Ten lions have been found dead in a suspected poisoning incident at Tanzania’s UNESCO-listed Ngorongoro Conservation Area, according to the authorities.“The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) regrets to inform the public that ten (10) lions were found dead on 18 September 2026 in the Ndutu area,” reads the statement from late Saturday.Authorities said preliminary findings suggest that the lions died after “ingesting poison”, adding that an expert investigation was ongoing “to determine the cause of the incident and identify those responsible”.Ngorongoro has been the scene of long-standing tensions between the authorities and the local nomadic community. Clashes have sometimes turned deadly since the government launched an eviction programme in 2022.The Tanzanian government argues that population growth is encroaching on wildlife habitat, with the number of people living in Ngorongoro rising from about 8,000 in 1959 to more than 100,000.Since June, at least 20 elephants have died in Kenya’s Amboseli ecosystem, near the Tanzanian border, from suspected pesticide poisoning, although authorities could not establish whether the deaths were accidental or deliberate.Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said the first 15 elephant deaths were recorded between June 24 and July 24, 2026, prompting the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), security agencies, investigators and scientific institutions to launch a multi-agency inquiry.The investigation has since expanded following the deaths of three additional elephants, bringing the total number of reported deaths to 18.Miano said comprehensive field investigations, laboratory analysis and environmental sampling had been conducted as authorities sought to establish what caused the deaths.“Preliminary laboratory results point to the probable involvement of a toxic substance,” she said.Earlier findings had indicated the possibility of cyanide poisoning linked to the ingestion of pesticide-contaminated tomatoes sourced from farms adjacent to wildlife habitats.However, the CS cautioned that the findings were still preliminary and would require further scientific verification before investigators could reach a definitive conclusion on the cause of death.The multi-agency operation has so far resulted in the arrest of four persons of interest, while investigators are pursuing another individual believed to possess information relevant to the case.A search operation conducted in Tikondo, Kimana, within Loitoktok Sub-County, also led to the recovery of assorted substances, including chemicals suspected to have been sourced from a neighbouring country.The recovered materials, some of which were unlabelled and considered potentially toxic, have been secured for further scientific examination.Miano, however, stressed that the arrests and recovery of the substances did not, by themselves, establish criminal responsibility.She said the Government would allow investigators and the courts to determine whether the suspects had committed any offence.“Any person established to have unlawfully killed, poisoned or harmed wildlife will be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” she said.The CS described the Amboseli deaths as more than a wildlife conservation matter, saying they constituted a national conservation and security concern.She noted that Kenya’s wildlife occupies diverse landscapes and seascapes, including national parks, reserves, sanctuaries, conservancies, forests, rangelands, wetlands and coastal and marine ecosystems.“Every wild animal, irrespective of species or location, forms part of the national heritage and merits protection under the law,” she said.The Government, she added, was reinforcing measures to protect wildlife through intelligence-led operations, surveillance, scientific investigations, law enforcement and rapid response mechanisms in vulnerable areas.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing Fun and joy took centre stage in Kisii on Sunday as residents joined environmentalists, government officials and development partners to celebrate World Cleanup Day — a global campaign that placed cleanliness and responsible waste management at the heart of the festivities.The celebrations at the Agricultural Training Centre (ATC) Grounds also showcased the transformation of the notorious Nyambera dumpsite in the heart of Kisii Municipality into a green recreational park.The former dumpsite, which for years stood amid homes, schools, hospitals and businesses, was decommissioned by the county government in partnership with the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).Governor Paul Simba Arati said the transformation demonstrated what could be achieved when waste was treated as a resource rather than a nuisance.“Where a mountain of garbage once stood, there is a green recreational park where the people of Kisii walk, rest and breathe clean air,” Arati said.Kisii was selected by UN-Habitat and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to host Kenya’s national celebrations, held under the theme “From Clean Plates to Clean Cities.”The event brought together UN-Habitat Director for East and Horn of Africa Ishaku Maitumbi, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o, Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary Stephen Isaboke, Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko and Nema Director-General Mamo B Mamo, among other officials.Mr Arati used the occasion to warn that poorly managed waste disposal sites could turn into deadly hazards.He cited the collapse of the Kiteezi landfill in Kampala, Uganda, in August 2024, which killed at least 35 people, as well as a landfill disaster in Conakry, Guinea, in August this year, where 36 people reportedly died after heavy rains triggered the collapse of a major waste facility.“These were not natural disasters. These were consequences of warnings ignored,” Arati said.He said Kisii could have faced a similar tragedy had the county failed to act on the Nyambera dumpsite.Kisii Municipality generates an estimated 200 tonnes of waste every day, with the amount rising on market days, according to the governor.About 60 per cent of the waste is organic, but much of it ends up buried because of inadequate separation at source.The county has established a Materials Recovery Facility at the Kisii Agricultural Training Centre with support from the UK Government through the Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) programme.The facility can process up to 50 tonnes of waste daily, including through a Black Soldier Fly unit capable of handling 10 tonnes of organic waste and converting it into animal feed and organic fertiliser.A weighbridge has also been installed to help the county collect data on waste generation and disposal.Arati said previous efforts to relocate the dumpsite had faced resistance from residents in areas such as Etora in Bobasi and Nyatieko in Kitutu Chache South.The county therefore shifted its approach from simply relocating waste to demonstrating its economic value.It is now expanding waste collection and recovery through colour-coded bins and enforcement of waste segregation at source.Under the system demonstrated during the celebrations, green bins are designated for organic waste, blue for recyclable dry waste and black for non-recyclable general waste.Nema also trained waste service providers from 12 zones in the county on waste recovery and segregation, while the Taka Ni Mali Group demonstrated composting.The county has further introduced the Kazi Mashinani programme, which engages youth and women in regular clean-up exercises and drainage maintenance.Arati said about 2,000 people are engaged every month on a rotational basis, with the programme expected to provide income opportunities to about 24,000 residents by next year.The county government has also invested in truck-mounted skip loaders and colour-coded bins and is finalising policies and by-laws aimed at strengthening the circular economy.Mr Arati said the county planned to prosecute waste management offenders through the Municipal Court, with revenue generated from penalties channelled into public education.He also invited investors to explore waste-to-energy, commercial composting, paper manufacturing and recyclable-materials value addition, saying the county was prepared to offer concessions for sustainable waste management projects.Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko’s participation, Arati said, underlined the need for counties in the Lake Region to work together in tackling the growing waste management challenge.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing As of September 19, 2026, European governments across NATO’s eastern flank are operating under heightened alert over a potential escalation of Russian hybrid operations. Poland, France, Lithuania, Latvia, and other allies have issued coordinated warnings based on intelligence assessments of possible Russian sabotage, cyberattacks, and false-flag operations targeting critical infrastructure.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on September 17, 2026, citing unidentified intelligence services, that Russia intends to launch “hybrid” attacks involving drones and missiles against countries supporting Ukraine. He warned that these potential strikes would have an “accidental” character, designed to paralyze or at least weaken the resolve of NATO states to invoke the alliance’s relevant provisions in case of aggression against a member country.“There is a real risk that drones or other types of projectiles will enter the territory of one or several countries on the eastern flank and even cause destruction,” Tusk told Poland’s parliament. “The official narration will be that it’s an accident and there is no reason for NATO to think about a response.”Tusk also suggested such attacks could coincide with political changes in European countries, bringing to power — or at least giving a strong voice to — those who, invoking noble slogans about peace and pacifism, would demand Ukraine’s total capitulation.Lithuania stated in early August 2026 that Moscow is considering a staged attack, and Poland, Latvia, and Estonia have also warned of acts of sabotage to test NATO’s response at a time when U.S. commitment to the alliance is in question.Russia’s northern NATO neighbours are tightening security around dams, power plants, and natural gas infrastructure. Lithuania dispatched the military to back up riot police in securing its liquefied natural gas import terminal, oil products terminal, a key power link with Poland, and the Kruonis Pumped Storage hydro plant. Latvia has increased security around all critical infrastructure facilities.A Baltic intelligence official said Russian military and domestic intelligence services are planning a foreign-flag operation against infrastructure in Russia or the Baltic states and Poland. In late June 2026, NATO received intelligence that Russia was preparing provocations against the Baltic states and Poland, and Western sources assessed that the risk increased after Ukrainian operations.Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas told Reuters: “We are not naive, we see the information, we read between the lines and we are doing our homework.”On August 4, 2026, a drone carrying an explosive device was discovered at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany, close to Ukrainian cargo planes. The airport is a major logistics hub for military equipment and German freight company DHL.The German government formally concluded on September 1, 2026, that Russia was responsible for the attempted drone attack and ordered a series of measures in response. German investigators identified two men with ties to Russia as suspects in the plot.Ukrainian OSCE representative Yuriy Vitrenko stated that the Leipzig/Halle attack is part of a broader Moscow hybrid campaign across Europe — from sabotage and recruitment of intermediaries to GPS interference, cyberattacks, threats to underwater infrastructure, and repeated violations of NATO airspace.Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin labelled the Leipzig drone incident a “full-blown Russian attack” rather than a hybrid threat, stating that findings from Belgian services and partners point to Russian involvement in planning and execution.On September 15, 2026, jets deployed to the NATO air defense mission shot down what is alleged to have been a Russian drone violating Lithuanian airspace.On July 30, 2026, a missile — which Polish authorities believe was most likely a Russian Kh-101 — exploded near Tarnawa-Kolonia in the Lublin Voivodeship.On August 16, a Spanish F/A-18 deployed in the NATO air policing mission shot down a drone that illegally entered Romanian airspace.On September 8, Moldovan authorities reported two Russian drones violating the country’s airspace, one of which crashed in Moldova while the other continued toward Romania.In August 2026, attack drones were found hidden at an airport in Germany that serves as a transit hub for NATO.Russia has been using a facility in Kaliningrad to direct Ukrainian drones toward the Baltic states and Finland by jamming the drones’ signals and spoofing them with false navigation data.Lithuania’s Communications Regulatory Authority reported that Russia has increased its GPS jamming capability from 3 stations in early 2025 to 36 stations, with the radius of false GPS signals reaching 450 kilometers from Kaliningrad.GPS interference across the Baltic Sea region is eroding satellite navigation reliability, forcing aviation and defense sectors to prepare for unreliable satellite navigation.
Read briefing In high-growth industries, innovation is often treated as the primary driver of success. New platforms, new products and rapid market entry dominate leadership conversations. Yet organisations that grow fastest are often those most vulnerable to instability. Without operational discipline, early momentum can quickly become fragility.This tension between creativity and control has defined much of Guerassim Nikolov’s leadership career across sports, gaming and entertainment. As founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of SportPesa, and through earlier ventures in lottery, casino and gaming operations in Bulgaria, Armenia and Kenya, Guerassim Nikolov has built businesses in environments where growth is inseparable from regulation, compliance and operational risk.Rather than treating discipline as a brake on innovation, he has positioned it as the condition that makes innovation scalable.“When you’re operating in regulated markets, speed alone is never a strategy,” says Guerassim Nikolov. “If the foundations aren’t in place, growth just magnifies the problems.”This philosophy became particularly visible when SportPesa launched in 2014. The digital sports and betting sector was expanding rapidly across Africa and parts of Europe, yet regulatory frameworks were tightening and evolving. In Kenya, for example, oversight by the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) was increasingly active, particularly as public scrutiny of gaming intensified.Instead of prioritising customer acquisition at all costs, expansion decisions were paired with deliberate investment in governance structures, local compliance expertise and operational reporting systems. Compliance teams were established early. Licensing procedures were approached methodically. Responsible gaming policies were embedded before aggressive scaling.The 2019–2020 regulatory changes in Kenya, which included tax adjustments and stricter enforcement measures across the betting sector, reinforced this approach. Several operators publicly struggled to adjust to the shifting environment. For Nikolov, the period validated earlier investments in internal controls and fiscal planning. Rather than reacting impulsively, the organisation focused on recalibrating operations within the revised framework.“Regulation will always evolve,” he notes. “The question is whether your business is built to adjust without panic.”That capacity to absorb policy change without structural breakdown reflects operational discipline designed from inception. It also demonstrates that in regulated industries, resilience is often the most powerful form of innovation.Nikolov’s background prior to SportPesa reinforced these lessons. In Bulgaria and Armenia, casino and bingo operations operate under strict licensing regimes. In Kenya, lottery and gaming businesses face oversight not only from licensing bodies but also from revenue authorities and public policy scrutiny. These environments require precise record-keeping, auditable systems and clear accountability chains.“In these industries, discipline isn’t bureaucracy,” says Guerassim Nikolov. “It’s what protects the business when conditions change.”McKinsey research shows that high-performing growth organisations embed governance and performance discipline early, allowing innovation to scale without destabilising operations. Leaders who delay operational structure often pay for it later through compliance failures or reputational damage.For Nikolov, leadership is about sequencing ambition correctly. Structure precedes scale. Governance supports creativity. Control enables growth.In fast-moving digital markets, the difference between momentum and sustainability lies in operational design. Guerassim Nikolov’s leadership demonstrates that innovation thrives most reliably when it operates inside strong institutional foundations rather than in spite of them.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing Former Law Society of Kenya president Faith Odhiambo has raised concerns over the Controller of Budget’s reported inability to trace certain government funds and levies because they are held outside the Consolidated Fund.Odhiambo said the situation raises constitutional questions about the management and oversight of public finances, arguing that Article 206(1) of the Constitution requires money raised or received by or on behalf of the national government to be paid into the Consolidated Fund, except where an exception is expressly authorised by law.She said the constitutional framework was designed to ensure that public money remains traceable and subject to oversight.“By constitutional design, public money must be traceable and accountable,” Odhiambo said, warning that arrangements that limit such visibility could weaken public-finance controls established under the 2010 Constitution.She pointed to Articles 206 and 228, which provide for the administration and oversight of public funds, including the Controller of Budget’s role in authorising withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund and other public funds within the constitutional framework.Odhiambo said the concern was particularly relevant in the debate over the proposed Sovereign Wealth Fund, where she argued that a fund operating without proceeds first being credited to the Consolidated Fund and without appropriate oversight by the Controller of Budget could create a parallel financial structure outside the national budget framework.She said such arrangements could reduce Parliament’s ability to scrutinise public expenditure and limit independent oversight.Her comments come against the backdrop of government spending figures contained in the Controller of Budget’s National Government Budget Implementation Review Report for the 2025/26 financial year.The report records total national government travel expenditure at Sh30.69 billion during the year ended June 30, 2026. Of this, Sh21.98 billion was spent on domestic travel while Sh8.71 billion went towards foreign travel.State House recorded the highest travel expenditure at Sh2.5 billion, comprising KSh2.4 billion on domestic travel and KSh159 million on foreign travel.It was followed by the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration at Sh1.4 billion, the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services at Sh1.1 billion, and the Office of the Deputy President at Sh655 million.Odhiambo argued that the scale of expenditure makes effective financial oversight particularly important, especially where some funds and levies may not be visible through the conventional Consolidated Fund framework.She said public finance management should ensure that Parliament, the Controller of Budget and the Auditor-General can track public resources from collection to expenditure.“The Constitution does not entertain secret budgets,” Odhiambo said, arguing that revenue collected from citizens should be subjected to clear legal and institutional oversight.She called for all government revenue to be routed through the appropriate constitutional and statutory mechanisms, alongside timely publication of financial accounts and stronger enforcement mechanisms allowing Parliament and oversight institutions to trace public funds.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing The Trump administration will convene a high-level event on artificial intelligence on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Wednesday, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN, as the issue is expected to loom large over the global gathering.The US event, to which multiple countries have been invited, comes as questions of AI and security have taken on new urgency amid dire warningsabout the potential existential threat posed by artificial intelligence.Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has raged against the idea of government regulations, alleging concerns about the technology are a “hoax.”The US event is slated to take place the same day as a UN Security Council meeting on AI and security, to discuss the risks being seen by AI companies and executives. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is expected to brief that meeting, an OpenAI spokesperson told CNN.US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jacob Helberg, and Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Sarah Rogers will host the US event.The US is billing it as chance to talk about partnering with the US on AI, according to a source familiar with the event, and there is expected to be a discussion about the “policy, legal, and regulatory conditions that enable adoption at scale, including free expression considerations.” CNN has reached out to the State Department for comment.Claire Melamed, the Vice President for AI and Digital Cooperation at the United Nations Foundation said there are “many side events at the global gathering focused on AI, but it’s “less clear how much it’s going to be an agenda in the main formal business.”The UN is “still very much sort of setting the stage, setting out positions, trying to work out, as many other organizations are too, really what the UN’s role should be,” she said.Melamed said “there’s increasing interest in the UN having a potential role in crisis management.”“If there’s a huge AI-generated cyberattack and you’re working in a hospital in Zambia or you know a bank in Botswana, and this cyberattack is starting to spill beyond your borders, you don’t know what to do, who you’re going to call? Well, often it’s the UN,” she explained. “There’s a lot of interest in that, and sort of the role of the UN in equalizing access to some of the AI governance instruments and safeguards.”Melamed said she does not expect “a firm deliverable” coming out of the UN Security Council meeting on AI because of the “very different positions that there are among the permanent members of the Security Council, never mind everyone else in the UN.” The US, China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom are the permanent members of the UNSC.She said she believes most people will be waiting to see what comes out of the meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping next Thursday, where AI is expected to be a key topic of discussion.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing Millions in Cuba were left without power on Friday as the country was plunged into yet another major blackout.The country’s entire electricity grid suffered “total disconnection” that triggered a nationwide outage, Cuba’s energy ministry said.Power was restored to some priority areas by late evening, including those near hospitals and water pumping stations in the capital Havana, grid operator UNE said.It is at least the sixth partial or total blackout to hit Cuba this year, where ageing electricity infrastructure and chronic fuel shortages have been placed under further strain by a US blockade on oil shipments to the communist-run nation.UNE said the outage started just before 14:00 local time on Friday (18:00 GMT) due to a transmission fault coupled with poor weather conditions in central Cuba.Protocols to begin the “gradual restoration” of power were activated, the operator’s national load dispatch director Felix Estrada said, with the process ongoing on Saturday.Cuba relies heavily on fuel imports, meaning tight US sanctions and an oil blockade since the start of the year have exacerbated existing shortages.Food and medicine have also become more scarce, with hospitals struggling to function normally and schools and government offices having to close.“Lately, it’s becoming a habit,” Havana resident Frank Lorenzo told news agency Reuters on Friday.“Before it happened less frequently – once a month… just yesterday we were 24 hours without electricity, they turned it on for just an hour and it went down again.”“It’s one thing after another: no water, no gas for cooking, no electricity,” 36-year-old schoolteacher Lidia Fernandez told news agency AFP. “Honestly, I don’t know how we haven’t gone crazy.”Francisco Rodriguez, 78, said his home had already gone without power for 28 hours on Friday and feared he would not have light “for several days”.The repeated blackouts have prompted rare protests in Cuba, where unauthorised demonstrations are illegal and those who defy the ban risk being jailed.Havana has blamed its fuel crisis on the Trump administration and denounced all of its sanctions – including a new round announced in August – which are part of a wider pressure campaign against the Caribbean island’s leadership.Cuba’s regional ally Venezuela was believed to have sent it around 35,000 barrels of oil a day – about half of its oil needs – until Venezuela’s own supplies were cut off following the US seizure of its President Nicolás Maduro in January.US President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on countries shipping oil to Havana, and a number of such shipments have been seized by the US.Washington meanwhile attributes Cuba’s energy crisis to poor internal management and has accused it of posing a “national security threat”. Trump has openly discussed toppling its leadership, including threatening a “friendly takeover” in March this year.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing The helicopter that crashed at Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, killing all seven people on board, struck a rock formation near the summit while conducting a low-level flight close to the cliff face, a preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) on Friday showed.The Airbus EC130 B4, registration 5Y-GYM and operated by Lady Lori (Kenya) Limited, crashed at about 9:13 am on August 19, 2026 descending the mountainside and over a cliff before hitting the ground.“First responders accessed the hilly crash site and located the burning wreckage. Tragically, all seven occupants suffered fatal injuries. The helicopter was destroyed by impact forces and post-crash fire,” a statement from the Ministry of Transport that gives a brief overview of the report adds.The victims included the pilot Josh Outram, former Ecuadorian Chief of Intelligence Michele Sensi Contugi, his wife, Stephany Holihan, Roger Edward Duarte, José Alberto Suárez, Adam Hlavaty and Henry Parra.Ground marks consistent with an impact by the landing gear skid were identified at the scene.Following this ground contact, the helicopter likely tumbled down the steep slope and fell over the cliff.There were two distinct wreckage sites: one on the steep slope (point of impact)covering an area approximately 25 m x 50 m, and another at the base of the cliff (main crash site) measuring approximately 25 m x 15 m, the report says.A landing gear skid, door gas strut, and the left cargo door were recovered 1 m, 6 m, and 40 m, respectively, from the point of impact.Paint transfers left on the rocks indicated that the fuselage impacted the terrain while sliding down the slope.Furthermore, debris patterns and strike marks on the surrounding vegetation and rocks indicated that the main rotor had struck the ground.Some of the parts, like the sliding door, dummy door, and a landing gear skid, were moved to a central place at the top of the mountain by the local first responders.The remaining wreckage fell down the cliff and was destroyed by impact forces and the ensuing fire.The main rotor blades, although broken, were found attached to the mast. The tail rotor and boom were the only parts that survived fairly intact.Transport CS Davis Chirchir said in accordance with the provisions of Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, investigators from the AAID were immediately deployed to undertake the onsite investigation into the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.“The investigation is ongoing to determine the circumstances, probable causes, and contributing factors of the accident. The sole objective of the investigation of an accident or incident shall be the prevention of accidents and incidents. It is not the purpose of this activity to apportion blame or liability,” it adds.Chirchir further assured the public that aviation safety remains its highest priority and expressed commitment to continued engagement with all the parties affected until the investigation is concluded.The report said the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) notified the Aircraft Accident Investigation Department (AAID) of the State Department for Aviation and Aerospace Development (SDAAD) in the Ministry of Roads and Transport of the accident involving an Airbus EC130B4 helicopter, registration 5Y-GYM, which occurred at Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County on 19 August 2026.AAID investigators were deployed to the site to conduct an initial onsite investigation and witness interviews.After the initial on-site investigation phase, the occurrence was classified as an “accident” in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Annex 13 provisions.Subsequently, in accordance with ICAO Annex 13 protocols, the AAID notified the Bureau d’enquêtes et d’analyses pour la sécurité de l’aviation civile / Bureauof Investigation and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), France, as the aircraft accident investigation authority of the State of Design and Manufacture of the helicopter and engine.The BEA assigned an Accredited Representative (ACCREP) under ICAO Annex 13 to support the AAID investigation.The Junta Investigadora de Accidentes of the Republic of Ecuador as well as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States of America, the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the United Kingdom; and the Agenzia nazionale per la sicurezza del volo (ANSV) of Italy, as the aircraft accident investigation authorities of the States that suffered fatalities to their citizens and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) were also informed.Airbus Helicopters (the airframe manufacturer), Safran Helicopter Engines (the engine manufacturer), and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) each assigned a Technical Advisor to support the investigation were notified.Additionally, the NTSB, AAIB, and ANSV each assigned an expert under the provisions of The Junta Investigadora de Accidentes of the Republic of Ecuador opted not to appoint an expert and requested that a copy of the Final Report be sent once it has been completed, the report says.
