INTERNEWS AFRICA

  NAIROBI, KENYA — July 29, 2026 — The Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), an institution of the East African Community (EAC), has officially convened its 17th Annual Meeting and Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. Bringing together Vice-Chancellors, higher education policymakers, regional partners, industry leaders, and student representatives across EAC Partner States, the three-day flagship event focuses on driving transformation, digital readiness, and policy alignment across the regional higher education landscape. Under the overarching agenda of advancing the East African Common Higher Education Area (CHEA) , this year’s convening addresses critical regional challenges, including skills mismatches in the labor market, digital transformation, research commercialization, and harmonized quality assurance frameworks. Key Highlights & Discussions Harmonization and Student Mobility: Delegates evaluated regional progress in credit transfer systems and qualification...

Members of Parliament Health Committee pose for a photo with KEMRI Executive Members NAIROBI, Kenya — The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Health has reaffirmed its commitment to boosting budgetary allocations and legislative backing for the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), aiming to accelerate local health innovations and reduce the nation's reliance on foreign donor funding, speaking on Wednesday during a high-level consultative engagement between KEMRI’s executive leadership, Board of Directors, and members of the Parliamentary Health Group at the Institute’s headquarters in Nairobi. The strategic meeting focused on aligning KEMRI’s research priorities with national health objectives, particularly supporting Universal Health Coverage (UHC), expanding internal research grants, advancing local manufacturing of diagnostic tools and therapeutics, and finalizing key legislative reforms to secure sustainable healthcare solutions for the country. During the session...

Wavinya Ndeti Machakos County Governor poses for a photo wuth Senor Excutives from Habitat for Humanity NAIROBI, Kenya — The global housing crisis has quieted into one of the most overlooked development challenges of our generation, with one in three people worldwide currently lacking a safe and reliable place to call home. Here in Kenya, that deficit translates to an estimated shortfall of two million housing units—a gap that grows by 200,000 homes every single year. The hard truth is that when more than half of Sub-Saharan Africa’s urban population is forced to live in informal settlements, we are not just facing a real estate shortage; we are facing a systemic barrier to human dignity, physical health, and economic mobility. To confront this head-on, Habitat for Humanity as part of its 50th anniversary has launched a global campaign  "Let’s Open the Door" campaign in Kenya. This is not a call for more short-term, isolated building projects. Instead, it is an urgent appea...

                  Wavinya Ndeti the Governor for Machakos County poses with Senior Executives from Habitat                   for Humanity NAIROBI, Kenya — The global housing crisis has quieted into one of the most overlooked development challenges of our generation, with one in three people worldwide currently lacking a safe and reliable place to call home. Here in Kenya, that deficit translates to an estimated shortfall of two million housing units—a gap that grows by 200,000 homes every single year. The hard truth is that when more than half of Sub-Saharan Africa’s urban population is forced to live in informal settlements, we are not just facing a real estate shortage; we are facing a systemic barrier to human dignity, physical health, and economic mobility. To confront this head-on, Habitat for Humanity has chosen Nairobi to mark its 50th anniversary by launching its g...

  NAIROBI, KENYA — Kenya must abandon the rhetoric of treating its rapidly expanding youth population as a statistical burden to be managed, and instead finance it as the nation’s premier economic engine. This was the central mandate delivered by planners and development leaders at the 2026 World Population Day national celebrations, held on Friday at the Sarova Stanley Hotel. The event—anchored by the theme “Realizing the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People Today and for the Future”—served as a rallying cry for the state, private sector, and international partners to aggressively scale up investments in human capital. With more than 75% of the country’s population sitting under the age of 35, and nearly two-thirds below 25, Kenya possesses a stark competitive advantage over developed economies currently facing aging demographics and shrinking workforces. However, officials warned that this potential remains a locked asset without deliberate, data-driven intervention. National Co...

  NAIROBI, KENYA — Former ICT Cabinet Secretary and immediate past Deputy Chief of Staff, Eliud Owalo, has officially shaken up the country’s political landscape by launching a new political outfit, the People’s Prosperity Party (PPP). Speaking during a high-profile launch event yesterday at the Nyayo National Stadium, Owalo formally declared his intention to contest the presidency in the upcoming 2027 general elections, promising a radical paradigm shift in the management of Kenya's economy and vowing to mount a formidable challenge against the current administration. Centering his platform on an aggressive economic turnaround, Owalo stated that Kenya requires a fresh start driven by pro-growth fiscal policies and immediate relief for both small businesses and the middle class. To achieve this, the People's Prosperity Party has unveiled a series of sweeping legislative proposals aimed at lowering the cost of living and stimulating private enterprise. Chief among these propo...

  NAIROBI In a pointed and wide-ranging address that underscores the deepening friction between the state and legacy newsrooms, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Secretary General Hassan Omar issued a firm critique of what he termed "rogue journalism" and political bias within sections of the Kenyan media. Speaking passionately about the erosion of institutional trust, Omar drew a stark line between the constitutional right to a free press—a pillar he noted he personally championed during the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution—and the rising tide of sensationalism, unverified reporting, and perceived political vendettas. A Crisis of Public Trust At the heart of Omar’s address was a sobering reflection on the sanctity of the journalistic profession. He remarked that while historical media institutions once held astronomical levels of credibility in independent Kenya, modern public trust has fallen sharply, dipping below 20%. "Section of the media appear to prioritize se...