World Wide Fund for Nature-Kenya (WWF-Kenya) and the State Department for Forestry have formalised a five-year strategic partnership to accelerate Kenya’s 15 Billion Trees Initiative and support the restoration of degraded landscapes across the country. The partnership will bring together government coordination and WWF-Kenya’s technical expertise, resources and community-based conservation experience to strengthen landscape restoration, tree-growing and livelihood programmes. Principal Secretary for Forestry Gitonga Mugambi said the scale of Kenya’s restoration ambitions requires collaboration between government, the private sector, communities and other non-state actors. Kenya aims to grow 15 billion trees by 2032 as part of efforts to reverse environmental degradation, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded landscapes. The initiative is anchored in the National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (2023–2032), which provides the broader framework for restoring forests, water towers, rangelands, wetlands, marine areas, agro-ecosystems, settlements and infrastructure. Mugambi said the government is also using the JazaMiti platform to track tree-growing progress across all 47 counties, with emphasis shifting from simply planting trees to ensuring they survive and reach maturity. Under the agreement, WWF-Kenya will provide technical...
Read briefing Detectives in Meru County have arrested a prime suspect in connection with the murder of 65-year-old Evelyne Mukiri Mbaabu in Kithoka, Imenti East Sub-county. The suspect, identified as Solomon Kathurima Kairemia, was arrested on September 21, 2026, after weeks of forensic analysis and intelligence-led investigations by detectives from the CCIO’s Office and DCI Imenti North. Kairemia had abandoned his house and was spending nights hiding in nearby thickets, just a few metres from his residence, when detectives traced and arrested him. The murder happened on August 7, 2026, when Mbaabu was preparing supper with her 13-year-old grandson at her home. An unknown man entered the compound and went to the kitchen, where he asked for drinking water. Shortly afterwards, the boy heard his grandmother screaming for help. He rushed to the kitchen and found her lying in a pool of blood. The attacker then turned on him and struck him on the hand with a panga before fleeing. Mbaabu was rushed to Grace Park Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. During the arrest, detectives recovered a blood-stained panga believed to have been used in the attack. The weapon was secured as an exhibit for further forensic examination. A police identification parade was later conducted, where Kairemia was positively identified as the man behind the fatal attack. The suspect was taken before the Meru Law Co...
Read briefing The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has called for timely, accurate and accessible information ahead of the 2027 General Election, warning that gaps in information can fuel misinformation and undermine public trust. Speaking at the Information and Data for Accountability (IDUA) forum, MCK Chairman Maina Muiruri said the growth of digital platforms had created new challenges in the fight against misinformation, particularly through the formation of online echo chambers. “Digital platforms built to connect us have also built echo chambers where misinformation spreads. They reinforce what we already believe rather than challenge us with what is true,” said Muiruri. The MCK Chairperson called on institutions to proactively disclose information to enable citizens to verify claims against original sources, hence limiting the spread of falsehoods. “When institutions disclose proactively and citizens can check claims against original sources, falsehood has far less room to take root,” Muiruri noted. Additionally, Muiruri urged stakeholder to expand access to information while maintaining integrity. “Let us expand access to information while safeguarding its integrity. Approach the digital landscape with curiosity, question what we encounter, and uphold the public’s right to know,” he added. On his part, the Registrar, Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, John Cox Lorionokuo noted...
