Governor Wavinya Hosts CS Deborah in her Office

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March 5, 2026

H.E. Governor Wavinya Ndeti hosted the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Hon. Dr. Deborah Barasa, together with the FLLoCA task team at her office.

The visit provided an opportunity to sample projects showcasing best practices in strengthening farmers along the value chain while addressing climate change challenges.

Key interventions implemented by the County Government of Machakos through FLLoCA funding were highlighted, particularly those aimed at enhancing livelihoods and promoting environmental conservation.

The team also commended the progress made along Miu River and other rivers across Machakos County, noting how farmers are increasingly leveraging these initiatives to strengthen their capacity to adapt to climate change and improve agricultural productivity.

By Anthony Solly

Red Cross mourns rescuer electrocuted while searching for missing child

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March 5, 2026

The Kenya Red Cross Society is mourning the death of one of its aqua rescue volunteers Samuel Wanyonyi Wangila, who died while on duty during a search and rescue operation in Nairobi.

In a statement, the organisation said Wangila was part of a team searching for a missing child who was reportedly washed away by flash floods when he was electrocuted while still undertaking the operation.

The Red Cross said the incident occurred as the team searched for the child’s body.

The organisation blamed the tragedy on what it described as illegal electricity connections, warning that unsafe wiring continues to pose a deadly risk to both residents and emergency responders.

“The eyes are shedding tears. The heart is heavy with grief. Our colleague Samuel Wangila… has made the ultimate sacrifice,” the Red Cross said, paying tribute to his service.

Wangila was described as an experienced and dependable volunteer who had served for more than 15 years and had trained and mentored fellow rescuers in aqua operations.

The Red Cross conveyed condolences to Wangila’s family, friends and fellow volunteers, saying it remains grateful for the sacrifice he made in service to the community.

PS Muthoni Reaffirmed the Government’s Commitment to Strengthening Public Health Systems

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March 5, 2026

The Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening public health systems and expanding access to healthcare services across the country.

Speaking during an interview on the Ruciini Show on Inooro TV, the PS outlined ongoing reforms aimed at improving healthcare delivery, particularly for vulnerable populations and communities in hard-to-reach areas.

She noted that the continued expansion of Community Health Services is bringing essential care closer to households, supporting disease prevention, health promotion, and early treatment.

The PS also highlighted the Jamii Imara Mashinani Initiative, which provides a platform for government leaders to directly engage citizens on development priorities and ensure that programmes respond to the real needs of communities.

At the same time, she urged Kenyans to take greater responsibility for their health by adopting healthy lifestyles, including maintaining a balanced diet, avoiding drug and substance abuse, refraining from self-prescription of medicines, and prioritising preventive care.

She further encouraged members of the public to register with the Social Health Authority (SHA) to access quality and affordable healthcare services under Kenya’s Universal Health Coverage reforms.

The interview forms part of ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Health to increase public awareness on health reforms and promote healthy living among Kenyans.

By Anthony Solly

Six dead, several injured in Nairobi–Mombasa highway crash

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March 5, 2026

Six people have been killed in a road crash in the Manyatta area of Taita Taveta County after a Chania Executive bus was involved in a head-on collision with a trailer along the Nairobi–Mombasa highway.

According to preliminary reports, the bus driver was attempting to overtake when the truck rammed into the bus, wrecking its right side before the vehicle veered off the highway.

Several other passengers sustained injuries and were rushed to Moi Referral Hospital in Voi for treatment.

African Development Bank Group funds regional health resilience drive in Southern Africa

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March 5, 2026

Approved on 3 March 2026, the financing from the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group, will fund the Resilient Health Systems for Emergency Preparedness Project

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, March 4, 2026/ — The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a $9.57 million grant to support countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in strengthening regional health security and emergency preparedness.

Approved on 3 March 2026, the financing from the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group, will fund the Resilient Health Systems for Emergency Preparedness Project.

The initiative aims to strengthen the resilience and capacity of health systems across the SADC region to respond more effectively to public health and nutrition emergencies.

