How Raila Odinga’s funeral resuscitated fading Luo cultural rites when a totemic figure dies
Among the Luo, the funeral or liel is a sacred ceremony that affirms death not as an end but as a transition. Every stage in the process, holds profound spiritual meaning, ensuring that the departed is properly ushered into the afterlife and the living remain in harmony with ancestral spirits.
Tribute: Raila Odinga was a colossus that straddled Kenyan presidencies for five decades
Despite their alliance, Raila’s bid for the presidency was unsuccessful, and the coalition eventually dissolved. Nonetheless, Raila’s influence remained significant in shaping Kenya’s political discourse.
‘No Kings’ protests draw large crowds in US cities to decry President Trump authoritarianism
Vice President JD Vance, speaking on Saturday to a gathering of Marines at Camp Pendleton in Southern California, made no mention of the protests. But he criticised Democrats over the government shutdown that began early this month in a partisan standoff over federal appropriations.
Home ownership: Mushroom farm in Kenya grows fungi on industrial scale to make affordable building materials
Building a one-bedroom unit in Nairobi using materials such as brick, timber and tin sheets typically costs up to 150,000 Kenyan shillings (about $1,000), for a simple structure, and the figure can double depending on the quality of finishes, according to estimates from builders.
Civil society group calls for reassessment of Senegal’s ranking and exclusion of Macky Sall from the Ibrahim Index
The CRDP invites the Mo Ibrahim Foundation to re-evaluate Senegal’s rating for the period corresponding to the presidency of Mr Macky Sall; to exclude the latter from any distinction or mention within the Ibrahim Index in order to preserve the credibility and rigour of this international reference in matters of governance.
Blast from strained past: The king is dead, long live the king, Bukusu elders remember rivalry between Muliro and Mboya
Our Bukusu leaders were backward. They were hostile to Raila, even denying him a chance to speak at Wamalwa’s funeral. Carrying grudges that far was primitive. I criticised them in a press release published in the Standard newspaper.
‘Bullish’ political leaders in western Kenya donate dozens of livestock to be slaughtered in honour of Raila Odinga
Speaking to the press after delivering 15 bulls and 15 bags of maize to the family of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Governor Natembeya said the gesture is a “humble token” of deep appreciation for Raila’s “monumental contribution” to the nation, especially his lifelong pursuit of justice, democracy and unity among all communities.
Madagascar military takeover offers peek into how soldiers who lead military coups become state leaders
Former Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings speaks at the final campaign rally for opposition presidential candidate John Atta Mills in Tema, Ghana, on December 5, 2008. credit: AP
Findings of hand and foot fossils in Turkana reinforce past discoveries that make Kenya cradle of mankind
Some of these species crossed paths, literally. A study published last year showed that Paranthropus boisei and Homo erectus left intersecting trackways of footprints in what had been a muddy lakeshore at Koobi Fora. The discovery raised intriguing questions about the relationship between the two species and any competition for resources.
‘Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals’: Gen Z protests against corruption and inequality rock Morocco
A leaderless collective called Gen Z 212 – named after Morocco’s dialling code – is the engine behind the protests. Members debate strategy on Discord, a chat app popular with gamers and teens. The core group has about 180,000 members but spinoffs have also sprouted, organising demonstrations in towns independently.
