Kenya’s parliament has initiated the final phase to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office.
Last week, a large majority in the National Assembly voted in favor of his impeachment, paving the way for a two-day trial in the Senate that will determine whether he will be ousted.
Gachagua is facing 11 charges, including corruption, inciting ethnic tensions, and undermining the government, all of which he denies.
This situation stems from his recent falling out with President William Ruto, who has remained silent on the issue.
The Senate trial is taking place before the entire chamber after plans to establish an 11-member committee to investigate the charges were dropped.
The deputy president appeared before the Senate, where the charges were formally presented to him. He pleaded not guilty to each count as the trial began.
Political analysts anticipate that the impeachment will be upheld, as ruling party senators are expected to be supported by opposition lawmakers, similar to how the National Assembly voted in favor of the case.
Later on Wednesday, the National Assembly’s evidence against Gachagua, along with any witnesses, will be presented and examined for three hours, followed by two hours allocated for cross-examination.
The trial will resume on Thursday, focusing on Gachagua’s evidence and witnesses, and is expected to continue into the late afternoon.
Once the proceedings conclude in the evening, senators will engage in a two-hour debate on the motion before casting their vote, which is set for Thursday night at 20:30 local time.
The Senate has the option to extend the process into Friday, which is the legal deadline for concluding the matter.
For Gachagua to be removed from office, at least two-thirds of the 67 Senate members must vote in favor of the motion.
If the vote results in his impeachment, Gachagua would be permanently barred from holding public office.
He is likely to challenge the impeachment in court if it passes.
Despite numerous attempts to halt the process, Gachagua has been unsuccessful, having filed at least 26 court cases so far.
A judge ruled on Tuesday that the court would not interfere, allowing the Senate to proceed with its constitutional duties.
Just before Wednesday’s proceedings began, a three-judge bench also rejected a similar request.
One of the key allegations in Gachagua’s impeachment is that he amassed assets worth 5.2 billion Kenyan shillings ($40 million; £31 million) over two years, allegedly through corrupt practices.
He has argued, including during his trial in the National Assembly, that much of the property in question came from his late brother’s estate.
The deputy president, a wealthy businessman from central Kenya’s politically influential Mount Kenya region, has seen a rapid rise.
In just five years, he went from being a first-term MP to becoming Kenya’s deputy president after being chosen as William Ruto’s running mate in the August 2022 election.
At the time of his selection, he was already facing corruption charges in court, which were later dropped after he assumed the role of deputy president.
Gachagua’s impeachment trial has dominated national discourse and media coverage in recent weeks.
Many view the intense political drama surrounding the trial as diverting attention from the economic hardships facing ordinary Kenyans, particularly the high cost of living.
In June, widespread protests erupted over unpopular tax increases, leading to deadly clashes that exposed a growing rift between Ruto and Gachagua.
Gachagua is now accused of undermining security agencies after making remarks during the protests, in which he blamed the intelligence agency.
Kenyan broadcast journalist Larry Madowo recently took to Facebook to proudly showcase the beauty of his home country.
In a post highlighting Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, Madowo shared a breathtaking aerial view of the vibrant cityscape illuminated by dazzling lightning at night.
His caption for the post read, “Nairobi: Africa’s Greatest City.”
Nairobi is the bustling capital city of Kenya and the main entry point to the country.
Most visitors spend a day or two exploring the capital at the start or end of a trip.
From game viewing at Nairobi National Park, to experiencing the vibrant flavors, colors, and sounds of the Maasai Market, Nairobi has plenty to offer.
In Yatta, approximately 120km (75 miles) from Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, a dramatic rescue unfolded on Tuesday as a police helicopter swooped in to save a five-year-old boy stranded by flooding.
According to authorities, the boy had been abandoned by his father as the water levels surged. The International Centre for Humanitarian Affairs, a non-profit organization, utilized drones to pinpoint the child’s location.
Upon receiving the alert, the police dispatched a rescue helicopter from Nairobi.
Initial efforts to reach the child by boat were thwarted by adverse weather conditions, as reported by the Kenya Red Cross.
“The child, visibly shaken by the ordeal after being stranded for quite a long period, was safely rescued and taken to a nearby hospital for care,” it added.
Recent heavy rains have unleashed havoc across Kenya and the broader East Africa region, resulting in extensive flooding and devastation.
In Kenya alone, flooding has affected 23 out of the country’s 47 counties, leaving numerous individuals trapped in perilous situations.
According to the Kenya Red Cross, over 188 people have been rescued since the onset of the floods, as of Tuesday. Additionally, the flooding has led to the displacement of more than 11,200 households, submerged 27,716 acres of land, and resulted in the tragic loss of over 4,800 farm animals.
Seronei Chelulei Cheison has amused netizens by recounting a moment from 1987 when he almost lost his place at the prestigious Kapsabet Boys High School due to a cultural tradition.
In an interview with the well-known Kenyan website TUKO.co.ke, Seronei revealed that his guardian had to pen a letter on his behalf.
This was because he had undergone a cultural initiation from boyhood to adulthood in November 1986 and had to observe a period of seclusion.
Seronei when still in school and now as an adult. Second frame shows the letter his guiardian wrote. Seronei Chelulei Cheison, while still a student at Kapsabet Boys High School (l), the letter written by his guardian (c), how he looks presently (r). Photos: Seronei Chelulei Cheison.
“I was already a Form One student at Kapsabet Boys High School so, while my classmates were going to Form Two in 1987, I was still in seclusion. I only came out on January 19, 1987, and had to be in school the next day!” explained Seronei.
“I was sent back home for coming to school late and my guardian had to get someone to write that letter! I’d have lost my place at Kapsabet Boys High School otherwise. I was asked to serve a day’s punishment; I cleaned the toilets and the compound for coming to school late,” he added.
Part of the letter, which Seronei took to school, read: “I beg to apologise for the delayance of the boy to return to school due to some unavoidable rite of circumcision.We did expect them to come early, but due to some unexpected matters arising, we had to delay them.”
” I also have a business in Kenya; Sinonin Tea Estate and the just completed Kipkenda Poultry, which is funded by the German GIZ through a WIDU.Africa grant,” he added.
Reactions from netizens: Bw Henry: “Ala.., you “came out” on 19th, and back to class on 20th …Mokiitechomu osneti. .” Philip Maritim Taptengelei: “That guardian did use fairly good English! I enjoyed reading the letter.”
Kugo Kattam Jacob: “The punctuation marks are perfectly in place. Simple and communicating well. Good job.” Lesuda Alexis: “Funny how the boy had been transformed to be an adult and still be referred as the boy after graduation .” Chepsiror Stanley “What was the outcome was he allowed to continue.” Chepkok Stecy: “Waaah writing, iko sawa, Is Mr. Paul k. Tuwei(kipsongony mwenyewe) ama ni mwingine?”
Kenyan authorities have advised motorists to take alternative routes in response to complaints about toll increases on the Nairobi Expressway, a 27-km (17-mile) expressway in the capital.
The government has increased road tolls by 38. 9%, sparking complaints from some Kenyans who say the toll increase is excessive. Some say the move was imposed without public or parliamentary approval.
The increase in tolls comes amid rising living costs and follows the government increasing the cost of various taxes last year.
“The adjustment was made based on the project agreement taking into account the depreciation of the Kenyan shilling against the US dollar since the announcement of the toll,” Transport Minister Kipchumba said on Monday Murkomen roads and bridges in April 2022”.
The $550m (£410m) motorway was built to ease traffic amid worsening traffic congestion in recent years.
China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) operates the highway under a public-private partnership and collects tolls to recover construction costs.
This is happening even though a court said they can’t do it until they finish looking into the plan.
Lawmakers who disagreed with the government’s decision spoke out against the vote, but the ruling party, which has the most members, supported the government after a heated discussion.
Haiti asked other countries for help to deal with increasing crime.
Kenya’s proposal was accepted by the UN Security Council last month, but the main opposition party is against it.
About 300 groups of people who work together to do illegal things are causing problems in Haiti. Almost all of the main city, Port-au-Prince, is being controlled by these groups.
These groups have gained more power in the city since the president of Haiti was killed in 2021 and the country became chaotic politically.