The project includes the training of 449 laboratory technicians, community health workers and trainers, including 269 women, using tailored approaches that mainstream gender considerations, climate change adaptation and the One Health approach.

In addition, around 35 nutrition coordinators, including 21 women, from training institutions specialising in nutrition and gender in emergencies will receive certification.

Revised curricula are expected to benefit approximately 240 students annually, helping to create a sustainable regional pool of expertise in nutrition and gender-responsive emergency management.

Diagnostic laboratories, wastewater and environmental surveillance laboratories in six beneficiary countries will be renovated and equipped as part of the central component on infrastructure upgrade.

The project will also modernise the Instituto Nacional de Saúde in Mozambique to serve as a regional reference laboratory and strengthen the national blood bank in Lesotho.

A regional framework for model cross-border laboratories will be established, alongside a mobile cross-border laboratory to be deployed at two strategic border points in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

“This operation aims to address the persistent fragility of health systems in the SADC, which remain vulnerable to zoonotic outbreaks and cholera epidemics, high malnutrition rates and limited human resources, as well as inadequate emergency preparedness,” said Kennedy Mbekeani, African Development Bank’s Director General for Southern Africa.

By Anthony Solly

KeNHA demolishes illegal structures at Roysambu roundabout

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March 5, 2026

In a continued effort to reclaim road reserves and enhance transport infrastructure along the Thika Superhighway, the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has carried out demolitions at the Roysambu Roundabout.

The operation, which took place on the night of March 4, 2026, targeted illegal stalls and kiosks that had encroached on public land, affecting both sides of the busy highway section.

Eyewitness accounts describe a thorough clearance. Structures on the side touching the Kenya Power perimeter wall were pulled down, including parts of stalls that extended into the restricted area. The area along Thika Road, where vendors commonly sold clothes and other goods, was completely levelled.

Additionally, kiosks lining the edge near the Shell petrol station, particularly along the exit leading to Kamiti Road, were demolished. This left the once-bustling roadside bare, with debris scattered as excavators and bulldozers moved in under police protection.

Debris scattered after the erly morning demolishion in roysambu. PHOTO/@alexnjenga/X

Thika road evictions: Traders at Allsops, Kihunguro, Delview told to vacate in 7 days

‘No blame game, let’s solve it together’ – Ruto breaks silence over demolition of Githurai stalls

The demolitions at Roysambu come just days after a similar exercise in Githurai, where KeNHA flattened hundreds of roadside stalls on 18-19 February 2026.

In Githurai, the operation sparked protests from affected traders, who clashed with police and blocked sections of Thika Road in anger.

Demolished roadside stalls and structures in Githurai 45. PHOTO/@rigathi/X

Demonstrators burned tyres and threw stones, highlighting the frustration among small-scale business owners who claimed the nighttime demolitions caught them off guard despite prior notices.

Over a thousand traders in Githurai were left counting heavy losses, with kiosks, wooden sheds, and makeshift markets reduced to rubble to make way for new bus bays.

KeNHA had issued a public notice on February 9, 2026, giving roadside traders at both Roysambu and Githurai seven days to vacate the road reserves.

The authority stated that the clearances were essential for developing modern bus parks, which would ease traffic congestion, improve connectivity to the highway, and boost road safety in these commuter-heavy areas.

Newly elected Mbeere North MCAs take oath of office

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March 5, 2026

The newly elected Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) for Evurore and Muminji wards in Mbeere North Constituency, Embu County, took their oath of office on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

Duncan Muratia Nyaga and Peterson Njiru Njeru (also known as Weche) officially assumed their roles in the Embu County Assembly. The swearing-in ceremony marked the end of by-elections held on February 26, 2026, where the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) secured strong victories in both wards.

In Evurore Ward, Duncan Muratia Nyaga won with 7,853 votes. He beat Albert Muchira of the Democratic Party, who received 1,940 votes.

In Muminji Ward, Peterson Njiru Njeru gathered 3,207 votes. Boniface Ngari of the DEB Party came second with 2,232 votes. The by-elections followed the resignation of the previous MCAs, who left their seats to contest other positions.

