NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 2— Kazakhstan has warned the world against repeating the devastation of nuclear testing, drawing on the experience of its Semipalatinsk test site where 456 nuclear tests exposed about 1.5 million people to high levels of radiation.Speaking at a special meeting at the United Nations Office at Nairobi to mark the International Day against Nuclear Tests, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Kenya and Permanent Representative to the UN Office at Nairobi, Barlybay Sadykov, said the country’s experience demonstrated the lasting humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear explosions.The Semipalatinsk site, one of the world’s largest nuclear testing grounds, was permanently closed by Kazakhstan on August 29, 1991, after more than four decades of testing.“Behind every number of explosions are people who suffered from nuclear tests. Families. Communities. Children yet to be born,” Sadykov said.Between the first test and its eventual closure, 30 atmospheric, 86 above-ground and 340 underground nuclear explosions were conducted at the site, which covered about 18,000 square kilometres.Kazakhstan’s experience, Sadykov said, had shaped its commitment to nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and the prohibition of nuclear testing.The ambassador said the humanitarian consequences had continued across generations, including increased health problems, congenital birth defects and long-term psychological and social effects among communities living with the legacy of nuclear testing.The environmental damage has also persisted, with radioactive contamination affecting soil and creating the need for long-term monitoring of radioactive pathways through water and the food chain.“The tragedy of Semipalatinsk must never be repeated,” Sadykov said, calling on states to strengthen international efforts to prevent further nuclear testing and advance nuclear disarmament.Kazakhstan’s decision to close Semipalatinsk followed the emergence in 1989 of the Semipalatinsk-Nevada Anti-Nuclear Movement under the leadership of Kazakh poet and activist Olzhas Suleimenov.The movement campaigned for the closure of the test site and demonstrated the ability of public mobilisation to influence nuclear policy.In 2009, Kazakhstan initiated a UN General Assembly resolution that established August 29 as the International Day against Nuclear Tests, aimed at raising awareness of the consequences of nuclear testing and strengthening international efforts towards its prohibition.The country subsequently dismantled and eliminated the infrastructure of the former test site with the United States and Russia under the Cooperative Threat Reduction Programme.Kazakhstan also established the National Nuclear Center on scientific facilities associated with the former testing site. The centre now conducts work on environmental assessments, remediation, international security and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.In 1992, Kazakhstan adopted legislation providing social protection for citizens affected by nuclear tests at Semipalatinsk, while the government continues to support affected populations.UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the danger of nuclear testing remains particularly serious amid rising geopolitical tensions.Reading Guterres’ message at the Nairobi event, UN Office at Nairobi Director-General Zainab Hawa Bangura said the suffering of victims and survivors of nuclear testing should not be treated as a closed chapter of history.He said nuclear tests “do not prove strength” but instead shatter trust, encourage reciprocal testing and fuel nuclear arms races.“The world must never witness another nuclear explosion,” Guterres said, urging all nuclear-armed states to maintain existing moratoria and bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty into force without delay.The message comes as the world marks 30 years since the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty opened for signature and 35 years since Kazakhstan closed the Semipalatinsk test site.Guterres said the anniversaries should serve as reminders that humanity can choose restraint over destruction.President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reiterated Kazakhstan’s commitment to a world free of nuclear testing and nuclear threats on August 29.According to Sadykov, Tokayev said Kazakhstan’s decision to close Semipalatinsk and later renounce the world’s fourth-largest nuclear arsenal was a historic choice for peace, security and future generations.“35 years ago, Kazakhstan closed the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site and later renounced the world’s fourth-largest nuclear arsenal – a historic choice for peace, security, and future generations,” Tokayev said.He called for dialogue among nuclear powers, the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and decisive multilateral action to eliminate the threat posed by nuclear weapons.Kazakhstan is also chairing the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in 2026, marking 20 years since the signing of the treaty establishing the zone.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 1-African women’s rights advocates have warned that growing appeals to “family values”, culture, religion and national sovereignty are being used to undermine hard-won protections for women and girls, calling for stronger public engagement and accountability to prevent a rollback of gender-equality gains.The warning emerged ahead of the 81st United Nations General Assembly as rights experts and civil society groups examined growing anti-rights mobilisation and its potential impact on gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and human rights accountability.The latest SHE & Rights session, jointly hosted by the Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI) and CNS with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) and Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health, Gender and Development Justice (APCAT Media), placed particular focus on the use of family, cultural and religious narratives in political and legal debates.Dr Robert Eno, Registrar of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, said there was currently no indication that a proposed African Charter on “family sovereignty and values” was scheduled for consideration by the African Union Assembly.Eno stressed that the draft charter was not proposed by the African Union and would have to pass through a lengthy institutional process before reaching the Assembly.He also expressed doubt that the proposed instrument would reach the AU Assembly by February 2027.But Eno cautioned against complacency, saying the concern went beyond the fate of a single proposed legal instrument.He said the broader contest was about how societies define and understand family, culture, religion, equality and human dignity.“Discriminatory laws continue to affect women and girls in different parts of the world,” he noted, citing unequal inheritance rights, restrictions on divorce and the failure in some jurisdictions to recognise marital rape.Rehema Namukose, Senior Regional Programme Officer for sub-Saharan Africa at Musawah, said anti-rights actors were increasingly exploiting the language of family protection to stall reforms affecting women.She said legislation seeking to advance women’s rights in marriage, divorce and custody was being delayed in some countries while restrictive “family protection” bills gained political traction, sometimes with external far-right funding.Namukose cited developments in Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, saying political and legislative efforts could restrict bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive rights while reforms addressing marriage, divorce, custody and women’s equal rights face delays.She also linked the framing to practices including child marriage and female genital mutilation, as well as women’s economic disadvantage through unpaid care work and unequal property and inheritance rights.In some Muslim family-law systems, she said, concepts such as “male guardianship” and “male authority” can be codified in ways that make women’s rights conditional on obedience.Namukose argued that the language of “family values”, “cultural integrity”, “sovereignty” and “national cohesion” can be deployed to preserve patriarchal power rather than protect families.She called for greater cooperation between legal networks, faith communities, survivors, policymakers and civil society organisations.Samah Hadid, Global Executive Director of Musawah, similarly warned that the anti-rights movement was becoming more coordinated and better resourced, with religion, culture and tradition increasingly used to justify discrimination.She said religious language was frequently used to police women and reinforce patriarchal control in both private and public life.Musawah is seeking to challenge such arguments from within Muslim legal and religious traditions by developing egalitarian Islamic arguments supporting women’s rights and training activists, lawyers and judges to use them.Hadid called for alliances involving secular, religious, cultural and human-rights actors, arguing that family, religion and tradition can coexist with equality and justice for women and girls.The discussions also turned to the African Union Convention on Eliminating Violence Against Women and Girls (AU CEVAWG), adopted in February 2025.Fatou Bantou Salah of the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) said nine AU member states had signed the convention, while The Gambia and Ghana had ratified it.The treaty requires 15 ratifications to enter into force, leaving 13 additional ratifications needed.Salah said the period before the treaty becomes binding should be used for a thorough legal review.ISLA and other civil society actors have raised concerns about limited civil-society consultation during drafting, the absence of published preparatory materials, conceptual and substantive gaps and weaknesses concerning state due-diligence obligations.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep1-The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has summoned Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku over remarks advocating for Maasai candidates to occupy political positions in Kajiado and Narok, warning that failure to appear could trigger an arrest warrant.Lenku is required to appear before the commission on September 17, 2026, to assist with ongoing investigations into remarks he allegedly made at Ewuaso Oonkidong’a in Kajiado West Constituency on August 22.The NCIC said it is investigating the remarks under provisions of the National Cohesion and Integration Act relating to hate speech, negative ethnicity and conduct capable of undermining peaceful relations among communities.The commission has warned the governor that failure to honour the summons could result in a warrant of arrest and his production before the commission, as well as possible criminal or contempt proceedings.