At the vote on Thursday in Kenya’s parliament, lawmakers who supported the motion said that the country is part of the world and should not ignore the calls for help from other countries.
They also said that the East African country has a history of helping keep peace in places like Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.
Parliament agreed to the plan by vote just before the High Court was set to start hearing the case about the deployment.
The Thirdway Alliance party is against the plan because they think it breaks the rules. They believe only the military should be sent to other countries.
The government said no to the argument and is standing up for itself in court.
The court said again that the soldiers couldn’t go until the case was finished.
The judge will make his decision in January.
Charles Midega, who is the legal spokesperson for Thirdway Alliance, said to the BBC that it was bold for parliament to talk about sending troops even though there was a court order against it.
In the parliament, lawmakers who are not in the ruling party said that they shouldn’t vote on something that is currently being decided by the courts.
However, lawmakers from the ruling party said that parliament can debate the issue as long as they focus on the main points of the case.
Kenya’s top opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has spoken out against the planned deployment before.
“Before you go to Africa, Haiti is really close to the United States, which is the strongest country in the world. ” Why did Kenya get picked to lead the multinational force in Haiti.
Kenya’s President Willim Ruto supports the plan because he thinks Africa wants to help Haiti be free and safe.
The US has promised to give $100 million to help with the mission, and Canada will also provide money.
During a trip to Kenya in September, the US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, signed a five-year security agreement. He also thanked Kenya for its leadership in dealing with security issues in the region and worldwide.
Some people in Kenya think that Mr. Ruto and his government should focus on solving security problems in the country.
Rights organizations, like Amnesty International, are worried about the Kenyan police using too much force in the past few months.
The man known as the father of Kenyan literature, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, has criticized the planned deployment. Last month he said tearfully, “If you know the history of Haiti, any black person would not do that. ”
Haiti was the first country with a black leader in 1804, when Gen Toussaint Louverture led enslaved people in a rebellion.
This made France very angry because they made a lot of money from Haiti’s plantations. They made Haiti pay a lot of money to the people who used to own slaves for over 122 years.
The US took control of Haiti from 1915 to 1934, by sending in soldiers and government officials.
In 1994 and 2004, the US military got involved in other countries to protect democracy and bring back stability.
A Kenyan marathon runner, Titus Ekiru, has been given a 10-year suspension for doping and interference.
At the Milan Marathon in 2021, which he won in a time of two hours, two minutes, and 57 seconds, he underwent one of his positive tests.
With that time, he would currently be the seventh-fastest marathon runner in history.
Following his victory at the Abu Dhabi Marathon on November 26, Ekiru also tested positive.
According to an investigation, the 31-year-old used fake information and paperwork to obstruct the Athletics Integrity Unit’s (AIU) examination into two adverse analytical findings (AAFs).
He was provisionally suspended on June 28, 2022, and his ban will be in effect until June 27, 2032. During the period from 2017 to 2021, Ekiru achieved victory in a minimum of 10 marathons or half-marathons.
As a consequence of his suspension, all of his results since May 16, 2021, have been nullified, and he has been instructed to surrender any race prizes and earnings
The Kenyan government, through Minister of Social Protection Florence Bore, has announced plans to eliminate all privately owned orphanages and children’s homes within the next eight years.
This move aims to combat child trafficking.
Minister Bore emphasized that the closure of these facilities is intended to place children in family and community-based care, providing a more conducive environment for their well-being.
According to a 2017 report by the UN children’s agency, an estimated 40,000 children resided in 811 registered institutions in Kenya. Data regarding the number of children in unregistered institutions is currently unavailable.
Ms. Bore shared on social media, specifically X (formerly known as Twitter), that the government is already in the process of reforming children’s homes and orphanages.
“In the next eight years private homes will not exist. We need to prepare in order to absorb those children,” she said on Sunday during an inspection of children’s care facilities under construction by Kenya’s government.
Ms Bore has stated that the government will continue to house children in institutions administered by the Child Welfare Society of Kenya, the government body responsible for the care, protection, welfare, and adoption of Kenyan children.
The Kenyan High Court has ruled that the forced sterilization of a woman living with HIV is a violation of her human rights, marking the first case of its kind.
In December 2022, after eight years of litigation, Hon. Justice Mrima delivered a historic judgment, declaring that the tubal ligation of a woman living with HIV without her consent violated her rights to dignity, freedom from discrimination, right to health, and her right to found a family.
The case was initiated in Nairobi in 2014 by a Kenyan woman living with HIV, with support from KELIN (The Kenyan Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV AIDS), one of the petitioners in the case.
The plaintiff contested the actions of a healthcare provider at a private medical facility who sterilized her without her knowledge or consent. She expressed her satisfaction with the verdict, saying, “This win is not just for me but for each woman living with HIV who has been subjected to forced sterilization. I am happy that the violations against us have been acknowledged and hope my story will be a tool for the protection of the right to health for other women living with HIV.”
The judge ordered the first and second respondents, Marura Maternity and Nursing Home, and the County Government of Nairobi, to pay the petitioner 3,000,000 Kenyan shillings as damages.
Allan Maleche, Executive Director of KELIN, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, saying, “We welcome the court’s decision and although it took a long time, we are happy that the court found the client’s rights had been violated, and particularly the finding of discrimination on the basis of sex and HIV status.”
The court found that the healthcare provider’s conduct violated the right to the highest attainable standard of health and the right to freedom from discrimination.
It also ruled that healthcare providers have a duty to inform patients about medical procedures, including possible outcomes.
Justice Mrima noted that some women, due to their HIV status, may be pressured into making reproductive health decisions due to stigma and fear, which contributed to the forced sterilization of the plaintiff.
KELIN advocates for health-related human rights and recognizes the interconnectedness of HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health, and rights.
The organization advocates for laws and policies that protect and fulfill sexual and reproductive rights, engages in strategic litigation, strengthens the capacities of community-based organizations, and provides legal support for medical providers and women affected by penal provisions on abortion.
Gloria Orwoba had to appear before the Powers and Privileges Committee because of things she said in senate WhatsApp groups and at a press briefing. She claimed that there is a culture in parliament where certain people are treated better, people from certain ethnic groups face discrimination, there is a lot of bullying, and sexual harassment happens.
She said that there was a secret way to get things done, which involved giving bribes or doing sexual favors. But she decided not to do that.
She often used the hashtag #NoSexForWork when sending messages to her colleagues and complaining about things.
However, the committee stated that there was not enough evidence to support her claims.
After her punishment was finished, she would need to say sorry for her remarks before being able to return to her job.
Sarah reacted by getting angry and upset.
Ms Orwoba is currently in New York for a work trip at the Clinton Global Initiative. She mentioned that even though she had brought the matter to court, she still felt doubtful about receiving a fair judgment, and the committee went ahead and released their report.
She claimed that the committee had released its report, even though there was an ongoing legal case, because she had asked for the travel expenses of senators and staff to be made public for a specific time period.
Ms Orwoba said her request made important people in parliament feel very worried and scared.
“She claimed that right after she asked for something, they brought back up the motion to suspend me, which had been stopped before, while she was not there. ”
This politician, who is 37 years old, has been in trouble with her colleagues before. She also works to stop people from feeling ashamed about periods.
In February, she was told to leave parliament because she didn’t follow the dress rules. The reason was a visible spot of blood on her white trouser suit.
At the time, she ignored people who said she was being disrespectful and said accidents can happen. She explained that because she always speaks out against feeling ashamed of periods, she felt she should set an example and take action.
Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge has teamed up with Nike to create a collection of shoes and clothes.
The collection called “EK Umoja” has eight items. It includes five pairs of Nike running shoes, a running jacket, shorts, and two T-shirts.
Nike said that they were motivated by Kipchoge’s win at the World Athletic Championships in 2003, when he became the champion in the 5,000 meter race.
The collection’s colors are a way to honor Kipchoge’s Kenyan background. It also includes some famous sayings by the athlete, like “No human is limited. ” He came up with this saying after being the first person to run a marathon in less than two hours in 2019.
Kipchoge says that the collection’s name, “umoja,” means “unity” in Swahili. It represents his emotions towards his running family and community.
