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☆ Kenya is launching a digital nomad visa: Find out if you qualify and how to apply
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

If you're a digital nomad or can work from just about anywhere, and have been wanting to add the continent of Africa to your list of destinations, you might want to consider Kenya. President William Ruto announced Kenya's Digital Nomad Work Permit on October 2 at the opening of the Magical Kenya Travel Expo. The president said the visa is "specifically designed to welcome global digital professionals, allowing them to live and work in Kenya while enjoying the country's natural beauty and high-quality lifestyle," according to Nation.

Persons: William Ruto Locations: Africa, Kenya

☆ Germany opens its doors to 250,000 Kenyan workers in controlled migration deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-14 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Germany has struck a controlled migration deal with Kenya, which will see Berlin open its doors to skilled and semi-skilled Kenyan workers. The deal was signed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Kenya’s president William Ruto on Friday. Migration is a major flashpoint in Germany, and has fueled the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. As well as deterring irregular migration, the deal is intended to address labor market needs in both countries, providing opportunities for Kenyan workers while supplementing an ageing Gemany’s shortage of skilled laborers. According to the German government, there are currently around 14,800 Kenyan citizens living in Germany.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, William Ruto, Ruto, Nancy Faeser, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, German, Ministry, ISIS Locations: Germany, Kenya, Berlin, Solingen

☆ China's Xi pledges over $50 billion in financial aid to Africa to deepen ties
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-05 | by ( Anniek Bao | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's President Xi Jinping (C) and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photograph with leaders from African nations ahead of a dinner reception during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on September 4, 2024. Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that China will provide 360 billion yuan (more than $50 billion) in financial support to Africa over the next three years. Xi spoke on the second day of the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit, which is expected to deliver new policies and cooperation agreements that will set the stage for China-Africa relations in the next three years. "The China-Africa relationship is now at its best in history," Xi said, according to an official translation of his Mandarin-language remarks. "China is ready to deepen cooperation with Africa in industry, agriculture, infrastructure, trade and investment," Xi said, urging both sides to jointly advance modernization that is "open and win-win."

Persons: Xi Jinping, Peng Liyuan, Xi, Cyril Ramaphosa, William Ruto — Organizations: Africa Cooperation, of, People, Africa Cooperation Summit, West Locations: African, China, Beijing, Africa, South

☆ African cities sitting on ‘keg of gunpowder’ as growing youth anger fuels unrest
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Nimi Princewill | Stephanie Busari | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Military and police personnel arrest protesters during the anti-corruption protest in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on July 23, 2024. Those protesting are angry about widespread government corruption in the country, which loses an estimated Sh. 10 trillion ($2.7 billion) in public funding to graft annually, according to Ugandan anti-corruption body the Inspectorate of Government (IG). In the preceding months, Ghana, Senegal’s fellow West African state, saw days of anti-government protests as demonstrators railed against economic hardships and unemployment. “All over Africa, we are… sitting on a keg of gunpowder,” he said in a recent interview with CNN affiliate Citizen TV.

Persons: Z –, William Ruto, Fabz, Anita Annet, Yoweri Museveni, Inibehe Effiong, ”, Bola Tinubu, Edward Buba, ” Mugano, Mamadou Thior, ” Thior, Thior, Macky Sall, Sall backtracked, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Olusegun Obasanjo, There’s, … unempowered, Obasanjo Organizations: CNN, Military, Xinhua, Security, of Government, World Bank, South Africa’s Durban University of Technology, ”, Citizen TV Locations: Kenya, East, Kampala, Uganda, Ugandan, United States, United Kingdom, Nigeria, West, Africa, West Africa, Senegal, Ghana

Some leading business executives say they don’t know quite what to think of Vice President Kamala Harris. She has been meeting with groups of corporate executives roughly every two months at her residence in Washington, according to two executives who have met with her. When a state dinner was held for President William Ruto of Kenya in May, Ms. Harris spoke with businesspeople about economic topics including access to labor and worker training, one attendee said. And a month earlier, she attended an event at the Colette Club on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan arranged by Charles Phillips, a business executive and a longtime backer. Before about 30 Black business leaders — a group with which she has tried to build particularly strong relationships — Ms. Harris spoke for roughly 40 minutes, without notes or a teleprompter, on economic topics including job creation, inflation and global trade, and then took questions.

