World Bank approves $1.2 billion budget support for Kenya to help create competitive labour market

World Bank approves $1.2 billion budget support for Kenya to help create competitive labour market

The funding had been agreed amid an improved macroeconomic environment following government efforts to address liquidity pressures

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Opulence: Kenyan president defends use of private jet for US trip while calling for prudent spending

Opulence: Kenyan president defends use of private jet for US trip while calling for prudent spending

Ruto’s delegation of about 30 people including his family, musicians, actors and a comedian provoked an uproar back home over the cost even as he called for prudent spending. The president on Thursday said he was a very “responsible steward.”

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EU official denies allegations that Western powers want to delay South Sudan’s elections

EU official denies allegations that Western powers want to delay South Sudan’s elections

Last week, the interim chairperson of an international commission to oversee South Sudan’s 2015 peace agreement, Charles Tai Gitau of Kenya, said there was no evidence of sufficient preparation to conduct elections. He cited the lack of electoral bodies at the state level and a delay in the publishing of a voters register.

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UN extends South Sudan arms embargo despite appeals from African Union, Russia and China

UN extends South Sudan arms embargo despite appeals from African Union, Russia and China

Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Anna Evstigneeva accused the United States of ignoring all the positive achievements in South Sudan and focusing on sanctions “which they present as a sort of panacea for all of the country’s problems.”

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Uganda’s parliament speaker Among, her husband and others sanctioned by US for corruption and human rights abuses

Uganda’s parliament speaker Among, her husband and others sanctioned by US for corruption and human rights abuses

Ugandans have been stunned by the revelations about Among’s spending. She has denied the allegations and has claimed she is the victim of a political witch-hunt. She says she is being targeted for her role in enacting an anti-gay bill condemned by rights watchdogs and others.

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Government crime statistics for 2023 show gun violence rose by 20 per cent in Kenya

Government crime statistics for 2023 show gun violence rose by 20 per cent in Kenya

The latest figures from the Small Arms Survey, which tracks global weapons trends, suggest there are some 750,000 firearms in civilian hands in Kenya. That is more than the army and police combined.

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Sri Lanka’s tea producers worried 70 per cent wage hike will turn over market to Kenya, India

Sri Lanka’s tea producers worried 70 per cent wage hike will turn over market to Kenya, India

The industry must start paying the salary increase from next month, Sri Lanka’s Labour Ministry said on Sunday, warning that plantation companies refusing to comply could be taken over by the government. Implementing the wage hike will cost plantation companies an additional 35 billion rupees, the association said.

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$668m Nairobi Expressway run by state-owned China Road and Bridge Corp is a snapshot of how China engages with Africa

$668m Nairobi Expressway run by state-owned China Road and Bridge Corp is a snapshot of how China engages with Africa

Daily average use in March was already 57,000 vehicles, exceeding a 2049 target of around 55,000 set by CRBC in a 2019 presentation on the project’s economic viability seen by Reuters.

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Uganda nears yellow fever vaccination target with 12 out of 14 million having received the jab

Uganda nears yellow fever vaccination target with 12 out of 14 million having received the jab

Uganda, with 45 million people, is one of 27 countries on the African continent classified as at high risk for yellow fever outbreaks. According to the World Health Organization, there are about 200,000 cases and 30,000 deaths globally each year from the disease. Uganda’s most recent outbreak was reported earlier this year in the central districts of Buikwe and Buvuma.

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Presidency: Ruto and Gachagua inflaming ethnic hostilities in Kenya as their regions row over resources

Presidency: Ruto and Gachagua inflaming ethnic hostilities in Kenya as their regions row over resources

As President William Ruto toured Washington DC with senior officials in the United States, including President Joe Biden, a coterie of officials in the president’s United Democratic Alliance – the main party in the governing Kenya Kwanza Alliance – were busy tearing into each and opening further the fault-lines in the Kenya government.

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