Monday, 05 October 2026NairobiLatest edition
Listen live
Top Prime DigitalSince 2020
Top Prime DigitalSince 2020
Top Prime DigitalSince 2020
CLOSE

Suggested:

Global News Wire

Home Global News Wire
Updated automatically every day

Global News Wire

Fresh headlines and publisher-supplied excerpts from Kenya, Africa and the world—collected in one transparent, attributed briefing.

Latest across all publishers

Maximum five new items per publisher daily
Kenyans.co.ke

Ruto's Dangote Project Faces Fresh Hurdle as 133 Lamu Residents Move to Court

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
CIO Africa

Egypt, Mali Discuss Cooperation On Digital Infrastructure And AI

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
KBC

Young Africans put forward nine recommendations to shape future of health in Africa

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...

Read briefing
KBC

China’s Jan.–Aug. industrial profits climb 15.7% with electronics leading

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
Ghafla Kenya

IG Douglas Kanja Escapes Jail Time As High Court Issues Final Warning On Protest Roadblocks

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
Ghafla Kenya

Pastor Kanyari Questions Manzi wa Mombasa After She Misses Church Despite Receiving Fare

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
Ghafla Kenya

Dem Wa Facebook Calls for Free Sanitary Pads in Public Toilets

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
Ghafla Kenya

Karen Nyamu Speaks After Being Booed at Natalie Githinji’s Endometriosis Concert

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
CIO Africa

CIO100 Symposium And Awards 2026 Announces Sponsors Ahead Of Diani Event

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
CIO Africa

The Money Was Already In The Room

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.

Read briefing
CIO Africa

Africa Is Connected. So Why Are 906 Million People Offline?

Ninety-two per cent of Africa’s population lives within reach of a mobile broadband network, yet only 36 per cent uses mobile internet.Those figures, published by the GSMA in its State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2026 report this month, reveal a usage gap of approximately 906 million people who have network coverage but remain offline. Another 122 million people lack mobile broadband coverage altogether.The ratio is roughly seven to one. For every African who cannot access a mobile broadband signal, seven others live within coverage but do not use mobile internet.At a side event during the United Nations General Assembly on 21 September, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said Project Bridge had attracted more investment offers than the project required.Project Bridge is a roughly $2 billion national fibre backbone project designed to deploy at least 90,000km of fibre-optic cable. The initiative aims to expand Nigeria’s core connectivity infrastructure through a public-private partnership.The World Bank committed $500 million in January 2025, while the African Development Bank approved $200 million in April 2026. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has also pledged funding.Bridge Open Access, the company incorporated in August 2026 to manage the build, is structured to give the federal government a 25 to 49 per cent stake, with private investors holding at least 51 per cent.The delivery timeline has been compressed to three years, with rollout scheduled to begin in October. Government projections put the potential return at up to $5 billion in tax revenue and 229,000 jobs.The project follows a wholesale model. Bridge OA will sell network capacity on equal terms to operators and service providers rather than serve consumers directly.The difficulty is that Nigeria already has tens of thousands of kilometres of backbone fibre. Broadband penetration passed 56 per cent this year, driven largely by mobile connections.Fibre-to-the-home reaches a fraction of the population. Operators report tens of thousands of fibre cuts annually, alongside access denials and theft. Right-of-way charges still vary by state, and efforts to harmonise them remain incomplete.At the ITW Africa panel in Nairobi this month, Telkom Kenya’s Kibati put national network coverage at roughly 90 per cent of the population, against mobile internet usage of closer to 28 per cent.Rwanda presents an even sharper contrast in the GSMA’s data. Its 4G network reaches 96 per cent of the population, while 3G coverage extends to 99 per cent. Yet only 21 per cent of the population used mobile internet in 2025.Three countries, three extensive network footprints, and one shared challenge: infrastructure that has not translated into widespread internet adoption.The GSMA and the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa identify barriers that cannot be resolved simply by laying more fibre.An entry-level smartphone costs about 76 per cent of average monthly income in sub-Saharan Africa. Smartphone shipments across the continent fell 7 per cent year on year, while shipments of devices priced below $100 declined 34 per cent.Close to 600 million Africans lack reliable electricity, constraining both network economics and the ability to charge a handset.More than 600 million mobile connections still rely on 2G and 3G networks. Beyond affordability, the report identifies limited practical digital skills, a shortage of locally relevant services and a lack of perceived value in going online as barriers to adoption.“Africa has already built much of the network foundation for its digital future,” said John Giusti, chief regulatory officer at the GSMA. “The urgent task now is to close the usage gap by making smartphones and services affordable.”Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former president of Liberia and co-chair of the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa, framed the challenge as an integrated one.“If we bring together connectivity, electrification, affordable devices and digital skills, we can ensure that the continent’s digital transformation leaves no community behind.”The partnership’s three priorities are migrating more than 600 million legacy connections to 4G and 5G handsets, integrating energy and connectivity planning, and lowering rural service costs through shared infrastructure, results-based public funding and anchor demand from institutions.The GSMA’s modelling indicates that halving the usage gap across 11 assessed markets, including Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa, could bring approximately 245 million additional people online.Backbone projects are relatively easy to finance because their outputs are easy to measure.Kilometres of fibre laid provide a clear metric. Development finance institutions can verify the infrastructure, ministers can announce progress, and contractors can be paid against measurable milestones.It depends on device affordability, electricity reliability, right-of-way administration across dozens of subnational jurisdictions and whether people have access to services they consider worth paying for.

