A news photo exhibition titled “Lens of Xinhua, Images of the Century” kicked off on Wednesday at the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. Coinciding with the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival, the opening ceremony took place in a warm and festive atmosphere. The event drew officials from the United Nations Office at Nairobi, representatives of the Kenyan government, diplomatic envoys, local academics, media professionals and members of the Chinese community. In his opening remarks, Yuan Bingzhong, vice president of Xinhua…

African leaders convened in Nairobi at the Retreat of the Extended Bureau on the Implementation of Institutional Reforms of the African Union (AU), chaired by Kenyan President William Ruto, to outline a comprehensive reform agenda for the AU, the Kenyan presidency noted in a statement. “A fit-for-purpose African Union is a necessary imperative at this point in time if the Union has to play the role of speaking for 1.4 billion Africans,” President Ruto stated at a press conference following the…

In a quiet training hall in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, 8-year-old Amina Mwikali, a student at Githunguri Primary School, executes a perfect horse stance, her determination far outweighing her young age. A rising star in Kenya’s martial arts scene, Mwikali has earned recognition as one of the youngest practitioners to train for senior honours in kungfu.  Her journey, which began as a way to build self-esteem and self-protection, has now turned into a beacon of inspiration for her peers…

East Africa has successfully tested the transmission of electricity from Kenya to Tanzania, marking a critical milestone for the East Africa Electric Highway project. This achievement follows the launch of the Ethiopia-Kenya power interconnection, which laid the foundation for a fully integrated regional electricity grid.  The main objective of this initiative is to provide reliable, affordable and renewable energy throughout the Eastern region, which will facilitate greater regional cooperation and economic growth. This is reported by DNE Africa, a partner of…

Caleb Munyao, a 48-year-old middle-scale farmer from Kenya’s eastern region, understands the importance of water better than most. On his 13-hectare farm, where he grows maize, yellow beans, and mangoes, every drop of water is precious.   Kenya, like many countries in Africa, faces significant challenges in managing its water resources. The country’s water scarcity issues are exacerbated by climate change, rapid urbanisation, and inconsistent rainfall patterns.   However, amid these challenges, innovative solutions are emerging, driven by partnerships with international companies.…

China and Kenya have a time-honoured friendship and have jointly completed a number of flagship projects in connectivity, significantly contributing to regional economic and social development. Kenya stands out as a success story in China’s partnership with Africa. Kenyan President William Ruto led a delegation to China to attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing early September.  ChinAfrica had the pleasure to speak to a distinguished member of President Ruto’s delegation, Musalia Mudavadi, prime cabinet secretary…

At his dairy farm in Kiambu County on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Newton Mwangi anxiously takes off his boots and work suit after milking his cows. Mwangi is worried about the inability of the cows to hit the 80-litre target he needs to fulfil for his clients per day, due to a woeful fodder shortage in Kenya. Like other dairy farmers, Mwangi is struggling to get enough fodder to feed his animals in a bid to increase…

Lucy Wahome stumbles and struggles to maintain her balance and walk as a nurse rushes to lend her support, soon after she got admitted at the clinic.  Wahome, 30, initially sought medical treatment at her home clinic in Kiambu County, Kenya, which seemed well organised; but she later realised that constant power outages at the facility seriously compromised the quality of care at the clinic.  “I discovered that I had fibroids two years ago and decided to take some herbal…

“It is not uncommon for a country to create a railway, but it is uncommon for a railway to create a country,” Sir Charles Eliot, then commissioner of British East Africa, made the bold statement in 1903. Eliot, “who initiated the policy of white supremacy in the British East Africa Protectorate (now Kenya),” according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica website, was referring to the meter gauge railway built by British colonialists in East Africa between 1896 and 1901. The railway, emblematic…

Abdul Khalifa, 62, owns a large herd of camels in Kenya’s North Eastern Province.  Based in the rural outskirts of Garissa, a town located 367 km northeast of the nation’s capital Nairobi, a five-and-a-half-hour bus ride, Khalifa has been breeding camels for more years than he can remember.  Most of the land in the area is communal land, meaning it is wholly owned or shared by the community. Khalifa’s almost 600 camels make him one of the wealthiest herders in…