Read briefing A man who spent nearly two decades in prison over one of India’s most notorious murder cases has died, months after he was released, according to media reports. Surinder Koli, 50, was found hanged inside a tea stall he ran in Haridwar in the northern state of Uttarakhand, on Friday, reports say.He was released in 2025 after India’s top court acquitted him in the final case against him linked to the 2006 killings of women and children in Nithari, a village on the outskirts of Delhi.His body has been recovered and an investigation launched, according to reports.The 2006 case shocked India after the remains of 19 women and children were found near a bungalow. NDTV, quoting police said Koli was found hanged inside a tea stall on Friday morning, with no suicide note found at the scene.When the case emerged, it sparked national outrage and questions over whether police had ignored complaints from families whose children had gone missing.Koli and his employer, businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, were arrested in 2006 after body parts were found near Pandher’s home in Nithari. Police alleged the murders took place there, where Koli worked as a servant.The revelations triggered national outrage. Many parents accused authorities of ignoring complaints about the missing children for more than two years. The case also exposed India’s deep social divides. Many victims came from poor migrant families, while the bungalow where the men lived was in a more affluent part of the neighbourhood.India’s top investigative agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), filed 19 cases against the two men. Koli was accused of murder, kidnapping, rape and destroying evidence, while Pandher was charged with immoral trafficking.In 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli in 12 cases. Pandher was also acquitted in two cases that year and released.In November last year, the Supreme Court acquitted Koli in the final case, ruling that his confession – which included claims of cannibalism and necrophilia – had been extracted under torture. He was set free after 19 years in prison.After his release, Koli reportedly moved to Haridwar, where he had been running a rented tea stall for the past few months.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing The lone holdout juror in the trial of Lindsay Clancy has said he “didn’t have any doubts” that she was criminally responsible for killing her three children. “Based on all the physical evidence, key witnesses and what the prosecution presents, I thought it was enough proof that she knew exactly what she was doing and planned it,” Michael Desronvil said in a statement to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.The judge declared a mistrial on 4 September after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict following nearly 40 hours of deliberating.Clancy admitted to the killings but her lawyers argued she had been suffering from postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors said the killings were calculated.The 36-year-old was charged with three counts of first-degree murder after strangling Cora, five, Dawson, three, and Callan, eight months, at the family’s Massachusetts home before jumping out of the second-floor window.To find Clancy guilty, jurors had to be unanimously convinced beyond reasonable doubt that she intentionally killed her children and that she did not do so as a result of postpartum psychosis, a rare and serious condition.The jury – nine women and three men – considered a range of options including not guilty by reason of insanity, manslaughter and first-degree murder.Several jurors have said following the mistrial being declared that the panel was ultimately divided 11-1 in favour of finding Clancy not criminally responsible.Desronvil said he believed the evidence presented in court showed she had planned the killings. “I didn’t have any doubts,” he said in a statement to CBS on Thursday.“As I tried to explain different possible theories during deliberation, I kept getting cut off as if I had doubts based on the evidence presented.”Paula Devlin, one of the other jurors, told CBS Mornings that the panel had spent several days trying to convince Desronvil to change his mind.“We all worked together to convince ourselves once we got to that point where it was 10 to 2,” she said.The jury foreperson, a retired fifth-grade teacher, described not being able to reach a verdict as “awful” and an “emotional rollercoaster”.She told NBC that Desronvil had “admitted he had reasonable doubt”, but as she started filling out the verdict sheets, he apparently said: “But I’m still not going to say that she’s not guilty by reason of insanity.”Another juror told local CBS station WBZ-TV that most of the jurors had been “very firm in their stance” from the start and “the stand-alone juror was not the only one that was unwilling to see things from the other side”.But they added that because Desronvil would not “follow” his reasonable doubt nor offer logical reasoning for his position, they felt Clancy had not received a fair trial.The identities of all 11 jurors have not been officially disclosed but in the US, once a case is over, any juror can choose to speak publicly about a case and their deliberations.Patrick Clancy, the children’s father and Lindsay Clancy’s ex-husband, is due to speak publicly about the case in an interview with the CBS programme 60 Minutes on Sunday.In it, he is expected to discuss his grief, his memories of his children and the conspiracy theories that have flooded social media since the trial began.He said he still speaks to his children “all the time”, describing it as “a way I stay connected to them”.During the trial, Clancy’s defence team had attempted to use her being put on more than a dozen medications in the lead-up to the killings, as well as seeking help from a suicide hotline and an emergency room, as evidence of her psychosis.Postpartum psychosis can involve hallucinations and delusions, and her lawyers argued that she was unable to understand the nature of her actions or distinguish right from wrong.A forensic psychiatrist who testified for the defence said Clancy experienced a “command hallucination” and a “delusion of influence” when she killed her children.However, her psychiatrist testified for the prosecution that Clancy did not show signs of psychosis during their sessions, while another psychiatrist noted that the condition was not currently recognised by the American Psychiatric Association.Under Massachusetts law, prosecutors had to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that Clancy was criminally responsible for the jury to find her guilty. The defence did not have to prove her mental illness or lack of criminal responsibility.The mistrial leaves the case unresolved. Prosecutors have not said whether they will seek a retrial. Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, has said he hopes to reach an agreement with prosecutors to avoid a second trial.He told ABC’s Good Morning America that he was upset that the lone juror would not acquit Clancy. He said the holdout “would not apply the law of reasonable doubt” as instructed by the judge, adding: “That’s not right. And that’s why I was upset.”The next court hearing is scheduled for 29 September at Plymouth Superior Court in Massachusetts.