“Take notice that failure to appear in person at the aforementioned place, date, and time will lead to warrants of arrest being issued for your arrest and production before the Commission and/or the institution of criminal and/or contempt proceedings against you,” the summons states.The commission said the investigation centres on comments in which Lenku appeared to support the idea that political parties should not field candidates from other communities for positions he described as belonging to the Maasai in Kajiado, Narok and other areas.In the remarks, Lenku reportedly praised the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) for saying it would allow candidates from different communities to compete for political positions and then urged political parties to respect what he described as the Maasai’s rightful leadership positions.“Any political party that fields a non-Maasai candidate for a position meant for the Maasai in Kajiado, Narok or elsewhere, we will have no relationship with you,” Lenku said, according to the remarks cited by NCIC.He further said the Maasai had been “oppressed enough” and declared that the community would no longer accept political arrangements it considered unfair.The governor also cited nominations for women’s assembly seats in Kajiado, arguing that political parties should not nominate candidates who were not from the Maasai community for positions he considered reserved for them.The remarks are now at the centre of the NCIC investigation, although the commission has not made a finding that Lenku committed an offence.The NCIC said its mandate is to promote national unity and harmony and guard against negative ethnicity, racism, religious intolerance and hate speech.Lenku has been directed to appear before the commission at Britam Towers in Upper Hill, Nairobi, at 2 p.m. on Thursday, September 17.The summons is part of an ongoing investigation, and the commission is yet to make a determination on whether the governor’s remarks amount to hate speech or another offence under the law.The investigation comes as political parties and leaders increasingly position themselves ahead of the next electoral cycle, with questions over ethnic representation and control of political positions remaining sensitive issues in parts of the country.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 1 — Artificial intelligence has arrived in Kenya long before the country has fully figured out what to do with it.From banks and insurance companies to technology firms, newsrooms and small businesses, Kenyans are increasingly turning to AI tools to write, translate, analyse information, generate images, assist with coding and automate routine work.The scale of adoption is striking. The Digital 2026 Mid-Year Global Update, based on research covering more than 240,000 people across 54 markets, found that 97.5 per cent of Kenyan internet users aged 16 and above had used at least one AI tool in the previous month — the highest rate among the markets tracked. Kenya was followed by the United Arab Emirates at 94.2 per cent and Indonesia at 93.6 per cent.But beneath the excitement lies a more difficult question: Is artificial intelligence delivering the economic revolution being promised, or is much of the current enthusiasm simply hype?For businesses, AI promises lower operating costs, greater productivity and new products. For workers, it has revived fears that machines could make some jobs obsolete. For consumers, it has opened new concerns around misinformation, privacy and accountability when automated systems get things wrong.Kenya is therefore moving into a more consequential phase of the AI debate — one that is no longer about whether the technology matters, but whether widespread adoption can translate into measurable economic gains.Technology Service Providers of Kenya (TESPOK) Chairman James Turuthi says Kenyans are adopting AI at extraordinary speed, but cautions against confusing widespread use with economic transformation.“Kenyans are using AI faster than almost anyone on earth. That part is real. What’s still catching up is whether that usage has actually changed how businesses make money,” Mr Turuthi says.Many companies remain at the pilot stage, testing AI for customer service, marketing, fraud detection, credit scoring, document processing and data analysis.The real measure of success, however, is not whether an organisation has introduced an AI tool. It is whether that tool saves money, generates revenue, improves decision-making, increases productivity or delivers a better service.PwC’s 2026 Kenya CEO Survey points to a similar challenge, identifying a significant gap between AI readiness and execution and highlighting the need for greater investment in AI skills and innovation ecosystems.The wider business picture is equally cautious. PwC’s global survey found that chief executives are investing in AI even as immediate returns often remain elusive.Turuthi says fewer than a quarter of chief executives who have invested in AI report increased revenue, with a similar proportion reporting meaningful cost savings.“The gap between ‘we’re using AI’ and ‘AI moved our bottom line’ is where I’d tell people to keep their expectations honest,” he says.There is another problem: Kenya is largely an AI consumer rather than a producer.Turuthi estimates that only about one in 10 Kenyan organisations are developing AI capability in-house, with most relying on vendors, cloud platforms or AI features already embedded in software they use.“That’s a sensible, low-cost way to get started. But it also means the ‘Kenya as an AI powerhouse’ narrative is ahead of where we actually sit in the value chain,” he says.The distinction matters because widespread use does not automatically translate into economic value.A country that primarily consumes AI products can benefit from improved productivity, but much of the intellectual property, technology ownership and financial value may continue to accrue elsewhere.The appeal of generative AI lies partly in its ability to perform tasks that previously consumed hours of human labour.It can draft correspondence, summarise lengthy documents, produce marketing material, translate text, transcribe meetings, analyse information and assist programmers.For a small business owner, AI could reduce the need to outsource simple promotional material. For an accountant or lawyer, it can reduce the time spent sorting through documents. For a newsroom, it can assist with transcription, translation and research.AI can produce information that sounds convincing but is false. It can misunderstand context, reproduce biases contained in its training data and provide confident answers even when it lacks sufficient information.Turuthi argues that AI is most valuable when used for specific, repetitive tasks rather than treated as an all-knowing machine.Among the practical applications he cites are fraud detection in mobile-money transactions, customer-service chatbots, agricultural tools that identify crop diseases from photographs and systems that assist with transcription and translation between English, Kiswahili and other languages.“These are real, tested uses, not hype. Use AI as a smart assistant, not an oracle. Verify its output, especially for anything involving money, health, or legal decisions,” he says.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 1-A former Machakos County chief officer has been charged with allegedly using forged academic certificates to secure a senior government position from which he earned more than Sh1.5 million in public funds.The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said the former official was arrested on August 31, 2026, and arraigned at the Machakos Law Courts on Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges.The former Chief Officer for Industry and Innovation allegedly used a forged Bachelor of Commerce degree certificate and a fake Certified Public Accountants (CPA) Final Examination Certificate to secure his appointment.According to EACC investigations, the Bachelor of Commerce certificate, in Accounting, was purportedly issued by the University of Nairobi in 2004, while the CPA Final Examination Certificate was dated June 2019.“The Commission further established that he used the certificates to secure appointment as Chief Officer, Industry and Innovation, a position he held from January to November 2023,” EACC said.During his tenure, the former official earned salaries totalling Sh1,585,967.90, which EACC now intends to recover through civil proceedings.The Commission said its investigations established that the academic qualifications presented by the former official were fraudulent.The Director of Public Prosecutions approved three charges after EACC forwarded its inquiry file: fraudulent acquisition of public property, uttering a false document and forgery of academic certificates.The court granted the accused cash bail of Sh1 million, or an alternative bond of Sh2 million with a surety of a similar amount.EACC said it will separately institute civil proceedings seeking recovery of the salaries and other benefits allegedly obtained through the use of the fraudulent academic qualifications.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 1-Kenya is stepping up efforts to detect sickle cell disease in infants as the government seeks to close gaps in diagnosis and treatment for an estimated 250,000 people living with the condition across the country.Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale said universal infant screening, reliable access to treatment and stronger referral systems will be critical to ensuring children born with sickle cell disease receive care early enough to improve their quality and length of life.About 14,000 children affected by sickle cell disease are born in Kenya each year, according to the Ministry of Health.Speaking in Nairobi during the opening of the three-day Global Sickle Cell Disease Conference, Duale said the government was expanding screening, strengthening comprehensive care and training health workers to support early diagnosis and continuity of treatment.