Kenya

NAIROBI, Feb 28 (NNN-KBC) — The United States government, through the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) said it will give Kenya Ksh 16 billion to tackle severe drought.

The announcement by USAID comes following a visit to the country by First Lady Jill Biden will meet the urgent needs for approximately 1.3 million people across Kenya.

According to USAID, more than four million people are the grips of a dire hunger crisis, with the number expected to rise to over five million by June.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — With the prospect of a sixth consecutive failed rainy season in the east and Horn of Africa, Kenya’s president is hoping the heavens will finally open with the help of a national day of mass prayer on Tuesday.

William Ruto announced the plans for the country’s first ever day of prayer on Sunday at a service in the drought-stricken city of Nakuru, some 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the capital Nairobi. It follows a joint call by the country’s spiritual leaders to dedicate an entire day to prayer to ease drought conditions in the nation.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — On the packed streets of Nairobi, Cyrus Kariuki is one of a growing number of bikers zooming through traffic on an electric motorbike, reaping the benefits of cheaper transport, cleaner air and limiting planet-warming emissions in the process.

“Each month one doesn’t have to be burdened by oil change, engine checks and other costly maintenance costs,” Kariuki said.

NAIROBI, Feb 10 (NNN-KBC) –Kenya and Eritrea have resolved to permanently abolish visa requirements for their respective citizens.

President William Ruto and his Eritrean counterpart Isaias Afwerki said the move will facilitate growth in trade and connectivity between the citizens and business in the two countries. 

“To facilitate growth in trade and connectivity between our people and business, we have agreed to abolish the requirement of visas permanently, effective today,” said Ruto. 

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Widespread tensions caused by a rift within Ethiopia’s Orthodox Christian church have resulted in the suspension of access to social media platforms including TikTok, Facebook and Telegram.

The internet observatory NetBlocks confirmed social media platforms had been “restricted in Ethiopia amid anti-government protests” as of Thursday evening.

NAIROBI, Feb 5 (NNN-GNA) — The European Union has threatened to blacklist Kenya over corruption and money laundering, revisiting an old problem Nairobi has struggled to contain.

EU Ambassador to Kenya Henriette Geiger said Kenya’s reluctance to curb corruption and money laundering could scare off investors. She told a media briefing over the upcoming European Union-Kenya Business Forum with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance that Nairobi may also face restrictions.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A Kenyan former policeman was sentenced to death on Friday for the murder of a human rights lawyer, his client and a taxi driver.

Frederick Leliman and three others were convicted of carrying out the murders in 2016, in one of a series of cases of alleged police brutality and extrajudicial killings in Kenya.

Lawyer Willie Kimani was representing a motorcycle taxi operator who was suing Leliman for shooting him at a traffic roadblock. Leliman later started threatening and intimidating the man.

KILIFI, Kenya, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed after a boat capsized in Kenya's coastal town of Kilifi, local police confirmed on Sunday.

The boat lost control after being hit by strong waves on Saturday before capsizing in the Indian Ocean, Malindi Divisional Police Commander Solomon Odero said, adding that the boat was ferrying tourists who had gone for a dolphin watch expedition at the Watamu Marine National Park.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The spokesman for Tigray forces in Ethiopia says they have handed over heavy weapons as a key part of the agreement signed with Ethiopia’s government late last year to end a two-year conflict.

Getachew Reda tweeted early Wednesday that an African Union monitoring team confirmed the handover. He expressed hope it would “go a long way in expediting the full implementation of the agreement.”

NAIROBI, Jan 7 (NNN-KBC) — Kenya and Germnany are set to improve trade volumes and technology exchange for the benefit of their citizens. 

This is after trade talks between the President of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Richard Ngatia and the Mayor of the City of Gersothen Michael Worle.