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☆ Anthony Ochieng Onyango wants others to see conservation through a different lens
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jackie Prager | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Crouching in the brush of Kenya’s Ruma National Park, award-winning conservation photographer Anthony Ochieng Onyango eyes what he’s spent a year looking for – the roan antelope. It’s estimated there are only 60,000 of them left on the continent, and as of July 2021, there were only 15 living in Ruma National Park, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service. The roan antelope is seen grazing in Ruma National Park, Kenya. “We need to speak their language so we can get into their hearts to take action in conservation,” Onyango said. “My hope is for the students to just be able to appreciate what they currently have within their ecosystem.”Photographer Anthony Ochieng Onyango in action during a trip to Ruma National Park in Kenya, searching for the elusive roan antelope.

[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.

☆ Record-holder Kipchoge headlines stacked Boston Marathon field
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Members of the public fill Boylston Street to watch a dedication ceremony at the finish line on the ten year anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., April 15, 2023. REUTERS/Brian SnyderApril 15 (Reuters) - World record-holder Eliud Kipchoge headlines a star-studded Boston Marathon field on Monday as the world's oldest 26.2-mile race takes on a somber tone 10 years after a bombing attack near the finish line. Ethiopian Amane Beriso, who produced the all-time third-fastest marathon in Valencia late last year, headlines a speedy women's field with twice major winner Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya and Ethiopia's world champion Gotytom Gebreslase. Kenyan Edna Kiplagat will vie for her third Boston title with her fellow former champions American Des Linden and Ethiopian Atsede Baysa also expected to run. The 127th running of the Boston Marathon begins with the men's wheelchair division at 9:02 a.m.

☆ Kenya launches first operational satellite into space
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A model of a prototype of a 3U Earth observation satellite, the Taifa-1, is displayed ahead of the launch of Kenya's first operational satellite, at the University of Nairobi's Taifa Hall in Nairobi, Kenya April 14, 2023. REUTERS/Monicah MwangiNAIROBI, April 14 (Reuters) - Kenya launched its first operational earth observation satellite on Saturday onboard a SpaceX rocket from the United States, a live feed from Elon Musk's rocket company showed. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Taifa-1 satellite, took off at about 0648 GMT without incident from Vandenberg Base in California, after three postponements due to bad weather. Alloyce Were, an aeronautical engineer and deputy director of Navigation and Positioning at the government-run Kenya Space Agency, told Reuters on Friday before the satellite's launch. The satellite was put together with the help of Bulgarian aerospace company Endurosat at a cost of 50 million Kenyan shillings ($372,000) over two years, the space agency said.

☆ Central Bank of Kenya governor: We felt onward shocks from banking sector turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCentral Bank of Kenya governor: We felt onward shocks from banking sector turmoilPatrick Njoroge, governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, discusses inflation, financial stability and how recent volatility in U.S. and European banks has had knock-on effects.

☆ Kenya police, crowds clash in third wave of price rise protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Ayenat Mersie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Thousands joined marches called by opposition leader Raila Odinga against high living costs and alleged fraud in last year's vote. The government has said the vote was fair, defended its economic record and called for the protests to stop. "We are telling our elder Raila Odinga, the only way to get into government is through the ballot." Odinga's spokesperson Dennis Onyango accused Malala of "ethnic profiling", saying he had assumed the attackers were Odinga supporters because they were from his ethnic group. Odinga, who has run for president five times, challenged Ruto's victory in August's election, but the Supreme Court upheld the result unanimously.

☆ Renewed protests in Kenya as authorities vow to 'halt the descent'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

In Mathare, a low-income settlement in Nairobi, protesters used improvised catapults to launch stones at police in riot gear, footage on Kenyan television showed. Local television stations on Thursday showed tires ablaze in Kibera and in Kisumu, near Odinga's ancestral home. During the previous two protests, they have fired tear gas and water cannon. The government says two civilians have been killed and more than 130 people, including 51 police officers, injured in protests since last week. Reporting by Ayenat Mersie; Editing by Aaron Ross and Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Genetic study details complex ancestry of East Africa's Swahili people
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Radu Sigheti/File PhotoMarch 29 (Reuters) - A study of centuries-old DNA has deciphered the complex ancestry of coastal East Africa's Swahili people, revealing how a cosmopolitan and prosperous medieval civilization arose thanks in large part to women from Africa and men arriving from Persia. After around 1500 AD, the bulk of the Asian genetic contribution shifted to Arabian sources, the study showed. "However, in this case, because Bantu populations in East Africa often have more matrilineal tendencies, African women likely had more autonomy in choosing their partners for building a family. It may be, the researchers said, that the African women and their communities chose to form families with Persian princes or traders, reinforcing trade networks of African and Persian merchants. The evidence of Indian ancestry adds a surprising new layer to the history of the East African coast, Brielle added.

☆ Odinga supporters protest in Kenya despite ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsOdinga supporters protest in Kenya despite banPostedSupporters of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga cheered and danced despite a ban on their demonstration on Monday (March 27) in protests that began last week against the government and high food prices. Kristy Kilburn reports.