“Kenya’s ambition must go beyond survival; every person living with sickle cell disease must thrive,” Duale said.The conference, organised by the Global Alliance of Sickle Cell Disease Organizations (GASCDO) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Sickle Cell Federation of Kenya, is bringing together stakeholders to assess progress and address gaps in sickle cell care.Duale said the burden of the disease was particularly high in the Lake Victoria region, Western Kenya and the Coast, but warned that sickle cell disease had become a national health and equity concern.He said access to quality care should not be determined by a child’s place of birth or the ability of their family to pay.Kenya has incorporated sickle cell screening into its broader maternal and child health programmes following the 2023 infant screening policy.The Health CS said screening is currently being implemented in 10 counties, with more than 8,000 infants reached so far.The government is also expanding comprehensive sickle cell care through initiatives including the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital Centre of Excellence, the Kianda Level 4 primary care model, PEN-Plus, KETAN and IMARA Care.More than 1,000 health workers and 700 Community Health Promoters have received training as part of efforts to strengthen the health system’s capacity to identify and manage the disease.Duale said the experiences shared by people living with sickle cell disease during the conference demonstrated the importance of early diagnosis and consistent treatment.“The testimonies of sickle cell warriors were a powerful reminder that early detection and consistent care can transform lives,” he said.The government is now pushing for a broader national response that includes establishing a national sickle cell disease registry, ensuring reliable access to medicines and diagnostics, improving availability of safe blood and strengthening referral systems.Duale also called for increased investment in research and sustainable financing for sickle cell programmes.The measures are intended to move Kenya’s response beyond managing complications and improving survival to ensuring people living with sickle cell disease can lead longer, healthier and fulfilling lives.“Our goal must be to move beyond survival and ensure that every person living with sickle cell disease can live a long, healthy and fulfilling life, wherever they are in Kenya,” Duale said.The conference is being held under the theme, “Global Standards, Local Impact: Advancing Sickle Cell Care Across Systems and Communities.”
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 31— The government has apologised for the disruption at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as an aviation workers’ strike entered its second day, saying urgent talks were underway to restore normal operations and resolve the dispute.Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said the government recognised the severity of the disruption, which has affected passengers, airlines, businesses and Kenya’s international connectivity.“The Government recognises the serious disruption currently affecting operations at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), and the significant impact this situation is having on passengers, airlines, businesses and Kenya’s international connectivity,” Mudavadi said in a statement Monday.He said the government was engaging all parties involved in the dispute, with discussions continuing to find a resolution.“The Government is actively engaged with all the parties involved, and discussions are ongoing towards addressing the issues at hand,” he said.The statement came as the industrial action by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) disrupted flights at JKIA, Kenya’s main international gateway, with airlines reporting delays, cancellations and changes to flight schedules.The government said its immediate priority was to ensure the safe and orderly restoration of normal airport operations while pursuing a lasting settlement to the dispute.“We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to passengers whose journeys have been disrupted,” Mudavadi said, urging affected travellers to remain patient and liaise with their airlines for updates on flights and alternative travel arrangements.The disruption has heightened concerns over the reliability of JKIA as a regional aviation hub, with industry groups warning that prolonged industrial action could have wider consequences for tourism, trade, investment and Kenya’s connectivity with the rest of Africa and the world.Kenya’s aviation industry had earlier called for an urgent resolution of the strike, warning that repeated disruptions to air traffic services risk undermining confidence in the country’s aviation system.The government acknowledged the broader significance of the crisis, describing JKIA as a “critical national gateway” for trade, tourism, investment, diplomacy and regional connectivity.“The Government is therefore treating the situation with the urgency and seriousness it requires,” Mudavadi said.The latest disruption follows similar industrial action in February that caused widespread flight cancellations and delays at JKIA, raising fresh questions over contingency planning and the ability of authorities and aviation operators to maintain operations during labour disputes.Kenya Airways has also reported significant disruptions, with some flights delayed for several hours because of the backlog created by the strike. Other airlines affected include Rwandair and Uganda Airlines.The airline has advised passengers to confirm their flight status before travelling to the airport.Mudavadi assured passengers, airlines and Kenya’s international partners that the government remained engaged with stakeholders and would continue negotiations in good faith.“We assure the public, the aviation industry and our international partners that the Government remains fully seized of the matter and will continue engaging all relevant stakeholders in good faith,” he said.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 31 — The government is stepping up preparations to protect learners, teachers and schools from disruptions as Kenya braces for a potentially strong El Niño weather event expected in October and November.The Ministry of Education and the Kenya Red Cross Society are working on measures to safeguard school communities and ensure learning continues, including the administration of national examinations and assessments, despite the anticipated heavy rains.Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba said the ministry was reviewing its disaster preparedness plans in consultation with humanitarian partners as the country prepares for the expected weather event.Ogamba said the education sector was particularly vulnerable to climate-related disasters, which can threaten the safety of learners and teachers while damaging school infrastructure and interrupting learning.“The education sector is exposed to disasters occasioned by climate change and related risks. Disaster preparedness and management are therefore indispensable to ensuring the safety and security of learners, teachers and school property, and the seamless delivery of education and training,” Ogamba said.He issued the statement after meeting Kenya Red Cross Society Secretary General Ahmed Idris at Jogoo House B in Nairobi to discuss preparedness for the forecast El Niño conditions.“This afternoon, I held a meeting with the Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross Society, Dr. Ahmed Idris, at the Ministry’s Jogoo House B offices, to discuss the Ministry’s preparedness in light of the forecast of a strong El Nino weather event expected in October and November,” he said.Ogamba said the ministry would work with the Red Cross and other partners to put in place measures to minimise the impact of extreme weather on schools.“The Ministry, together with partners such as the Kenya Red Cross Society, will implement all measures necessary to ensure that learners, teachers and school communities are safe, and that education programmes, including national examinations and assessments, proceed without interruption,” he said.The preparations come weeks after the government identified 18 counties and several urban centres as being at heightened risk from the anticipated El Niño rains.The National Disaster Operations Centre has identified areas in the Coast, Lake Basin, Rift Valley and North Eastern regions as vulnerable to hazards including flooding, landslides, disease outbreaks, infrastructure damage and displacement.Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu have also been classified as high-risk urban centres, with authorities warning of possible flooding, blocked drainage systems and disruption of essential services.The Kenya Meteorological Service has forecast an 81 per cent chance of a strong El Niño event, with a 97 per cent probability that its effects could persist into early next year, according to an Interior Ministry assessment issued earlier this month.For the education sector, the anticipated rains could expose schools to flooding, damage to classrooms and other infrastructure, impassable roads and disruption of attendance, particularly in vulnerable areas.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, August 31 – Nairobi is racing against time to clear tonnes of garbage from its drainage system and waterways before the rains return, exposing the scale of the city’s waste management crisis and the threat it poses to flood-prone neighbourhoods. The county government says it is collecting about 3,000 tonnes of garbage every day, triple the roughly 1,000 tonnes previously collected, as it steps up efforts to clear blocked drains, river channels and illegal dumping sites. But the sheer volume of waste being removed points to a deeper problem: Nairobi is generating and dumping rubbish faster than the city’s waste management system can contain it. In some of the areas most vulnerable to flooding, garbage has accumulated in huge quantities along waterways and drainage corridors. Embakasi South alone has recorded more than 4,500 loads of waste removed since April, according to figures provided by County Executive Committee Member for Green Nairobi Maureen Njeri. At Kware Bridge, 1,538 loads have been cleared, while another 2,970 loads have been removed from English Press in Mukuru Kwa Reuben. The county has also been clearing waste collection points along the Ngong River, where rubbish poses the risk of being washed downstream and blocking already strained drainage infrastructure. The problem is not confined to the city’s eastern suburbs. Along the Nairobi River, 216...