People in Kenya are very excited about the launch on Twitter, which they now call X. However, some people have mentioned that the prices, which range from $40 (£30) to $275, are too high for most people in East Africa to afford.
A Kenyan senator has been apprehended in connection with a scholarship scandal.
Jackson Mandago, along with three others, faces a total of 11 charges, encompassing accusations of theft and misuse of authority.
Allegedly, Mandago participated in a scheme that purportedly conspired to embezzle approximately 1.1 billion Kenyan shillings (equivalent to $7.6 million or £5.9 million). These funds were originally intended to facilitate higher education opportunities for Kenyan students in Finland and Canada.
Local media reports have indicated that numerous students who had made payments for overseas education were left stranded within Kenya due to these purported actions. For those who had already commenced studies abroad, the situation posed the risk of homelessness, expulsion, and deportation as the county government ceased disbursements for accommodation and tuition.
The allegations come to light during a period when Mr. Mandago was serving as a governor.
It has been noted that Mr. Mandago has previously denied any misappropriation of the funds in question, as reported by Kenya’s Star newspaper.
According to an additional report, Mr. Mandago, along with the incumbent Uasin Gishu county governor, has undertaken an agreement to facilitate refunds for the affected individuals.
The scandal’s perpetrators have been warned to promptly return the funds for the Finland and Canada Overseas Education Program under penalty of “trouble” by President William Ruto, who also made a statement on the subject.
He declared that he would provide local scholarships to individuals affected once the investigations were completed.
A satellite internet company invented by Elon Musk, Starlink, has been officially launched in the Kenyan market, intensifying competition with local players such as Safaricom, Jamii Telecommunications Limited, and Zuku.
The multinational firm, which is a subsidiary of Musk’s space technology company SpaceX, has appointed local internet provider Karibu Connect as its first authorized reseller in Kenya. Starlink promises to deliver impressive download speeds of up to 250 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 35 Mbps.
According to a notification displayed on Starlink’s website, Kenyan home users can purchase a terminal to enable connections at a cost of Ksh89,000 ($628), along with a shipping fee of Ksh3,100 ($21.88). The monthly subscription charge for residential use will be Ksh6,500 ($45.89).
For businesses, the hardware purchase comes at a cost of Ksh349,106 ($2,465) plus a shipping charge of Ksh7,500. The monthly subscription payment for business use has been set at Ksh13,572 ($95.81). With Starlink’s entry into the Kenyan market, users can look forward to improved internet connectivity and options.
“Starlink is currently available in your area using inter-satellite links. You can expect Starlink’s typical high-speed internet with brief periods of intermittent service and high latency,” states the firm in a web notification.
“Users will be able to engage in common internet activity like email, online shopping or streaming a movie, but they won’t be able to engage in activities like online gaming or video calls. Service will improve dramatically over the next year.”
A recent spot check by Business Daily reveals that Starlink’s pricing for internet services falls in the middle range compared to other providers in the market.
For home use, Safaricom, the market leader, offers a bronze fibre package with a speed of 8 Mbps for Ksh2,999 ($21.17) per month, while the silver bundle with speeds of 20 Mbps is priced at Ksh4,100 ($28.94).
Safaricom’s office-use packages include the gold package with a speed of 40 Mbps, priced at Ksh6,299 ($44.47), and the diamond package with a speed of 100 Mbps, priced at Ksh12,499 ($88.24).
On the other hand, JTL offers packages with different speeds: 40 Mbps at Ksh5,250 ($37) per month, 65 Mbps at Ksh10,500 ($74.13), 90 Mbps at Ksh15,750 ($111.19), and 140 Mbps at Ksh21,000 ($148.25).
Starlink’s technology, however, supports services that traditional terrestrial communications solutions cannot provide, enabling unmodified smartphones to connect to satellites in areas with coverage gaps.
The Starlink services cater to both fixed and mobile applications, including vehicle-mounted solutions for on-the-go use and connectivity on boats and ships operating both inland and offshore.
Safaricom has also planned to offer satellite internet services in partnership with Starlink’s Texas-based competitor, AST SpaceMobile. This move could potentially revolutionize traditional telecoms services, especially in areas where infrastructure has left many regions without internet coverage, particularly in rural parts of the country.
As Kenya prepares to introduce anti-LGBT legislation in parliament, advocacy groups in the United States are urging a pause in trade negotiations between the two nations.
The proposed bill, spearheaded by MP George Peter Kaluma from Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement, aims to further criminalize same-sex acts. The penalties outlined in the bill include a suggested minimum sentence of ten years in prison and even the death penalty for cases of “aggravated homosexuality,” which encompasses engaging in homosexual acts with a minor or disabled person and transmitting a terminal disease through sexual means.
Additionally, the proposed Family Protection Act seeks to impose a complete ban on any activities that promote homosexuality, such as displaying LGBTQ flags or symbols.
It is important to note that Kenya already criminalizes same-sex acts with penalties of up to 14 years of imprisonment.
The campaign led by Kaluma has deeply troubled advocacy groups, including coalitions in the United States, who are now urging President Biden to suspend trade talks in response to the proposed legislation.
U.S. concern
The coalition, comprising a number of LGBTQI+, labor, trade, HIV, and human rights groups, on Monday sent a letter to the US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, timed to coincide with her visit to Kenya for the launch of the United States-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP).
In their letter, the groups called on Ambassador Tai to “pause STIP negotiation until President Ruto commits to vetoing this bill”.
Members of US Congress also wrote to the ambassador in June to express their concern, saying “The United States must make clear to both Kenya and other countries considering similar legislation that we will not stand idly by as they move to criminalize or further criminalize people for being LGBTQI+.”
Growing anti-LGBTQ sentiment
The proposed bill in Kenya comes following Uganda’s new Anti-Homosexuality Bill passed into law in May by President Yoweri Museveni. Considered one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws, it fully criminalises same-sex acts, with possible penalties of life imprisonment or death penalty.
In Ghana, lawmakers are in the process of amending the country’s own anti-LGBTQ legislation with propositions of a three-year prison sentence for anyone who identifies as LGBTQ and a 10-year sentence for anyone who promotes homosexuality.
In Kenya, the Nairobi-based National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission have reported a surge in number of attacks against the community. Calls it has received reporting abuse, including assaults, threats and discrimination, rose from 78 in January to 117 in February and 367 in March, the commission said.
Death has occurred among the 30 suspects being arrested by the police for his claimed involvement in the doomsday hunger cult in Kenya.
Joseph Juma Buyuka – along with some of the other suspects – had gone on hunger strike at the beginning of the month in protest at his detention.
He was then moved to a hospital in the south-eastern town of Malindi, where he died.
“We suspect that the deceased died from complications associated with a hunger strike. We can only await for a post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death,” a senior prosecutor informed a court in Mombasa, Kenya’s main coastal town.
None of the suspects, including cult leader Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, have yet been charged as police continue their investigations.
The self-proclaimed pastor and the other suspects are believed to have encouraged members of the Good News International Church to starve themselves to death.
Since April, 336 bodies have been exhumed from shallow graves in a remote forest. More than 600 other people are missing.
Two other detained suspects who have been on hunger strike have been admitted to hospital in critical condition.
The court is to decide next Tuesday whether Mr Mackenzie will remain in police custody for another 60 days.
Kenyan President William Ruto has again called on the two warring Sudanese generals to halt the fighting, which has now reached its second month.
Intense battles in the capital Khartoum and its sister cities of Bahri and Omdurman have raged despite Saudi and US-brokered talks between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Jeddah, aimed at securing humanitarian access and a ceasefire.
“These generals are bombing everything, roads, hospitals, bridges, and destroying the airport using military hardware bought with African money. We need to tell those generals to stop the nonsense,” President Ruto said on Wednesday during the Pan-African Parliament Summit in South Africa.
The Kenyan leader, who has been tasked by a regional bloc, Igad, together with other heads, to help in reconciling Sudan’s rival sides, said military capacity was for battling criminals and terrorists and not for fighting children and women.
Mr Ruto, however, blamed African states for lacking the capacity to stop the war in Sudan “because our own peace and security is funded by others”.
Nearly 1,000 people have been killed and more than a million displaced in Sudan since battles between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads a paramilitary force, erupted in April.
