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☆ Kenya: Demonstrators feared dead as protests flare over tax hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Protests broke out across Kenya, including the capital Nairobi, where Opiyo Wandayi, who leads the opposition in Kenya’s parliament told CNN that demonstrators railing against the tax hikes were forcefully dispersed by police. “I was involved in the Nairobi protests. A Kenyan opposition supporter kicks a teargas canister fired by Kenya Police officers during demonstrations in Nairobi, Kenya on July 12, 2023. Kenyan opposition supporters react and throw stones towards Kenya Police officers during demonstrations in Nairobi, Kenya on July 12, 2023. Luis Tato/AFP/Getty ImagesWandayi told CNN the tax hike has come at a steep cost for many Kenyans.

Persons: Opiyo Wandayi, “, ” Wandayi, ”, Luis Tato, Raila Odinga, Odinga, William Ruto, Wandayi Organizations: CNN —, CNN, ” CNN, Kenyan, Kenya Police, Citizen TV, Getty Locations: Kenya, Nairobi, AFP, Kajiado, Machakos ’ Mlolongo

☆ Iranian President Raisi begins Africa trip with visit to Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Raisi's trip to Africa, which will also take him to Uganda and Zimbabwe, is the first by an Iranian president in more than a decade, and represents a bid to diversify economic ties in the face of crippling U.S. sanctions. Iran stepped up its diplomatic outreach to developing world countries after then-U.S. President Donald Trump ditched a nuclear pact in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. In June, Raisi visited three Latin American countries to shore up support with allies also saddled with U.S. sanctions. Raisi is expected to next fly to Uganda to discuss trade and bilateral relations with President Yoweri Museveni, and then to Zimbabwe. The last Iranian leader to visit Africa was Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2013.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, William Ruto, Donald Trump, Raisi, Kenya's, Yoweri Museveni, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Bhargav Acharya, Hereward, Aaron Ross, Jason Neely Organizations: Kenyan, Ruto, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, Africa, Tehran, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Iran, Kenya, East, Hereward Holland

☆ Iran's President Raisi embarks on Africa tour to boost trade
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi received a red-carpet welcome from Kenyan counterpart William Ruto on Wednesday as he began a three-country tour of Africa that Tehran has touted as a “new beginning” in relations with the continent. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (C) inspects the guard of honour during his state visit at the State House in Nairobi on July 12, 2023. Raisi is expected to next fly to Uganda to discuss trade and bilateral relations with President Yoweri Museveni, and then to Zimbabwe. In June, Raisi visited three Latin American countries to shore up support with allies also saddled with US sanctions. Iran’s trade with African countries will increase to more than $2 billion this year, its foreign ministry said on Saturday, without providing a comparative figure for 2022.

Persons: Reuters —, Ebrahim Raisi, William Ruto, Simon Maina, Ruto, Raisi, Kenya’s, Yoweri Museveni, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Shoring, Donald Trump Organizations: Reuters, Kenyan, State, Getty, Ruto Locations: Africa, Tehran, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nairobi, AFP, Iran, Kenya, Central, East

☆ Protesters clash with Kenya police over tax hikes, two killed, officers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the capital Nairobi, the port city of Mombasa and several other towns, according to Reuters reporters and footage aired on Kenyan television stations. Police officers patrolling the expressway, who did not give their names, told Reuters they had shot dead two protesters as they sought to repel an advancing crowd. You promised them that you are going to help them, but you didn't," Bernard Ochieng, a protester in Nairobi's informal Kibera settlements, told Reuters. The government says the tax hikes, which include a doubling of the fuel tax and the introduction of a levy to fund affordable housing, are needed to deal with growing debt repayments and to fund job-creation initiatives. At least six people were killed last Friday during protests called for by opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Persons: Raila Odinga, William Ruto, Young, Bernard Ochieng, Odinga, Thomas Mukoya, Jefferson Kahinju, Humphrey Malalo, Aaron Ross, Alex Richardson, Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Kenya Alliance, Police, Kenyan, Reuters, Kenya's, Thomson Locations: Read, NAIROBI, Nairobi, Mombasa

