Sunak’s stillborn refugee diplomacy: Rivals term UK’s Rwanda migrant plan ‘Alice in Wonderland adventure’
After taking office in October 2022, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made the plan to send migrants who arrived in Britain without permission to the East African nation one of his flagship policies, saying it would put an end to thousands of asylum seekers coming on small boats across the Channel.
Coming to America: Low-paid humans behind AI’s data in Kenya petition Biden to free them from ‘modern day slavery’ as President Ruto visits US
On Wednesday, 97 African workers who do AI training work or online content moderation for companies like Meta and OpenAI published an open letter to President Joe Biden, demanding that US tech companies stop “systemically abusing and exploiting African workers.”
Biden, Kenya’s President Ruto vow to defend democracy and rule of law in Africa and beyond
On Thursday evening, Ruto was the guest of honour at a lavish state dinner that drew a wide range of guests, from singer-songwriter Don McLean to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the CEOs of Walmart and Pfizer as well as former President Bill Clinton. Former President Barack Obama, whose father was Kenyan, made a brief appearance before the meal.
Scientists attribute adverse impact of recent torrential rains in East Africa to climate change, rapid urbanisation
The downpours caused floods that killed hundreds of people, displaced thousands of others, killed thousands of livestock and destroyed thousands of acres of crops in Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
US ‘repays’ Kenya’s deployment of 1,000 security officers to Haiti with offers to ‘modernise’ police service
A $60 million grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation will fund a four-year programme focusing on the transportation needs of underserved groups in Kenya, safer options for women and pedestrians, and climate-friendly public transportation.
Kenya, US investment manager sign $3.6 billion deal to expand 440km Nairoi-Mombasa highway
The deal coincides with Kenyan President William Ruto’s visit to the United States, the first such state visit by a leader from Sub-Saharan Africa since 2008.
How Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains influenced recreation of butterfly forest by an Italian museum
With at least 2,500 plant species, more than 120 mammals, and thousands of invertebrate species, Udzungwa Mountains is rich in biological diversity. It’s part of the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya and Tanzania that are a proposed UNESCO Heritage site. It has more than 40 endemic species of butterflies.
MUSE’s work here is vital because of this variety, said Sevgan Subramanian, principal scientist and head of environmental health at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi.
US designates Kenya as major non-Nato ally as it deepens relations with East African nation
Kenya, like the United States, has become “an engine for innovation”, the official said, citing its $1 billion “Silicon Savannah” technology hub that is home to more than 200 startups spanning a range of sectors, including clean energy, microelectronics, financial technology, and e-commerce.
Ruto honoured with state visit for agreeing to deploy police to crime-ravaged, gang-infested Haiti
The United States for years has partnered with Kenya on counterterrorism efforts in Africa, including battling the extremist group al-Shabab. Kenya has participated in the Ukraine Defence Contact Group and an international maritime taskforce launched by the Biden administration in December in response to Houthi attacks against vessels operating in the Red Sea.
Kenya’s largest bank, KCB, announces first quarter pretax profit up 53 per cent
Net interest income rose to 31.06 billion shillings from 22.06 billion shillings. Gross loans increased 12.2 per cent to 1.13 trillion shillings, while loan-loss provisions stood at 6.3 billion shillings, up from 4.12 billion shillings.
