A London court has refused bail to a former British soldier wanted in Kenya for the 2012 murder of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru, whose body was found in a septic tank in Nanyuki. Robert James Purkiss, 38, will remain in custody pending extradition proceedings after appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday. District Judge Paul Goldspring…
Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson told a Senate committee Monday that he inherited a staggering Sh118 billion ($912 million) in pending bills when he took office in August 2022, a debt mountain he has since trimmed to Sh86 billion. Appearing before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee to answer questions on low budget absorption and stalled…
After years of negotiations and setbacks, Tanzania will finally start construction on the ambitious Bagamoyo port next month, government officials announced, signaling a major push in infrastructure under President Samia Suluhu Hassan. The port, located 75 kilometres north of Dar es Salaam, forms the centerpiece of a vast special economic zone that includes industrial parks,…
President William Ruto’s latest commitment to build 50 mega dams across Kenya has sparked renewed questions about delivery, given the slow pace of previous water projects. President Ruto used his State of the Nation address on 20 November to revive one of his signature promises: constructing 50 mega dams, 200 medium- and small-scale dams and…
Cameroon’s main opposition candidate has fled to Gambia for safety after rejecting results of last month’s presidential election that handed President Paul Biya another term in office. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government minister who led the Cameroon National Salvation Front, arrived in Gambia on 7 November “for the purpose of ensuring his safety,” according…
President Donald Trump’s administration has terminated a Sh7.8 billion ($60 million) U.S. aid agreement with Kenya that was intended to support Nairobi’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, dealing a blow to a project aimed at easing the capital’s chronic traffic congestion. Kenya’s National Treasury confirmed the cancellation last week, stating that the Millennium Challenge Corporation…
In a stark revelation highlighting Kenya’s ongoing battle with substance abuse among its youth, at least 1,500 recruits have been expelled from Kenya Defence Forces training camps after testing positive for drugs, a lawmaker said on Sunday. The dismissals came following intensive medical examinations conducted shortly after the young men and women reported for duty,…
In the sweltering heat of Kenya’s political arena, few sagas have gripped the nation quite like the 2020 impeachment of Mike Sonko, the self-styled “people’s governor” whose flashy gold chains, rescue missions and populist swagger once made him the most talked-about leader in Nairobi. Ousted amid allegations of corruption and abuse of power, Sonko’s removal…
In the volatile Horn of Africa, where borders have long been battlegrounds, Ethiopia and Eritrea are once again trading barbs that have raised alarms about a potential slide back into war. Landlocked Ethiopia’s persistent push for access to the Red Sea through Eritrean territory has ignited a fierce diplomatic standoff, with leaders on both sides…
President William Ruto launched a major push Friday to reclaim influence in Kenya’s pivotal Mt. Kenya region, commissioning a KSh10 billion industrial park in Nyeri County amid intensifying rival bids from impeached former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and allies of ex-President Uhuru Kenyatta ahead of the 2027 election. The move highlights Ruto scramble to win…