Read briefing Warren Buffett, who ended his decades-long tenure as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of last year, is giving up the chairman post he has held since 1970.Buffett, 96, will remain on the board to serve as Chairman Emeritus. His son Howard, a board member since 1993, will take over the role as chairmanKnown as the “Oracle of Omaha,” Buffett built Berkshire into one of the world’s most valuable companies using his theory of value investing, greatly outperforming the broader market. He also became the world’s 10th richest person and one of the most generous philanthropists. Today, he has a net worth of $145 billion according to Bloomberg’s Billionaire Index.In a letter to Berkshire shareholders Friday, Buffett said that he is stepping aside partly because CEO Greg Abel has exceeded his expectations. But he also said acknowledged his age in the letter, mentioning that his great-grandson, who just turned one, is “moving a bit faster than I am these days.”“Father Time always wins,” he wrote. “He has, however, been generous with me. He has given me the opportunity to see Berkshire reach a point where I am more confident than ever about what lies ahead.”Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing Thirty-seven people accused of illegal mining in north-central Nigeria have died in custody, local officials said. Police have set up an investigation into the deaths, which the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) blamed on an apparent disease outbreak.However, an intelligence report shared with AFP news agency suggested the group died because of overcrowding and poor ventilation inside the detention facility in Niger state.“We believe they suffocated because there was no ventilation,” the father of one of those detained told the BBC.His son described how detainees began collapsing in the heat of the overcrowded and poorly ventilated cell, his father said.He said the detainees repeatedly knocked on the door for help but nobody opened it.State governor Mohammed Umaru Bago called the deaths “sad and tragic” during a press conference on Thursday.He declared three days of mourning and postponed the start of campaigning for elections scheduled for January.Officials had arrested the group of young men on Tuesday for suspected illegal mining near Borgu, in the mineral-rich state of Niger. The region is known for small-scale gold mining.Two days later, 37 people detained as part of the suspected unlawful operation were found dead inside the detention centre run by the NSCDC, a paramilitary agency responsible for protecting critical infrastructure and tackling crimes including illegal mining. It also assists police with internal security operations.The NSCDC told the BBC that illegal mining was widespread in Niger state, where artisanal miners often operate in open fields.Its spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, said more than 50 people were arrested during an operation earlier this week. They had not been charged because profiling and documentation were still under way before the deaths, he said.The NSCDC had earlier said the detainees were possibly victims of a diphtheria outbreak, a serious bacterial infection that can be fatal.But the agency’s national headquarters later said the cause had not been established and would require medical and laboratory tests.“The NSCDC wishes to clarify that reports attributing the deaths to any specific disease remain subject to medical and laboratory confirmation,” it added in a statement.Dalhatu told the BBC that security officers had been pursuing suspected illegal miners in the community for several days before making arrests.He said relatives went to the NSCDC office seeking their release but were repeatedly told to return later. “Unfortunately, the following day we got the news that our children had died,” he added.One father told Nigerian media that his son had appeared healthy when relatives took him food the day before his death and called for an independent post-mortem examination.Another relative, whose 17-year-old brother was among those who died, said the family had visited him during his detention and questioned how a disease could have killed so many detainees without apparently affecting their guards.Niger’s police chief ordered an immediate investigation into “the unfortunate death of suspected illegal miners while in the detention facility of the NSCDC”, spokesman Wasiu Abiodun wrote in a statement.The victim’s bodies have since been taken to the general hospital in nearby Minna for examination. It is not clear yet whether any of the suspects had been charged.Nigeria’s constitution requires anyone detained on suspicion of a criminal offence to be brought before a court within a “reasonable time” – generally within a day where a court is available within 40km (25 miles), or two days in other cases, unless a longer period is considered reasonable.The scramble for gold reserves dug up in illegal mines in Niger state has been blamed for fuelling criminal gang violence, according to officials and experts.Much of the gold in the region is trafficked through global supply chains, a 2024 SwissAid report found.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing Today, the German Consulate General in St. Petersburg ceased operations after more than 50 years, with staff removing the German coat of arms and flags from the building on Furshtatskaya Street. The closure comes ahead of the September 18 deadline set by Moscow and marks another stark low point in German-Russian relations.The Russian government ordered the shutdown as a retaliatory measure. It follows Germany’s decision to close the Russian Consulate General in Bonn and the Russian House cultural centre in Berlin. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on September 7 that the St. Petersburg consulate must close by September 18, with all staff required to leave Russia by that date.The closure also follows a broader reduction of Germany’s consular network in Russia. By the end of 2023, Germany had already been required to close its consulates general in Kaliningrad, Yekaterinburg, and Novosibirsk. St. Petersburg was the last German consulate general outside Moscow.The German Embassy in Moscow remains open and now assumes the consular responsibilities previously handled by the St. Petersburg consulate. The Russian embassy in Berlin also continues to operate, meaning diplomatic relations have not been severed—but the channels have narrowed significantly.Visa applications can be booked through the service provider Visametric after successful online payment. Consular services such as passport and ID card matters, civil status affairs, and certifications generally require an online appointment. An emergency duty service is available outside regular opening hours.For German citizens in St. Petersburg and northwestern Russia, the closure means longer journeys to Moscow for routine consular services. For Russian citizens applying for Schengen visas, the process now runs through the embassy’s visa department in Moscow rather than a local consulate.Beyond logistics, the closure is symbolic. St. Petersburg has long been a key diplomatic and cultural bridge between Germany and Russia. Removing the German coat of arms from Furshtatskaya Street is a visible sign of how far the relationship has fallen.This is not an isolated event. It is part of a tit-for-tat spiral that has accelerated since 2022, with both sides reducing diplomatic footprints and expelling staff. The closure of the St. Petersburg consulate is both a practical blow to consular access and a powerful symbol of estrangement.Diplomacy continues—but through a much narrower channel. For now, the German Embassy in Moscow is the primary point of contact for Germans and visa applicants across Russia.Bottom line: If you need consular help, contact the German Embassy in Moscow. Check germania.diplo.de for the latest hours, appointment rules, and emergency contact information.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing As of the 2026 Henley Passport Index, the Kenyan passport ranks 68th globally, granting holders visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 69 destinations . This is a five-place improvement from 73rd in 2025, though the number of accessible destinations fell by one from the previous year’s 70 . The ranking is based on data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and measures the number of destinations accessible without a prior visa .Within Africa, Kenya holds 10th place, behind Seychelles, Mauritius, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Morocco and Malawi . Seychelles leads the continent with visa-free access to 154 destinations, followed by Mauritius with 145 . In East Africa, Kenya ranks first, ahead of Rwanda and Tanzania (tied 69th, with access to 68 destinations each) and Uganda (72nd, with 65 destinations) .Kenyan passport holders have visa-free access to 37 destinations, visa on arrival or facilitated entry to 33 destinations, and electronic travel authorisation (eTA) to 5 destinations . A further 123 destinations require a visa, representing 62.1% of countries covered . Within Africa, Kenyans can access 71.7% of destinations, including 19 visa-free countries and 16 offering visa on arrival . The Caribbean offers the widest access at 81.3%, while Europe sits at 2.1% and the Middle East at 5.9% .Under the East African Community framework, Kenyan citizens can travel freely without visas to Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan . Other notable visa-free destinations include Botswana (90 days), South Africa (30 days), Ghana (90 days), Mauritius (90 days), Zambia (90 days) and Zimbabwe (90 days) . Caribbean visa-free destinations include Barbados (6 months), Dominica (21 days) and Haiti (3 months) . Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines also offer visa-free entry for short staysThe Kenyan passport is valid for 10 years and is non-renewable; holders must apply for a new passport upon expiry . Kenya issues a third-generation e-Passport, introduced in 2017 . According to the Directorate of Immigration Services, current fees are Kshs. 7,550 for 34 pages, Kshs. 9,550 for 50 pages, and Kshs. 12,050 for 66 pages . The eCitizen portal lists slightly different figures for 32-, 48- and 64-page booklets . Replacement of a lost passport costs Kshs. 12,050, and a mutilated passport Kshs. 10,050 .Historically, Kenya’s strongest passport ranking was 52nd in 2006, while its weakest over the past two decades was 77th in 2021 . In 2025, Kenya introduced visa waivers for nearly all African nationals, allowing stays of up to 60 days . This policy earned Kenya a top Henley Openness score, but full visa reciprocity for Kenyan citizens remains limited in some parts of the continentEmail your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing A voter has filed a constitutional petition at the High Court in Nairobi, seeking to compel Senator Edwin Sifuna to account for millions of shillings raised through his Linda Mwananchi political movement, warning that the funds could be diverted if the senator abandons his presidential ambitions.Alan Masakhalia, who describes himself as a Nairobi County resident and pro-democracy activist, filed the petition on September 16, 2026, naming Sifuna as the first respondent and the Linda Mwananchi Movement as the second.The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the Registrar of Political Parties are listed as the third and fourth respondents.At the heart of the petition is a modest contribution Sh55, sent via M-Pesa through Paybill Number 3033049, which Sifuna unveiled on July 21, 2026, to fund the Linda Mwananchi movement.Masakhalia said he made the contribution voluntarily, in reliance on public representations that the money would support a citizens-driven political project associated with Sifuna’s potential 2027 presidential bid.“I did not make the contribution as a private gift to the 1st Respondent for his personal use. Neither was I responding to a medical or educational fundraiser; my contribution was clearly towards Hon. Sifuna’s Presidential Campaign kitty,” Masakhalia said in his supporting affidavit.Court documents state that approximately 9,419 people contributed about Sh519,144 on the first day of the fundraising, with the total rising to approximately Sh2,210,836.82 within 36 hours.The petition, filed under Articles 22 and 258 of the Constitution, asks the High Court to determine whether Kenyans who contributed money to the publicly promoted political campaign have enforceable constitutional and legal rights to accountability, transparency, and proper use of the funds.The court was also asked to decide whether public appeals for donations created a legitimate expectation that the money would be used for its stated purpose, and whether abandoning or redirecting the project after raising funds could amount to a breach of constitutional or statutory obligations.Masakhalia said that he is not asking the court to force Sifuna to run for president.“The Petitioner does not ask the Court to compel the 1st Respondent to express political views contrary to his conscience,” the petition stated.Instead, he argued that the court should determine whether a politician can lawfully raise money from the public for a declared presidential bid and later abandon that bid or redirect the funds while endorsing another candidate.“Can Sifuna collect money from the public in the name of his candidacy only to later abandon the quest? Can he legally collect these funds only to later divert and endorse some other candidate?” read the court documents.The petition cited public statements in which Sifuna reportedly said he “won’t be the obstacle to opposition unity” and could support other candidates, including Dr. Fred Matiang’i, Kalonzo Musyoka, or Rigathi Gachagua. Masakhalia argues that such a shift would leave contributors shortchanged.“The Petitioner is concerned that if the political project is abandoned, transferred or materially altered, the funds contributed by citizens could potentially be transferred, diverted or applied to another political purpose without the contributors having adequate information concerning what has happened to their money,” the petition reads.Pending the hearing and determination of the petition, Masakhalia is seeking conservatory orders to restrain Sifuna and the Linda Mwananchi Movement from disposing of, transferring, diverting, or dissipating funds solicited through Paybill 3033049.He also wants the court to compel the respondents to disclose the total amount received, the accounts holding the funds, all expenditure incurred, and the identity of persons with signatory authority.“The substratum of the Petition is therefore capable of being defeated if the funds are dissipated or the relevant financial records are destroyed, concealed or transferred,” the petition warns.The petition is supported by annexures including M-Pesa transaction screenshots showing contributions sent to “E SIFUNA” for amounts ranging from Sh10 to Sh2,000, with account names including “Ochieng Barasa,” “Nina,” “Jacob Ndagwa,” “Bonface,” and “Jamlax.” Masakhalia’s own transaction, dated September 15, 2026, shows Sh55 paid to “E SIFUNA AND ASSOCIATES ADVOCATES” via Paybill 3033049, with transaction code UIFGL6LZQJ.Beyond the conservatory orders, Masakhalia is seeking declarations from the court on whether citizens who contributed to the political project acquired enforceable constitutional and statutory interests in the proper use and accounting of their contributions.He also wants the court to determine whether public representations about the purpose of the contributions can create enforceable obligations and legitimate expectations, and whether abandoning or diverting a publicly funded political project can attract legal consequences.
