The government has unveiled a new plan to elevate the country's agricultural exports, focusing on cocoa, mung beans, and jute (Mrenda). In the Gazette Notice, Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development Andrew Karanja declared cocoa, mung beans (locally known as Ndengu), jute (Mrenda), and cocoyam as 'Scheduled Crops'. Bigger picture: Kenya’s cocoa industry, for instance, has been on the rise. Although the country currently ranks 26th globally in cocoa production, statistics from 2022 show a steady increase in output. This growth highlights the expanding market for mung beans, particularly in Vietnam, the UAE, and Thailand.

The Korean giant has not accidentally leaked the Galaxy S25 Unpacked date nor sent out press invites. The Galaxy S25 Slim might be the surprise star of Samsung’s Unpacked event, which will reportedly happen on January 23rd. Previously, reports said the Galaxy S25 Slim wouldn’t be ready for the spotlight until sometime in April 2025. The new report says the Galaxy S25 Slim could be the surprise at Samsung’s event. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Slim will supposedly feature the same performance as the thicker Galaxy S25.

COP29 Summit Faces Criticism Amid Climate Chaos Frustrations mount over financing negotiations as global leaders skip Baku gatheringThe COP29 Climate Summit, taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, has managed to create quite the stir, but not for the reasons its organizers had hoped. With ambitions of addressing the dire issues of climate change, the conference has instead found itself at the center of criticism, chaos, and apparent dysfunction. Despite ambitious plans, like the proposed New Collective Quantified Goal of at least $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries, discussions are deeply hampered. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has made headlines for his dismissive remarks toward climate activists and media representatives. His allusions to the fossil fuel industry as “gifts from God” alongside attacks on France over historical grievances distract from the pressing climate concerns at hand.

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): A Singapore government officer posted to Britain was counselled and warned after he left his children alone at home while they were asleep to pick up his spouse at night. In response to queries from ST, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was aware of an incident regarding alleged child neglect by a public officer attached to the Singapore High Commission in London. This was included in the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s annual report to the British Parliament on offences committed by people with diplomatic immunity. During the incident in September 2023, one child woke up and left the locked house to look for the man and his spouse. “The officer had cooperated fully in the investigation and diplomatic immunity was not invoked at any point,” it added.

FILEFormer Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has made a comeback in government in the latest appointment President William Ruto made to state agencies on Friday. In a Gazette Notice dated November 15, 2024, President Ruto appointed Kidero to be the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Kenya National Trading Corporation. Consequently, the President revoked the appointment of Hussein Tene Debasso. At the same time, President William Ruto named Anab Mohamed Gure to be a member of the Nairobi Rivers Commission. Gure appointment comes after the President revoked the appointment of Millicent Omanga to the commission after she declined the job offer.

Last Saturday, the Africa’s Next Super Model contest brought together young talents from across the continent. Nyarol Tongyit: A Story of hope and determinationRunner-up Nyarol Tongyik, also from South Sudan, has a story marked by loss and resilience. Two weeks before the contest, she reached out to ISIS Model on Instagram, expressing her desire to model. Devyne Eblkake, a model from Nigeria, walks on the runway wearing designs by Liz Ogumbo during Africa's Next Super Model at Broadwalk Mall in Nairobi on November 9, 2024. Standing at 5’10”, her striking looks and poised demeanour quickly caught the attention of ISIS Model.

NEFFSVILLE — Manheim Township and Harrisburg are no strangers to postseason epics, especially not after last year’s thrilling District 3 Class 6A final. 1 Manheim Township 14Jaiyon Lewis kneels it out. pic.twitter.com/aOccW8IFps — Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) November 16, 2024Q1, 8:14 — Four-star Penn State pledge Messiah Mickens takes the snap himself and runs in a 21-yard TD. Harrisburg 7, Manheim Township 0 pic.twitter.com/DweAS9TzmN — Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) November 16, 2024Q2, 10:20 — Offsides, personal fouls, Cougars in trouble. Manheim Township 14, Harrisburg 14 pic.twitter.com/rIFFjTG5rt — Evan Wheaton (@EvanWheaton) November 16, 2024

Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and other opposition leaders addressing a press conference on Friday, November 15, 2024. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has faulted the government’s plans to vaccinate 22 million cows claiming there is more than meets the eye. The government has promised to vaccinate all 22 million cattle in the country on January 2025. But Kalonzo on Friday called on Kenyan’s to reject the countrywide exercise warning of plans to turn Kenyans into guinea pigs. “We have also been reliably informed on incontrovertible scientific authority that these vaccines will alter the genetic structure of our animals,” the Wiper leader.

