Author: KahawaTungu Reporter

The Indian government has said a new $100,000 (£74,000) fee for applicants seeking US skilled worker visas will have “humanitarian consequences”. President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the new fee for H-1B visa applications, which is more than 60 times the amount currently charged, to go into effect on 21 September. Workers from India receive by far the most skilled visas in the programme, at just more than 70% of those issued. Some US tech companies reportedly advised employees with H-1B visas to stay in the US or, if they were out of the country, to try to return immediately.…

The White House has announced that US companies will now control TikTok’s algorithm and Americans will hold six of seven board seats for the app’s US operations in a much-anticipated deal with China. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said a deal could be signed “in the coming days”, but Beijing is yet to comment. The US has sought to take the video-sharing app’s US operations away from Chinese parent company ByteDance for national security reasons. TikTok was previously told it had to sell its US operations or risk being shut down. But US President Donald Trump delayed implementing the ban four…

Kenya took bold moves and formally designated the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb ur Tahrir as terrorist organisations. Officials termed the move a sweeping escalation of its crackdown on extremist terror groups. The declaration was published in a special Kenya Gazette notice dated September 19, 2025 and signed by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The move makes it illegal to operate, support, or fund either group inside the country, while their networks can now be disrupted and their assets frozen. The order will remain in force until revoked by either the Cabinet…

Heathrow is among several European airports hit by a cyber-attack affecting an electronic check-in and baggage system. A number of flights were delayed at the airport on Saturday as a “technical issue” impacted software provided to several airlines. Brussels Airport said a cyber-attack on Friday night meant passengers were being checked in and boarded manually, while Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport also reported longer waiting times due to the problem. RTX, which owns software provider Collins Aerospace, said it was “aware of a cyber-related disruption” to its system in “select airports” and that it was working to resolve the issue as quickly…

Max Verstappen denied Carlos Sainz a shock pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as Drivers’ Championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out. The Red Bull driver claimed back-to-back pole positions after a thrilling Qualifying session which was impacted by an F1 record of six red flags, the final one having huge ramifications on the final order. With Sainz, Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar having set laps in Q3 and drops of rain starting to fall, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc hit the barrier at Turn 15 to bring out the red flag and prevent anyone else from finishing a lap time. When…

Police in Malawi have arrested eight people for alleged electoral fraud as the country waits for the final results of Tuesday’s general election. Inspector General Merlyne Yolamu said the suspects, who were working as data entry clerks, had been trying to manipulate the figures. Malawi’s 2019 election was marred by controversy when the highest court annulled then President Peter Mutharika’s victory, citing widespread irregularities. As a result, Malawi’s electoral commission is on high alert for any potential issues. Official tallies, so far, suggest Mutharika is leading the race for the presidency with incumbent Lazarus Chakwera in second place. More results…

A Virginia prosecutor resigned under pressure from President Donald Trump after his investigation into allegations of mortgage fraud against a political adversary of the White House failed to bring criminal charges. Erik Siebert informed staff he would resign shortly after Trump told reporters on Friday: “I want him out.” The Trump administration has accused New York Attorney General Letitia James of falsifying records to receive better mortgage deals. Siebert reportedly expressed doubts about the strength of the case. James, a Democrat who won a civil fraud suit against Trump in 2023, has previously denied the allegations as “baseless” and motivated…

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) launched a nationwide operation to clear footbridges and underpasses of hawkers and street families in an effort to enhance pedestrian safety. The areas have been turned to dens of crime and places for selling wares which keep away pedestrians. The authority said the move was necessitated by the encroachment of footbridges, which has made them difficult to use and pushed many pedestrians to cross highways at undesignated points, leading to fatal accidents. “Footbridges are designed to provide safe, efficient, and pleasant passage for pedestrians free from any obstacles. Unfortunately, most footbridges along the highways are…

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki Saturday called on Kenyans to register themselves with the Social Health Authority in order to take advantage of the medical insurance saying it will protect Kenyans from preventable and curable diseases. Kindiki lauded the program launched by President William Ruto on Friday that saw the government paying monthly contributions for over 1.5 million indigent Kenyans that are unable to pay for the medical insurance ‘’The president launched  the program for indigent Kenyans and that program initially first 2.2 Million Kenyans who are spread in 550,000 households’’ said Kindiki. He announced that the government has set aside…

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has cautioned that artificial intelligence (AI) is adding a new dimension to terrorism threats facing Kenya and the wider region. Speaking during a meeting with Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Dr. Mudavadi said terrorist groups are increasingly exploring AI to advance their activities. “AI tools could be used to generate propaganda, manipulate information through deepfakes, automate recruitment messaging, or support cyber-enabled crimes such as phishing and financial fraud,” he noted. He stressed that Kenya continues to face…

A police officer was shot and killed in an ambush by gunmen who were trafficking drugs in the Kulamawe area, Isiolo County. Constable Wilson Ndurya Changawa, 45 was among a group of police officers who were on Friday September 19 evening pursuing the gang when he was shot and killed, police said. Police said a team of police was patrolling in Dima Ado area when they were informed there were aliens and bhang that was being ferried towards Kulamawe area and was to cross the River Ewaso Nyiro for onward trafficking to other places. The team then followed footprints up…

Standard Group journalist Collins Kweyu was arrested and detained at Central Police Station in Nairobi over an inquiry text he sent to a judge of the High Court. Kweyu explained he had sent a text to a judge over claims made by another party to enable him to do a story on the same when he was arrested. The judge is said to have taken offence about the text and reported the matter to the police in Migori’s Kehancha police station. According to Kweyu, a complainant had approached him and made claims about the judge. “After I listened to the…

Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson held a high-level meeting on Friday with the China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) to advance plans for a 45 MegaWatt Waste-to-Energy plant in Dandora. Speaking after the meeting, Sakaja hailed the milestone as a breakthrough decades in the making, noting that previous administrations had been unable to take the project this far. “This project will transform the city while creating green jobs for Nairobi’s youth,” he said. The agreement marks the signing of a Project Development Agreement between Nairobi City County and CNEEC, with the Ministry of Energy, through EPRA, at an advanced stage of…

Prosecution Friday officially closed its case in the Shakahola massacre trial involving controversial preacher Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 35 of his co-accused, marking the end of a significant phase in the proceedings that began on July 24, 2024 with the testimony of the first witness. Led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jami Yamina, alongside Principal Prosecution Counsels Victor Owiti and Betty Rubia, and Prosecution Counsels Biasha Khalifa and Eunice Odongo, the team concluded its case today before Principal Magistrate Nelly Chepchirchir at the Tononoka Children’s Court. Over the course of the trial, Prosecution presented 75 witnesses to support its…

A quiet revolution is sweeping across Kenya and the wider African continent, and it’s being led by a powerful force: young women innovators. These trailblazers are leveraging technology to build a new generation of agricultural businesses, transforming the lives of smallholder farmers and driving economic growth. By creating tech-driven solutions that connect farmers directly to markets, they are tackling systemic challenges in the food value chain and ensuring a more sustainable and equitable future. For decades, African agriculture has faced significant hurdles, including post-harvest losses, limited access to timely information, and a lack of direct market linkages. Traditional farming methods…