The unrest has caused about 200,000 to flee into nearby countries and those still in Khartoum are struggling to survive.
Two kids in western Kenya have died of what is thought to be food and water contamination, prompting the closure of their school there for good.
In Kakamega county, Mukumu Girls High School was closed on Monday by public health officials after more than 100 pupils were admitted to hospitals last week with gastrointestinal pain and diarrhea.
Initial findings indicated the learners may have suffered food or water poisoning. Samples were collected and sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) for analysis, local media reported.
Parents flocked to the school to collect their children after learning of the death of the two students.
In Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia documentary, a Kenyan national who was named the top gold smuggler in Africa received the Lifetime Africa Achievement Prize in 2012 for exceptional humanitarianism and equity in Africa.
The Excellence Awards Foundation (EAF), also known as the Millennium Excellence Awards and founded by Ambassador Ashim Morton, presented the award to Kamlesh Pattni. The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II serves as the foundation’s life patron.
The awards ceremony was held at the Presidency State House in Nairobi, Kenya on December 15, 2012 and attracted the leadership of the African Union (AU), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and very eminent dignitaries from countries across the continent.
Pattni was awarded alongside other Heads of State including the late President Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, who was conferred with a posthumous prize for democratic governance and development in Africa; President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, the prize for leadership, national cohesion and stability and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, who received the prize for nation building and African leadership.
At the time of his award, Kamlesh Pattni, was facing several counts of fraud in a court case after he was implicated in a scandal that robbed Kenya of 10% of its GDP in the 1990s.
Kamlesh Pattni was involved in the so-called Goldenberg scam, a gold smuggling operation that robbed Kenya of $600mn and led to charges of corruption against many members of then President Daniel Arap Moi’s government.
Pattni’s company, Goldenberg International, was granted an exclusive licence to export Kenyan gold, but instead, he allegedly smuggled gold from what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
After years of prosecution, Pattni was acquitted in 2013.
Pattni, who is now a self-proclaimed pastor and sometimes goes by the name Brother Paul, is now running a similar scheme in Zimbabwe from his base of operations in Dubai.
The revelation is part of Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia, a four-part series investigating some of Southern Africa’s largest gold smugglers and money launderers.
In response to Russia’s escalating invasion of Ukraine, a group of painters painted murals throughout Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
“The policy of destruction and elimination of Ukrainian identity is one of Russia’s key elements in the war against Ukraine,” said Emine Dzhaparova, Ukraine’s deputy minister for foreign affairs.
“In our temporarily occupied territories, Russian invaders closed Ukrainian schools and imposed their language and history,” the minister added.
Kenyan artists Moha and Eliamin Ink and their Ukrainian counterparts Alina Konyk, Nikita Kravtsov, and Andrii Kovtun created the mural that stands on the wall of Phoenix House at the heart of Nairobi city.
“I am sure that our artistic collaboration is a perfect opportunity to start our diplomatical relationships in a place of culture,” said Nikita Kravtsov, a Ukrainian concept-artist.
The mural uses coffee and wheat grains to symbolise the political, economic, and diplomatic ties between Kenya and Ukraine.
The First Lady of Kenya, Rachel Ruto, has called for nationwide prayers against homosexuality, claiming that the family is under assault.
Mrs Ruto said the country cannot condone the Supreme Court ruling last month that upheld the LGBTQ community’s right of association.
“We should not even try to talk about LGTBQ. This is a conversation we should not even have in our country because accepting it is like throwing our morals into the dustbin,” the first lady said on Sunday.
Homosexuality remains criminalised in Kenya. The Supreme Court ruled that refusal to allow the LGBT community to register lobby groups in Kenya would would violate their right to association, as provided in the Kenyan constitution.
However, the ruling was met with protests from President William Ruto, as well as religious leaders in Kenya.
Kenya’s attorney-general said the government will challenge the court’s ruling, insisting that the issue is a matter for public consultations rather than for the courts.
Police in Kenya have questioned a member of parliament over claims of funding bandits in the country’s northern Rift Valley region.
Pokot South MP David Pkosing was arrested on Thursday evening by officers from the Serious Crimes Unit and released hours after interrogation.
His lawyer says the MP will appear before detectives on Friday morning for further questioning.
Mr Pkosing is the first politician to be probed by authorities over the banditry menace that has left more than 100 civilians and 16 security officers dead in the past six months.
Kenya’s military will on Friday join police units in an operation against bandits and cattle rustlers in the restive northern region. “Operation maliza uhalifu” will disarm those illegally armed in the area.
A voluntary disarmament exercise ended on Thursday after a three-day ultimatum issued by President William Ruto lapsed.
Attempts by previous administrations to disarm the heavily armed bandits operating with impunity have failed.
The government has declared the prevailing security situation in the north a national emergency and imposed a 30-day dawn-to-dusk curfew in the region.
At the centre of the perennial attacks by bandits is the lucrative meat trade. Thousands of cattle are stolen every month and driven hundreds of kilometres away for slaughter or sale in the local and international markets.
Ethnic rivalry instigated by politicians and competition for natural resources are also factors behind banditry.
Analysts say the government should prioritise sustainable solutions like dialogue and improving the economic well-being of communities who have faced historic marginalisation.
A Kenyan migrant workerhas been reported dead on Saturday following the Argentina versus Netherlands game, adding to the number of fatalities at the 2022 World Cup.
John Njau Kibue who served as a security man during the game has been confirmed dead after falling off the Lusail Stadium.
Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the World Cup organising body, in a statement said that the 24-year-old Kenyan died three days after being under intensive care in a Qatari hospital.
“On Saturday 10 December, John Njau Kibue, a security guard at Lusail Stadium, suffered a serious fall while on duty,” the SC said. “We regret to announce that, despite the efforts of the medical team, he sadly passed away in hospital on Tuesday 13 December after being in the intensive care unit for three days. His next of kin have been informed.
“Qatar’s tournament organisers are investigating the circumstances leading to the fall as a matter of urgency and will provide further information pending the outcome of the investigation.”
Kibue becomes the second person who has been confirmed dead during the tournament after celebrated US journalist, Grant Wahl died while covering the same match.
Wahl according to an autopsy report died of aneurysm in his heart.
“Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium,” the widow wrote on her husband’s Substack newsletter; hemopericardium refers to blood in the sac that surrounds the heart.
“The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms. No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His death was unrelated to COVID. His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death.”
In Kenya’s capital, motorcycle taxis or boda bodas are the easiest and cheapest means to navigate Nairobi’s dense traffic.
One startup, Roam Motors, is working to tackle climate change and mobility by curbing air pollution.
The company came up with an effective and cost-friendly way to curb air pollution in Kenya.
The company produces electric motorcycles that run on two rechargeable batteries.
The batteries can be charged at any charging point, each battery can drive for around 90 kilometers, meaning both batteries, when fully charged, can travel for about 180 kilometers.
The batteries take about four hours to fully charge. The bike ranges from $1,550 upwards depending on the client’s demands.
Joan Igamba, communications specialist at Roam, says the company noticed the air pollution problem in Nairobi and decided to make electric motorcycles to curb the problem.
She says around 20,000 motorbikes are imported into the country every month, continuing to add to the problem:
“Even though these motorcycles help us navigate the fragmented transportation system here in Kenya, they really do increase the air pollution levels in the city,” she says.
“So, with our solution, the Roam Air electric motorcycle, it is a fully electric motorcycle with a removable battery, which can be charged any outlet where you charge your phone.”
Manufacturing electric vehicles can be costly, but the company is able to produce the bikes cheaply because it owns the frame.
This gives them the right to use their frame without paying royalties. They do however import other necessary parts and assemble them in Kenya.
Another reason why they’re able to produce cheaply is because of tax relief from the Kenyan government to companies that produce locally.
Igamba says their main goal is to ensure thousands of fossil fuel vehicles are taken from the roads, paving the way for electric vehicles:
“How we see the future here at Roam is thousands of electric motorcycles on our roads eliminating fossil fuel driven motorcycles and moving into this new future for the continent and the country,” she says.
The first Earthshot Prizes were awarded last year in London just before the UK hosted the COP26 climate conference.
