The national grief is yet another stark reminder that the volatile situation in the North Rift still persists, driven by a complex web of socio-economic, political, and environmental factors. For too long, this region has been engulfed in a vicious cycle of inter-communal violence, primarily manifested through intra-communal raids, commonly known as cattle rustling and banditry. Banditry and criminality thrive, fuelled by the widespread inter-communal tensions and the lack of effective leadership. Political grandstanding and the absence of face-to-face dialogue have perpetuated a vicious cycle of revenge and retribution. Secondly, reconciliation initiatives must begin, led by political leaders as security actors coordinate a framework to support and strengthen this reconciliation process.

The Defence Ministry spent Sh38 million to clean Cabros and windows at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) ahead of the African Climate Change Conference that President William Ruto hosted in September 2023. The Ministry of Defence, through the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), renovated the first four floors and the Amphitheatre at the KICC cost a whopping Sh1.98 billion ahead of the Climate Change Conference. Mr Ruku demanded to know the detergents and the equipment that was used to clean the Cabros and the windows for the four floors that KDF undertook renovations. You cannot use Sh28 million for cleaning of Cabros and Sh10 million to clean the external facade windows,” said Mr Ruku. What kind of detergent or materials were used to clean the windows and the Cabros?

Though unprecedented in the annals of recent European economic history, it is also reflective of a wider trend. While large economies like Germany, France and the U.K. have been mired in stagnant growth and even recession over the past few years, in Southern Europe, the so-called PIGS of Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain have managed to flip the economic script. In 2023, GDP across the entire EU grew at an average rate of about 0.4 percent, while Greece, Spain and Portugal all posted rates comfortably in excess of 2 percent. The larger Mediterranean economies of Italy and Spain are now among the principal contributors to the EU’s return to—very modest—growth. Spain in particular has invested heavily in energy partnerships with Algeria through private Spanish energy companies such as Repsol.

Electronics and fashion products have continued to dominate the highest expenditure categories of consumer goods bought by Kenyans through e-commerce platforms, even as spending on beverages and food orders declined during the year ending last December, a new report shows. The value of cash spent on fashion products, however, declined by $6.2 million (Sh837 million) but still retained a top position to close the year at $280.3 million (Sh37.8 billion), compared to the $286.5 million (Sh38.7 billion) spent on fashion orders during the year ended December 2022. Other product categories that recorded a drop in spending value during the period include toys and hobby tools, luxury goods as well and eyewear, which dipped at the fastest pace of four percent to stand at $3.62 million (Sh488.7 million). Other categories where Kenyans increased their spending during the year include physical media, furniture as well as beauty and personal care products, while online spending on over-the-counter pharmaceuticals remained unchanged at an annual value of $5.91 million (Sh797.9 million). CAK said in March that it had recorded a sharp rise in complaints of product and service misinformation, fraud, and dishonest conduct such as non-refund of cash on botched purchases.

Venture for Africa, a talent community and leading source for top tech startup hires on the continent, has partnered Africa Product Peers, a community for African professionals in product, design, and tech roles, to launch a career bootcamp for mid-level professionals in Africa. VFA’s partnership with Africa Product Peers will provide access to an exclusive career bootcamp, tailored for mid-career professionals with 3-8 years of experience. “At Venture for Africa, we’re passionate about empowering professionals to thrive in the dynamic African tech ecosystem,” said Tobi Lafinhan, CEO and co-founder of Venture for Africa. “Our goal is to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity within the African startup ecosystem. By merging our expertise with Africa Product Peers’ community-driven approach, we believe we can significantly influence the careers of mid-career professionals across the continent.”

A key power line linking Kenya to Zambia through Tanzania is set for completion in November 2025, raising hope for cross-border electricity imports and exports among nations covered by the high-voltage grid. The project seeks to connect the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) with the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP). Contracts for the transmission line were signed in July last year. “This project aims at extending the 400kV transmission backbone in the south-western parts of Tanzania to allow regional power trade between Southern Africa Power Pool and Eastern Africa Power Pool,” said Tanesco. Kenya is also racing against time to complete the $309.26 million (Sh41.75 billion) electricity transmission line that will allow it to trade electricity with Tanzania.