Persons: Kamala Harris, William Ruto of, Harris, Charles Phillips, —, “, Mr, Phillips, ” Organizations: Democratic, Club Locations: Washington, William Ruto of Kenya, Midtown Manhattan

☆ Kenyan protesters vow to seize country’s main airport as deadly unrest continues into sixth week
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Larry Madowo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Nairobi, Kenya CNN —Protesters in Kenya have vowed “a total shutdown” as they seize control of Nairobi’s main international airport on Tuesday as deadly anti-government demonstrations intensify, now entering their sixth week. At least 50 people have been killed during the protests and more than 400 injured, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. The cabinet nominees still need parliamentary approval, but they’re likely to be confirmed since Ruto’s party holds the required majority. On Sunday, the president expressed frustration with the protests, declaring that “enough is enough” after failed attempts at dialogue. “They keep saying they’re faceless, formless.

Persons: “, Police Douglas Kanja, William Ruto, Ruto, ” Ruto, I’ve Organizations: Kenya CNN — Protesters, Kenya National Commission, Human Rights, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, ” Authorities, Police Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Ruto

☆ Opinion | Something Big Just Happened in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Carey Baraka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

A few weeks ago Mr. Ruto was barricaded inside his official compound in Nairobi, Kenya, while thousands of young Kenyans marched on the streets. During general elections in 2022, most young Kenyans didn’t even register to vote. It is clear Mr. Ruto senses his tenure is in danger; on Thursday he sacked all but one of his cabinet secretaries, bowing to public pressure. Mr. Ruto is a protégé of Daniel arap Moi, the dictator who ruled Kenya between 1978 and 2002. From the beginning of his political career, Mr. Ruto appeared to share his mentor’s disregard for democracy.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto, Ruto’s, —, Daniel arap Moi, . Moi, Kenya’s Locations: Nairobi, Kenya

CNN —Six decomposing female bodies were found in a quarry in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Friday, according to police, sparking a protest at a nearby police station. The identities of the dead or how long the bodies had been at the quarry were not immediately clear. “It appears to be a dumping site for bodies and I suspect there could be more,” Hussein Khalid, executive director of human rights group Vocal Africa told CNN. The CNN crew also filmed Kenyan police beating and later arresting some paramedics who were helping injured protesters in Nairobi. The decision was taken “upon reflection, and a holistic appraisal” of his cabinet, he told reporters from State House Nairobi.

Persons: ” Hussein Khalid, “, ”, Japheth, Douglas Kanja, Friday’s, William Ruto’s, Rigathi Gachagua, Musalia Mudavadi Organizations: CNN, Criminal Investigations, Africa, Kenyan, Kenya’s, State House Locations: Nairobi, State House Nairobi

☆ Kenya’s President Ruto fires almost entire cabinet after protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Larry Madowo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

Nairobi, Kenya CNN —Kenyan President William Ruto has fired almost his entire cabinet after weeks of anti-government protests, he announced Thursday. Only Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi have been left in their posts, the president said. The decision was taken “upon reflection, and a holistic appraisal” of his cabinet, he told reporters from State House Nairobi. “Even with the progress we’ve made, I’m acutely aware that the people of Kenya have very high expectations of me, and they believe that this administration can undertake the most extensive transformation in our nation’s history,” he said. More to come

Persons: William Ruto, Rigathi Gachagua, Musalia Mudavadi, ” Organizations: Kenya CNN — Kenyan, State House Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, State House Nairobi, “

☆ The world is sitting on a $91 trillion problem. ‘Hard choices’ are coming
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-02 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Yet, in a year of elections around the world, politicians are largely ignoring the problem, unwilling to level with voters about the tax increases and spending cuts needed to tackle the deluge of borrowing. In France, political turmoil has exacerbated concerns about the country’s debt, sending bond yields, or returns demanded by investors, soaring. “Many (politicians) are not willing to talk about the hard choices that are going to need to be made. Despite growing alarm over the federal government’s debt pile, neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump, the main 2024 presidential candidates, are promising fiscal discipline ahead of the election. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss triggered a collapse in the pound in 2022 when she tried to force through big tax cuts funded by increased borrowing.