Earthshot offers 1 million pounds ($1.2 million) in prize money to the winners of five separate categories: nature protection, clean air, ocean revival, waste elimination and climate change.
The winners and all 15 finalists also receive help in expanding their projects to meet global demand.
Igamba says winning the prize would be an honor, it would also help the startup expand.
“Winning the Earthshot Prize would really be such a dream come true because we will be able to ramp up production, expand to other markets other than Kenya, and be able to really build on this electric revolution happening in Africa today,” she says.
The “Black Blues Brothers,” an acrobatic troupe originally from Nairobi, livened up the Pope’s monthly audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday.
The hundreds of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square were ready for the usual catechism lesson, prayers, and blessings from the Pope and instead, they got a circus act.
Pope Francis seemed to love the show.
Dressed in black suits with hats the group performed to tunes of “Soul Man” and “Do the Twist” doing acrobats, summersaults, and handstands in the air.
The Black Blues Brothers are five Kenyan acrobats whose shows have been staged for years in theaters and festivals around the world.
With a strong musical component and an extraordinary repertoire of somersaults, human pyramids, stunts with fire, and virtuosity of the body, their performances amuse spectators.
Several female candidates sitting for their final primary and secondary school examshave given birth, local news sites report.
Many have managed to continue with writing the exams but there was one tragic case on Tuesday of a 19-year-old who died after birth complications.
Velma Ochieng, a secondary school student in Homa Bay county in western Kenya, died shortly after a successful caesarean section delivery of a baby boy.
Cases of national examination candidates both at primary and secondary schools sitting exams while pregnant have become common.
The governorof Homa Bay county called for investigations into the circumstances leading to the loss of Velma’s life.
“We will continue our efforts to ensure no mother ever loses their life when bringing forth life especially if it can be avoided,” Gladys Wanga said.
In the south-western county of Narok 248 pregnant girls are among the candidates sitting the national exams.
County Commissioner Isaac Masinde said ambulances had been put on standby in case they needed to be rushed to hospital.
In neighbouring Kajiado county some 124 pregnant girls were registered as candidates.
Kenyanauthorities have cancelled a licence issued to a foreign company to uproot and export baobab trees from the coastal region amid concern by environmental experts.
The environment ministry said authorisation for the uprooting of the giant trees was not obtained regularly.
In a statement, it said that the process needed “adequate authorisation and a clear and transparent benefit sharing formula for the community”.
— Ministry of Environment and Forestry Kenya (@Environment_Ke) November 21, 2022
The ministry has now ordered the transport and forest authorities to cancel the movement permit that allowed the transportation of the trees as well as the export, pending a reassessment of the deal.
“We have agreed that the baobab trees should not be exported until the agreements between the parties are properly regularised,” Environment and Forestry Minister Soipan Tuya said.
She said the ministry would also take action against people found not to have followed due process.
The government actions follow “biopiracy” concerns by environmental experts about the export of the trees to Georgia.
Kenyan President William Rutosays a new East African Community force will ‘impose’ peace on warring groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
He was speaking after holding talks with his Congolese counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, while on a one-day official visit to the DRC amid efforts to try to bring peace to the country.
‘There are a lot of (UN) peacekeeping troops in the region,’ he said, ‘but we think there is not much peace to keep.’
Ruto suggested that the East African troops would be more forceful, saying the regional force would ‘impose peace on those who are hellbent on creating instability’.
Contributing troops
Kenya is one of several nations that are contributing troops to a, tasked with trying to calm deadly tensions fuelled by armed groups in the troubled eastern DRC. The region has been plagued by violence from multiple armed groups for nearly 30 years.
The first of over 900 Kenyan soldiers have already arrived in Goma, the capital of North Kivu, which is under threat from an offensive by M23 rebels. The largely Congolese Tutsi militia has seized large swathes of territory in the region.
Ruto and Tshisekedi were also expected to discuss various other areas of mutual interest, including trade and investments, and regional integration.
For women in the small Kenyan town of Mwingi, donkeys have become an important means of creating economic empowerment.
Mwingi is partly semi-arid with less developed road networks compared to other regions in the country. Donkeys are therefore playing a great role in the transport sector and this is being spearheaded by women.
Animal support organisation Brooke East Africa and Catholic development group Caritas Kitui have been at the forefront of helping the women maximise benefits from donkeys while ensuring the working animals are kept in good health.
Caritas beneficiary, Pricilla Mutheya, says: “I have used my donkey to sell water, firewood and sand.
“In a day, I make about five dollars but on a good day I can make up to 10 dollars. The proceeds enable me to get all my basic needs and also educate my children.”
Director of Caritas-Kitui, Florence Ndeti, believes her organisation has helped people to appreciate the donkeys more.
“Based on our observation, most of the donkeys were not being taken care of the right way,” says Ndeti.
“People were just taking them as beasts of burden, so we realised there was a gap and we decided to get into that and bring all the stakeholders that is donkey owners and users, larger community and also professionals to begin to appreciate the economic value of the donkey in the region and ensure that we promote their welfare in their daily operations.”
In the village, Josprinta Mwemdwa heads a group of women who pool resources from donkey proceeds to make economic milestones while promoting personal growth of members.
She says: “When I get a contract to supply water, I do call the women in my group so that we can get money to buy food and take care of our families.
“From the proceeds of the work, we do use our donkeys; we have been able to pool funds to pay school fees for our children.”
The number of women embracing the use of donkeys to facilitate transportation and income generation is on the increase with success stories being the motivating factor.
Project leader at Caritas, Ambrose Musyimi, says they have some ambitious targets.
“We aim to reach 18,250 women in a year and as well we target to reach 35,000 donkeys every year,” she says.
As much as the donkeys are being used to economically empower the women, concerns have been raised by Caritas on the dwindling number of donkeys due to the setting up of a slaughter house in the region.
The concerned parties fear the revenue streams of the women will be interrupted as donkey theft is on the rise.
Two Kenyanairport workers and a police officer have won praise after returning a bag carrying about $19,000 (£17,000) and other valuables to a British tourist.
Benson Nickolson was in a group that had just returned from a safari at Maasai Mara game reserve when he lost the bag at Wilson airport in the capital, Nairobi.
The airport workers and policewoman found the bag and screened it for explosives before the owner was contacted.
“All the money totalling to around $19,000 and some thousands of Kenya shillings were all intact. All my cards were found intact. All other valuables which included a regalia given to me by my late grandmother was also intact. It was a daydream for me,” Mr Nickolson said in a gratitude email to Kenyan police.
He said he had carried the substantial amount to facilitate his group’s movement and comfort.
The airport’s security supervisor, Joseph Kabangi, told the local Citizen TV that “integrity is a core value” among staff at the airport.
A Kenyan company that makes safer indoor burning stoves is among the 15 finalists in the running to win a $1.2m (£1m) environmental award founded by the Prince of Wales.
Charlot Magayi, who used to sell charcoal for fuel, started Mikuru Clean Stoves initiative after suffering repeated respiratory infections due to charcoal and her daughter was severely burnt by a stove.
The company provides cleaner burning stoves to reduce unhealthy indoor pollution and a safer way to cook.
Her eco-stoves use processed biomass made from charcoal, wood and sugar cane, and claims they cause 90% less pollution than an open fire. She hopes to create an even cleaner version which burns ethanol.
Students at Zawadi Yetu Academy in Mogotio Baringo County in East Kenya are the IT specialists of the future. That’s thanks to a project that uses digital skills to unlock global opportunities in remote parts of the country.
Founder Nelly Cheboi grew up here in Mogotio village and had never touched a laptop until she won a scholarship to study in the United States. When first faced with a computer, she had no IT skills and did not even know how to type.
Her experiences made her think of school children in her village and inspired her to start a programme that teaches kids vital IT skills. So she founded Techlit Africa.
It uses old computers donated by companiesand big institutions.
Cheboi offers the computers for free but local schools have the responsibility of paying the teacher, which costs parents around a dollar per day in addition to the Ksh 4500 (37 US dollars) per term at Zawadi Yetu Academy. Other schools have different fees .
“We collect computer donations from companies and institutions. We import them into Kenya, we have a refurbishment centre here where we wipe the computers, install our own custom operating system and then we deploy into schools,” explains Cheboi.