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 31 — Kenya’s aviation strike entered its second day on Monday, with hundreds of passengers facing delays and cancellations as the Ministry of Roads and Transport remained publicly silent on the disruption.However, Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei said the government was working to reach an amicable settlement.Sing’oei, who is not in charge of the transport docket, offered the clearest public indication from government that efforts were underway to resolve the dispute, as disruption at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) continued.“We convey our sincere apologies to travelers for inconvenience caused by the ongoing industrial action at JKIA and assure that government is doing what it can to reach an amicable settlement on this matter,” Sing’oei said.The Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU) strike, which began on Sunday, has disrupted air traffic services at JKIA and other airports, leaving passengers stranded and forcing airlines to delay or cancel flights.Some passengers had been at JKIA for more than 12 hours as the disruption entered its second day.The Ministry of Roads and Transport had not issued a substantive public statement on the strike by Monday evening, despite the disruption directly affecting the country’s aviation and transport network.Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), however, acknowledged that the disruption to air traffic control services was continuing to affect operations at JKIA.“As a result, some flights are experiencing delays and cancellations,” KAA said, advising passengers to contact their airlines and confirm their flight status before travelling to the airport.KAA said it was working with airlines and other aviation stakeholders to mitigate the disruption and facilitate safe, secure and orderly airport operations.The impact has been felt by airlines operating through Kenya’s main international gateway.RwandAir cancelled two pairs of flights scheduled for Monday, citing operational challenges affecting air traffic control services at JKIA. The airline said affected passengers would be accommodated on the next available flights.Kenya Airways has also reported delays of more than six hours at JKIA and said the resulting backlog had forced it to reschedule and cancel some flights.The national carrier advised passengers not to go to the airport unless they had a confirmed flight and urged travellers to check their flight status before departure.The continuing disruption has also triggered concern from Kenya’s aviation and tourism industry.The Kenya Association of Air Operators (KAAO), African Airlines Association (AFRAA) and Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) have called for an urgent end to the industrial action, warning that prolonged disruption could threaten safety, connectivity and Kenya’s reputation as a regional aviation hub.“Safety cannot be improvised,” said Liz Aluvanze, Chief Executive Officer of KAAO.The industry bodies said the latest disruption was particularly concerning because similar industrial action occurred in February, making the possibility of another disruption foreseeable.They called for tested contingency plans and better communication between aviation authorities, airlines and other industry players.The February strike provides an indication of the potential economic cost of the latest disruption.KAAO’s preliminary assessment of 16 operators recorded 150 flight cancellations and 382 delays, with direct losses estimated at about $5.1 million.That estimate did not include losses from aircraft diversions, crew disruption, network recovery or wider effects on tourism, trade and medical operations.AFRAA Secretary General Abdérahmane Berthé said disruption at JKIA could have consequences across the continent because of the airport’s role as a regional aviation gateway.“Kenya’s role as a continental aviation hub means that disruptions here are felt well beyond its borders, affecting connectivity, trade and travellers across Africa’s aviation network,” Berthé said.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 31 — Kenya’s aviation industry has called for an urgent end to an ongoing air traffic services strike, warning that prolonged disruption at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is threatening flight safety, passenger connectivity and the country’s reputation as a regional aviation hub.The Kenya Association of Air Operators (KAAO), African Airlines Association (AFRAA) and Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) said the industrial action by the Kenya Aviation Workers Union (KAWU), which began on August 30, has caused delays, cancellations, diversions, rerouting and prolonged aircraft holding at JKIA and other Kenyan airports.The industry bodies said the disruption was particularly concerning because air traffic services are safety-critical and require tested contingency arrangements to prevent operational risks from being transferred to airlines, crews and passengers.“Safety cannot be improvised,” said Liz Aluvanze, Chief Executive Officer of KAAO.“Operators, crews and passengers should not carry the burden of a foreseeable disruption when timely notices, tested contingency measures and coordinated airport response should have been in place.”The associations said the latest strike was foreseeable following similar industrial action in February, which should have prompted authorities to activate and communicate effective contingency plans.They cited Regulation 40 of the Kenya Civil Aviation (Air Traffic Services) Regulations, which requires the air traffic services authority to develop contingency plans for actual or potential disruption of air traffic services and coordinate them with affected airspace users and neighbouring air traffic service authorities.According to the aviation bodies, operators were not briefed on an activated contingency plan during the latest disruption, while delayed issuance of the relevant Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) left airlines with less time to adjust flight plans, fuel requirements, alternate airports, crew rosters and passenger arrangements.They also called for more regular briefings from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) covering airport capacity, aircraft parking, gates, stands, apron congestion, ground handling, cargo facilities and the expected recovery sequence.The disruption has already affected Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways, which said some flights were facing delays of more than six hours at JKIA because of the backlog created by the industrial action.The airline said it had been forced to reschedule and cancel some flights and advised passengers not to travel to the airport unless they had a confirmed flight.Kenya Airways said passengers could check their flight status through its website or mobile application and change or reschedule flights without penalty.“Safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority,” the airline said, apologising to customers for the disruption.The latest disruption has revived concerns over the wider economic consequences of instability at Kenya’s main aviation gateway.During the February 16–17 KAWU industrial action, KAAO’s preliminary assessment of 16 operators recorded 150 flight cancellations and 382 delays, resulting in approximately $5.1 million in direct losses.The figure did not include costs linked to aircraft diversions, crew disruption and network recovery, or wider losses to tourism, trade and medical operations.The industry bodies warned that repeated disruptions could undermine confidence in JKIA and weaken Kenya’s position as a gateway to East and Central Africa.“Kenya’s role as a continental aviation hub means that disruptions here are felt well beyond its borders, affecting connectivity, trade and travellers across Africa’s aviation network,” said Abdérahmane Berthé, Secretary General of AFRAA.“We join KAAO and KTF in calling for an urgent, amicable resolution and for contingency arrangements that protect the continent’s air transport system.”The groups said reliable air connectivity is critical to Kenya’s tourism industry, time-sensitive exports, humanitarian and medical flights, trade and investment.They called on KCAA, KAA, KAWU, the government and other aviation stakeholders to urgently resolve the dispute while ensuring safety-critical services remain protected during industrial action.The associations also urged authorities to strengthen contingency planning and airport coordination to ensure future disruptions do not leave airlines and passengers bearing avoidable operational and financial risks.“KAAO, AFRAA and KTF remain available to work constructively with all parties to restore safe, orderly and predictable operations,” the organisations said.They warned that Kenya’s ambition to remain a leading regional aviation gateway must be matched by an aviation system that is “prepared, accountable and resilient.”