Read briefing MPs race against time as 2027 election pressure grows and key Bills await debate eastleighvoice.co.ke
Read briefing At least Lamu residents have moved to the Malindi High Court over a land dispute linked to preparations for the proposed Dangote refinery, seeking intervention over alleged destruction of property and fears of displacement.The residents want the court to stop further activities on the disputed land until their claims are addressed, including compensation and a clear resettlement plan for families who could be affected by the project.The case comes as residents hold demonstrations demanding compensation, with the community calling on the government to provide a clear way forward for families who say they have occupied and used the land for generations.Additionally, the plaintiffs have named several national and county government agencies, the National Land Commission, the LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority, Dangote Industries and two companies described as contractors in the court proceedings.According to the residents, their families have long farmed and kept livestock on portions of LR No. 13061 in Chandavai, which they say also contains homes, mosques, shrines and family graves.The court action comes as preparations for the refinery gather pace, with the Port of Lamu receiving 2,930 metric tonnes of heavy machinery delivered by MV Da Yang a few days ago for the planned project.The machinery is expected to be used in the construction of the Ksh2.2 trillion (USD17 billion) Dangote East Africa Refinery and petrochemical complex, ahead of a planned groundbreaking ceremony next week.Additionally, the proposed refinery is expected to process up to 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day, with plans to source crude from Kenya's Lokichar oilfields in Turkana as well as other parts of East and Southern Africa.The residents allege that government and LAPSSET agents arrived with bulldozers on August 7, 2024, and destroyed crops and trees without prior notice or compensation. They claim local administrators later told them the land had been acquired for LAPSSET and allocated to the Ministry of Defence for works around Manda Bay.The dispute has intensified with preparations for the refinery, and the plaintiffs claim soil testing began in July 2026, while police officers, chiefs and other government agents allegedly cleared a disputed parcel on September 10 ahead of the planned groundbreaking ceremony.“We have not known the stand or way forward. We ask the government to provide a way forward,” one resident said during the demonstrations, as the community demanded compensation before further works proceed.The residents are asking the Malindi High Court to protect their claimed interests as the refinery and other major projects advance in Lamu, placing the dispute at the centre of questions over compensation and community rights as construction preparations move forward.
Read briefing Egypt and Mali are exploring closer cooperation in digital transformation, infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital skills development following a meeting between their communications ministers.The discussions, held on September 27, 2026, brought together Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology and Mali’s Minister of Communications, Digital Economy and Information Technology, Hamdo Aguilian, alongside officials from both countries.Digital infrastructure was among the main areas discussed, with Mali expressing interest in Egypt’s experience in deploying fibre-optic networks and expanding high-speed connectivity.Egypt highlighted infrastructure work carried out under its Hayat Karima initiative, including the deployment of fibre-optic services intended to extend high-speed connectivity to 60 million citizens. The two sides discussed sharing technical expertise, implementation approaches and experience from the project.Digital skills development was another area identified for potential cooperation. Egypt presented training opportunities available through the African Center for Training in Communication and Information Technologies (EG-ATRC), which provides programmes for professionals from across Africa.The meeting also covered potential collaboration in artificial intelligence, particularly the use of AI in government services. Egypt outlined its national AI strategy and the work of its Applied Innovation Center, which develops technology applications targeting public and societal challenges.Mali also expressed interest in Egypt’s experience with digital government platforms and citizen-facing services. The discussions included how digital infrastructure and government platforms could be used to modernise public administration and expand access to digital services.The two countries are expected to hold further technical discussions to identify specific areas for collaboration, including digital infrastructure, AI, digital government platforms, knowledge exchange and skills development.Officials from Mali’s communications and technology agencies, as well as Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, also participated in the meeting.
Read briefing Mpumelelo Buthelezi wins the 2026 Africa Soft Power Climate storytelling fellowship & photo essay prize African Business
Read briefing Nine recommendations across leadership, innovation and employment emerged from Ubuntu Rising 2026, as more than 80 young health professionals, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and higher education representatives came together to identify practical changes needed to strengthen young people’s role in Africa’s health systems. Convened by the Africa Health Collaborative and hosted by the University of Cape Town ahead of the 18th World Congress on Public Health, Ubuntu Rising was designed to move beyond consultation and give young people a direct role in shaping priorities and solutions for the continent’s health future. The recommendations will contribute to the Collaborative’s Youth Agenda and inform its future programming and partnerships. The discussions took place against a striking employment and health workforce paradox. Figures from the Mastercard Foundation’s Africa Youth Employment Outlook 2026, cited by Prof. Brandon Collier-Reed during the event, show that 90% of employed young Africans work in the informal economy, while only 10% of youth jobs are formal. 34% of employed young Africans live in households below the $2.15-a-day poverty line, and just 9% have completed tertiary education. In health, the gap is equally significant. According to the WHO Regional Office for Africa’s Health Workforce Reports 2024 and 2025, also cited during Ubuntu Rising, Africa faces a...