“We also partner with youth in the community that we train to run our classes so our classes are part of the school curriculum. Our teachers are doing classes from 8am to 4pm and the kids are learning this everyday as part of their curriculum. It is not a token project where they are doing it over the weekend or over the summer. It is so embedded that this is something that they are learning. When you have someone in grade one they are going to be doing it until they are in grade 8. ”
Sammy Ruto, a student at Zawadi Yetu Academy, says he wants to work in IT when he grows up and the skills he is learning here will help him to that.
He says: “In this class I have been taught how to use visual studio studio code, to make my own website using HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) the I have been taught about openshot and about NASA to make my own rocket when I grow up. So I hope this class will help me in future to be an IT expert.”
Elysee Dusabinema is an IT teacher at the school.
He believes the lessons will ensure that the pupils can compete in a digital world.
“This is something that will help kids know how they can brand themselves online and how they can do business online because that is where the world is heading.”
TechLit Africa is targeting remote areas where people rarely have access to computers or electronics, arguing that there no need for children to travel long distances to get education.
“Most of these students would not have used a computer because we are targeting the most remote parts of Africa and so right now we have students who don’t even speak Swahili yet, knowing how to use a computer, building websites and the coolest part is that they can still do that in their own village. They do not have to go to Nairobi to do that, they do not have to go to America to do that,” says Cheboi.
Innocent Kimutai, an educational expert and consultant, says that IT skills will help prepare young people for the future.
“As a third world country, we have been left behind in terms of technological advancements. I believe what Zawadi (school) is doing, actually taking these kinds of machines to kids who are in a marginalized area, will try and kind of equalize the playing field. Most of us were actually exposed to laptops at 18 or our first time when we went to university,” he says.
“But these kids, exposing them at such an early age, it will enable them to be able to learn skills that is coding, programming which will in turn, because we are living in a world where we are now going to digital currency, things like Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, fintech, basically financial technology. Should these kids begin these particular skills at this age, I am sure by the time they are actually out of university they will be implementing these skills and not looking for jobs like most of us did.”
The programme is currently running in 13 schools across Kenya, equipping 5,000 students from the ages of 4-12 years with skills to unlock their future.
After winning $1 million in a global entrepreneurship challenge, a team of Kenyan students is taking up a new task: To establish a company to produce biodegradable sanitary pads to solve period-related problems.
The five third-year communications students of St Paul’s University in Limuru, in Kiambu County, beat more than 10,000 others from across the world to bag the prestigious annual Hult Prize. The award recognizes innovative social enterprises that address the “world’s most pressing issues”.
With their new enterprise called Eco-Bana, Lennox Omondi, Keylie Muthoni, Brian Ndung’u, Shiltone Dullah, and Emmanuel Tony, all aged 20 to 23, say their product can end period poverty and plastic sanitary pad pollution, and reduce youth unemployment.
Their company will make biodegradable sanitary pads from banana fiber, which is often discarded as waste. The raw material reduces their costs, allowing them to avail their product in the market at affordable prices.
Mr. Omondi, the organization’s chief executive, said their main goal is to ensure as many girls as possible can afford sanitary pads. Their product will also solve the decades-long problem of pollution caused by polyvinyl chloride – the plastic used to make most pads that are 90 percent plastic.
“Many leaders often say charity is not enough. That’s why we thought of making affordable sanitary towels so they don’t have to rely on charity,” he said.
Mr. Omondi has been a champion of menstrual health since graduating from high school.
“I first thought of making re-usable pads, but then I felt that would be too demeaning to a person’s dignity and water is also scarce in Kenya,” he said. “Then it struck me that cheap biodegradable pads could solve two serious problems — period poverty and pollution.”
Challenge
Period poverty, the inability to afford menstrual products, is a widespread challenge in the region. Unicef estimates that about 65 percent of women in Kenya and 85 percent in Tanzania cannot afford hygienic sanitary products.
In Uganda, about a quarter of girls, aged 12 – 18, drop out of school once they begin menstruating, also a consequence of period poverty. In Rwanda, 18 percent of women and girls are estimated to miss school and work because of periods.
Ms. Muthoni, who is the company’s chief operations officer, had to drop out of school for some time because her family couldn’t afford sanitary towels.
With $1 million in winnings, Eco-Bana is set to be the world’s first manufacturer of biodegradable pads. They will retail at nearly half the average price ordinary pads cost in the market, with equivalent comfort and quality.
Mr. Dullah, Eco-Bana’s chief financial officer, said they have a well-defined plan on how to use the money to build a multi-million-dollar social enterprise that employs more than 2,000 people, in the next two years.
Their first step is to construct a manufacturing plant, which he says will either be in the counties of Kisii or Meru, the country’s leading producers of bananas.
They also plan to start an environmental campaign to sensitize people to the benefits of shifting to biodegradable sanitary products.
“We know we are venturing into a market that already has several players, and not many people are aware of the plastic pollution problem. So as much as our pads will be cheaper, informing people about their environmental benefit will be crucial,” Mr. Dullah said.
As they are gearing up to set up the company, they are aware of the challenges ahead.
“Since the inception of this idea last year, we have faced multiple challenges, from raising funds for building our prototypes to getting the requisite skills to build a standard product, but we’ve navigated all of them and soared through,” said Mr. Omondi. “We are all young, but I’m certain we have the skills we need to effectively manage this company into a successful enterprise.”
Their goal is to avail their product across the continent, and eventually globally.
Within the next two years, they are confident they will be among the country’s leading employers and will have their product across East Africa, if not the entire continent.
The five third-year communications students of St Paul’s University in Limuru, central Kenya, beat more than 10,000 others from across the globe to bag the prestigious annual Hult Prize, which recognizes innovative social enterprises that address the “world’s most pressing issues.”
With their new enterprise – Eco-Bana – the team, consisting of Lennox Omondi, Keylie Muthoni, Brian Ndung’u, Shiltone Dullah, and Emmanuel Tony, all aged 20 to 23, says it can end the region’s period of poverty and plastic sanitary pad pollution, and help reduce youth unemployment.
Their business model is to make biodegradable sanitary pads from banana fibers, which are often discarded as farmers have no use for them, making their costs cheap, and allowing them to avail their products in the market at affordable prices.
Mr. Omondi, who is the organization’s chief executive, told The EastAfrican that their main goal is to ensure as many girls as possible can afford sanitary pads while at the same time ending the decades-long problem of pollution caused by polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – the plastic used to make most pads currently.
“Many leaders in the charity space often say charity itself is not enough. That’s why we thought of making affordable sanitary towels to enable people to buy them for themselves, so they don’t have to rely on charity,” he said.
Mr. Omondi came up with the idea after ages of brain-racking sessions in a bid to solve any of the world’s endless adversities, especially relating to menstrual health, as he’d been a champion of the same since graduating from high school.
“I first thought of making re-usable pads, but then I felt that would be too demeaning to a person’s dignity and water is also scarce in Kenya,” he recounts, “then it struck me that cheap biodegradable pads could solve two serious problems: period poverty and pollution.”
Period poverty, the inability to afford menstrual products, is a widespread challenge in the region. The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) estimates that about 65 percent of women in Kenya and 85 percent in Tanzania cannot afford hygienic sanitary products.
In Uganda, about a quarter of girls aged 12 – 18 drop out of school once they begin menstruating, a consequence of period poverty. In Rwanda, 18 percent of women and girls are estimated to miss school and work because of periods.
This was the main inspiration for the students to build this enterprise. In fact, Keylie, who is their chief operations officer, had to drop out of school for some time because her family couldn’t afford sanitary towels.
Another problem associated with the existing pads is their plastic pollution. They are about 90 percent plastic and a single pack of sanitary towels is estimated to be equivalent to up to four plastic bags.
And now, with a $1 million capital, Eco-Bana is set to be the world’s first manufacturer of biodegradable pads which will retail at nearly half the average price ordinary pads cost in the market currently, with just as good comfort and quality.
Dullah, Eco-Bana’s chief financial officer, told The EastAfrican that they already have a well-defined plan on how they will utilize the capital to build a multi-million-dollar social enterprise that employs more than 2,000 people in the next two years.