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 30 – Nairobi Gubernatorial Hopeful Babu Owino has issued a stern warning to bloggers and political operatives he accused of playing both sides of the political divide, telling them they cannot simultaneously champion the Linda Mwananchi opposition movement and support President William Ruto’s administration.Speaking during the Linda Mwananchi rally in Meru on Sunday, Babu said the movement would not tolerate individuals he described as “traitors” who had infiltrated its ranks to undermine its political mobilisation.“You cannot be a blogger for Linda Mwananchi and at the same time a blogger for the government,” Babu said.He told the alleged double dealers to choose where their loyalty lay, insisting that supporters of the movement must commit themselves fully to its political cause.“If you support us, give us 100 per cent support; if you don’t support us, support Ruto because we don’t want one foot there and another foot here,” he said.The Embakasi East MP accused unnamed individuals of being sent to the movement to “bring nonsense and play games”, warning that Linda Mwananchi would not be intimidated or derailed.The remarks came as the opposition movement took its grassroots mobilisation campaign to Meru, seeking to build a broader national network ahead of the 2027 General Election. The Meru rally brought together Babu, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and former Meru governor Kawira Mwangaza, among other opposition figures.Babu used the platform to reaffirm his support for Sifuna, dismissing any suggestion of a rift between the two politicians.“There is nobody else here in Linda Mwananchi who knows this young man the way I know him, the things we have gone through with him in the ODM party until today. My brother Sifuna, I am with you 100 per cent,” he said.He also called for opposition leaders to close ranks ahead of the 2027 presidential contest, arguing that President Ruto could only be defeated if rival opposition formations united.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 30 – Former Deputy President and Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has tasked his senior party officials with keeping the political movement active as he continues his extended tour of the United States.In a statement on Sunday, Gachagua said his deputy party leader Cleophas Malala and Secretary General-designate Senator John Methu would lead the party’s engagements in his absence.“While away engaging Kenyans in the United States of America, I have tasked my team led by my Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala and DCP Party Secretary General Designate Senator John Methu to continue listening to the people and speaking for them,” Gachagua said.The former Deputy President left Kenya on August 26 alongside his wife, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, for an extended US stay expected to last about 50 days.Gachagua is scheduled to engage Kenyans living in several parts of the US as he seeks to consolidate support among the diaspora ahead of the 2027 General Election.According to the itinerary released by DCP, his political and diaspora engagements will begin in Spokane, Washington, from September 4 to 10, followed by Portland, Oregon, from September 10 to 16. He will then proceed to Kansas from September 16 to 24, Dallas, Texas, from September 24 to October 1, and finally Boston, Massachusetts, from October 1 to 9.The tour comes after Gachagua conducted an extensive political mobilisation campaign across the country, with the former Deputy President now turning his attention to Kenyans living abroad.He has previously said the extended stay in America will allow him to consult the diaspora and make political decisions away from what he described as undue influence from people around him.Gachagua has also linked the trip to preparations for the 2027 elections, saying he intends to use the period to reflect on his political future and chart the way forward.Back home, Malala and Methu have already stepped up party activities during his absence. Methu, for instance, has been holding meetings with DCP-allied MPs as the party works to strengthen its structures and maintain its political momentum ahead of the elections.DCP has sought to present itself as a rapidly expanding national political vehicle ahead of the 2027 General Election. The party said in May 2026 that its internal membership had surpassed 4.5 million, with Gachagua putting the figure at 4,576,345 registered members. He also claimed that the party was attracting support beyond its traditional Mount Kenya base, including in parts of the North Rift and South Rift.The figure represents a significant increase from July 2025, when DCP said it had attracted more than 1.8 million members within its first two months. At the time, the party was already seeking to demonstrate a national footprint by fielding candidates in by-elections, including in Banisa and Malava.The party has also been attempting to build structures outside Mount Kenya by bringing in politicians from different regions. In its May leadership changes, DCP appointed officials from Kakamega, Narok and Wajir, among other areas, in an apparent effort to project the party as a national rather than regional outfit.Its leadership has increasingly been visible in different parts of the country. Malala, for instance, has undertaken political mobilisation in Western Kenya and in August publicly backed Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s presidential bid, saying he would support Sifuna and rally Luhya youth behind him.At the same time, DCP’s growth has brought greater political scrutiny. The party has experienced disputes involving nominations, defections and disagreements among senior officials, highlighting the difficulties of transforming a relatively young party into a nationwide political machine.
Read briefing Zambian opposition leader Brian Mundubile has been charged with treason, his lawyer has said amid heightened political tensions in the country.Mundubile was arrested on Thursday, after a deadly raid by the authorities led the opposition politician to go into hiding.He had disputed the results of the country’s recent presidential election, which saw incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema securing a second term.The authorities then accused Mundubile’s NRPUP party of planning an armed insurgency, which it denied.On Saturday night, Mundubile’s lawyer Milner Katolo announced that his client had been charged with treason. The opposition leader looks forward to answering the accusation in court, Katolo told the Zambian Eye.The lawyer said 17 others, including Mundubile’s running mate Makebi Zulu, had also been charged with treason.Mundubile gained 38% of the vote in the 13 August election, while Hichilema secured 60%, official results show.The day after the poll, security forces raided a property in the capital, Lusaka, linked to Mundubile, killing a former cabinet minister and arresting a number of other politicians.Following the raid, Mundubile and Zulu took refuge at a United Nations building in the city. The pair were detained after the president put pressure on the UN to hand them over.The opposition was unable to mount a legal challenge to the election outcome as the courts were sealed off by the authorities on Monday, the final day that a case could be filed.Regional and international observers described the election day as largely peaceful, but Zambia’s Human Rights Commission has called for accountability over people whose whereabouts remain unknown following arrests and security operations around the elections.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 30 – Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has accused President William Ruto’s administration of misplaced priorities, questioning the decision to spend billions of shillings on new police uniforms at a time when thousands of students are struggling to raise school fees and young people remain unemployed.Speaking in Meru during the opposition’s Linda Mwananchi campaign, Owino claimed the government had allocated Sh2.5 billion to the new police uniforms, arguing that the money could have been channeled into job creation, factories and other programmes to benefit young people.“Students have not entered university and colleges because their parents have no school fees. Then the government spends 2.5 billion to bring police uniforms. Is this foolishness or not?” the Nairobi Gubernatorial hopeful asked.President William Ruto unveiled the new Kenya Police Service general-duty uniform at the Kenya Police Training College in Kiganjo on Friday, August 28, with more than 6,000 recruits becoming among the first officers to wear the new design.The National Police Service said the change followed recommendations from a 2023 public participation exercise in which officers expressed dissatisfaction with the previous outfit.The new uniform replaces the Persian-blue outfit introduced in 2018 and consists of a light-blue shirt and deep-navy trousers. The rollout is expected to cover about 60,000 general-duty officers.However, Babu questioned whether changing police attire should be a government priority, arguing that the same resources could have been used to address unemployment.“Since 1963, in Kenya, we are still looking for police uniforms. What was wrong with the recent uniforms? What was wrong with the ones that were newly introduced?” he asked.He also questioned why the government had not instead used the money to improve the welfare of police officers.“Why didn’t they take that money and increase the police salaries?” he asked, claiming that a police officer’s salary increase of Sh1,000 would leave only about Sh800 after taxes.Babu said the money could have been invested in manufacturing and job creation in Meru.“If you use 2.5 billion here in Meru to open factories one factory would take even 200 million therefore, you can build 12 factories that will employ over 10,000 people from Meru. Isn’t that development?” he asked.His remarks came amid growing scrutiny over the cost and procurement of the new police attire. Sources had estimated a set at Sh25,000, meaning that providing two sets for about 60,000 general-duty officers could cost approximately Sh3 billion.Opposition leaders have also demanded greater transparency over the tender. Democratic Action Party-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa has called for disclosure of the company awarded the contract and the procurement process used.Police headquarters dismissed reports that Nalitex Limited won the tender to manufacture the new Kenya Police Service General Duty uniforms, saying the contract was lawfully awarded to Bedi Investments Limited.The National Police Service (NPS), through the Office of the Inspector General, said Nalitex Limited did not feature in any stage of the process involving the development, selection, procurement or manufacture of the new police uniforms.“For clarity, the new police uniforms are being manufactured by M/s Bedi Investments Limited, which was lawfully awarded the contract by the National Police Service,” the NPS said.The clarification follows recent media reports concerning the procurement and manufacture of the new Kenya Police Service General Duty uniform.The NPS said the decision to change the General Duty uniform was made as part of a broader police reform programme considered by the Maraga Task Force on Police Reforms, chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga.According to the Service, police officers were consulted during the process and overwhelmingly expressed dissatisfaction with the existing uniform and preference for a change.The task force subsequently recommended reverting to the previous uniform colours.The NPS said the change was therefore neither sudden nor arbitrary, but one of several measures arising from the wider police reform process.Following the reform process, the Kenya Police Service Uniform Committee worked with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to develop the required standards for the new uniform.The NPS maintained that the development, selection and procurement process followed the recommendations of the police reform process.The Service also sought to draw a distinction between the company named in recent media reports and the firm undertaking the uniform contract.It reiterated that Bedi Investments Limited was lawfully awarded the contract and is responsible for manufacturing the new police uniforms.The statement comes amid increased public scrutiny of the new police uniform and questions surrounding its procurement.The NPS said the facts surrounding the change of uniform, its development and subsequent procurement were “clear and verifiable.”