ISACA, a company that specializes in IT governance, risk, and security, has made a significant stride by becoming a strategic partner at the Public Sector Cybersecurity Summit 2024(PublicSec2024) hosted by IT News Africa. Attendees will glean insights from local and international case studies, hear from public sector security experts, and network with best-in-class solution providers. ISACA’s participation is crucial in facilitating discussions that will influence the future of cybersecurity in the public sector. With ISACA’s support, the Public Sector Cybersecurity Summit 2024 is expected to cultivate an environment of knowledge exchange and strategic collaboration. ISACA’s strategic partnership with IT News Africa for the Public Sector Cybersecurity Summit 2024 underscores the organization’s commitment to empowering the public sector through enhanced cybersecurity measures.

This request highlights that Morocco is taking steps to strengthen its surveillance and intelligence capabilities. The development of space capabilities is seen as an important factor in accelerating Morocco's economic growth in several sectors. Ofek-13 is considered the latest of its kind with unique radar tracking capabilities and is expected to enhance strategic intelligence capabilities, enabling intelligence gathering in all weather and visibility conditions. On the one hand, the strengthening of space capabilities is based on developing and expanding the country's space capabilities, following the launch of two satellites in 2001 and 2018. Morocco wants to improve its space satellite network.

The operations, carried out approximately ten kilometers southwest of Tantan, involved FAR units responsible for coastal surveillance, in conjunction with sweep modules, and successfully thwarted three separate attempts of irregular migration. Among those intercepted were 147 candidates, consisting of 103 Sub-Saharan Africans and 44 Moroccans, highlighting the diverse origins of those seeking migration. Simultaneously, the Royal Navy’s Combat Units intercepted two boats, one at 37 kilometers west of Tantan and the other 122 kilometers southwest of Dakhla, during maritime patrol operations. These boats were carrying 122 would-be migrants, comprising 84 Sub-Saharan Africans and 38 Moroccans. All intercepted individuals received necessary care before being transferred to the Royal Gendarmerie for administrative procedures.

Seven out of 10 workers at call centers in Greece are from Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa. The visas also only allow them to work either for the company that hired them or others in the same sector. “I felt trapped,” one Tunisian woman who has worked in Greece since the end of 2020 told Kathimerini. She had been enticed by a friend working a similar job in Greece and was elated to obtain her visa in half a day. A change to the visa status demands five years of uninterrupted work at call centers, a condition few are able to meet.

A self-proclaimed Apostolic prophet who kept 251 children on his property has been charged with exploiting minors. Police said that Ishmael Chokurongerwa, 56, led a sect with more than 1,000 members in Harare. All eight of them were charged with violating children’s rights and contravening burial and cremation laws. Officers discovered that 251 minors were found living on a farm run by Chokurongerwa about 34km north-west of the capital, Harare. Some 246 out of the 251 children staying at the property had no birth certificates.

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used a Russian luxury limousine gifted by President Vladimir Putin, Kim’s sister said Saturday, praising the car’s “special function” and the two countries’ deepening bilateral ties. Observers said the shipment violated a United Nations resolution aimed at pressuring the North to give up its nuclear weapons program by banning the supply of luxury items to North Korea. Drawing the biggest outside concerns was North Korea's purported shipments of conventional weapons to support Russia’s war with Ukraine to receive high-tech Russian weapons technologies and other support. North Korea’s state media separately reported Saturday that Kim Jong Un guided his troops conducting parachuting training the previous day. It’s unclear if Friday’s training was the same event in which Kim rode in the Russian limousine.

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota voters will decide this June whether to prevent people from running for Congress if they’re old enough to turn 81 during their House or Senate term. The oldest member of North Dakota’s three-person congressional delegation is Republican Sen. John Hoeven, at 67. North Dakota has had octogenarian senators in the past, including Democrat Quentin Burdick, who died in office in 1992 at age 84. But a test case against the age limit would need a challenge, most likely from a would-be candidate, Marisam said. Trump also has drawn questions about his mental acuity after mixing up names and making other verbal mistakes.

The headline of an article published by Politico on 25 January 2024 summarized the mood among French farmers: “French farmers attack foreign trucks, destroy cargoes.” But unrest among farmers is not just confined to France. In this latest offensive from Spanish farmers, Morocco has been struggling to respond to fresh allegations against Moroccan strawberries allegedly being affected by the hepatitis A virus. Ironically, back in January, French farmers dumped Spanish wine that was headed to French markets. Morocco sold 491.91 million kilograms of tomatoes in the EU, surpassing Spain, whose sales fell to 462.66 million kilograms. Türkiye grew remarkably, reaching 248.76 million kilograms in 2023, an increase of 148.16 million kilograms over 2019.