Persons: ” Roger Hallam, Karen Dynan, ” Kenneth Rogoff, ”, don’t, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Biden, Paul Johnson, William Ruto, Liz Truss, hasn’t, Emmanuel Macron, Dynan, it’s Organizations: London CNN, Monetary Fund, Investors, Vanguard, CNN, US Treasury, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, “, Congressional, CBO, Trump, Fiscal Studies, United Kingdom, Former Locations: United States, France, Germany, Kenya

☆ Kenya rocked by fresh protests despite president’s U-turn over tax bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Nimi Princewill | Larry Madowo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Police in Kenya fired tear gas on protesters as a fresh wave of demonstrations swept the country, despite President William Ruto’s U-turn on controversial tax plans. In a surprise move on Wednesday, Ruto said he would not sign the finance bill, saying he had been “listening keenly” to the Kenyan people. “It’s more than about the finance bill now,” Maria, a Kenyan protestor from Nairobi told CNN. Some have called on President Ruto to resign for failing to withdraw the unpopular bill much earlier to save the lives lost. Others are seeking justice for the deceased protesters and demanding the recall of lawmakers who voted in support of the finance bill.

Persons: William Ruto’s U, ”, Ruto, ” Maria, Daniel Irungu, “, Mwangi, Moody’s, Herman Manyora, ” Manyora, ” Ruto, Manyora Organizations: CNN — Police, House, Security, State House, Kenyan, CNN, Civic, Law Society of Kenya, Monetary Fund, International, University of Nairobi Locations: Kenya, Nairobi, East, Kenya’s

☆ Scaled-Back but Determined Protests in Kenya Call for President to Resign
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Protesters returned to the streets of Kenya on Thursday, some of them demanding the resignation of President William Ruto, despite his announcement a day earlier that he was abandoning a tax bill that drew large-scale demonstrations in which nearly two dozen people were killed. On Thursday, a heavy police and military presence was visible across the capital, with officers in cars and trucks and on horseback guarding the roads leading to Parliament, the president’s official residence and several downtown streets. Much of the central business district remained closed as police officers chased and tear-gassed smaller crowds waving white roses. Some activists and opposition political leaders had urged demonstrators not to march toward the president’s official residence in Nairobi on Thursday for fear of more bloodshed. But others said the killings, shootings and abductions of those opposing the tax increases in recent days — which activists said were some of the bloodiest days in Kenya’s recent history — would not deter them from pushing Mr. Ruto to resign.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto Locations: Kenya, Nairobi

☆ Kenya president backs down on tax rises after deadly protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Kenya's president on Wednesday withdrew planned tax rises, bowing to pressure from protesters who had stormed parliament, launched demonstrations across the country and threatened more action this week. "Listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this finance bill 2024, I concede. And therefore, I will not sign the 2024 finance bill, and it shall subsequently be withdrawn," he said in a televised address. Thousands took to the streets of Nairobi and several other cities during two days of protests last week as an online movement gathered momentum. Protests in Kenya have usually been called by political leaders who can be amenable to negotiated settlements.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto, Ruto's, Lawmakers Organizations: Wednesday, Kenyan, IMF, The Nation, Kenya Medical, Medical, Protesters, State, World Bank, International Monetary Fund Locations: Kenya, Eldoret, Nairobi

☆ Kenyan President Ruto withdraws controversial finance bill following violent protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Lauren Kent | Stephanie Busari | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Kenyan President William Ruto said Wednesday that he will not sign a controversial finance bill that had sparked deadly protests in the country and left at least six people dead. “Having reflected on the continuing conversation regarding the content of the finance bill 2024, and listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this Finance Bill 2024, I concede, and therefore I will not sign the 2024 finance bill,” Ruto said during a television address Wednesday. But the concessions were not enough to quell protests amid the rising cost of living. On Tuesday they turned deadly when security forces fired teargas and live ammunition at protesters. “I send my condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones in this very unfortunate manner,” Ruto added.

Persons: William Ruto, ” Ruto, “, teargas, Ruto Organizations: CNN, Kenyan Locations: Kenya

☆ Behind the Unrest in Kenya, a Staggering and Painful National Debt
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Patricia Cohen | Keith Bradsher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The underlying cause, though, are the billions of dollars their government owes its creditors. Kenya has the fastest growing economy in Africa and a vibrant business center. Interest payments alone are eating up 27 percent of the revenue collected. But the debts that are causing misery in Kenya and across Africa remain. More than half the people on the continent live in countries that spend more on interest payments than they do on health or education.

