Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has cautioned that a growing “trust deficit” is the most serious threat to peacebuilding efforts across Africa, warning that even well-negotiated agreements often collapse due to a lack of confidence between governments, citizens, and communities. Speaking at the Johannesburg Arbitration Week 2026, Kenyatta said that while mediators can help conflicting parties reach agreements, sustaining those deals remains a major challenge when trust has been eroded. His remarks came during the “Statesmen in Dialogue: Leadership and Dispute Resolution in Africa” panel, which brought together former African leaders to reflect on governance and conflict resolution. Drawing on his…
Author: Oki Bin Oki
Mali’s military leader Gen Assimi Goïta has taken over as defence minister after the officer who previously held the post was killed in a wave of surprise attacks. The West African country remains in a security crisis more than a week after an alliance of jihadists and separatist rebels launched their nationwide raids. During the offensive, Defence Minister Sadio Camara was killed in an apparent suicide truck bombing on his residence near the capital, Bamako. A decree read on state television on Monday said Goïta would replace Camara as defence minister. He will be assisted by army chief of staff…
Spanish police seized what is thought to be a national record haul of cocaine from a ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Between 30,000 to 45,000kg were found when the Civil Guard intercepted a freighter in international waters, the body’s main union, the AUGC, announced. It called the move a “historic blow to drug trafficking”. The vessel was intercepted off Spain’s Canary Islands on Friday and around 20 people were arrested, the AUGC told the AFP news agency. It had travelled from Sierra Leona and was on its way to Libya. The Civil Guard has declined to give details of the…
A large fire broke out at the key oil port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after it was hit by a drone attack from Iran, local officials say. Three Indian nationals were injured in the strike, officials said. It came after the UAE defence ministry said it had intercepted three missiles launched from Iran, with a fourth falling into the sea. Its foreign ministry earlier reported a tanker affiliated with Adnoc, its state-owned oil company, was hit in the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE called the attacks a “dangerous escalation”. Iranian state TV has quoted an unnamed…
A sombre mood engulfed the Tabuga area in Nakuru North Sub-County after a church robbery turned deadly, leaving a cleric murdered and a watchman seriously injured. Police say the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday at PCEA Tabu The crime was first discovered by an ECDE teacher from Glory Nursery PCEA Tabuga, who arrived at the church at around 6:00 a.m. She became suspicious after finding the main gate locked from the inside and noticing that the church office doors were wide open. She alerted church elders, who gained access to the compound and discovered that the office…
A demolition exercise in Nairobi’s Marurui area took a dramatic turn after it emerged that one of the affected properties is linked to a long-running land dispute that was ultimately decided in favour of Langton Investments Limited. The property, reportedly associated with city politician Jared Okoth Okode, also known as General Defao, was brought down following a court-backed enforcement action. Okode, a former Nairobi MCA and a 2027 Ruaraka parliamentary aspirant, was arrested on Sunday as police moved in to quell tensions during the operation. During his arrest, witnesses claim he allegedly confronted officers and threatened to call William Ruto,…
Jubilee party came out guns blazing to defend former President Uhuru Kenyatta from attacks from leaders allied to the governing UDA party. The party said it is alarmed by statements from some politicians threatening to have Kenyatta’s retirement benefits withdrawn for criticism of his successor, Ruto. “We are particularly concerned, and indeed alarmed by reckless statements from certain political actors threatening punitive action against the former President, including the suggestion that his retirement benefits could be withdrawn,” read a statement from the party. In a letter signed by former Narok North MP Moitalel Ole Kenta, who is the party spokesman…
The Kenyan government has urged its citizens living in the Republic of South Africa to remain vigilant following reports of demonstrations and isolated incidents affecting foreign nationals in parts of the country. In a statement released by the Kenya High Commission in Pretoria, Kenyans were advised to exercise caution, particularly by avoiding areas where protests are taking place. The mission noted that while the situation is not widespread, recent developments have raised safety concerns for foreign residents. Kenyans were further encouraged to comply with directives issued by local authorities and to carry valid identification documents at all times to avoid…
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) commenced investigations into a land ownership dispute in Ruai, Nairobi. The complainant, Catherine Wanderi, initially reported the matter at DCI Ruai on April 24, 2026, stating that an unidentified individual had commenced construction on her parcel of land. Detectives visited the scene on April 28, 2026, and advised the complainant to record a formal statement and present supporting documentation. She presented herself at the station. However, she left without completing the process at that time. Later, a video went viral on social media platforms alleging that her piece of land had been unlawfully taken.…
President William Ruto departed Kenya, May 4, 2026, for a two-day state visit to Tanzania, where he will hold high-level talks with his host, Samia Suluhu Hassan. During the visit, President Ruto and President Suluhu will first engage in a one-on-one meeting before leading official bilateral discussions between Kenyan and Tanzanian delegations. The talks are expected to focus on strengthening the longstanding ties between the two nations, particularly in trade, investment, infrastructure, and transport, alongside other areas of mutual interest. The two leaders will also witness the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding and cooperation agreements aimed at deepening collaboration.…
Two of Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures have announced they have switched parties in a dramatic political realignment ahead of next year’s presidential election. Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, who finished third and fourth respectively in the 2023 presidential race, have both joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), raising the prospect of a joint ticket to challenge President Bola Tinubu. They were previously in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), along with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who came second in the last election. While this could be seen as a fragmentation of the opposition, supporters of Obi and Kwankwaso say it…
The US has denied an Iranian media report that one of its warships was struck by Iranian missiles as it tried to enter the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement that “no US Navy ships have been struck” and forces are “enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports”. It came after Fars, the semi-official Iranian news agency, said two missiles hit a US Navy boat sailing through the strait after ignoring a warning from Iran’s Navy. Centcom later said two US-flagged merchant vessels had “successfully transited” through the strait. Earlier, Iran’s military warned that it…
A truck driver suffered minor injuries after a United Airlines plane clipped his vehicle and a streetlight as it approached Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Sunday. The Boeing 767, operating a flight from Venice, Italy, managed to land safely, with no reported injuries among the 231 passengers and crew on board. One of the plane’s tyres appears to have gone through one of the truck’s windows and windscreen, the driver’s employers told CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner. In dash camera footage from the truck, the sound of a low-flying plane can be heard, and it…
At least 10 people were injured in a shooting at a lakeside party in Oklahoma, local officials said. The shooting took place near Arcadia Lake in eastern Edmond, about 13 miles north of Oklahoma City, at a gathering of young people around 21:00 local time on Sunday, police spokesperson Emily Ward said. Ward said 10 people were taken to hospital in “various conditions” and others drove themselves. No arrests have been made, but police do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public. “This is obviously a very terrifying situation and we understand the concern from the public…
For years, India’s West Bengal state was the great exception to Narendra Modi’s political advance. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had swept through India’s Hindi-speaking heartland, expanded into the west and north-east, and overwhelmed once-formidable regional rivals. Yet Bengal – argumentative and steeped in a self-image of cultural exceptionalism – remained stubbornly resistant. That made this state election unusually consequential. With more than 100 million people, West Bengal’s electorate is larger than Germany’s, turning its election into something closer to a nation choosing a government than a routine Indian state poll. Monday’s BJP victory there would rank among the most…