Read briefing
CIO Africa

Absa Kenya Launches Absa Next, An All-in-one finance App

 Absa Bank Kenya PLC has launched Absa Next, a digital platform that lets people save, invest, borrow and manage their money in one place, whether or not they bank with Absa. The platform was built in Kenya on scalable cloud-based infrastructure, and the bank intends it to serve as a blueprint for digital banking across the wider Absa Group.The savings and investment side is built to work individually or in groups. According to the bank, users can save at rates of up to 7 per cent and invest for returns of up to 16 per cent, with goal-based and gamified savings tools sitting alongside them.Credit comes through the same app. Absa says users can access instant loans from as little as USD 3.86(KES 500) up to USD 7,710(KES 1 million), for personal or business needs. To widen access, the bank says the platform uses alternative credit scoring, which draws on a broader range of financial behaviours and data points when assessing a borrower.Everything feeds into a single dashboard covering both personal and business finances. According to Absa, open banking lets users add accounts held at other financial institutions to that view, and they can link both Absa and non-Absa Visa cards, so the picture isn’t limited to what they hold with the bank. A split-expenses feature lets them share costs with family and friends from the same place.The bank says Absa Next was shaped by extensive customer engagement and continuous testing, and will keep evolving with customer feedback.At the launch, Absa Bank Kenya Managing Director and CEO Yusuf Omari said the product reflects a shift in how financial services are designed and delivered, in line with the bank’s purpose of “Empowering Africa’s tomorrow together, one story at a time.”“Consumer expectations are changing rapidly. People want financial solutions that are intuitive, personalised and seamlessly integrated into their daily lives. Absa Next represents our response to this shift. Rather than digitising traditional banking, we have reimagined the banking experience around our customers’ goals, behaviours and aspirations,” Omari said.Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, Absa Group Chief Executive for Personal and Private Banking, said Kenya’s record in financial innovation made it the natural market to pioneer the product. “Kenya has consistently demonstrated its ability to develop innovations that solve real customer challenges and influence financial services across the continent. Absa Next builds on that legacy. It is an innovation informed by Kenyan consumers, and one that has the potential to shape how we serve customers across Africa,” he said.Consumer Banking Director Moses Muthui tied the design to how people now use money, saying the platform responds to emerging consumer behaviours and the growing overlap between digital lifestyles and financial needs. “The next generation of consumers expects banking to be simple, intelligent and always accessible. Digital is no longer just a channel; it is the primary way people engage with brands, services and their finances. Absa Next has been designed to deliver that experience,” he said.

Read briefing
WhatsApp
Your experience on this site will be improved by allowing cookies Cookie Policy

These cookies are essential for the website to function properly.

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the website.

These cookies are used to deliver personalized advertisements.