Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Four American tourists and a Kenyan pilot were killed when their helicopter crashed on an island in a lake in northwest Kenya, police said Monday. The accident occurred in the Central Island National Park in Lake Turkana at around 8pm (1700 GMT) on Sunday, police …
Read More »Kenya court postpones decision on homosexuality laws
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s High Court on Friday postponed a much-anticipated ruling on whether to scrap colonial-era laws which criminalise homosexuality, citing a heavy case load. “The files are above my height… we are still working,” said Chacha Mwita, one of the judges, who added that one of his colleagues was on leave …
Read More »Gays and Africa: Quotes
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s High Court on Friday issues a potentially historic ruling that could roll back colonial-era laws penalising same-sex relationships. Here is a selection of quotes illustrating the situation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in sub-Saharan Africa: “Worse than pigs and dogs.” – Former Zimbabwean …
Read More »God and justice: Gay church prays for historic Kenya ruling
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | A lesbian church leader lights pink, yellow, and purple candles and passes them around to worshippers as they pray for a court decision that will mean they no longer have to live a lie. “The Lord is in control,” she says, as swaying congregants yell out “Victory!” and a musician …
Read More »Kenyan activist’s family seek autopsy, fear ‘abortion’ cover-up
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The family of a Kenyan activist who went missing for a week before turning up dead, have questioned police claims she died of a botched abortion, and demanded an autopsy. Caroline Mwatha went missing last Wednesday, prompting Amnesty International to raise the alarm over her …
Read More »Egg prices fall as supply goes up
EGGS: Kenya’s increase in supply spells doom to Ugandan farmers Kampala, Uganda | PATRICIA AKANKWATSA | Ugandan farmers are suffering losses from falling egg prices due to lost market opportunities in the region and high feed costs. Farmers and traders that spoke to The Independent said a tray of eggs …
Read More »Nairobi tense after explosion wounds one Kenyan
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | An explosion wounded at least one person in central Nairobi on Saturday, a police source said, with the Kenyan capital still on edge nearly two weeks after a jihadist attack that killed 21 people. The wounded person was one of the street-cart vendors who sell …
Read More »Board approves Kenol Kobil sale to French firm
5 Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The board of the regional oil marketer, Kenol Kobil, has approved the proposed takeover of the firm by the French based company, Rubis Energie. The shareholders, however, have until February 18 to accept or decline the offer, according to reports from Kenya’s local …
Read More »4 hurt as gunmen raid Chinese construction site in Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Four people were wounded when gunmen opened fire on a Chinese construction site in Kenya’s remote northeast, before being quickly repelled, police said on Monday. Eight attackers opened fire on the construction site near the town of Garissa late on Sunday evening, said David Kerina, …
Read More »From Westgate fiasco to Dusit, Kenyan response praised
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s security response to the Islamist assault on the Dusit hotel complex in Nairobi shows the numerous lessons learned since a chaotic intervention when the Westgate mall was attacked in 2013, according to analysts. The swift reaction, under a single chain of command, with the …
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