40. Actor Alexa PenaVega is 38. Singer-songwriter Kim Petras is 34. U.S. Olympic and WNBA basketball star Breanna Stewart is 32. Rapper/singer-songwriter Rod Wave is 28.
Read briefingKenya remains the largest beneficiary of Agoa in the garment sector.
Read briefingWale watu mumesikia mpango yao, agenda yao, mumesikia sera yao, mumesikia maono yao? Ruto asked.
Read briefingKenya is seeking to deepen its partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate digital transformation, with a focus on digital skills, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and connectivity.The discussions were held during an official visit by Hon. William Kabogo, Cabinet Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy, to the AWS offices in Nairobi.Through the AWS re/Start programme, thousands of Kenyans have been trained in cloud computing, with the programme recording a 45 per cent placement rate among trained participants.Kabogo said Kenya is looking to scale such programmes by leveraging existing infrastructure, including Jitume Digital Hubs, while strengthening partnerships with universities and other tertiary institutions.“We must ensure that our young people are not only trained, but equipped with practical, industry-relevant skills that respond to the evolving demands of the digital economy,” Kabogo said.The CS said the government would continue working with AWS to advance digital skills development, e-government, AI and connectivity, particularly in underserved communities.The meeting was attended by Robin Njiru, Head of Public Sector, Sub-Saharan Africa at AWS; Eng. John Tanui, Principal Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy; and Paul Okwiri, CEO of Konza Technopolis, alongside other senior government officials.
Read briefingIn Côte d’Ivoire, the Singrobo-Ahouaty hydropower dam was meant to showcase President Alassane Ouattara’s vision of green growth and inclusive development. One year after the GreenFakes investigation exposed the project’s environmental costs, residents of the village of Singrobo say conditions have only worsened. Construction has ground to a halt without any official explanation. Behind the promises of modernisation, they describe inadequate compensation, damaged homes and nearly a decade of losses that, they say, have never been properly addressed.Yverin Konan’s house partially collapsed after heavy rains in June. The former fisherman from the village of Singrobo says several neighboring homes have also been destroyed or severely damaged. He blames blasting carried out during construction of the Singrobo-Ahouaty dam, located just a few kilometers away. “The cracks started opening wider and wider, and then, well, that’s how it started collapsing,” he explains in a voice message sent along with photos and videos. “It’s not even habitable anymore. It’s dangerous.”Last year, as part of the GreenFakes investigation done in partnership with media outlets Mediapart, Africa Uncensored, and Mongabay, Mediapart revealed the environmental costs associated with the megaproject. Documents produced by the French environmental consultancy Biotope and obtained by Climate Whistleblowers (CW) estimated that filling the reservoir could submerge more than 1,100 hectares (2,718 acres) of forest and aquatic ecosystems while threatening vulnerable species.The dam’s developers and financiers, who had pledged that the project would not harm the environment, have yet to respond publicly to the shortcomings identified by GreenFakes. But the damage extends well beyond the environment.One year later, CW returned to Singrobo. According to CW, no environmental compensation measures have been implemented on the ground. More strikingly, residents describe an unexpected development: Construction has been at a virtual standstill for months. The machinery has fallen silent, and no official explanation has been provided.The Singrobo-Ahouaty dam was intended to become a flagship infrastructure project. Planned to generate 44 megawatts of electricity from the Bandama River, about 140 kilometers northwest of Abidjan, it was promoted as West Africa’s first large hydropower project developed under a public-private partnership. The total investment was estimated at more than €170 million ($200 million), including €110 million ($129 million) for the design and construction of the dam itself.The 35-year concession was awarded in 2013 to Ivoire Hydro Energy (IHE), a special-purpose company created for the project by a former executive of Côte d’Ivoire’s national electricity utility. Financing was expected to come from private investors and several development finance institutions, including the African Development Bank (AfDB). Construction was awarded to the French engineering group Eiffage, while U.S.-based GE Vernova was selected to operate the facility once completed.Throughout construction, affected communities were repeatedly urged to be patient in the name of the public interest and economic development the project promised to deliver.Residents say they have never been compensated for cracks that appeared not only in their homes, but also in classrooms and the village health center. They say government-appointed experts inspected the damage, but that blasting was intentionally less intense on the day of their visit. According to residents, the assessments never acknowledged any link between the damage and construction activities.”They came and said they were old cracks,” recalls Nanan N’Dri Kouassi, the chief of Singrobo.The conclusion continues to fuel resentment, particularly for owners of homes that were newly built after dam construction began. One of the damaged houses belongs to Adama Coulibaly and Tena Traoré. Their home was built only five years ago under the resettlement program linked to the dam, after project developers relocated them to the outskirts of Singrobo.Beyond the cracked walls, the ceiling is sagging and the wooden fittings are deteriorating. “Getting water is a problem. There’s no water nearby,” Adama Coulibaly says. “That’s why my children and I have health problems because of the dirty water.” To support his claim, his wife, Tena Traoré, pulls out a stack of medical records belonging to one of their children. Coulibaly then picks up a wooden shelf, which crumbles in his hands.The couple says they have never received a formal property title. The only document they possess is a village land transfer certificate signed by the village chief in 2019.For residents such as Yverin Konan, the suspension of construction now feels like a form of justice.“Today, I say glory to God,” he says while looking toward the nearly abandoned facilities.Yet the former fisherman describes himself as an animist. For him, the Bandama River and the wildlife it once sustained, including monkeys and crocodiles, were far more than a source of income; they were sacred beings. “If I could perform other rituals to destroy it, I would. I’m happy that the dam has stopped.”
Read briefingKaspersky’s latest survey highlights a protection gap between macOS and Windows-based devices. While macOS has long been regarded as the more secure operating system, 12 percent of its users reported malware infections compared with 9percent of Windows users. Moreover, only 35percent of macOS owners install dedicated security software, versus 42 percent of Windows users. According to Kaspersky’s latest global survey, Windows users report a higher adoption rate for most security measures, while macOS users show a modest advantage in a few privacy‑focused actions. At the same time, during the past year macOS users reported higher percentages than Windows users for a number of cybersecurity incidents.The largest gap in cybersecurity approaches appears in the habit of not opening suspicious emails or links, with 62 percent of Windows users following this practice compared to 51 percent of macOS users. What’s more, when it comes to cybersecurity software installation, macOS users are also lagging behind. While among Windows users 42 percent reported using digital‑life‑protection software, for macOS this rate is only 35percent, what Kaspersky security experts call a worryingly low figure.It is noteworthy that 12 percent of macOS respondents said they fell victim to phishing (fake emails, websites or messages) over the past year compared with 9percent of Windows users. Moreover, during this period macOS users faced more scams and investment frauds (16 percent vs 13 percent), privacy violations (11 percent vs 8 percent) and thefts of personal data (12 percent vs 7 percent).To counter these specific threats, robust anti-malware and anti-phishing protection is essential. Malware authors put a lot of effort into developing new, more powerful and stealthier versions of stealers, spies and other classes of malicious payloads, while relying on phishing techniques that allows them to get access to user’s data.
Read briefingWorld Bank: Developing countries will be better off due to AI African Business
Read briefingThe High Court has declined to strike out a case challenging the governments decision to allow duty-free rice into the country.
Read briefingAfrica’s Young Disruptors: Part Two African Business
Read briefingKenyans are not safe, our children are not safe, investors are not safe and foreigners are not safe. Foreigners are not safe, Investors are not safe, no one in Kenya is safe.
Read briefingThe young disruptors making their mark in African business African Business
Read briefingThe young disruptors making their mark in African business African Business
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