Persons: William Ruto Organizations: United Nations Conference, Trade, Development Locations: Kenya, Africa

☆ Tension and Tear Gas Linger in Kenya After Tax Protests Turn Deadly
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In downtown Nairobi, the capital, the strong smell of tear gas still wafted through the air after the clashes between protesters and the police. Large rocks and a burned car were strewed next to the City Hall offices that protesters had breached. Police officers also cordoned off the streets leading to Parliament and were not allowing pedestrians to pass. Although businesses were slowly reopening across Kenya, newspapers being sold on the streets of Nairobi captured the chaos of the previous day. “Pandemonium,” the front page of the Daily Nation newspaper said.

Persons: William Ruto Organizations: City Hall, Police, Daily Nation, The Star Locations: Kenya, East, Nairobi

☆ Kenya Protests Are a Blow to Biden’s Embrace of President Ruto
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The street turmoil that swept Kenya’s capital on Tuesday represented a blow to the Biden administration’s tight embrace of President William Ruto, a strong U.S. ally on a continent where American influence is rapidly waning. Just a day earlier, President Biden had formally named Kenya a major non-NATO ally, and Mr. Ruto had seen off a first group of 400 Kenyan police officers headed to Haiti on a contentious security mission that is largely financed by the United States. At the White House, the Kenyan leader was feted with a state dinner that included celebrity guests and former President Barack Obama, whose father was Kenyan. For Mr. Ruto, the state visit was the high point of a globe-trotting presidency. He has visited dozens of countries since being declared the winner of a fiercely contested presidential election in August 2022.

Persons: William Ruto, Biden, Ruto, Barack Obama Organizations: Biden, Kenyan, NATO, White Locations: U.S, Kenya, NATO, Haiti, United States, Washington, Africa, Russia, China

☆ Anti-Tax Riots Rock Kenya, as President Vows Crackdown on ‘Treasonous’ Protesters
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, and some broke into Parliament and briefly set fire to the entrance on Tuesday, after lawmakers approved tax increases that critics said would drive up the cost of living for millions. During the protests, the police fired tear gas and guns, plunging the capital into turmoil. At least five people were fatally shot and 31 others injured, according to Amnesty International and several prominent Kenyan civic organizations. The independent Kenya Human Rights Commission posted a video that showed police officers firing as protesters marched toward them. As tear gas wafted through the streets, some protesters climbed through the windows of Parliament after lawmakers voted 195 to 106 in favor of the tax bill on Tuesday, with supporters saying it would raise revenue for education and other essential services.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto, ” Organizations: Amnesty International, Kenyan, Kenya Human Rights Locations: Kenya’s, Nairobi, Kenya

☆ Protests Driven by Younger People Aim to Push Kenya to Scrap Tax Rises
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Before Tuesday’s demonstration, several activists who are prominent critics of the bill were abducted, according to the Law Society of Kenya. The abductors’ identities were not publicly known, but some were believed to be intelligence officers, said the Law Society’s president, Faith Odhiambo. Lawmakers in Parliament are set to debate and vote on proposed amendments to the bill on Tuesday. President William Ruto’s governing alliance has enough votes to pass it, although opposition leaders have rejected the measure in its totality. Once the bill has parliamentary approval, Mr. Ruto can sign it into law or send it back for amendments.

Persons: Faith Odhiambo, William Ruto’s, Ruto Organizations: Amnesty International, Law Society of Kenya Locations: Kenya, East

☆ Live Updates: Casualties Reported as Police Fire on Protesters in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

The police used live fire and tear gas on protesters who marched on the Parliament building in an attempt to stop a vote on a contentious finance bill. The police used tear gas in an attempt to keep the protesters from approaching Parliament, and the sound of live fire rang out. Before Tuesday’s demonstration, several activists who are prominent critics of the bill were abducted, according to the Law Society of Kenya. But protesters have denounced other taxes, including on imported goods, and have urged the government to abandon the draft legislation. Image President William Ruto promised to be a champion of the poor, but critics say his administration has been marred by extravagant spending.