☆ At least 48 dead in road accident in western Kenya, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —At least 48 people were killed in a road accident in Londiani, western Kenya, on Friday evening when a lorry carrying a shipping container veered off the road and plowed into several vehicles, police and witnesses said. There were other bodies that were under the vehicle.”The Kenya Red Cross said the lorry rammed more than six vehicles and ran over pedestrians. A view of the accident site after a truck crashed into a market in the Londiani area of Kericho. Andrew Kasuku/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images“The country mourns with the families who have lost loved ones in a horrific road accident in Londiani,” Kenyan President William Ruto wrote in a tweet. Last year 34 people died in central Kenya when their bus veered off a bridge and plunged into a river valley.

Persons: Tom Odera, “, swerved, ”, Peter Otieno, Andrew Kasuku, William Ruto Organizations: CNN, Regional, Cross, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Kenyan Locations: Londiani, Kenya, Kericho

☆ At least 48 killed in road accident in western Kenya, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 30 (Reuters) - At least 48 people were killed in a road accident in Londiani, western Kenya, on Friday evening when a lorry carrying a shipping container veered off the road and ploughed into several vehicles, police and witnesses said. Regional police commander Tom Odera said the death toll stood at 48 on Friday evening. The trailer went off the road and hit other vehicles," said Peter Otieno, a driver. The Kenya Red Cross said the lorry rammed more than six vehicles and ran over pedestrians. "The country mourns with the families who have lost loved ones in a horrific road accident in Londiani," Kenyan President William Ruto wrote in a tweet.

Persons: Tom Odera, swerved, Peter Otieno, William Ruto, Humphrey Malalo, Duncan Miriri, Hereward Holland, Leslie Adler, Sandra Maler, Alistair Bell Organizations: Regional, Kenya, Cross, Kenyan, Thomson Locations: Londiani, Kenya, Nairobi

Kenyan shipments of tea - its major export - have fallen by a fifth over the last year, according to the local regulator. The spike in global interest rates has already tipped Sri Lanka and Ghana into defaulting. Reuters GraphicsBLACK MARKETAlthough the dollar's share as a global reserve currency has dropped to 59% from 70% over a decade, it continues to dominate global trade. Nigeria has long had a web of multiple exchange rates which it is now trying to untangle, having also devalued its naira currency again last week. A plunge of around 70% in Bolivia's reserves has spawned queues at banks and currency exchange shops as some merchants stopped accepting local currency.

Persons: Wilson Muthaura, KTDA, Charlie Robertson, Muthaura, David Willacy, Ojo, Chaucer, Ronal, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Kristalina Georgieva, William Ruto, Duncan Miriri, Marc Jones, Macdonald Dzirutwe, Monica Machicao, Mayela Armas, David Sherwood, Catherine Evans Organizations: Bank, FIM Partners, Reuters Graphics, Workers, REUTERS, La Paz, West, Reuters, JPMorgan, Monetary Fund, IMF, Fund, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, LONDON, Pakistan, COVID, Russia, Ukraine, London, Islamabad, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Tunisia, teetering, Nigeria, Kenya, StoneX, Nigeria's, Lagos, British, Cuba, Venezuela, Githunguri, Kiambu County, United States, Lebanon, Turkey, Ethiopia, China, India, Johannesburg, Saudi Arabia, Africa, Argentina, Nairobi, La Paz, Caracas, Havana

[1/5] Participants react with Pride rainbow flags as they attend the Badilika festival to celebrate the LGBT rights in Nairobi, Kenya, June 11, 2023. Some regional lawmakers frame the issue as an almost existential battle to save African values and sovereignty, which they say have been battered by Western pressure to capitulate on gay rights. Spokespeople for the Kenyan presidency and government didn't respond to requests for comment about the proposed bill. Several called for legislation to strengthen penalties for same-sex acts, including the deputy majority leader, who said gay sex could be punished by hanging. President William Ruto, an evangelical Christian, has criticized a February supreme court decision allowing an LGBT rights group to register as a non-governmental organization.

