Kenya News updates

Mwala MP and UDA National Organising Secretary Vincent Musyoka Kawaya says residents of Kathiani are taking note of government interventions in agriculture, infrastructure and trade, which he said are addressing some of the challenges facing the community. Speaking during a Mama Mboga empowerment event in Kathiani, Kawaya pointed to coffee-sector reforms, affordable fertiliser, road construction and the ongoing development of the ESPM Market as key initiatives. The government has announced subsidised fertiliser at KSh2,000 per 50kg bag from September 2026.  Kawaya said the ongoing tarmacking of the Kenol–Mitaboni–Ngoleni–Kathiani–Kaani Road is expected to improve connectivity, while the ESPM Market in Kathiani Town will support traders and expand local economic opportunities. He urged residents to continue engaging with government programmes, saying his administration and other leaders would work with communities without discrimination. Recent remarks by Kaw...

The people of Kathiani have once again expressed their displeasure with politicians who have held them hostage without offering tangible solutions to their needs. During a Mama Mboga empowerment event in Kathiani, residents highlighted four key reasons they are shifting their political allegiance to President William Ruto: 1. Coffee reforms: As a farming zone, Kathiani residents are encouraged by reforms in the coffee sector that are currently delivering more than double the returns for farmers. 2. Affordable fertiliser: The reduction of fertiliser prices to KSh 2,000 per 50kg bag, down from KSh 7,000 in 2022, is a game changer for farmers and is expected to improve agricultural production, including coffee. 3. Road infrastructure: The ongoing tarmacking of the Kenol–Mitaboni–Ngoleni–Kathiani–Kaani Road, which had stalled under previous regimes, is transforming connectivity in the area. 4. ESPM Market: The ongoing construction of the ESPM Market in Kathiani Town...

The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has issued the government with a seven-day strike notice over the delayed negotiations and implementation of the 2025–2029 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), setting the stage for a potential disruption of learning in public universities. The union said lecturers will down their tools at midnight on October 2, 2026, citing what it termed the failure by university councils, the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury to honour a Return-to-Work Formula signed on November 5, 2025. UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga said the government had also failed to provide a counter-proposal for the new five-year CBA despite earlier commitments to conclude negotiations. Among the issues raised by the union are improved medical cover, recruitment of additional teaching staff and the funding of lecturers' salaries from the Exchequer rather than student fees. UASU has also raised concerns over the Salaries and Remuneration ...

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Youth League has rejected claims by Roseline Alionya that she has taken over the leadership of the party’s youth wing, setting the stage for a fresh leadership dispute within the party ahead of the 2027 General Election. Alionya declared herself president of the ODM Youth League, claiming she had occupied a position she said had remained vacant for nine years. She further alleged that those previously occupying the position had exceeded the constitutional age limit for youth leadership. However, the rival faction led by John Mark Ketora, President of the ODM Party Youth League, disputes Roseline claim and maintains that the youth league has an established leadership structure. The development has raised questions over who has the legitimate mandate to speak on behalf of ODM youth. Alionya said young people should no longer wait for leadership opportunities to be handed to them, calling for greater participation in the party’s decision-ma...

Principal Secretary for Energy Alex Wachira has engaged community members and opinion shapers in South B Ward, Nairobi County, in discussions focused on community development, livelihoods and preparedness for the upcoming rains. Wachira said the engagement also provided an opportunity to reflect on the impact of the Boma Yangu Mukuru Estate, noting that the housing project has improved living conditions for many families. He further emphasised the need for continued preparedness against potential flooding, including collaboration between residents and government agencies to enhance safety and resilience. Wachira said continued dialogue and cooperation among communities, leaders and government agencies remain important in addressing local challenges and improving service delivery. He linked the efforts to the development agenda under President William Ruto's administration, saying the focus remains on building safer, more resilient and better-served communiti...

University of Nairobi student leaders have declared their support for President William Ruto, saying the Luo community should make its own political decisions and should not be drawn back into the political alliances of the 2022 General Election. In remarks touching on the emerging 2027 political alignments, the student leaders said they respect retired President Uhuru Kenyatta but urged him to respect the community’s political choices following the death of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.  They said they had chosen to associate with Ruto rather than opposition formations involving figures such as Rigathi Gachagua and Fred Matiang’i.  The leaders also invoked Raila’s history of taking firm political positions, saying their decision to support Ruto was similarly deliberate. University students have historically played a notable role in Kenyan politics, with former UoN student leaders including James Orengo and other national political figures.  The student ...