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Read briefing China’s major industrial firms saw profits grow at a double-digit pace in the first eight months of 2026, official data showed on Monday, underscoring continued momentum in the world’s second-largest economy. Industrial enterprises above designated size – those with annual main business revenue of 20 million yuan ($2.9 million) or more – raked in a combined 5.27 trillion yuan in profits from January to August, up 15.7% year on year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said. August alone saw profits rise 4.2%. Sector-wise, the electronics and high-tech industries powered much of the gains. Profits of computer, communication and other electronic equipment manufacturers surged 109.9% year on year, while those in nonferrous metal smelting and processing rose 82.9% and coal mining and washing jumped 51.6%. In contrast, ferrous metal smelting profits fell 62.4%. Efficiency metrics also improved. Operating revenue totaled 93.09 trillion yuan in the first eight months, up 6.6%, while the profit-to-revenue ratio rose by 0.44 percentage points to 5.66% in the same period. Costs per 100 yuan of revenue fell to 85.07 yuan, down 0.41 yuan year on year, the NBS said. The post China’s Jan.–Aug. industrial profits climb 15.7% with electronics leading appeared first on KBC Digital.
Read briefing The High Court has pardoned Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja after finding the National Police Service in non-compliance with a judicial order prohibiting the barricading of public roads during demonstrations. While granting the pardon, the court issued a stern warning to the police chief, emphasizing that future infractions would attract severe judicial sanctions, including […]
Read briefing WhatsApp Business to Charge for Service Messages Above 1,000 techweez.com
Read briefing Salvation Healing Ministry founder Pastor Victor Kanyari has expressed frustration after social media personality Manzi wa Mombasa failed to attend Sunday church service despite receiving transport money from the preacher to facilitate her journey. Speaking during a church service on Sunday, September 27, 2026, Kanyari said Manzi wa Mombasa had contacted him the previous day […]
Read briefing Dem Wa Facebook has called on the government to make sanitary pads freely available in women’s public toilets to support girls and women who struggle to afford menstrual products. Speaking on Sunday, September 27, 2026, during media personality Natalie Githinji’s Endometriosis Warriors (N.E.W.) awareness event at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Dem […]
Read briefing Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has addressed the public after being booed while attending media personality Natalie Githinji’s Endometriosis Awareness Concert at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi. Nyamu was met with opposition chants when she took the stage at the event, which was attended by comedian and activist Eric Omondi alongside thousands of […]
Read briefing A discussion about changing attitudes towards marriage among Kenya’s Gen Z population took an unexpected turn during a morning broadcast on Classic 105 FM after a young listener proposed a relationship arrangement that does not involve couples living under the same roof. The debate unfolded during the station’s popular breakfast show, hosted by Maina Kageni […]
Read briefing The CIO100 Symposium and Awards 2026 has announced sponsors ahead of its November event at Diamonds Leisure Beach & Golf Resort in Diani, Kenya, where technology leaders will convene to explore how IT leadership can drive business growth.Organised by CIO Africa by dx5, the three-day event will run from November 25 to 27 under the theme Innovation at Scale: Driving Business Growth Through IT Leadership.The sponsors are MBCOM/VMware, EProcess, Africa Data Centres, Incentro, TechLab, PAIX, Compyulinx, Entrust, Accelera Digital Group, Google Cloud, DTE, Meliora, Etica, IX Africa and Dilate Technologies Ltd.The symposium and awards recognise 100 IT leaders and organisations for achievements in leadership, innovation and the adoption of emerging technologies, including generative artificial intelligence (AI) and edge computing.The event will bring together chief information officers (CIOs), technology executives, industry experts and technology providers for discussions on digital transformation, enterprise technology adoption and business growth.Its programme will feature keynote presentations, roundtable discussions, networking sessions and presentations highlighting technology initiatives recognised through the CIO100 Awards.The symposium is designed to strengthen the capabilities of IT leaders and their teams while providing opportunities to exchange ideas, explore emerging technologies and build relationships with industry peers and solution providers.The 2026 edition will focus on how organisations can scale innovation through strategic IT leadership, technology investments and the adoption of emerging digital capabilities.The event will also provide a platform for technology providers to engage with enterprise decision-makers and showcase solutions supporting business transformation.The CIO100 Symposium and Awards is part of CIO Africa by dx5’s efforts to recognise technology leadership and promote collaboration among Africa’s technology and business communities.
