For years, much of Kenya's coverage of China has focused on the country's government, infrastructure projects, trade and growing influence in Africa. We report on presidents and state visits, roads and railways, Chinese companies and disputes involving Chinese nationals.These are important stories. But a two-week journey through China raised a different question, where are the Chinese people in our China stories? China is home to about 1.4 billion people, yet the country that appears in Kenyan headlines is often the China of the state.Kenyans.co.ke toured China for two weeks as part of a seminar for Kenyan media managers and editors organised in collaboration with Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), covering Beijing, Ningbo and Jiaxing, with a layover in Guangzhou. It offered an opportunity to observe a country that is difficult to fully capture from thousands of kilometres away.The first impression was the scale of ordinary life in markets, restaurants, trains and streets, people were working, travelling, shopping, eating and spending time with family and friends. Their routines were not fundamentally different from those of people in Nairobi's Muthurwa or Gikomba markets. The scale was different, but the basic concerns, work, family, food, transport, and making a living were familiar.The relationship between Kenya and China is already a people-to-people relationship as much as it is a government and commercial one. Chinese enterprises employ thousands of Kenyans, while Kenyans live, study and work in China.Data from the Joshua Project indicates that there are 38,000 Chinese citizens living in Kenya, the third largest in Africa behind Ethiopia and Algeria. Yet people on both sides often become visible in coverage only when there is a dispute, a crime, a business development or another event that makes them newsworthy.In Guangzhou, and later in Beijing, Ningbo and Jiaxing, we encountered people simply going about their daily lives. They were working, travelling, eating, shopping and trying to make a living, activities that are not particularly different from those of people in Nairobi's Muthurwa or Gikomba markets. There were also moments of curiosity. They wanted to know about Kenya, while we wanted to understand their lives.I particularly recall a 20-minute conversation with a taxi driver in Beijing. He was curious about Africa, just as we were curious about China. We talked about the weather and how we had arrived at the right time. “You don't want to come to China in January,” he said, explaining that the month, which is often hot in Kenya, is very cold in Beijing. He explained how he spent his free time with friends and family, including playing card games, a pastime we noticed in several places we visited.On Sundays, he said, he could either work or rest with his family. “But I prefer to work,” he said through Google Translate, which had become a crucial partner during the trip. In another encounter, a group of us went shopping and came across a robot serving customers in a retail shop. We ordered water, and the robot moved to the shelves, picked up the bottle, and handed it to us. Had we not needed to pay in cash, the entire transaction could have taken place without human interaction.The experience was a reminder that technology in China is not confined to highways, trains and large infrastructure projects. It has become part of ordinary transactions. In several markets we visited, most shops accepted WeChat Pay, the mobile payment service built into the WeChat app. For a Kenyan, the experience felt familiar, it works in much the same way as M-PESA, allowing customers to pay digitally without exchanging cash.The Great Wall offered perhaps the clearest image of China's relationship with its past. Built and rebuilt over successive dynasties for more than 2,000 years, it remains one of the country's most recognisable symbols. But the attention at the site was drawn not only to the wall itself but also to the people climbing it. Men and women, young and old, pushed themselves up the steep sections. Some struggled with the climb, sweat poured down faces as people pushed towards the next section. The scene brought together much of what the journey had revealed, a country carrying its history while moving rapidly into the future and millions of ordinary people living within that transformation.The experience did not suggest that China was perfect, nor that everything observed during a two-week visit could be applied to Kenya. There were systems that remained unfamiliar and aspects of daily life that required far more time to understand. But it challenged the narrow image of China that can emerge from headlines. The country is a government and an economic power, but it is also commuters, workers, traders, families, consumers and young people building ordinary lives.That raises a broader question about how China is reported from Kenya. If Kenyan journalism is to explain China and its relationship with Kenya more fully, it may need to look beyond the governments and projects and ask a simpler question, who are the people living inside this story?