☆ Factbox: Legal hurdles faced by LGBT+ people in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Africa accounts for nearly half of the countries worldwide where homosexuality is outlawed, according to the review, which was last updated in December 2020. - Life imprisonment is the maximum penalty for same-sex relations in Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, while jail terms of up to 14 years are possible in Gambia, Kenya and Malawi. - Broad protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation exists in three countries: Angola, Mauritius and South Africa. - South Africa is the only African country where gay marriage is legal and where the constitution protects against discrimination based on sexual orientation. However, South Africa has high rates of rape and homophobic crime.

REUTERS/Thomas MukoyaNAIROBI, March 20 (Reuters) - Kenyan police tear gassed the leader of the opposition on Monday and arrested senior lawmakers in his parliamentary faction, as protesters took to the streets to march against President William Ruto and the high cost of living. Police officers in riot gear fired tear gas at hundreds of rock-throwing protesters in the capital Nairobi's vast Kibera slum, who chanted: "Ruto must go." We've had enough," said one protester, who asked not to be identified, as tear gas swirled around her. Police used tear gas and a water cannon to prevent Odinga's convoy from driving towards the president's State House residence to deliver a petition. Tear gas engulfed the vehicle as he spoke, calling for protests every Monday until the cost of living comes down.

☆ Power restored to parts of Kenya after nationwide blackout
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, March 4 (Reuters) - Power was restored to parts of Kenya after a nationwide blackout lasting several hours which was thought to have been caused by a fault on a transmission line, electricity distributor Kenya Power (KPLC.NR) said on Saturday. "Initial reports indicate that the outage was caused by a fault that occurred on the Suswa-Loyangalani high-voltage power transmission line," Kenya Power said in a statement. The power supply was restored to parts of Eldoret, Kisumu and Nakuru, the distributor said. Electricity had also returned to at least one part of the capital Nairobi, according to a Reuters journalist. Kenya Power is the country's sole electricity distributor and the bulk of its power comes from Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) (KEGN.NR), which is the main producer.

☆ A senator was forced to leave Kenya's parliament over period stain after colleagues called her 'disgraceful'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A senator in Kenya was asked to leave parliament because she had a period stain on her white suit. Enoch Wambua, another senator, said: "What Sen. Orwoba has done to this House today is disgraceful and shameful." Responding to her critics, Orowba said, "Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is the period stigma that is making our girls kill themselves. She continued: "Honestly, the most someone can do is come to me and tell me 'I am sorry, are you having period cramps, or shall I give you pain killers.' —Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) February 17, 2023Orowba has consistently used her position to tackle period shaming and poverty in Kenya.

☆ Stigma and poverty stymie cancer treatment as rates rise in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Like many people in Kenya, Sperenza Maina went into denial when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer, hiding it from her family for months and delaying important treatment. As in much of Africa, most cancer cases in Kenya are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when treatment options are limited and families make huge sacrifices by selling assets or borrowing money, according to a World Bank report. As the country gets wealthier, cancer diagnoses are on the rise; annual incidence increased by almost 30% between 2012 and 2018, data from the health ministry shows. Women in Kenya often fear seeking diagnosis for some of the most common and deadly cancers in Kenya such as cervical and breast cancer, said Bridget Nyabuto, a doctor at the Nairobi Radiotherapy and Cancer Centre. Having cancer is not a death sentence, you have to live to tell the story," she said.

☆ Fact Check-Photo of damaged helicopter miscaptioned as alleged incident in Nigeria
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A photo of a damaged helicopter window has been miscaptioned online by people who claim it was taken after being used by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2023. Social media users claim the photo of the broken cockpit glass was evidence that Buhari had escaped from “angry youths” who attacked his helicopter during a visit to Kano (here ) , (here ). There were conflicting reports about the alleged incident (here , here , here) which are outside the scope of this check. According to local media, the helicopter of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga was pelted with stones while he attended a burial (here ). On my way to the plane, they had pelted my vehicles with stones.

☆ Kenya Power to convert its 2,000 vehicles to electric over 4 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Kenya's sole power distributor Kenya Power (KPLC.NR) aims to convert its 2,000 petrol and diesel-driven vehicles to electric over the next four years, it said on Tuesday. Kenya Power will phase out its petrol and diesel vehicles by retrofitting electric engines and buying new electric vehicles. Kenya has installed generation capacity of 3,321 megawatts (MW) against a peak demand of 2,132 MW and off-peak demand of about 1,100 MW, according to Kenya Power. "Charging electric vehicles especially at night would, therefore, help bridge the gap between off-peak load available generation capacity as well as raise the average demand to above 1,500 MW," it said in a statement. ($1 = 124.7000 Kenyan shillings)Reporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Alexander Winning;Editing by Arun KoyyurOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Rwanda shoots at Congolese military jet over alleged airspace violation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A video shared widely on Congolese social media showed a projectile shooting towards an airborne military plane, before exploding in the air near the plane, which continued to fly. Congo denied Rwanda's accusation that the jet had been in Rwandan airspace - the latest dispute between the two countries whose relationship has been strained by a rebel insurgency. Earlier the Rwandan government said Rwandan forces had fired at the jet after it violated Rwandan airspace in Rubavu - the same area as previous alleged violations, "prompting the government to take defensive measures." Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said last week that the rebels had not fully withdrawn from those areas. In December, Rwanda said another fighter jet from Congo had briefly violated its air space.