Persons: Faith Odhiambo, Odhiambo, Martha Koome, ”, Kasmuel McOure, William Ruto, Urs Flueeler, Ruto, Instagram, Mike, “, Kimani Ichung’wah, It’s, Anita Barasa, McOure, Mr Organizations: Amnesty International, Law Society of Kenya, Mr, Kenyan, Observers, KFC, Protesters Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, East, reneging, ”

☆ Demonstrators Stormed Kenya’s Parliament to Protest Taxes
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Kenya’s president deployed the military today to crack down on what he called “treasonous” protesters. Demonstrators furious over the passage of a bill that would raise taxes stormed the Parliament building in Nairobi, climbed in windows and set fire to the entrance. The police fired at the protesters, who had flooded the streets around the Parliament by the thousands — some draped in the Kenyan flag and chanting for the president to resign. The contentious bill was introduced by Ruto’s government in May to address the country’s heavy debt burden. But Kenyans have widely criticized the legislation, saying it adds punitive new taxes and raises others on staple goods.

Persons: William Ruto, “ Organizations: Kenyan, Amnesty International Locations: Nairobi

☆ Protests in Kenya Over Tax Bill: What to Know
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Eve Sampson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The sting of tear gas, the crack of live bullets and images of wounded people sprawled across the ground accompanied mass protests Tuesday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, after Parliament passed a controversial bill raising taxes, despite criticism that it would intensify economic desperation. At least five people died from gunshot wounds, civic groups said, and crowds breached the Parliament amid plumes of smoke as days of protests against the tax bill ended with police and protesters clashing. Typically a regional bastion of economic security, Kenya has a population of over 54 million. Here is what we know about the contentious legislation that set off Tuesday’s clashes. What will the tax bill do?

Organizations: Kenyan Locations: Nairobi, Kenya

☆ Kenya braced for more anti-tax protests as citizens call for ‘total shutdown’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-25 | by ( Larry Madowo | Stephanie Busari | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Kenya is in the grip of nationwide protests against proposed tax hikes, culminating in a planned “total shutdown” of the country on Tuesday. The demonstrations, sparked by the Finance Bill 2024, have seen citizens rally under the banner of “7 Days of Rage,” as the nation faces more days of upheaval. President William Ruto has said he wants to have dialogue with the protesters and that he is “proud” of them. Amnesty International Kenya says it is investigating the whereabouts of up to 12 people who were “abducted in the middle of night” ahead of Tuesday’s planned protests. The list includes bloggers, content creators, human rights defenders, a doctor, and a parliamentary staffer, Amnesty Kenya executive director Irũngũ Houghton told CNN.

Persons: William Ruto, Tuesday’s, Irũngũ Houghton, Joe Biden, ”, Biden, Ruto Organizations: CNN —, Finance, CNN, Kenyan, NATO, White Locations: CNN — Kenya, Kenya

CNN —Violent clashes between police and protestors have broken out in Nairobi, Kenya on Thursday as a government vote on a controversial finance bill gets underway. Parliament has been sealed off since Thursday morning with roads around it blocked as lawmakers debate the Finance Bill inside. Police are breaking up peaceful protesters with tear gas and water cannons around the city center in Nairobi. Festo Lang/CNNCNN has met protesters as young as 18 who say they’re fighting for their future. Look at the tears of the women in the country of Kenya,” one young man told CNN’s Larry Madowo.

Persons: Anger, Festo Lang, Ruto, ”, CNN’s Larry Madowo, Young Organizations: CNN, Police, CNN CNN Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, East

☆ Kenyan government scraps elements of controversial tax bill amid protests
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Caitlin Danaher | Larry Madowo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Kenyan government has scrapped some tax increases that were initially included in its controversial finance bill after people took to the streets in protest on Tuesday. “When we started the public participation in the finance bill of 2024, we did make a promise that public participation would not be an exercise in futility. We have listened to the view of Kenyans,” Kimani said in a speech outside the State House in Nairobi. Changes to the finance bill were driven by a “need to protect Kenyans from increased cost of living,” Kimani said. Kenyan police officers walk away from a street covered in tear gas during a demonstration against tax hikes in downtown Nairobi on June 18, 2024.

Persons: Kuria Kimani, ” Kimani, Luis Tato, William Ruto, “, ”, ” Ruto, Faith Odhiambo, ” Odhiambo Organizations: CNN, Kenyan, Kenya’s Finance, National Planning, Getty, State, Defenders Coalition, National Police, ” Police, Central Police Station, Kenya’s Law, National Police Service Locations: Nairobi, AFP, Kenya, National Police Service Kenya

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