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Read briefing The High Court has upheld the authority of private schools to increase tuition fees, provided the institutions follow the procedures required by law. According to court documents obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, the ruling followed a petition by two parents challenging a private institutions’ six per cent fee increase for the 2026/2027 academic year. However, the court dismissed the petition, affirming the school’s decision, with each party ordered to bear its own costs.“The 1st Respondent being a private institution retains autonomy and power to maintain standards in the course of studies which confers it the authority to increase fees payable as long as procedure is followed. I therefore uphold the decision of the 1st Respondent,” the judgement stated.The parents argued that the revised charges were introduced without meaningful consultation through a legally recognised Parents Association. They also questioned the legality and functioning of the parents’ body, citing requirements under the Basic Education Act. The school disputed the claims, maintaining that the increase was approved during an Annual General Meeting held in May. It told the court that parents and learners participated in the meeting and that notice of the revised fees was issued about three months before implementation. The institution attributed the increase to higher operating costs, staff remuneration, learning resources, technology, maintenance and facility improvements. It further maintained that its relationship with parents was contractual and that, as a private institution, it retained autonomy over its operations and fees. The court found that the petitioners had standing to bring the case and that their constitutional arguments could be examined by the High Court. However, the judge found that the evidence presented by the school demonstrated the process followed before the six per cent increase was approved. The court held that the private institution had the authority to raise fees as long as the applicable procedure was followed, and found that the petitioners had not established violations of their constitutional rights. The case highlights the tension between parents facing increasing pressure to meet fee obligations and schools seeking to raise fees to supplement higher operating costs amid the rising cost of living.In recent months, parents at other schools, including Parklands Baptist School and Alliance Girls’ High School, have also challenged fee increases.
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Read briefing United States Ambassador nominee to Kenya, Henry Wooster, has reiterated that the U.S. will not support any particular candidate or political party in Kenya's 2027 General Election.Appearing before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday, September 24, Wooster said the United States would remain neutral in the political contest as Kenya prepares for the August 2027 polls.According to Wooster, the Trump administration's main focus in Kenya would be stability."Our watchword, the U.S. watchword for August 2027, when the elections are scheduled to take place, is stability. Not an unusual watchword for U.S. foreign policy, but it happens to be grounded in truth. That is exactly what we want," Wooster stated.He said the U.S. is primarily interested in ensuring that the elections are conducted peacefully, rather than determining which candidate or political party emerges victorious."We are not picking sides in the election, A or B or any other party. What we are looking for is stability," he added.The ambassador nominee said the U.S. would closely monitor developments surrounding the election, with stability forming a key consideration in its engagement with Kenya.The announcement comes amid intensified campaigns ahead of the August 10, 2027, elections, with different camps seeking to consolidate their support base.This involves seeking assistance from Kenyans living abroad, including in the U.S.Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua, for instance, is in the U.S meeting with the Kenyan community in the country as he seeks support ahead of next year's election.President William Ruto has also met Kenyans in the U.S. during his visit to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).Besides standing on Kenya's election, the nominee said if confirmed as the Ambassador to Kenya, he will seek further diplomatic and military relations with Kenya during his tenure.Wooster was appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump as the ambassador nominee to Kenya in June 2026 to take over from Meg Whitman, who stepped down in June 2024.
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Read briefing At last, a resolution has been reached as Mombasa United FC and Kariobangi Sharks have agreed to a playoff, paving the way for the 2026/2027 SportPesa League season to propably commence next month. This agreement was achieved after an extensive meeting on Thursday, facilitated by the FKF. The first match will take place in Mombasa on Thursday, October 1, 2026, followed by the second leg in Nairobi on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. Sharks and Mombasa United have been embroiled in a prolonged court battle. Sharks, who finished 16th in last season’s SportPesa League, were advocating for a playoff, while Mombasa United, who finished 3rd on the National Super League table, wanted a direct promotion. The start of the new season has already been postponed twice due to conflicting court orders, with one supporting playoffs and the other opposing them. The post Finally, a truce! Mombasa United and Kariobangi Sharks agree for a playoff appeared first on KBC Digital.