Persons: Mohamed Ali doesn't, Ali, Weeks, Bill, Yoweri Museveni, Annette Atieno, John Agany, Jacqueline Ngonyani, Ngonyani, Damas Ndumbaro, William Ruto, Peter Kaluma, Uganda's, Kaluma, U.S . State Department didn't, Stella Kachina, Marylize Biubwa, Lorna Dias, Dias, Nuzulack Dausen, Waakhe Simon Wudu, Daphne Psaledakis, Estelle Shirbon, Aaron Ross, Pravin Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Kenyan, National Gay, Human Rights Commission, U.S . State Department, East, NAIROBI PRIDE, Gay and Lesbian Coalition of, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, NAIROBI, East Africa, Juba, United, Africa, Entebbe, Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, Ruto, Dar es, Washington

☆ Kenyan president's tax hikes alienate his 'hustler' base
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ruto has also faced criticism for increasing allocations to his office and the deputy president's while cutting petrol subsidies. The proposals, contained in a draft law known as the finance bill, will be considered by parliament alongside the 2023-24 budget to be presented by the finance minister on Thursday. The president and his allies have defended the tax hikes, saying East Africa's economic powerhouse needs more revenue to avert a debt crisis and fund affordable housing projects. One man in Githunguri, who declined to give his name, defended the finance bill, saying Ruto was simply trying to leave his mark by constructing affordable housing. Fruit vendor John Nyaga, another Ruto voter, complained that the tax hikes would leave his customers with even less money to spend.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto, Jacqueline Wambui, Ruto's, Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, John Nyaga, Duncan Miriri, Aaron Ross, Ed Osmond Organizations: REUTERS, Ruto, Thomson Locations: Kiambu County, Kenya, GITHUNGURI, Nairobi, Ukraine, Githunguri

☆ Kenya's parliament approves appointment of new central banker
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

He will replace Patrick Njoroge, who is retiring after serving two terms as the central bank governor since 2015. In a voice vote, lawmakers adopted the report of the National Assembly's finance committee, which urged the house to back his appointment after vetting his suitability for the post. His predecessor, Njoroge, has maintained stable prices for most of his eight years at the helm. But the World Bank expects growth to edge up to 5.0% in 2023, underpinned by a recovery in agriculture. Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by David EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Thugge, William Ruto's, Kamau, Ruto, Patrick Njoroge, Duncan Miriri, Alexander Winning, David Evans Organizations: Njoroge, National, Johns Hopkins University, International Monetary Fund, Kenyan, Treasury, Bank, Thomson Locations: Ruto, U.S

☆ Kenyan police fire tear gas at protesters marching against finance bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, June 6 (Reuters) - Kenyan police fired tear gas at hundreds of people protesting near parliament on Tuesday against a proposed finance bill that would hike taxes on fuel and housing. Police fired tear gas to disperse about 500 protesters who marched to parliament to present a petition against the bill, a Reuters witness said. REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaEleven protesters were seen being detained by police. In downtown Nairobi, plain-clothed police officers were seen carrying an activist who held a placard that read: "Colonialism never really ended." Labour unions, including one representing health workers, also protested against the bill last week.