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 30 – Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has challenged President William Ruto to abandon plans to unveil a long-term Vision 2060 blueprint and instead concentrate on delivering the promises that propelled him to State House in 2022.Sifuna said the Kenya Kwanza administration had been given a five-year mandate to implement its campaign promises but had failed to deliver, arguing that Kenyans should not be subjected to another long-term plan before the government addresses the challenges facing them today.“Right now he is lying to you here that he wants to write Vision 2060. We gave you five years; you failed at the plan you had. We will not allow you to write another plan for us,” Sifuna said.He was speaking in Meru during Linda Mwananchi political mobilisation tour where he criticised the President over his administration’s record while urging residents to support the opposition’s “Linda Mwananchi” campaign.Sifuna said the opposition would instead seek to develop a new national plan that reflects the aspirations of a younger generation.“Allow us, as the new generation, to write the plan for the future of this country because yours failed you,” he said.The UDA government has increasingly framed its long-term development agenda around Vision 2030 and discussions on a successor framework extending to 2060. However, Sifuna argued that Kenyans were more concerned about immediate economic hardships and the failure to fulfil campaign pledges made to ordinary citizens.He recalled the 2022 presidential campaign in which Dr Ruto presented himself as the champion of the “hustler” and promised to transform the lives of ordinary Kenyans.“Ruto went around Mount Kenya… saying ‘hustler’ and you also chanted ‘hustler’, correct? Now we are telling Ruto that fire is fought with fire,” Sifuna said.He said the opposition would use the same grassroots language that helped Ruto win the 2022 election to challenge his administration in the next electoral contest.“The way you went around singing ‘hustler’, we are coming singing one. Ruto! Ruto! Ruto! Don’t talk to us about slogans; slogans ended,” Sifuna said.Sifuna accused the President of failing to honour promises made during the 2022 campaign, including commitments targeting boda boda riders, small traders, healthcare and education.“You said boda boda riders would become taxi owners once you took office. You said shopkeepers like these, upon finishing, would own supermarkets. A blatant lie,” he said.The Nairobi senator also criticised the administration over its handling of protests and alleged police brutality, saying the opposition’s alternative government would be founded on respect for constitutional rights.He said a democratic Kenya should allow citizens to criticise those in power without fear of arrest or intimidation.“This means that when you say something critical, a Subaru is not dispatched to carry you away,” Sifuna said.He further accused Ruto of selectively invoking the Constitution while failing to uphold its values.“Let me tell you, William Ruto, we were told you are a doctor of trees and leaves. He has already failed at his primary job concerning trees and leaves,” he said.Sifuna also turned his criticism to the composition of the Cabinet, accusing the Kenya Kwanza administration of failing to give women adequate representation.He cited the ongoing debate over the two-thirds gender principle and said the treatment of women leaders discouraged others from seeking elective positions.“The oppression directed at women like Kawira prevents other women from even trying to enter politics,” Sifuna said, referring to former Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza.He urged residents to stand with Mwangaza, portraying her as a symbol of the struggle for women’s political participation.Sifuna also renewed his attacks on the President’s leadership style, saying Kenyans should distinguish between respect for the presidency as an institution and their assessment of Ruto as an individual.“Our Constitution states that the office of a president is a symbol of national unity,” he said, before launching a personal attack on the President.Sifuna said the opposition would not be intimidated by the President and accused his administration of using force to demand respect.“William Ruto thinks respect comes by force; that is impossible. We are a different generation—if you respect us, we respect you,” he said.The Nairobi Senator further claimed that the opposition’s grassroots campaign was gaining momentum across the country, saying the political alliance was targeting regions previously considered supportive of Ruto.He challenged residents of Meru to reject the argument that Ruto’s administration would automatically enjoy support because Deputy President Kithure Kindiki comes from the region.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 29 – The parents of late KCB executive Rosemary Chemutai Koech have explained why they proceeded to bury their daughter at night, despite a court order seeking to stop her interment at their family home in Chepseon, Kericho County. Speaking during a memorial service for Rosemary, her mother, Beatrice Koech, said the family was determined to give their daughter the dignity they believed she deserved and provide a place where her four children could easily visit and mourn her. The burial on Friday night came hours after the Milimani Commercial Magistrate’s Court issued interim orders stopping the interment without the involvement and consent of Rosemary’s husband, Kevin Migwe Kimwatu. The dispute had centred on where the 40-year-old KCB Bank Head of Data Protection should be buried, with her husband seeking to have her laid to rest at his ancestral home in Matasia, Ngong, Kajiado County, while her parents wanted her buried at their home in Chepseon. But speaking during the memorial, Beatrice said the family had chosen to lay Rosemary to rest on their land because they believed it offered her children a place of comfort and connection with their mother. “We are very excited that we have managed to give Chemu the dignity that she deserved and lead her to rest where she will continue to rest happily and where she will be cared and loved together with her children...
