Raila Odinga's sister Beryl got buried at the family compound in Bondo after hundreds of mourners showed up to pay respects. Political leaders from different parties attended the funeral at Kang'o Ka Jaramogi, and speakers kept talking about how smart and principled she was throughout her career in law and urban planning.
Ida Odinga got emotional while describing her hospital visit with Beryl before she died, saying she deliberately kept Raila away because the sight would have destroyed him, given how tight they were. Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka both praised her professional work in Kenya and Zimbabwe, with Kalonzo saying the country should copy her planning approach if it actually wants to become...
China pushed its traditional wooden arch bridge construction onto UNESCO's heritage list after spending years trying to save the craft from dying out because of urbanization and weather damage. The bridges first got flagged as endangered heritage back in 2009, but the country managed to turn things around and get them officially recognized as important global heritage.
Italian scholar Gabriella Bonino moved to Zhejiang Province and wrote a whole book about these bridges after getting obsessed with how craftsmen build them. American students from Utah recently visited Taishun County to check out the bridges themselves, and experts at Wenzhou-Kean University have been running seminars and competitions to spread awareness about the...
Ruto flew to Washington after Trump invited him to witness the DRC-Rwanda peace deal signing at the White House, and he squeezed in meetings with IMF boss Kristalina Georgieva plus IFC head Mukhtar Diop while he was there. Musalia Mudavadi tagged along for the whole trip.
Back home, people showed up at Consolata Shrine in Westlands for Beryl Odinga's memorial before her burial in Bondo. Ruto also met newly elected Mbeere North MP Leo Wamuthende at State House alongside Oburu Odinga and Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire after Wamuthende barely squeaked past his opponent by less than 500 votes.
President Ruto's UDA party kicked off a recruitment and education campaign ahead of grassroots elections hitting 20 counties, with party chair Cecily Mbarire running point on getting members up to speed before voting happens. The National Elections Board already opened online registration for candidates who want to run in spots like Bomet, Nakuru, and Kiambu, and the whole thing wraps up when polls close.
Secretary General Hassan Omar said the party wants to pull in younger voters and women during the membership drive that runs through the holiday season. Election officials plan to have staff deployed across all participating counties to keep everything running smooth when people show up to vote for local party leadership positions.
Pakistan and Afghanistan's Taliban government got into another shooting match across their shared border near Spin Boldak, with both sides saying the other started the four-hour firefight that killed at least four people and sent Afghan civilians running from their homes. Medical workers confirmed casualties on both sides after the clash broke a ceasefire that Qatar and Turkey helped set up just two months back.
The Pakistani government claims Taliban forces opened fire without warning, while Taliban reps say Islamabad launched attacks with artillery that hit civilian houses. This whole mess comes after weeks of failed peace talks in Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan keeps accusing the Afghan government of hiding militant groups that launch...
MP Millie Odhiambo fired back at people criticizing Beryl Odinga's burial plans in Bondo, saying critics cherry-pick which traditions matter. She called out the hypocrisy by asking whether everyone demanding strict Luo customs had their six lower teeth removed according to ancestral practices. Beryl Odinga gets buried at her father's compound instead of her husband's homestead, which breaks the usual rules for married women in Luo culture.
The Odinga family chose the arrangement after Beryl left her first marriage because of abuse, and later moved to Zimbabwe with her second husband. Some argue she should be buried in Siaya County, where her first husband came from, or in Zimbabwe. Family elders signed off on the decision after meeting...
Kenya locked down a five-year healthcare deal with the US worth $2.5 billion, marking the first major health partnership since Trump restructured foreign aid programs. The agreement puts $1.7 billion from America and $850 million from Kenya toward fighting HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and maternal health issues, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling President William Ruto a solid ally during the signing ceremony.
The pact sparked controversy over data privacy concerns, as citizens worry the US might access sensitive patient records like HIV status and vaccination histories. Health Minister Aden Duale pushed back against the worries, saying only anonymized aggregate data gets shared and that local laws protect health information as...
X3M Ideas swept the Agency of the Year prize at the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival, racking up 12 golds plus 26 silvers and 24 bronzes at the Marriott Hotel in Ikeja. Leo Burnett Lagos grabbed 2 golds with 11 silvers and 23 bronzes, while Noah's Ark Communications pulled 7 golds alongside 9 silvers and 8 bronzes. Biodun Shobanjo got the LAIF Icon award for his work advancing advertising across Africa.
The festival hit its 20th year milestone, and LAIF Board Chair Jay Chukwuemeka wrapped up his term by pointing to new programs like the LAIF Academy and Archive Portal that strengthened industry collaboration. AAAN President Lanre Adisa reminded everyone that Nigerian advertising turns 100 in 2028, and the industry needs to keep...
Women at Risk International Foundation kicked off their annual anti-violence march campaign across multiple cities worldwide, with events planned for Lagos, Abuja, and 16 other locations. The organization has been running this No Tolerance March for seven years straight, and last year, they pulled over 3,500 marchers in Lagos alone while hitting 18 million people online globally.
The foundation tackles gender-based violence through medical help for survivors, counseling services, and community education programs. Their work spans three main areas: health support, educational outreach, and direct community service for women and girls dealing with violence.
This year's march expanded into new Nigerian cities like Sokoto and Maiduguri...