Mbadi: Inflation has dropped, economic growth expected to improveThe government has expressed confidence in the country’s improving economic position, attributing the progress to two years of “deliberate fiscal management measures.”In a Cabinet despatch on Thursday, the government highlighted a significant drop in inflation to 2.7% in October, down from a high of 9.6% in September 2022. Treasury Cabinet Secretary (CS) John Mbadi echoed this narrative during an appearance before a parliamentary committee. “Some people are asking, ‘How can inflation come down?’ The truth is, it has,” said Mbadi. Mbadi identified pending bills as a major issue, admitting that many Kenyans feel financially strained. The pending bills committee has evaluated KSh 408 billion of the KSh 663 billion in outstanding bills, clearing about KSh 448 billion so far,” he said.

Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat. With AFCON 2027 set to be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, an intense postmortem is set to take place on whether head coach Engin Firat is the right coach to lead the team forward. Engin Firat's record as Harambee Stars coachFirat has been in charge of 23 games. "Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has to go; he's just not good enough. Firat's biggest win as Harambee Stars boss came against Seychelles when his side pumped five goals past the island nation.

Eldoret residents during a meeting on water tariffs on Wednesday /MATHEWS NDANYIAngry residents of Eldoret are threatening to carry out street protests to demand withdrawal of new water tarrifs which have been increased by more than 250 per cent. “As residents and water consumers, we will take to the streets and stop all operations in town if the water tarrifs are not reversed,” Korir said. However, Eldoret Water and Sanitation Company has defended the move. “We cannot accept such increase without proper involvement of residents who are the consumers,” Menjo said. It also plans extend the water lines to new areas of the city or access by more residents.

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On Thursday, six more teams secured qualification for AFCON 2025 joining an exciting lineup of African football giants. The 15 berths of the 24 available spots at the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) are already secured with African football’s finest preparing to dazzle on the grand stage in Morocco. These six teams join an already impressive lineup of African football powerhouses and emerging challengers. Tunisia and Nigeria, long-standing giants of African football, added their names to the growing list of confirmed participants. Both nations are perennial AFCON contenders and bring rich histories, world-class talent, and high expectations to the tournament.

Two lobby groups, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI), have written to Safaricom demanding an explanation over allegations that the telco has for years facilitated security agencies' access to customers' private data. Among these is the claim that Safaricom allows police officers, attached to its Law Enforcement Liaison Office, to handle call data records (CDRs). The advocacy groups alleged that Safaricom, in collaboration with Neural Technologies Limited, developed software that grants security agencies predictive and pre-emptive profiling capabilities. Additionally, KHRC and MUHURI claimed that Safaricom retained "old" customer data, previously declared deleted, which could have been useful in investigating state crimes. The groups urged Safaricom to address the allegations swiftly and clarify steps it is taking to prevent unlawful use of customer data.

However, the country has made strides in tackling climate change by enacting comprehensive climate change laws and policies. These include the Climate Change Act of 2016, the Climate Change (Amendment) Act of 2023, and the Climate Change (Carbon Markets) Regulations of 2024. Kenya is also implementing the National Climate Change Action Plan, which outlines the country's long-term strategy for addressing climate change. The program has facilitated the establishment of County Climate Change Funds (CCCFs) across all 47 counties, facilitating localised decision-making and funding for climate adaptation projects. Kenya Climate Change Adaptation ProgrammeThe Kenya Climate Change Adaptation Programme is another landmark in addressing the country’s vulnerability and resilience to climate change.