☆ Kenya central bank governor: We've been managing our debt situation quite effectively
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailKenya central bank governor: We've been managing our debt situation quite effectivelyPatrick Njoroge, the governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, speaks to CNBC's Karen Tso at Davos 2023.

☆ Kenyans Kipyokei, Rionoripo handed long bans for doping, Lempus charged
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Fellow Kenyan Betty Wilson Lempus has been charged with the presence of triamcinolone acetonide. As of the end of November, 55 Kenyan athletes were banned and eight provisionally suspended, according to the AIU. Her ban has been backdated to June 27 this year, when the AIU provisionally suspended her, and her results have been disqualified back to and including Oct. 11, 2021. Furosemide was found in Rionoripo's urine in an out-of-competition test on May 30 in Kenya, the AIU said. Athletics Kenya, the ADAK, and Kenya's minister for sports Ababu Namwamba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Mary Ngugi: How a 'traumatic' death inspired distance runner to change women's sport in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That’s not necessarily her coach – nor her training partners – but a much younger group of runners who have started frequenting Ngugi’s athletics track in the Kenyan town of Nyahururu. After launching Nala Track Club several weeks ago, which she believes is the first all-girls athletics club in Kenya, Ngugi has found added fuel for her own training. “It’s sad we had to experience such a traumatic thing for us to start the Women’s Athletics Alliance,” says Ngugi. Looking beyond athletics, Ngugi points to cultural norms that have created inequality between men and women. Ngugi (right) balances her marathon career with overseeing Nala Track Club.

☆ Clitoris reconstruction offers hope to Kenyan women after childhood mutilation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Mukelwa Hlatshwayo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

That was the transformation being sought by about 60 Kenyan women who had undergone female genital mutilation, or FGM, during childhood and came forward for reconstructive surgery of the clitoris during a recent humanitarian operation in Nairobi. "I basically feel like I'm incomplete," said one patient, a 39-year-old police officer, who requested anonymity due to the intimate subject matter. Bowers had operated on hundreds of Kenyan women during two previous visits, in 2017 and 2019. Bowers said the surgery involves bringing part of the clitoral body to the surface so that women can feel it. "This really affected my life and that is why I opted to get the reconstruction surgery done."

☆ Ethiopia combatants sign deal to start implementing truce
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( Ayenat Mersie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The deal will be put into effect "immediately", mediator Olusegun Obasanjo told a news conference before the signing. Both sides said they were committed to the declaration, stressing it was the only way to restore peace and stability. One of TPLF's representatives, General Tadesse Werede, said the declaration on implementation had given them hope that the suffering of the people in Tigray would end. The two sides agreed to a permanent cessation of hostilities in an unexpected diplomatic breakthrough in South Africa on Nov. 2. Reporting by Ayenat Mersie, Writing by Duncan Miriri and Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Clelia OzielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Farmers in both are fighting a losing battle to save the soil that produces our food. By contrast, there's not enough water in the vast Yangtze basin, which produces a third of China's crops. Soil erosion could lead to a 10% loss in global crop production by 2050, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Similarly, other measures such as digging thousands of new wells and encouraging farmers to switch crops to boost yields have limited impact. Options include not tilling soil to reduce erosion, and planting off-season cover crops to prevent erosion and nutrient loss.

☆ Young Kenyan tree activist speaks up for Africa at COP27
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Elizabeth Wathuti, Kenyan environment and climate activist looks at the leaves of a tree during a Reuters interview at the Nairobi Arboretum, botanical garden, in Nairobi, Kenya October 8, 2022. REUTERS/Edwin WaitaNAIROBI, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Elizabeth Wathuti channelled her frustration and sadness over the damage to natural habitats including Kenyan forests close to her childhood home into a life of activism, founding Green Generation Initiative to raise awareness through tree growing. Six years after starting the environmental advocacy group, Wathuti is one of Kenya's most ardent voices in the struggle against climate change, a voice she is hoping will be heard by world leaders gathered in Egypt for the COP27 climate summit. Wathuti was one of the young people calling for urgent action as the U.N. climate conference marked its traditional Young and Future Generations Day on Thursday. Reporting by Edwin Waita Writing by Estelle Shirbon Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

NAIROBI, Nov 8 (Reuters) - A labour court on Tuesday ordered pilots at Kenya Airways (KQNA.NR) to resume work by Wednesday, seeking to end a strike that has left thousands of passengers stranded at one of Africa's most important aviation hubs. On Tuesday, a labour and employment court judge ordered the pilots to resume their duties "unconditionally" at 6 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) on Wednesday. Kenya Airways welcomed the court's directions, and said it would comply. [1/2] Kenya Airways pilots attend a court session after the association's management was summoned for contempt of a court order declaring as illegal the ongoing strike of Kenya Airways pilots, organised by KALPA, at the Milimani Law Courts, in Nairobi, Kenya, November 8, 2022. Financial turmoil at Kenya Airways preceded the pandemic.

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