Their first step is to construct a manufacturing plant, which he says will either be in Kisii, western Kenya, or Meru, central Kenya, the country’s leading producers of bananas.
They also plan to embark on a massive environmental campaign to sensitize people in the country on the need to use and benefits of shifting to biodegradable sanitary products in the face of climate change and rising pollution.
“We know we are venturing into a market that already has several players and not so many people are aware of the plastic pollution problem. So as much as our pads will be cheaper, informing people about their environmental benefit will be crucial,” Mr. Dullah said.
As they are gearing up to set up the company that they believe will help many African girls realize their dreams, they aren’t ignorant of the uphill task that lies ahead of them and are well prepared for it.
“Since the inception of this idea last year, we have faced multiple challenges from raising funds for building our prototypes to getting the requisite skills to build a standard product, but we’ve navigated all of them and soared through,” said Mr. Omondi.
“We are all young, but I’m certain we have the skills we need to effectively manage this company into a successful enterprise.”
Within the next two years, they are confident they will be among the country’s leading employers and will have their product across the East African region, if not the entire continent. Their ultimate goal is to avail their product across the globe.
International athletics officials have provisionally suspended the Kenyan winner of the 2021 Boston marathon, Diana Kipyokei, for violating anti-doping rules.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) also suspended her compatriot Betty Wilson Lempus.
In addition, both athletes were charged with tampering with the doping control process.
The AIU launched an investigation after a banned substance – triamcinolone acetonide – was found in samples they had provided.
Eight other Kenyan athletes have tested positive for the drug, compared with only two other runners in the rest of the world since 2021.
In a workshop in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, a group of artisans are turning discarded and dirty flip flops into beautiful artwork.
They are part of the team at Ocean Sole, a social enterprise whose mission is to clean polluted beaches and provide careers to people in high-impact communities.
Flip flops are worn around the world, and millions are produced annually. But a large amount of the synthetic rubber sandals are also discarded each year, many of which end up in the ocean.
Ocean pollution
In the 1990s, marine conservationist, Julie Church, was shocked by the amount of flip flops she found washed up on a beach in Kenya. Inspired by the toys children were making out of them, she encouraged their mothers to collect, wash, and cut them into colourful products to sell at local markets.
Ocean Sole was launched in 1999 and today positively impacts over a 1,000 Kenyans through the collection of flip-flops and direct employment, providing a steady income to nearly 100 people.
After collection on the beaches, they are first washed and put out to dry thoroughly in the workshop, before being used by the artists.
Different production processes
Joe Mwakiremba, the sales manager at Ocean Sole, says there are two types of sculpture.
‘The smallest are all flip flop. The bigger sculptures are made from another material called polyurethane. So we cover the insides of the big sculptures using this material, and then pad around with flip flops,’ he said.
This method gives the biggest sculptures have a contour or a patchy look versus the stripey look of the smaller pieces.
‘Ninety per cent of our production is for export; We normally sell to zoos, aquariums, museums, and gift shops all over the world. We also partner with organizations that want to make or commission a life-size sculpture, like an elephant or giraffe for example, that they want to put in their lobbies or atriums,’ he says.
Expansion plans
The organisation is planning to export the idea to other countries that have a ‘flip flop problem’ over the next five years, says Mwakiremba. Ocean Sole has already received numerous inquiries from countries such as Indonesia, India and Brazil, who have asked them to go there and set up workshops.
The initiative currently upscales 579,000 kilogrammes of flip flops annually into beautiful works of art, both large and small, that portray an important message about the state of the world’s oceans.
And in the process, the work is both creating jobs and helping save the planet. It also contributes 10 to 15 per cent of its revenue to beach clean-ups, vocational and educational programmes, and conservation efforts.
‘We use our social enterprise to pay bonuses to employees, invest in a welfare programme that allows a zero return in funds to all employees to help facilitate payments for educating their children, buying land and other means,’ said Mwakiremba.
Sadly, there is little chance that Ocean Sole’s artisans will run out of raw material any time soon, as long as the world continues its flip flop habit.
President of the United States, Joe Biden, on Wednesday (September 21) held a reception for a select group of Heads of States and government representatives at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
The leaders present were in New York to attend the 77th United Nations General Assembly with the US president hosting the reception on the sidelines of the UNGA.
Per GhanaWeb checks, African leaders present included William Samoei Ruto, the newKenyan president, Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC and Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon.
Also present was George Weah of Liberia as well as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, AUC, Moussa Faki Mahamat.
All attending presidents and their spouses took photos with the Bidens – Joe and Jill – with the American flag and presidential flag against a black background.
“Kenya will continue expanding its strategic partnership with the United States of America to advance peace and prosperity in Africa.
“With Rachel at a reception hosted by the @POTUS during the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York,” Ruto captioned his photo with Joe Biden.
Other world leaders who attended include: Racep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, President Klaus Iohannis of Romania, Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Philip Pierre; Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka, Ali Sabry and Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica.
After one of their own, Suleiman Kangangi, passed away in the US, the cycling community in Kenya has been rocked by grief.
On Saturday in Vermont, Kangangi tragically perished during the Overland gravel race. The Kenyan took part in the event until his tragic passing.
His team Amani mourned their late star in a statement.
Sule is our captain, friend and brother. He is also a father, husband and son. Gaping holes are left when giants fall. Sule was a giant.
Before his death, Kangangi was the Kenya Riders captain, which is the national team. The Standard reports that he represented the country in numerous races, including the All Africa Games and the Commonwealth Games.
Cycling Kenya Federation confirmed the incident and condoled the family.
Kenya has lost one of the best cyclists to ever fly the Kenyan flag for cycling. Our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family of Suleiman Kangangi and the enitire cycling community. Safiri salama ndugu.
Veteran Sports journalist Carol Radull tweeted,
Our heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of Kenyan Cyclist Suleiman Kangangi, who died in a crash on Saturday while competing in a gravel race in Vermont, USA.
A Kenyan judge has awarded $12m ($9.6m) to a community that suffered from lead poisoning from a battery smelting plant.
The court case came about as a result of work done by Phyllis Omido, a resident of the slum settlement of Owino Uhuru, which is in Mombasa on Kenya’s coast.
As an employee at the plant, she was inspired to act after her baby son was diagnosed with lead poisoning.
Her young son became very ill after she had been working at the plant for three months.
After tests, doctors discovered that he was suffering from lead poisoning that could have been passed through his mother’s breast milk.
She found that other community members had similar problems and finally got the plant shut down in 2014.
But Ms Omido went to court in 2016 to get the government to clean up the area and pay compensation to the families of those who had died or were made sick from the lead.
As well as the money, Justice Ann Omollo ordered the authorities to get rid of the remaining lead, the Daily Nation reports.
Journalist John-Allan Namu, who has been following the case, says that various government agencies will have to fund most of the $12m pay out.
Kenyan protesters set a police station on fire after an officer allegedly shot and killed a man for hawking fake hand sanitizer, according to a police report seen by Reuters on Monday.
The officer is now in custody, according to the report.
The police officer fired his weapon after a verbal argument with the man selling the counterfeit product in an open-air market in Kisii County, western Kenya, on Sunday, the report said.
After the shooting, protesters quickly descended on the police station, throwing rocks and setting bonfires, damaging the station and nearby vehicles.
Fourteen police officers were injured and protesters dispersed after an “unquantified number of live and blank ammunitions were usedâ€, the report said.
Accusations of police brutality are common in Kenya. Since the coronavirus outbreak, multiple cases of alleged police violence towards lockdown violators have been reported.
In March, in the first 10 days of a curfew to curb the coronavirus, at least six people were killed, according to rights group Human Rights Watch.
A Kenyan MP has been found guilty for defrauding a government agency of $3m (£2.4m) in a case involving a cancelled tender for the purchase of maize for famine relief.
John Waluke could lose his seat if sentenced to more than six months
His business associate, Grace Wakhungu – the mother of a former cabinet minister – was also found guilty.
The pair is being held at a police station in the capital, Nairobi, awaiting sentencing on Thursday.
Their company was paid the amount after accusing the National Cereals and Produce Board of breaching a contract in 2004. The court was told that they used false testimony and forged documents
A Kenyan doctor has been helping pregnant women find emergency transport to the hospital during curfew hours.