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Read briefing NAIROBI,Kenya, Sep 24— The European Union has committed Sh7.38 billion to accelerate Africa’s campaign to eradicate a contagious livestock disease threatening sheep and goats, with a further Sh5.90 billion expected to be mobilised through blended financing.The additional financing could raise the total investment to about Sh13.29 billion, providing a major boost to efforts to eliminate Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) and strengthen animal-health systems across the continent.The announcement was made during a high-level dialogue in Rome bringing together African governments, international financial institutions, development partners and animal-health organisations to discuss financing for the transformation of agrifood systems under the One Health approach.PPR primarily affects sheep and goats, which are a critical source of food, income and household assets for pastoralists and smallholder farmers.Although the disease does not infect humans, outbreaks can wipe out livestock, reduce household incomes, disrupt trade and worsen food insecurity in communities that depend heavily on small ruminants.The EU said PPR should be treated as more than an animal-health problem because of its wider impact on livelihoods and rural economies.The new financing is intended to support the second phase of Africa’s PPR eradication efforts, helping countries strengthen vaccination and the wider systems required to detect, contain and ultimately eliminate the disease.Participants warned that vaccination alone would not be enough to eradicate PPR.Countries need stronger veterinary services, disease surveillance, diagnostic laboratories, reliable vaccine supply and cold-chain systems, as well as better animal-health data and cross-border coordination.Africa already has national eradication strategies, laboratory networks, vaccination programmes and regional coordination structures. But inadequate and unpredictable financing has continued to slow implementation.The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) urged countries to prepare fully costed national PPR plans and integrate them into wider national investment frameworks.Such plans, it said, would allow governments to identify financing gaps while demonstrating the economic benefits of eliminating the disease.The financing comes as African countries seek to protect livestock-dependent communities from preventable losses and strengthen the resilience of rural economies.Leaders from Tanzania, Chad, Cameroon, Bangladesh and Burkina Faso attended the Rome dialogue alongside representatives of the World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IGAD and African Union institutions.Tanzania highlighted investments in livestock vaccination, animal health and transformation of its livestock sector, while Chad and Cameroon outlined efforts to strengthen veterinary services and protect pastoral communities.The EU commitment is expected to help countries address gaps that have left some livestock populations beyond the reach of regular vaccination and veterinary programmes.
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Read briefing NAIROBI,Kenya, Sep 24— African animal-health leaders are seeking sustained financing for a campaign to eradicate a deadly disease of sheep and goats, arguing that investment in vaccination, surveillance and veterinary services could deliver billions of dollars in economic benefits.The push to eliminate Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) comes as the disease causes annual global economic losses of up to $2.1 billion, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).PPR has been confirmed in more than 70 countries, covering regions that are home to about 1.7 billion sheep and goats which is roughly 80 per cent of the world’s total.At a meeting in Rome, leaders called on governments, international financial institutions, development banks and private investors to provide sustained funding for vaccination campaigns, disease surveillance and veterinary services needed to eliminate the virus.The disease, commonly known as sheep and goat plague, does not infect humans but can devastate livestock herds and the livelihoods of pastoralists and smallholder farmers who depend on sheep and goats for food, income and household assets.FAO says PPR can infect up to 90 per cent of a susceptible herd and kill up to 70 per cent of infected animals.A global economic assessment estimates that a 15-year eradication programme costing $2.26 billion could generate benefits worth about $76.5 billion.That translates to an estimated $33.80 in economic benefits for every $1 invested.The investment would finance measures including vaccination, surveillance, diagnostics, cold-chain infrastructure and veterinary services.Experts said the availability of effective and affordable vaccines means eradication is technically achievable, but reaching livestock in remote and mobile pastoralist communities remains a major challenge.Vaccines must be delivered consistently, supported by functioning cold chains and trained veterinary personnel. Countries also need stronger surveillance and post-vaccination monitoring to establish whether vaccination campaigns are interrupting transmission.Sheep and goats are particularly important to poor rural households because they provide meat and milk, generate income and can serve as a form of household savings during periods of economic or climate stress.FAO estimates that the disease threatens the livelihoods and assets of hundreds of millions of people who depend on small ruminants.PPR can also disrupt livestock trade and food supplies when outbreaks reduce animal numbers and production.Participants at the Rome meeting said eradication would therefore provide benefits beyond controlling a single disease, including stronger food security, rural incomes and livestock markets.Animal-health leaders also stressed that countries cannot eradicate PPR by acting independently.The virus can spread through the movement of livestock across borders, shared grazing areas and trade routes, making coordinated vaccination and surveillance essential.They called for stronger cross-border cooperation, transparent reporting of outbreaks and vaccination results, and sustained investment in veterinary systems.The continental effort involves the Pan-African PPR Secretariat, alongside the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), AU-PANVAC, FAO and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
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