Read briefing Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has resigned after his ruling right-wing bloc was narrowly defeated by the centre-left opposition in the country’s general election. He made the announcement in a post on X on Thursday afternoon, after preliminary votes from Sunday’s election showed about 50,000 votes separated the two blocs in the country of about 10 million people.Opposition parties led by Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats look set to win 176 seats in the 349-seat Riksdag, Sweden’s parliament. Kristersson, a conservative, had been supported in government by the anti-immigration hard-right Sweden Democrats (SD), and had promised them cabinet jobs if he won the election. His right-wing bloc looks set to win 173 seats in the Riksdag, according to data from the Swedish Election Authority.The results will be subject to formal certification in the coming days and are expected to finalised this weekend.In Sweden, there are two major political blocs – with four parties on the right and four on the left, so Swedes are used to coalition and minority governments.After a prime minister resigns, the Speaker of the Riksdag holds talks with all parties to proposes a candidate for the next leader, which is then voted on by MPs.“Now it is the speaker who will lead the next stage of the way to a new government. I am herewith requesting that I be relieved of the office of prime minister to allow that work to start immediately,” Kristersson’s statement read.In a speech posted on Instagram, Andersson said: “The Swedish people have voted for a new direction for our country”.The Social Democrats have regularly led Swedish governments since World War Two and have been the country’s dominant political force for much of the last century.Its leader, Andersson, is expected to return to power after four years in opposition, and has initiated talks with the other opposition parties – The Left Party, The Centre Party and The Green Party – about forming a government.But discussions could drag on due to major differences between the parties on issues such as taxes. After the 2022 election in Sweden, it took 37 days to form a government, while in 2018 it took 134 days.In his resignation, Kristersson said the opposition faced “complicated” conditions for forming the next government, “because the parties’ various statements before election day could pose obstacles”. The right-wing bloc is formed of Kristersson’s Moderates, as well as the SD, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals.The SD were founded by Nazi sympathisers in the 1980s and were shunned for decades by the mainstream. But the party has rebranded itself since the mid-2000s, culminating in a watershed moment in 2022 when it became Sweden’s second-largest party on a campaign focused on issues around immigration and violent crime.They had offered outside support to the current centre-right coalition, which had overseen a dramatic tightening of migration policy. Kristersson had promised to bring them into government if he remained at the helm.But in a surprise upset for the party, it lost support for the first time since entering parliament in 2010 – down three percentage points on 2022.A preliminary vote count started after voting closed on Sunday evening and continued into this week. On Wednesday, election committees began counting early votes that were submitted late, as well as votes from abroad that did not arrive before election day.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has vowed to ignore detractors keen to distract him from delivering development to the people of Kenya.The DP said he is fully focused on assisting President William Ruto to complete development projects and roll out more in every part of the country in a bid to improve the lives of all Kenyans.“Those we are competing with only know how to insult and come up with slogans. I am not going to engage them because it is not what Kenyans want. They want roads, modern markets, water and better hospitals and this is what we are focused on,” DP said.Speaking on Thursday when he inspected ongoing development projects in Igembe South Constituency in Meru County, Prof. Kindiki also said he has forgiven leaders from the County who have developed a habit of insulting him.“They are insulting the President and insulting me. I have forgiven them unconditionally. They are my brothers and I will not insult them. I remain focused on serving the people of Meru and the people of Kenya,” he said.Instead, the DP reiterated, he will use the time to ensure faster completion of many projects which are underway in the County as he pushes for commencement of others.“I will work hard and I will account for my time in office. We still have more roads to build, more markets to complete and other projects we are keen to finish,” he added.Projects underway in Igembe South include the elevation of Nyambene Level 4 Hospital to Level 5 at a cost of 100 million shillings. Construction of Maua Modern Market at 450 million shillings is also nearing completion.The two projects, which the DP inspected and directed faster completion, are among several costing billions of shillings going on in the County which are being speeded up for the people to benefit from them.The upgrading of Meru Teaching and Teaching Referral Hospital to Level 6 at 1 billion shillings is progressing well.Construction of 21 modern markets in major towns— Kangeta, Laare, Mutuati, Mikinduri, Timau, Kianjaiamong others—is going on in the devolved unit. Gakoromone Modern Market in Meru town has been allocated 1 billion shillings and is set to be one of the biggest in the country.Meru has also benefitted from the extensive roads development programme with many stalled roads revived and new ones commissioned. In total, the county has received 39 billion shillings for the road projects and another 3.7 billion shillings for link roads in Meru town.The Meru County Aggregation and Industrial Park constructed at 500 million shillings is almost complete. It is among the CAIPs set to be officially opened in the coming weeks.Prof. Kindiki said construction of Maua Stadium, which has already been allocated 300 million shillings but delayed by land ownership wrangles, is set to commence.The Deputy President directed contractors of the projects to absorb more young people in the area.With these projects set for completion, Prof. Kindiki challenged the opposition to get ready for a tough contest over who cares about the welfare of Kenyans when the time comes to account.“They should be ready to tell the people what they did for them when they were in power. We have a scorecard to present to them so they should be ready with theirs,” DP stated.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing The National Police Service (NPS) has commended Kenyans for maintaining peace and observing the law during a political rally held at Jacaranda Grounds in Embakasi, Nairobi, on Sunday, September 13, 2026. In a statement, NPS spokesperson Muchirinyaga said the Service had received positive feedback from members of the public following the rally, which was conducted peacefully.The spokesperson noted that the event was characterised by mutual respect and restraint among organisers, participants and security officers.“What was witnessed on Sunday is precisely what the National Police Service has consistently advocated: that we can exercise our constitutional freedoms peacefully and within the law,” the statement said. The NPS praised members of the public for their cooperation, maturity and adherence to established protocols, saying the rally demonstrated that political expression can take place without violence or disruption of public order.The Service urged political leaders, their supporters and other stakeholders to adopt the same approach during future political engagements.“The National Police Service remains apolitical, impartial and committed to serving and protecting all Kenyans, residents and visitors,” the statement added.Some of those in attendance however stoned and killed two people accused of stealing and snatching valuables. Police are investigating the deaths.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing A gold mine collapse in southern Sudan killed at least 82 people and injured dozens more, a local administrator told AFP on Wednesday, with many others still missing and feared dead under sand and rubble.Two survivors of the mine collapse in West Kordofan state described to AFP an all-night rescue effort starting on Tuesday, which by dawn had retrieved 60 bodies.Another 22 bodies were found Wednesday, according to a local administrator within the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which controls West Kordofan and has been locked in a war with the country’s military since 2023.“Fifty people have been injured and there is an unknown number still trapped under the rubble,” he told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the group’s self-declared parallel government. Since Sudan’s war erupted, both sides have been largely funded by the country’s gold trade, valued at billions of dollars.According to Sudanese officials and mining industry sources, nearly all of the gold extracted by both sides flows to the United Arab Emirates, which denies widespread reports it arms the RSF. With much of the country out of work, many young Sudanese have joined a dangerous gold rush, mostly in unregulated mines such as Al-Zaraa in West Kordofan.