Persons: William Ruto, Thomas Mukoya, Ruto, La, Raila Odinga, Duncan Miriri, Bhargav Acharya, Alex Richardson, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Kenyan, Police, REUTERS, Labour, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, East, Nairobi, Kenya

☆ Kenya and Russia to sign trade pact, President Ruto says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya Moses Wetangula shakes hands with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya May 29, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERSNAIROBI, May 29 (Reuters) - Kenya will sign a trade pact with Russia aimed at boosting cooperation between businesses, President William Ruto's office said on Monday, after hosting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Nairobi. Kenya's presidency said in a statement that bilateral trade with Russia was still low despite the potential and the pact would give business the "necessary impetus". Russia says its invasion of Ukraine, launched on Feb. 24, 2022, is aimed at protecting its own security against Ukraine's pro-Western leadership. Lavrov has visited the African continent at least three times this year, while Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba travelled to countries including Ethiopia, Rwanda and Mozambique last week.

☆ Forest search resumes for Kenyan death cult victims of 'highly organised crime'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SHAKAHOLA FOREST, Kenya, May 9 (Reuters) - Kenyan investigators have resumed the search for members of a doomsday cult in a forest where more than 100 corpses, mostly of children, have been exhumed, victims of a "highly organised crime", Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said on Tuesday. "We have many more graves in this forest, and therefore it leads us to conclude that this was a highly organised crime," Kindiki told reporters. Search and rescue efforts for people "suspected to be holed up in the thickets and bushes have been going on". President William Ruto on Friday announced an inquiry into the mass deaths, while a court kept Mackenzie in detention pending further investigations. Reporting by Dicksy Obiero in the Shakahola Forest and Hereward Holland and Humphrey Malalo in Nairobi; Editing by Nick MacfieOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Inside a Kenyan starvation cult and its tragic end in a forest of death
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Mackenzie, 50, is in police custody and has yet to be required to enter a plea to any charge related to the mass graves, which are still being exhumed. HUNDREDS STILL MISSINGThe death toll stands at 109 so far, with 101 found in mass graves and eight people found alive who later died. On April 13, police acting on a tip-off returned to the forest and found 15 emaciated people lying in the forest, according to police who said four of them were so weak they died before reaching hospital. On April 21, they began exhuming mass graves. Charo said he was horrified last month when he learned about the mass graves found in the forest.

☆ Anti-government protests in Kenya resume with police firing tear gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A boy carries a bouquet of flowers as he walks past a bus torched by unknown people ahead of protests by supporters of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga of the Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) One Kenya Alliance, in a nationwide protest...moreA boy carries a bouquet of flowers as he walks past a bus torched by unknown people ahead of protests by supporters of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga of the Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) One Kenya Alliance, in a nationwide protest over cost of living and President William Ruto's government in Nairobi, Kenya May 2, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaClose

☆ Kenyan anti-government protests resume with police firing tear gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaNAIROBI, May 2 (Reuters) - Kenyan police fired tear gas at a small group of protesters in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday as the opposition resumed anti-government demonstrations following a one-month pause. But he later announced that the protests would resume, accusing the government of not negotiating in good faith. The police said on Monday that the protests would be considered unlawful. Odinga's Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) coalition said the protests would go ahead. Reporting by George Obulutsa, Thomas Mukoya and Humphrey Malalo; Editing by Aaron Ross, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kenyan police fire tear gas as anti-government protests resume
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaNAIROBI, May 2 (Reuters) - Kenyan police fired tear gas at a small group of protesters in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday as the opposition took to the streets again in anti-government demonstrations following a one-month pause. Police said they had arrested 46 people "engaging in acts of criminality" and said the protests were unlawful. The Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) coalition said some of its members of parliament were stopped on their way to the president's office and met with teargas. Our protests will resume on Thursday," the coalition said in a statement. But he later announced that the protests would resume, accusing the government of not negotiating in good faith.

Authorities have recovered 101 bodies from shallow graves since April 21, while eight cult members were found alive but died later. Cult leader Paul Mackenzie has been in police custody since April 14, held alongside 14 other cult members. Children account for most of the bodies recovered so far, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said on Friday. Kindiki said the autopsies will look at all possibilities, including whether or not some bodies had missing organs. Oduor said the government was collecting DNA samples from those who had reported missing relatives and would do the matching in a process that would take at least a month.