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 29 – The late KCB Bank executive Rosemary Chemutai Koech-Kimwatu was buried at her parents’ home in Chepseon, Kericho County, on Friday night despite a court order issued hours earlier stopping her interment without the involvement and consent of her husband, Kevin Migwe Kimwatu.The dispute over her final resting place shifted to the courts, with the parties expected back before Milimani Commercial Magistrate’s Court on Monday, August 31 despite her interment.The burial was carried out after the family proceeded with the funeral arrangements, with reports indicating that the court order had not been served on them before the interment.The development came only hours after Senior Principal Magistrate Agnes Mwangi certified Kimwatu’s application as urgent and issued interim orders restraining Rosemary’s family, KCB Bank and other parties from removing her remains from Lee Funeral Home or proceeding with her burial without his involvement.The court had specifically barred the respondents, their relatives, agents and employees from interring or burying Rosemary without the involvement and consent of her husband pending the inter partes hearing.The orders followed an application filed by Kimwatu after he learnt that his wife’s family had planned to bury her at her parents’ home in Chepseon rather than at his ancestral home in Matasia, Ngong, Kajiado County.Kimwatu, who says he married Rosemary at St Austin’s Catholic Church in Nairobi in August 2013, argues that their 13-year marriage and the fact that they had four children gave him a right to participate in decisions concerning her final rites.He accuses Rosemary’s parents, Paul and Beatrice Koech, and her sister, Judy Koech-Oyamo, of excluding him from funeral committees and preparations following her death on August 21.The dispute escalated after Kimwatu visited Lee Funeral Home on August 26 to follow up on the burial arrangements and was shown a letter from KCB dated August 25.According to court documents, the bank’s employment records listed Rosemary’s sister, Judy Koech-Oyamo, and her eldest son, Charles Migwe Kimwatu, as her next of kin.The letter authorised the two to liaise with the funeral home over the release, collection and burial arrangements for Rosemary’s remains.The revelation became a key point of contention, with Kimwatu arguing that an employer’s internal next-of-kin records could not override his rights as a surviving spouse.His lawyers have accused KCB of involving itself in a private family dispute, arguing that employment records identifying a next of kin do not give an employer authority to determine where or how an employee’s remains should be buried.The bank’s letter, however, was expressly framed around funeral and mortuary arrangements, rather than the deceased’s estate or succession matters.Kimwatu has told the court that although his marriage to Rosemary had experienced difficulties, including a period of separation lasting about four months, the relationship remained legally intact. He maintains that they had reconciled and that she was planning to return home before her death.The family’s account, as reflected in the case documents and reports surrounding the dispute, points to deep domestic and financial difficulties during the period preceding Rosemary’s death.The contention is the question of where Rosemary should be laid to rest and who has the authority to make that decision.Her biological family had planned to bury her at the family home in Chepseon, Kericho County, where funeral arrangements had been announced before the court intervention.Kimwatu, on the other hand, wants her buried at his ancestral home in Matasia, Ngong, in Kajiado County.The court has not yet made a final determination on who has the ultimate right to decide Rosemary’s burial arrangements. The orders issued on Friday were interim measures intended to preserve the situation pending the hearing of the application.Rosemary was serving as KCB Bank Group’s Head of Data Protection within the Risk Division at the time of her death.She joined KCB as a Data Protection Officer in June 2022 and was promoted to Head of Data Protection in June 2023, having previously worked in legal, technology, regulatory and financial-services roles.Her death on August 21 triggered an outpouring of grief among relatives, colleagues and friends, with funeral arrangements initially proceeding without any public indication of the dispute that would later emerge.The conflict only became public after Kimwatu moved to court, saying he had been shut out of the preparations and had only discovered the identity of the people recognised by KCB as next of kin when he followed up at the mortuary.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 29- Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat has led a fundraising drive at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, aimed at supporting the reconstruction of the school following the deadly dormitory fire that claimed the lives of 16 students. Lagat, who arrived at the academy on Saturday for the fundraising event, is seeking to rally support for the rebuilding of the institution, which serves a significant number of children from police families. The fundraising comes three months after the May 28, 2026 tragedy in which a fire swept through a dormitory at the school shortly after midnight, killing 16 girls and injuring scores of others. The fire affected a dormitory housing about 220 students, with reports indicating that some students were forced to jump from windows as they attempted to escape the flames. At least 79 students were injured in the incident. The tragedy triggered a major national debate on safety in boarding schools, particularly concerns over overcrowding, emergency exits and preparedness for fires. Investigations also raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the blaze, with authorities examining CCTV footage and interviewing students, teachers and other witnesses. The Education Ministry subsequently said that one of the dormitory’s exit doors had been locked, contrary to prescribed safety requirements. The school...
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 29 – Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has pointed to ongoing road works in Homa Bay as evidence of the Government’s investment in infrastructure in the region, weeks after the condition of roads in Suba North became a major political talking point. Mbadi said the road at the recently popularised “Yemen” junction was now taking shape, following widespread public attention to its poor condition during the Linda Mwananchi movement’s tour of Homa Bay earlier this month. “The recently trended ‘Yemen’ junction coming up nicely,” Mbadi said in a post highlighting the ongoing works. The road became a subject of national debate on August 16 when Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and the Linda Mwananchi caravan were forced to use dusty alternative routes during their tour of Homa Bay after sections of the main roads were blocked. Images and videos of the convoy navigating the rough roads subsequently circulated widely online, prompting the “Homa Bay looks like Yemen” tag and a political debate over the state of infrastructure in the county. The issue quickly evolved into a political contest, with Sifuna using the state of the roads to criticise the Government over what he described as years of neglect, while local leaders defended the region and demanded faster development. Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo rejected attempts to dismiss the roads used by the Linda Mwananch...
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 29 – The Ministry of Health has announced a coordinated preparedness plan to mitigate health risks linked to anticipated heavy rains, flooding and displacement during the 2026/2027 El Niño season.Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said the Health Sector El Niño Contingency Plan brings together national and county governments, emergency agencies, humanitarian organisations and development partners to anticipate, prevent, detect and respond rapidly to flood-related health emergencies.“The Health Sector El Niño Contingency Plan provides a common framework” for coordinated preparedness and response, Muthoni said.The Ministry is particularly concerned about water- and food-borne diseases, including typhoid, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A and other diarrhoeal illnesses, which can rise when flooding contaminates water sources and sanitation systems.Muthoni said the Ministry is working with county governments and partners including the Kenya Red Cross Society, National Disaster Operations Centre, National Disaster Management Unit, KEMSA, KEMRI, WHO, UNICEF and other health-sector agencies.Through the National Health Sector El Niño Task Force and emergency operations structures, the partners will support joint planning, rapid assessments, emergency medical services, referral and evacuation, community outreach, risk communication and relief support.The preparedness measures include strengthening disease surveillance and early-warning systems, with county teams supported to investigate alerts and deploy rapid-response teams.The Ministry is also enhancing laboratory capacity and sample-referral networks, while ensuring availability of reagents and rapid diagnostic tests for typhoid, cholera and other priority diseases.Essential medicines, laboratory supplies, infection-prevention materials, nutrition commodities and emergency kits are being quantified, procured, stockpiled and pre-positioned at regional, county and facility levels.The plan also prioritises safe water, sanitation and hygiene through water-quality surveillance, household water-treatment supplies, chlorination and disinfection of contaminated sources, as well as mobile water-treatment units and sanitation facilities.Counties are being supported to strengthen contingency plans, referral networks, ambulance and evacuation arrangements, temporary and mobile clinics, backup power and continuity of essential services.Community Health Promoters and Primary Care Networks will also disseminate early-warning messages, promote household water treatment and food hygiene, identify danger signs and link affected households to care.Muthoni urged people in flood-prone areas to boil or appropriately treat drinking water and store it in clean, covered containers.She also called for regular handwashing with soap and safe water, particularly after using the toilet and before preparing or eating food.The Ministry advised the public to cook food thoroughly, eat it while hot, wash fruits and vegetables with safe water and avoid food exposed to floodwater.Members of the public have also been urged to seek early medical attention for persistent fever, severe headache, abdominal pain, vomiting, profuse watery diarrhoea, blood in stool, unusual weakness or signs of dehydration.The Ministry cautioned against self-medicating with antibiotics and urged the public to follow evacuation and safety instructions while avoiding walking or driving through floodwater.Muthoni said the Ministry would continue monitoring meteorological and epidemiological information, updating risk assessments and supporting counties and partners as the situation evolves.