“Everyone’s working very hard to retrieve the bodies or any survivors, but it’s difficult,” one of the survivors, Khair al-Sayyed Jabara, told AFP after an all-night rescue operation with fellow miners, using the same rudimentary tools they use to extract gold.Most of Sudan’s gold is extracted from artisanal and small-scale mining, which takes place in decommissioned mines or informal zones like Al-Zaraa.Miners work with their hands and rudimentary tools for meagre daily wages. To clear gold nuggets from bits of earth, they are exposed to hazardous chemicals including cyanide that often cause widespread illnesses in nearby areas.The European Union in July banned the sale, transfer and export of mercury and cyanide to Sudan over their use in the exploitative gold trade.Mine collapses are common across Sudan. In the army-controlled north and east, they occur in decommissioned mine shafts where young men sneak in to try to earn a day’s wage.The resource-rich greater Kordofan region to the south has many unofficial mines that are effectively large, unsecured pits in the ground where dozens of young men work every day.Al-Amin Suleiman, another miner who was working at the rim of Al-Zaraa on Tuesday, told AFP that “the shafts here are all close together. If one collapses, it brings down all the ones next to it”.“There are people still trapped underground since yesterday. I don’t think they are alive,” he said.A large-scale rescue operation is all but impossible in West Kordofan, which is under RSF control along with the neighbouring Darfur region, where the paramilitary force has been accused of genocide.Despite declaring a parallel government and local administrative offices, the RSF’s governing capabilities remain limited. People in western Sudan remain mostly reliant on aid and community networks for survival.Even before the war pushed nearly 20 million Sudanese into severe hunger, artisanal mining employed more than two million people, according to industry figures.Africa’s third-largest country is one of the continent’s top gold producers, and recorded a “five-year high” of 70 tonnes of production last year, it said.But officials say most of the gold is smuggled across Sudan’s borders, including through Chad, South Sudan and Egypt before reaching the UAE, the world’s second-largest gold exporter.In July, the EU and the United Kingdom announced sanctions targeting Sudan’s gold trade.The UK said it targeted “illicit gold and finance networks” trading in Dubai and Hong Kong, which it said are helping to finance “weapons procurement, military operations and the activities of armed groups” on both sides of the war.The UN has repeatedly warned that both sides are profiting from control over the country’s resources and that a “war economy” was sustaining the conflict. By AgenciesEmail your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing The Obamas’ beloved pet dog Sunny has died after 13 years with the family, Barack Obama has announced. “Yesterday, we lost a cherished member of our family,” the former US president wrote on X, describing her as a loyal dog who was “pretty much perfect” and always by their side.The family had two Portuguese Water Dogs in the White House. They got Sunny at the beginning of Obama’s second presidential term in 2013.Sunny met many high-profile visitors while Obama was president, from foreign dignitaries to Pope Francis.Their other dog, Bo, joined the family in 2009 as a gift for daughters Sasha and Malia to help them settle into the White House. Bo died in 2021.He described her as “full of boundless energy”, saying she leapt over the hedges on the South Lawn like they weren’t even there.Sunny most enjoyed “having us run around with her, roll on the floor with her, or have her belly rubbed for as long as we were willing”, he wrote.“She loved the girls, even if they were pestering her when she was napping. She loved our team, and would often follow them around, helping them on the job.”“For thirteen years, she would be by our side – always loyal, always sweet, always ready for adventure, still fiery and gorgeous till the very end of her days.”He said the family would miss her terribly and that she was now with her “big brother” Bo.Sunny was a regular at White House events, meeting children at Christmas parties and international dignitaries on state visits. In 2015, Sunny and Bo met Pope Francis in the Blue Room at the presidential residence.Former chief White House photographer Pete Souza said it was an “honour” to work with Sunny, describing her as a “willing subject” who had “the rare distinction of being petted by both a President and a Pope”.There is a long tradition of pets at the White House. Donald Trump is believed to be the only president in the past 100 years to not have a pet.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing On September 16, 2026, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague convicted former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci of four counts of war crimes and sentenced him to 25 years in prison. The ruling marks the conclusion of a three-year trial stemming from the 1998–1999 Kosovo conflict.The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, a European Union-backed tribunal based in The Hague, delivered the first-instance verdict on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Presiding Judge Charles Smith read out the sentence as Thaci, 58, stood in silence wearing a suit and tie.Thaci was convicted of four war crimes: murder, torture, cruel treatment, and arbitrary detention. He was acquitted of six separate charges of crimes against humanity because the judges found that prosecutors failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the crimes were part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population.The Trial Panel found Thaci criminally responsible for the following acts committed by Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) forces during the conflict:The court found that the victims were targeted because they were perceived as opponents of the KLA’s political and military goals. This included Kosovo Albanians associated with other political or military forces, individuals alleged to be associated with Serbian authorities, and members of ethnic minorities including Roma and Serbs.With limited exceptions, the Trial Panel found no evidence that any of the victims had engaged in criminal activity, taken an active part in hostilities, or presented any legitimate security concern for the KLA. The vast majority were innocent civilians, often falsely described as collaborators or spies.As a member of the KLA General Staff and head of its Political Directorate, Thaci was found to be a key member in formulating and implementing the common criminal purpose. This included setting up detention facilities, identifying individuals perceived as opposing the KLA, arresting and detaining them, and if necessary, killing them.Presiding Judge Charles Smith stated that Thaci “used his position, leadership, authority and standing” to encourage the crimes, which he then failed to investigate. Smith also said Thaci “showed a ruthless ability to remove and eliminate political impediments” to his and other commanders’ leadership.The judges stressed that the trial was not about the legitimacy of the Kosovo Liberation Army or its goal of an independent Kosovo, but about the use of criminal means by some of its members to achieve those goals.Three other senior KLA figures were tried alongside Thaci and received sentences on the same day:All four men had pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors had sought 45-year prison sentences for each defendant.The court ordered that all sentences include credit for time already served in detention.The trial began on April 3, 2023, and lasted more than three years before reaching the first-instance verdict stage. The verdicts were delivered by a panel of judges presided over by Charles Smith from the United States, along with judges from Germany, Switzerland, and Ireland.The rulings are first-instance decisions and are subject to appeal. Both the defense and the prosecution have the right to appeal the decision. Thaci’s defense team is expected to focus on the appellate stage to challenge the convictions.The verdict sparked widespread anger and disappointment in Kosovo, where Thaci remains widely regarded as a national hero for his role in the country’s independence struggle. Thousands of citizens gathered in Pristina’s main city square to watch the verdict on large screens, many weeping and chanting support for the KLA and Thaci.Protest marches followed the verdict reading, with demonstrators carrying KLA, Albanian, and American flags, chanting “KLA” and “Thaci,” and setting off pyrotechnics. Some groups tore down parts of a protective wall around the EULEX headquarters before police prevented further incidents.Kosovo Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca, who attended the proceedings in The Hague, called the verdict “unfair” and “undeserved,” describing it as “a heavy blow to the state and the domestic public.”Acting President Albulena Haxhiu described the convictions as “a heavy blow” to the defendants’ families and “deeply distressing news” for Kosovo, while emphasizing that the legal process is not over and the right to appeal must be fully utilized.Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama also criticized the verdict on social media, writing “Marre” (meaning “shame”) and sharing an image of Europe surrounded by barbed wireFrance said it took note of the decision and reiterated its support for the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and its commitment to combating impunity. The French Foreign Ministry noted that the decision was subject to appeal.The court itself emphasized that the trial was not about the legitimacy of the KLA or its goal of independence, and that it did not deal with crimes committed by Serbian forces against Kosovo Albanians. The proceedings were exclusively concerned with whether the crimes alleged in the indictment were committed and whether the accused could be held criminally responsible for them.