Dr Jemimah Kariuki tweeted her intention to help women seek treatment to reduce child mortality in the country.
Since her tweet went out, she has helped several women get to the hospital in good time despite the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
“It’s supposed to be normal for us to give birth without any issues.”
Cases of pregnant women either dying or delivering distressed or stillborn babies started emerging after the curfew was imposed.
The crackdown by the police on those who flouted the curfew meant that many women were afraid to seek medical attention.
Dr Kariuki has been helping women access health care through a phone call.
“Initially, when I was doing it alone, it meant I was handling 30 to 40 calls on a single day,” she said.
A Kenyan boy is among this year’s recipients of state commendations for his invention of a handwashing machine.
Nine-year-old Stephen Wamukota used wood to suspend a jerrycan of water and create a pedal to be used to dispense water and soap and avoid contact.
He had told his mother that the available hand-washing facilities in his hometown in western Kenya were exposing people to coronavirus through contact.
His father, who is a carpenter, helped him build his handwashing machine.
The boy is among 68 people who were recognised for steering the country through the coronavirus pandemic.They were conferred with the inaugural Presidential Uzalendo (Patriotism) Award.
Kenyans online were happy for the boy as this tweeter wrote:
Young Stephen Wamukota is also among the inaugural recipients of the Presidential Uzalendo Award due to his handwashing innovation. Surely rewards and goodness know no demographic nor age boundaries when you do good.
Congratulations pic.twitter.com/jaBelxOW4Z
A popular Kenyan socialite identified as Shornarwa has made a wild claim about Nigerian men during a live Instagram video with media personality, Shaffie Weru.
She claimed that alleged that Nigerian men put cocaine in their manhoods to make sex sweeter. She also claimed that this act makes women addicted to them.
This Kenyan socialite disclosed that some of her female followers shared their sexual experience with Nigerian men and this made her very shocked.
She stated that one of the ladies confessed that the Nigerian man she has been sleeping with is very good in bed, a claim which she said four other women countered, stating that these set of men deceive ladies by using other things to make sex sweeter.
A Kenyan nurse has been quarantined after travelling from the capital, Nairobi, to Nakuru town in the Rift Valley region to visit her boyfriend under the pretext of going to offer essential services.
The government has restricted travel in and out of Nairobi except for cargo trucks to curb the spread of Coronavirus. Health workers are among essential service providers allowed to travel out of the capital and to operate past curfew hours.
Neighbours alerted police of the nurse’s presence, local broadcaster Citizen TV reports.
Police visited the house in the company of health officials who said the nurse’s temperature was higher than normal and took her for 14-days mandatory quarantine.
The nurse reportedly identified herself to police manning roadblocks and told them she was going to offer essential services.
Here is a video shared by Citizen TV on the nurse’s arrest :
There is a plan for Kenyan troops to leave Somalia by December next year, local newspaper Daily Nation has reported, citing a new book by just retired military chief Samson Mwathethe.
The exit plan includes first ensuring the Somali army can take over security from the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), which is also made up of troops from Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Burundi.
The strategy cites the creation of a buffer zone free of fighters from the al-Shabab militant group along the Kenya-Somalia border.
The process will involve “surveillance, trenches, roads and chain-link fencesâ€.
Kenya has suffered frequent attacks on its soil by al-Shabaab since the country sent troops to Somalia in 2011 to fight the militant group.
A Kenyan nurse found herself being shunned and harassed after she prepared a patient for a Covid-19 test while she was on a nightshift.
Eunice Mwabili says the case was handled professionally – she wore personal protective equipment while dealing with the man, who was placed in an isolation room at the hospital.
By the next morning, her friends and neighbours in the capital, Nairobi, had begun to avoid her, fearing she had become infected with Coronavirus.
It is unclear who leaked the information that she had organised to have the patient tested – but both her name and number were leaked on social media.
The patient ended up being negative, but that news never filtered out – the damage was done.
Kenya has hit another record high in terms of the number of coronavirus cases recorded daily, reporting 47 more positive test results on Wednesday.
The Health ministry said 32 of the new cases were recorded in Mombasa, 11 in Nairobi, two in Busia in western Kenya, central Kiambu County one and coastal Kwale County one.
While announcing a total of 582 confirmed cases since Kenya’s first case on March 13, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said two more people had died, raising the death toll to 26.
He said the two people aged 68 and 76 died at their homes in Mombasa, raising more concerns cases that go unnoticed as people stay at home.
“One patient in Kenyatta National Hospital came to Kenya from Tanzania, through Loitokitok, using matatus. This shows us the danger we are in and further tells why the measures in the transport system have been put in place,” he said.
The CS also reported that eight more people had been discharged, raising the country’s total number of recoveries to 190.
Tougher measures
The government announced tougher measures to contain the spread of the virus, with Eastleigh estate in Nairobi and Old Town in Mombasa emerging as hotspots.
As such, CS Kagwe announced the cessation of movement into and out of the two areas and said markets, restaurants and eateries would be shut effective May 6.
The orders will remain for 15 days in both areas.
Mr Kagwe noted that public transporters would not operate in these areas and but that activities within their borders would not be restricted amid mass testing to establish the extent of infection and identity contacts.
The minister noted that “these measures are not intended to punish but protect the people in those areas”.
Statistics
In Africa, the coronavirus had infected at least 50,502 people and killed over 1,921, according to case tracker Worldometer’s count on May 5.
Since the first case was reported in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019, at least 3,746,445 people worldwide had been infected by May 6.
The total number of deaths worldwide was 258,962 and that of recoveries at 1,250,449.
The number of active cases stood at 2,237,034, with two per cent or 49,282 of them being critical and the rest mild.
Worldometer’s count showed that the number of closed cases was 1,509,411, with 83 per cent or 1,250,449 being the number of recoveries or those discharged.
African Union official and former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga is the latest politician to deploy the language of war when it comes to talking about coronavirus.
Mr Odinga, who is the AU’s high representative on infrastructure, said the pandemic was like “a third world war without the bombs”.
“Even in the Second World War we did not have the extent of casualties that we have witnessed within a short period of time,” he told South Africa’s public broadcaster SABC.
“The effects are going to be far-reaching to the continent.”
He warned that the continent will likely be left on its own in the post-coronavirus era.
“African countries will wake up to this reality that nobody is going to help them because everybody has been affected. Europe is on its knees, the US is crying, even China is crying.
“About 85% of Africa’s trade is with the external world and most of it is commodities which we are exporting. We now need to look internally into intra-Africa trade,” he said.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has said 48,022 people have been infected with Covid-19 in Africa. That number includes 1,878 deaths and 16,019 recoveries.
Kenyans have rallied to the aid of a widow filmed cooking stones for her eight children to make them believe she was preparing food for them.
Peninah Bahati Kitsao, who lives in Mombasa, hoped they would fall asleep while they waited for their meal.
She used to wash laundry locally but such work is hard to come by now as people have restricted their interactions because of coronavirus.
A shocked neighbour, Prisca Momanyi, alerted the media to her plight.
After being interviewed by Kenya’s NTV, the widow has received money via mobile phone and through a bank account that was opened for her by Ms Momanyi, as the mother of eight does not know how to read and write.
Ms Kitsao, who lives in a two-bedroomed house without running water or electricity, has described the generosity as a “miracle”.
“I didn’t believe that Kenyans can be so loving after I received phone calls from all over the country asking how they might be of help,” she told Tuko news website.
She had told NTV that her hungry children had not been deceived for long by her delaying stone-cooking tactics.
“They started telling me that they knew I was lying to them, but I could do nothing because I had nothing.”
Her neighbour had come around to see if the family was OK after hearing the children crying, NTV reports.
As part of measures to cushion the most vulnerable from the coronavirus crisis, the government has launched a feeding programme.
But it had yet to reach Ms Kitsao, who was widowed last year when her husband was killed by a gang.
Her neighbour has also thanked the county authorities and the Kenya Red Cross, who have also come to help Ms Kitsao.
Many more households in that neighbourhood of the coastal city are now going to benefit from the relief food scheme too, the authorities say.