The Muminji and Evurore ward seats in Embu County fell vacant after their MCAs – Newton Kariuki (Muminji, elected on Devolution Empowerment Party) and Duncan Mbui (Evurore) – resigned to contest the Mbeere North parliamentary by-election in November 2025, which they lost to the incumbent Leo Wa Muthende.

Iran postpones Khamenei funeral as US-Israeli bombardment continues

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March 5, 2026

Authorities in Iran have postponed the funeral ceremony for the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as US and Israeli forces continue intense strikes across the country.

An official said there had been many requests from people wanting to attend the three-day event at a Tehran prayer complex and that infrastructure needed to be prepared. It had been due to begin on Wednesday night.

A member of the Assembly of Experts meanwhile said the clerical body was “close” to choosing a successor to Khamenei, who was killed in a strike at the start of the US and Israeli assault on Saturday.

Iran has responded by launching missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf states with US bases.

Kuwait’s health ministry said overnight that a girl had been killed by shrapnel that fell on a residential area during an Iranian attack.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said a US submarine sank an Iranian navy frigate in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka.

“[The warship] thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death,” he told reporters.

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyyakontha said the bodies of 80 people on board the Iris Dena had been recovered.

Another 32 people have been rescued, while dozens more are missing.

Hegseth also said that US and Israeli forces would have total aerial superiority over Iran within days and would “soon” control the country.

“This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they’re down,” he declared.

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, said US President Donald Trump had “dragged the American people into an unjust war”.

Khamenei – who was Iran’s spiritual leader and its highest authority – was killed at his compound in Tehran in the first wave of US and Israeli strikes, along with his wife, one of their adult sons, and several top officials.

The three-day funeral ceremony for the 86-year-old cleric had been due to start at 22:00 local time (18:30 GMT) on Wednesday, with mourners invited to pay their respects as he lay in state at the capital’s Grand Mosalla prayer complex.

But on Wednesday morning, the head of the Islamic Propaganda Co-ordination Council of Tehran province told the hardline Tasnim news agency that it had been decided to postpone the ceremony until “a more appropriate time”.

Seyyed Mohsen Mahmoudi said this was because of “the high volume of requests to attend this ceremony and the need to provide appropriate facilities to host the people”.

Following Khamenei’s assassination, state media showed crowds of the Islamic Republic’s supporters protesting in Tehran against the US and Israeli attacks. But social media videos also showed opponents celebrating on the streets in the capital and other cities.

Khamenei became supreme leader in 1989 after the death of the Islamic Republic’s founding father, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He maintained a firm grip on Iran’s politics and its armed forces, and suppressed challenges to the ruling system, sometimes violently.

Many people called for his overthrow or his death during nationwide protests in late December and early January. Security forces under his command crushed the uprising with unprecedented force, killing at least 6,480 people, according to human rights groups.

Iran’s new supreme leader is supposed to be chosen by the Assembly of Experts. The clerical body’s 88 members are elected by Iranians every eight years, but Khamenei ensured they were conservatives who would follow his guidance on picking a successor.

One member, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, told state TV that the candidates had already been identified but did not name them.

“The supreme leader will be identified in the closest opportunity, we are close to a conclusion. However, the situation in the country is a war situation,” he said.

Two Iranian sources told news agency Reuters that another of Khamenei’s sons, Mojtaba, was considered the front-runner to succeed him.

Mojtaba, a 56-year-old cleric, is a shadowy figure said to have amassed significant power and wealth under his father’s rule. He is close to conservatives and the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is tasked with defending the country’s Islamic system.

Israel’s defence minister said any successor who continued to threaten Israel and the US would be “an unequivocal target for elimination”.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) meanwhile announced that its had carried out several waves of strikes across Iran on Wednesday.

A military official said more than 100 Israeli fighter jets had dropped about 250 munitions on a military compound containing multiple command centres in eastern Tehran.

The IDF also said it had struck ballistic missile arrays and air defence systems, as well as a missile storage and production facility, and “defence and detection systems” at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport.