Read briefing The government has moved to challenge a High Court ruling that declared null and void the sale of its 15 per cent shareholding in Safaricom PLC.Attorney General Dorcas Oduor has formally filed a Notice of Appeal, signalling the government’s intention to contest the decision delivered by a three-judge bench on September 15, 2026.The notice names the Attorney General as the fifth respondent and states that the office intends to appeal against part of the decision by Justice R. E. Aburili, Justice Francis Gikonyo and Justice Tabitha Wanyama.The legal dispute, pitting civil society groups and opposition actors against the government, concerns the partial divestiture of the state’s stake in Safaricom to Vodafone Kenya Limited, effectively Vodacom Group Limited.National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi confirmed that the government disagreed with the ruling, maintaining that the transaction had complied with constitutional and procedural requirements.“We do not accept that the safeguards built into this transaction, including the protections extended to Safaricom’s employees, dealers and business partners, amounted to the constitutional and procedural failures as the court has asserted, and we intend to make that case fully on appeal,” Mbadi said.The CS said the partial divestiture was undertaken in line with prudent financial management and the country’s fiscal realities.“The National Treasury will pursue this appeal vigorously and provide further updates as the matter progresses through the courts,” he added.Mbadi further said the government would use the appropriate legal channels to challenge the judgment, stressing that the right to development must be balanced with the other obligations placed on the State by the Constitution.Safaricom said the transaction had been completed on June 30, 2026, following the lifting of conservatory orders by the Court of Appeal.The company said it would continue providing mobile and other services in Kenya and Ethiopia, noting that the matter remains subject to ongoing legal proceedings.Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
Read briefing France often presents itself through polish — symmetry, refinement, a confidence that rarely asks to be explained. Yet beneath that surface, the country is shaped by contrasts that don’t compete so much as converse. Paris and Bordeaux embody this relationship particularly well. One gathers ideas, people, and ambition into a dense cultural core. The other opens outward, allowing land, labour, and time to shape identity more slowly. Travelling between them reveals not a hierarchy, but a shift in emphasis. Elegance gives way to patience. Display softens into cultivation. And the idea of culture expands from what is seen to what is sustained. For many travellers this contrast becomes the most memorable element — not the difference itself, but how naturally each place completes the other. Composure and Collection in Paris Paris is a city that gathers. Ideas arrive here and stay long enough to be refined. Streets are arranged to be read. Buildings hold their posture. Public space behaves with intention. Elegance in Paris is not decorative — it is structural. Proportion governs movement. Avenues widen where the city wants you to slow, narrow where it wants you to pass through. Even disorder feels curated, folded carefully into the whole. A starting point for many France tours, Paris is not defined by novelty, but accumulation. Museums collect centuries without apology. Cafés host conv...
Read briefing President William Ruto has urged the Siaya County Governor to stop being used by former President Uhuru Kenyatta to oppose government programmes and instead serve the people of Siaya.He said the people of Siaya did not elect him as Governor to be former President Kenyatta’s puppet.He explained that if former President Kenyatta could not defeat him in the 2022 General Election, he cannot defeat him now that he is the sitting President.He added that former President Kenyatta had lowered his status to that of an opposition leader, who has enlisted leaders to oppose projects that he failed to deliver when he was in power.“I wonder how a person who has been President of Kenya and retired, instead of being a statesman, goes on to become a rebel leader and opposition leader. This is a shame,” he said.He urged Kenyans not to support political parties with no clear agenda and vision for the country.He also urged Kenyans not to gamble with their votes by supporting opposition leaders who had no development track record.“Let’s not gamble. Let’s not play trial and error with our nation by electing individuals who have no track record, agenda, plan or vision,” President Ruto pointed out.He explained that he was confident that the Broad-Based Government, comprising the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and Kenya Kwanza will win the next election by a landslide because of its development track record.Ruto also emphasised that the Broad-Based Government had a demonstrable record and a vision capable of making Kenya a first-world economy.“The broad-based political team is the only political formation with the capacity to unite our nation. It is the only formation with a proven track record, a credible vision for the future and a practical plan to address the challenges facing our country,” the President stated.He described other political parties as personal cults, briefcase parties and tribal affiliations with nothing new to offer Kenyans.“Our nation is too important to be left in the hands of leaders without a plan, an agenda or a vision,” the President said.He pointed out that some of the emerging alliances lacked the capacity to unite Kenyans and had no plan to address the realities facing the country.In this regard, he emphasised that Kenya’s interests should take precedence over individual politicians and political parties.“Kenyans should assess political leaders based on their plans, agenda and track record rather than the titles or positions they have held,” President Ruto pointed out.Earlier, the President launched construction of the 31.8km Kalandini-Ka Elija road in Rarieda Constituency.The Sh1.9 billion project will improve connectivity, ease the movement of people and goods, and support agriculture, fishing and trade, linking communities to markets and major towns along the shores of Lake Victoria.Additionally, he announced that the construction of the 500km Lake Victoria Ring Road, which has been awaited for more than 15 years, will begin in November 2026.“The road will run from Busia to Muhuru Bay in Migori County, through Siaya, Kisumu and Homa Bay counties,” President Ruto explained.He also announced that Sh32 billion is being invested to build 400km of new roads in Siaya County.While inspecting construction works on Dhogoye Bridge in Bondo Constituency, the President disclosed that the Bondo-Usenge-Osieko road will be tarmacked afresh.He also explained the investment the Government is making in the blue economy, saying it has the potential to transform Nyanza in a phenomenal way.“To further boost the economy of the region, Sh10 billion has been invested in the blue economy, including research in fingerling technology at Kabonyo, the introduction of ferry services, the building of four piers, and establishment of rescue centres along Lake Victoria,” he said.Furthermore, the President said Sh1.5 billion has been invested in nine fish landing sites to ensure the blue economy in Lake Victoria creates wealth for the people.Later, President Ruto launched the construction of the 20km Sihay-Bar Ober-Sega road in Ugenya Constituency.“We are closing the yawning infrastructure gap in Siaya County and across the wider Nyanza region through deliberate and sustained investment in roads, water, energy and other critical infrastructure,” he said.For too long, the President regretted that inadequate infrastructure has held back the region’s immense economic potential and limited opportunities for citizens.“We are committed to ensuring every part of Kenya has the infrastructure it needs to grow and thrive,” he said.Meanwhile, while inspecting the ongoing works of 340 affordable housing units at Ukwala in Ugenya Constituency, he pointed out that the Government is investing KSh28 billion in the construction of 10,000 affordable housing units, 20 modern markets and student hostels with a capacity of accommodating 8,000 students in Siaya County.
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