Read briefing Sudan’s military-led government has lifted a curfew and state of emergency in Khartoum imposed more than two years ago, state media says.The authorities are taking this step 18 months after the army seized back control of the capital from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which it has been fighting in a civil war now in its fourth year.But clashes continue in the south and west, with mounting evidence that the war is spilling across Sudan’s borders.More than two million of the roughly five million people who fled Khartoum after war erupted in April 2023 have returned to the city since fighting there ended in March 2025, according to the International Organization for Migration.The government has reopened the city’s main airport for some flights and is encouraging businesses and embassies to come back.Many have found widespread damage with many buildings looted. And they have to cope with constant power blackouts, due to alleged RSF drone attacks on electricity infrastructure and a lack of government funds to carry out repairs.“The targeting of the electricity sector in particular was very significant,” a spokesperson for the Khartoum state government, Altayeb Saadeldin, told the Reuters news agency, listing looting of copper wires and fuel and other components, as well as drone attacks, as reasons for the outages.An RSF source responded that the allegations were “incorrect and army propaganda”.Despite lifting the state of emergency, the authorities remain wary of RSF infiltration. The Sudan News Agency said security patrols would continue operating across the state and locals traveling at night would need to carry identification documents.Reports compiled by BBC Monitoring say the army continues to carry out security sweeps across greater Khartoum, targeting alleged RSF sleeper cells, undocumented foreigners and criminals involved in illegal activities.In the meantime, there is growing concern that the war is drawing in neighbouring countries.Chad is accusing the military of carrying out an air strike that hit a military convoy in Ennedi-Est province, about 100km (62 miles) inside Chadian territory, on 20 August. It has reportedly put its forces along the border on maximum alert.Sudan has rejected the charge, saying it is surprised that its army was blamed without an independent investigation.In a statement, the foreign ministry said it “affirms that the Sudanese army fulfils its constitutional duty to defend Sudan’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, and to confront the threats facing the country, while remaining committed to respecting the sovereignty of neighbouring states and refraining from targeting their territories”.Sudan accuses Chad of permitting the passage of RSF military supplies delivered by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through its airports and border crossings.The UAE and Chad deny the allegations despite similar findings by UN experts and investigative reports by international media.The attack on the Chadian convoy prompted the US Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos to express “deep concern” about the risk of Sudan’s war threatening regional peace and stability.Boulos has been urging the parties to immediately accept a humanitarian truce. He has grown increasingly frustrated with the Sudanese military, which refuses to engage in a peace process unless the RSF disarms and withdraws from the territory it has occupied.“The United States condemns the SAF’s recent air strikes inside Chad,” Boulos wrote in a post on X. “There is no military solution to this conflict – and absolutely no justification for expanding the violence beyond Sudan’s borders.“External financial and military support to the warring parties must stop,” he added.This month the US envoy presented a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that would extend a 2005 weapons embargo on Darfur – the stronghold of the RSF – across the entire country and include a ban on attack drones, which are increasingly used by both sides.Sudan’s government and army have rejected the proposal. According to local media reports officials argue that this unfairly equates the recognised national military with a paramilitary force and restricts its ability to defend citizens against an insurgency.
Read briefing NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 28 – Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has given the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) seven days to disclose details of recruitments conducted over the past five years.In a statement issued on Friday, Kalonzo demanded that the three institutions reveal who they have recruited, how many people have been hired, the criteria used and the regions from which the recruits were drawn.Kalonzo said the demand follows allegations of political interference in recruitment, including claims that TSC recruitment letters were allegedly being issued from State House.He cited recent remarks by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Murang’a Woman Representative Betty Maina, arguing that the allegations should not be dismissed as political rhetoric.“When the Speaker of the National Assembly says something like this in public, it stops being gossip. It becomes a matter that this country must get to the bottom of,” Kalonzo said.He alleged that recruitment into public institutions had increasingly been influenced by political connections and voting patterns rather than merit and regional fairness.Kalonzo invoked Article 232 of the Constitution, which sets out values and principles of public service, including professional ethics, efficient use of resources, merit and fair competition in appointments and promotions, and representation of Kenya’s diverse communities.“These institutions belong to Kenyans. They are not a basket of favours for Ruto’s regime to dish out to friends and reward loyalty,” he said.The Wiper leader said his party’s MPs and lawyers had been directed to write to the three institutions within 48 hours seeking the recruitment information under Kenya’s access-to-information framework.He said the seven-day period would begin once the letters are received by the respective institutions.Kalonzo warned that failure to provide the information would prompt legal action, with his team seeking court orders compelling the institutions to disclose the requested records.“If they choose silence instead of answers, we will go to court and ask a judge to compel them to disclose what they are hiding,” he said.He maintained that the move was aimed at promoting accountability and transparency in public recruitment.“Kenyans will get the truth about who is being hired into their institutions, and why, with or without State House’s cooperation,” Kalonzo said.
Read briefing NAIROBI, August 28 – Former National Assembly Speaker and Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi has warned that Parliament risks undermining the 2027 General Election by failing to conclude pending amendments to electoral laws.Muturi said unresolved questions surrounding electoral technology, procurement and intellectual-property rights could erode public confidence in the electoral process if they are not settled before preparations for the next election enter their final stages.He accused Parliament of failing to learn from the unrest that followed the 2023 protests, saying the deaths recorded during that period should compel State institutions to address weaknesses exposed in the electoral framework.“In 2023, Kenyans took to the streets demanding, among other things, accountability and clarity on issues surrounding electoral technology and intellectual-property rights, and nearly 100 lives were lost in the ensuing unrest,” Muturi said.He said the loss of lives should not be treated as a statistic and warned that allowing similar legal uncertainties to persist ahead of the 2027 election could trigger a more serious crisis.He highlighted the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which he said had been passed by the Senate and transmitted to the National Assembly but remains pending as the country moves closer to the next General Election.“This is not routine parliamentary procrastination; in my considered view, it amounts to electoral sabotage,” Muturi said.He singled out National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and MPs, whom he urged to ensure the pending amendments are tabled, debated and concluded without further delay.Muturi argued that clarity in the law was critical to the preparedness of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), particularly on procurement and the acquisition and use of electoral technology.He warned that unresolved legal questions could complicate procurement decisions and expose the electoral body to disputes at a time when it should be concentrating on preparations for the 2027 poll.“Questions relating to electoral technology, procurement and intellectual-property rights must be settled before contracts are awarded and before the country enters the final stages of election preparation,” he said.The former Speaker said uncertainty over the legal framework could also damage public confidence in the IEBC and the credibility of the election.He warned political leaders against assuming that failure to act would have consequences only within Parliament, saying an electoral crisis could carry significant human and economic costs.“Let nobody say they were not warned,” Muturi said, arguing that once confidence in an election collapses, restoring public trust and peace becomes considerably harder.His remarks come as political parties and other stakeholders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election, increasing pressure on Parliament and electoral institutions to address outstanding legal and administrative questions.Muturi called on lawmakers to treat electoral reforms as an urgent national responsibility rather than a routine legislative matter.He said the country could not afford to wait for another crisis before addressing weaknesses that had already been identified.“We owe it to those Kenyans who lost their lives to ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain,” he said.Muturi further warned that Parliament could face accountability if its failure to act contributed to an electoral crisis in 2027.“If the National Assembly knowingly fails to discharge its responsibility and the electoral process subsequently descends into a crisis, those responsible for the failure to act must be held accountable,” he said.He urged Parliament to move with urgency, saying the credibility of the next election depended not only on the conduct of the IEBC but also on whether the legal framework governing the poll was clear and settled in good time.“Fix the law. Protect the IEBC. Protect the election. Protect the lives of Kenyans. Act now,” Muturi said.
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