Read briefing Donald Trump offered China's president Xi Jinping the chance to buy American weapons, the US ambassador to China has said.
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Read briefing Sifuna has emerged as the Linda Mwananchi presidential candidate, but the endorsement has exposed fresh cracks in the opposition outfit after Orengo skipped the meeting in Naivasha.
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Read briefing The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is joining WIOCC Group alongside Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Saudi Arabia’s Vision International Investment Company (Vision Invest), according to an announcement made on 21 September on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.On 1 September, WIOCC signed a $300 million shareholder subscription agreement with AFC and Vision Invest at the LEAP technology exhibition in Riyadh. The agreement covers an equity investment earmarked for data centre deployment and consolidation, expansion of open-access terrestrial fibre, and investment in new subsea cable assets.The announcement states that DFC’s participation is “subject to further steps before commitment and closing, including congressional notification.” No amount has been disclosed for its proposed contribution.Neither announcement discloses the company’s valuation, the equity allocation among incoming investors or the extent to which existing shareholders will be diluted.“DFC’s investment will help build trusted, resilient digital infrastructure needed to power Africa’s economic growth,” said Conor Coleman, chief of staff at DFC.“Fibre, data centres and subsea cables are now essential infrastructure for growth, innovation and AI,” said Samaila Zubairu, president and chief executive of AFC.“Robust and scalable infrastructure will be essential to unlocking the continent’s potential,” said Chris Wood, chief executive of WIOCC Group.Omar N. Al-Midani, chief executive of Vision Invest, said WIOCC “has built one of Africa’s leading digital infrastructure platforms.”The $300 million equity investment signed in Riyadh is committed capital. DFC’s participation, by contrast, remains subject to procedural requirements before a commitment and closing can be completed.WIOCC operates a carrier-neutral, open-access digital infrastructure platform across more than 30 African countries, spanning terrestrial fibre, subsea cables and data centres.Its shareholder register reflects the breadth of Africa’s telecommunications sector. It includes Telkom Kenya, Uganda Telecom, Djibouti Telecom, Botswana Fibre Networks, Mozambique’s TMCEL, Zantel, Onatel, TelOne and Dalkom Somalia, alongside the International Finance Corporation and African Capital Alliance.In December 2025, WIOCC’s Open Access Data Centres arm acquired seven NTT facilities in South Africa, across Bloemfontein, Cape Town, East London, Gqeberha, Durban and Johannesburg, with a combined capacity of more than 25MW.That figure is significant against the continent’s total installed capacity. The African Actors of Data Center Association’s 2026 economic report puts Africa’s installed data centre capacity at approximately 360MW, equivalent to about 0.6 per cent of the global total.The acquisition therefore brought a substantial share of South Africa’s data centre infrastructure under a single operator’s ownership.The raise is substantial relative to WIOCC’s previous fundraising. It exceeds the company’s entire $200 million round in 2022 and represents roughly three-quarters of the capital it raised during 2025.Measured against construction costs, however, the amount takes on a different significance.Andile Ngcaba told an ITW Africa panel in Nairobi this month that building data centre capacity in Africa costs approximately $12 million per megawatt, against a target closer to $5 million.At the higher figure, $300 million deployed entirely into data centres would fund approximately 25MW. At the lower target cost, it would fund about 60MW.Speaking on the same panel, WIOCC’s Wood described $300 million as a drop in the ocean. WIOCC’s own agreement for that amount had been signed days earlier.The capital is not earmarked exclusively for data centres, and the calculations are illustrative rather than a projection of WIOCC’s planned capacity expansion.They nevertheless frame the scale of the challenge. Africa’s data centre capacity deficit is measured in gigawatts, while funding rounds of this size translate into tens of megawatts.DFC’s commitment: Whether congressional notification is completed and the investment reaches financial close.The deal’s terms: Whether either party discloses the size of DFC’s contribution, the round’s valuation or the resulting shareholding structure.The continent’s capacity: Whether Africa’s share of global installed data centre capacity, currently estimated at around 0.6 per cent, increases as the capital is deployed.Until the first milestone is reached, DFC’s participation remains a proposed investment in African digital infrastructure.The $300 million equity agreement already signed came from AFC and Vision Invest.
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