Eight cult members who were found emaciated in the forest died later. Mackenzie has been in police custody since April 14 alongside 14 other suspected cult members. Two showed signs of asphyxiation, he added. Children account for most of the bodies recovered so far, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said on Friday. On Sunday, President William Ruto said he would appoint a judicial commission of inquiry this week to probe what happened in Shakahola.

NAIROBI, April 27 (Reuters) - A Kenyan church leader was arrested on Thursday over the "mass killing of his followers", the interior minister said, just days after the leader of a cult based in the same region was detained and mass graves of his followers were found. REUTERS/Stringer 1 2 3 4Odero was "being processed to face criminal charges related to mass killing of his followers," Interior Minister Kindiki wrote on Twitter. Mackenzie was arrested again on April 14, and held alongside 14 other members of his church. The death toll among Mackenzie's followers is expected to rise further. Reporting by George Obulutsa; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by James Macharia ChegeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Police have now recovered 89 bodies from mass graves in a forest in eastern Kenya, believed to be linked to a cult that allegedly encouraged its followers to starve themselves to gain salvation, the country’s government said. His lawyer told CNN on Tuesday he was denied bail over investigation interference fears. “The court is of the opinion that he might interfere with investigations,” Nthege’s lawyer George Kariuki told CNN. Kariuki said prosecutors have been given 14 days to investigate the case, adding that Nthege has not been charged. The case has sent shockwaves through Kenya and the government has vowed tighter regulations on religious bodies and organizations.

☆ Death toll in Kenyan starvation cult rises to 58 - police
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Hereward Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The death toll, which has repeatedly risen as exhumations have been carried out, could rise further. The Kenyan Red Cross said 112 people have been reported missing to a tracing and counselling desk it has set up at a local hospital. Kenya's Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, visiting the scene, said the death toll included 50 people found in mass graves as well as eight who were found alive and emaciated, but later died. Koome said 14 other cult members were in police custody. Reporting by Hereward Holland; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Alexander WinningOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ For LGBTQ Kenyans, court win prompts backlash as threats escalate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ayenat Mersie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NAIROBI, April 18 (Reuters) - For Kenya's lesbians and gays, a supreme court ruling allowing the rights body that represents their interests to register as a non-governmental organisation has turned out to be a mixed blessing. But, in a country where same-sex acts remain punishable by up to 14 years in prison, the ruling has also led to a menacing backlash. An LGBT activist wears a badge as he attends a court hearing in the Milimani high Court in Nairobi in Nairobi, Kenya. For now, Kenya is still seen as a relative haven for LGBTQ people in a hostile region. For Kevin Mwachiro, an LGBTQ activist for 15 years, this is the most challenging time that the community inside Kenya has experienced.

[1/3] Smoke rises from the tarmac of Khartoum International Airport as a fire burns, in Khartoum, Sudan April 17, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said an immediate ceasefire was needed, saying that view was shared by the international community. By Sunday it appeared that the army was gaining the upper hand in the fighting in Khartoum, using air strikes to pound RSF bases. Sudan has been affected by rising levels of hunger in recent years as an economic crisis has deepened. The WFP says it reached 9.3 million people in Sudan, one of its largest operations globally.

☆ Kenya's President Ruto asks opposition to give talks a chance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Monicah MwangiNAIROBI, April 16 (Reuters) - Kenya's President William Ruto asked the opposition on Sunday to give talks with the government a chance while his main opponent urged his followers to protest again over electoral reforms and the high cost of living. The protests partly stem from accusations of fraud in August's presidential election in which Ruto narrowly beat Raila Odinga. Odinga's Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) Alliance and Ruto's Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) alliance disagree about the content of the talks and who should steer them. Kenya Kwanza wants the talks to involve only lawmakers and discuss only the selection of electoral officials. "If we don't hear from Ruto next week, when Ramadan ends, we are going back to the streets," he said.

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