It added that an Israeli F-35 fighter jet shot down an Iranian Yak-130 over Tehran, describing it as “the first shootdown in history of a manned fighter aircraft by an F-35”.

There was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities.

On Tuesday night, the head of the US military’s Central Command, Adm Brad Cooper, said the US-Israeli campaign was “ahead of our game plan”.

“In simple terms, we’re focused on shooting things that can shoot us,” he added.

Iran’s state news agency Irna reported on Wednesday that US and Israeli strikes had killed 1,045 military personnel and civilians since the start of the conflict.

It was not immediately possible to verify the figures, but the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA) said overnight that the number of reported civilian deaths had reached 1,097, including 181 children under the age of 10.

Iran’s armed forces have responded to the strikes by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel and neighbouring Arab states that host US military installations.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told neighbouring states that the US-Israeli attack had “left us no choice but to defend ourselves” after diplomacy had failed.

“We respect your sovereignty and believe the region’s security and stability has to be achieved through the collective efforts of its states.”

It came after Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a phone call that Iran was seeking to harm its neighbours and draw them into a war “that is not theirs”, according to the Qatari government.

Thani also “categorically rejected” Araghchi’s assertion that the missiles were directed solely at US interests, citing the strikes on civilian infrastructure and residential areas.

Early on Wednesday, Kuwait’s health ministry said an 11-year-old girl, who was a resident of the country, had died after being hit by falling shrapnel.

Nine other people – six US service personnel, two Kuwaiti army soldiers, and one other civilian – have been killed in Kuwait since the start of the conflict.

Authorities in Saudi Arabia said there had been an attempted drone attack on its largest oil refinery, Ras Tanura, on the Gulf coast. No damage or disruption had been reported, it added.

On Monday, the refinery was forced to halt some operations after a drone attack caused a fire.

Turkey’s defence ministry also said an Iranian missile heading towards its airspace had been intercepted by Nato air and missile defence systems in the Eastern Mediterranean.

And in Qatar, the State Security Service announced the arrest of 10 members of two cells allegedly linked to the IRGC, which it said had been tasked with spying on infrastructure and carrying out “sabotage operations”.

The IDF also said its defence systems had operated to intercept more salvos of Iranian missiles. There were no immediate reports of any casualties.

A total of 10 people have been killed in missile strikes in Israel over the past five days.

Uganda and Tanzania set to launch anti-HIV drug after Kenya

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March 5, 2026

More East African countries have said they will roll out Lenacapavir, the twice-yearly injectable HIV prevention drug, days after Kenya began offering the injection.

Kenya rolled out 21,000 doses of the drug at the Riruta Health Centre on February 26, becoming the first country in East Africa to do so.

Just days later, Uganda received its first consignment and said it would begin offering the shots in early March.

Health officials said the 19,200 initial doses, donated by the Global Fund, will be distributed first in high-burden districts once on-the-ground preparations are complete.

The Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority approved late last year. Officials are finalising rollout plans, including training health workers and ensuring supply chains are in place before public distribution begins.

For health workers, the twice-yearly schedule addresses one of the biggest practical barriers they see daily.

“Our patients were complaining about the pill burden. Being HIV negative but still having to take a drug every single day was tiresome for them,” said Carol Njomo, an HIV testing counsellor at Riruta Health Centre, who sees around 70 patients a day and records approximately 20 new positive cases every month.

“With this injection, we are so excited. It is only twice a year, and it will reduce the workload in our facilities too. Right now, I already have around 30 people waiting for the jab today.”

Further south, Lesotho has received its first shipment of the drug, marking a historic milestone in the country’s long battle against HIV/Aids.

Lesotho’s progress comes against a backdrop of one of the world’s highest HIV burdens. The country has made impressive strides in treatment coverage and viral suppression, but prevention gaps remain wide.

The country’s Deputy Prime Minister Nthomeng Majara described the drug as a critical addition to the country’s prevention strategies, especially given Lesotho’s adult HIV prevalence of 17.1 per cent.

“Lenacapavir is an important innovation that strengthens our national response to HIV prevention and brings new hope to communities across the country,” Majara said.

Kenya and Lesotho join a growing list of African nations where Lenacapavir is not only approved but already being administered.

According to global health advocates, Eswatini and Zambia began public rollouts in late 2025, making them among the earliest adopters on the continent.

In Zimbabwe, the drug is also already in use as part of national HIV prevention programmes, targeting populations at high risk of infection with the twice-yearly injectable.

South Africa was among the first to register Lenacapavir with its national regulator and is slated to launch the drug publicly in 2026, having incorporated the intervention into its essential medicines framework.

Regulatory approvals, a key first step towards rollout, are now in place in several other countries.

Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Malawi and others have granted authorisation for Lenacapavir’s use in HIV prevention, clearing the path for future distribution once supply and systems are ready, according to the manufacturer Gilead.

Kenya’s launch last week saw Samson Mutua, a 27-year-old resident of Kawangware, become the first Kenyan to receive Lenacapavir.

The drug protects against HIV for six months with just two injections annually.

Mutua, who spent years on daily oral PrEP, described the injectable as a “comfort” that will free him from the demands of daily pills.

“Two injections a year now give me that comfort. I feel protected,” he said.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale lauded the rollout, noting dramatic declines in new infections over the past decade, but stressing that prevention remains critical with 1.4 million Kenyans still living with HIV.

“This innovation gives us renewed strength in our national fight against HIV,” he said.

Lenacapavir’s twice-yearly dosing addresses a major barrier in HIV prevention: adherence. Daily oral PrEP, while effective, has faced uptake challenges due to the rigours of consistent use.

The injectable’s schedule is expected to help reduce missed doses, increase retention in prevention programmes and ease clinic workloads.

World Health Organization and Global Fund partners have backed Kenya’s rollout with starter doses, technical guidance and safety monitoring systems.

Similar partnerships are supporting Uganda and other countries in their preparations.

Form 3 student arrested after beating junior pupil to death in Embobut, Elgeyo Marakwet County.

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March 5, 2026

A Form Three student has been arrested after a fight with a fellow pupil turned fatal in Embobut, Elgeyo Marakwet County.

Police said the suspect allegedly struck and killed a Grade Nine student during a confrontation at Kaptul village on March 2.

The victim, a learner at Chawis Junior Secondary School, was hit on the head with a piece of wood during the fight.

He was rushed to the hospital but later succumbed to the head injuries.

Authorities said the Form Three student later surrendered to Embobut Police Station and is being held as detectives continue investigations ahead of a possible murder charge.

Police officers who visited the scene recovered a wooden club believed to have been used in the attack.

In a separate incident in Khayega, Kakamega County, the body of a 43-year-old woman identified as Alice Khamera was discovered by the roadside in what police suspect was a murder.

The body, found on March 3, had visible head injuries. Investigators said the motive of the killing has not yet been established. The body was moved to the mortuary pending an autopsy as investigations continue.

Meanwhile, detectives in Nakuru County are investigating the death of a night guard found hanging at his workplace in the Kaptembwo area.

The man, identified as Shadrack Rono, 35, was discovered inside a compressor room at a factory with a rope tied around his neck and hanging from a metal bar. Police said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear. The body was taken to the mortuary pending a post-mortem.

According to the World Health Organisation, cases of suicide are often linked to factors such as joblessness, academic pressure, financial difficulties, legal challenges, and substance abuse. Bullying, depression, bipolar disorder, and a history of suicide in families are also cited as possible triggers.

Authorities say security officers and other workers exposed to traumatic experiences may also face mental health challenges that increase the risk.

Elsewhere in Tongaren, Bungoma County, a suspected chicken thief was killed by a mob after he was allegedly found stealing poultry from a house.

Police said the suspect ran into a nearby house while trying to escape but was set ablaze by the crowd during the March 3 incident. His body was later moved to the mortuary.

Police have condemned mob justice, urging members of the public to surrender suspects to authorities. Officials say more than 500 people were killed in mob lynching incidents across the country last year.

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