EAST AFRICA TIMES

By the Editor Life Transformation Foundation President, Ms. Maximilla Wafula, during the School Engagement Program at Akites Primary School, Teso North Sub-County, Busia County, Kenya. Busia County . As schools across Kenya prepare to close for the term, Life Transformation Foundation continues to make a visible and lasting impact through its ongoing sports-for-education and inclusion programs in public schools. Since 2023, the Foundation has consistently worked with learners, teachers, and communities to ensure that education goes beyond the classroom embracing sport, equity, and holistic child development. In the weeks leading to school closure, Life Transformation Foundation has been actively implementing inclusive football and multi-sport sessions in partner schools, bringing together boys and girls, learners with disabilities, and those from vulnerable backgrounds. These activities form part of a structured and sustained program the Foundation has implemented continuously since it...

  By our reporter Local media, along with the Southern Transitional Council, reported that Saudi Arabia – the main backer of the internationally recognized Yemeni government based in Riyadh – carried out airstrikes on Friday targeting sites controlled by southern forces in the eastern Yemeni province of Hadramawt. According to available information, no immediate reports of casualties were recorded. The strikes came less than 24 hours after a clear Saudi call for southern forces to withdraw from the provinces of Hadramout and Al-Mahrah, where STC-affiliated forces have expanded their presence on the ground in recent weeks. Developments in the field suggest that the latest southern maneuvers have placed Saudi Arabia before a complex political and security test, given its support for multiple actors within the structure of Yemen’s internationally recognized government—an overlap that risks unsettling the coalition’s internal balance. The Yemeni government itself is composed of an intr...

By Steve El Sabai His Grace Bishop Robert Mutemi,  Bishop of the Global Vision Church The Bishop of the Global Vision Church, His Grace Bishop Robert Mutemi, has extended heartfelt Christmas greetings to Kenyans as the country joins the rest of the world in celebrating the birth of Christ. In his message, Bishop Mutemi called upon drivers, pedestrians, and all road users to exercise heightened caution and responsibility during the festive season, a period often marked by heavy travel and increased road activity. He noted that many preventable accidents occur during the holidays and urged Kenyans to value life by adhering to traffic rules and promoting a culture of safety on the roads. The Bishop further appealed to families and individuals to embrace wise and responsible spending during the celebrations. He encouraged Kenyans to plan carefully, live within their means, and avoid unnecessary financial strain that could extend well into the new year, reminding the public that the tru...

  By East Africa Times Reporter  An investigation based on testimonies and satellite images prepared by CNN confirmed that Port Sudan forces, with the knowledge of their commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, carried out ethnic war crimes in Al-Jazirah state between January and May of last year. While a UN official, after reviewing the details of the investigation, described it as "genocide on ethnic grounds," it is noteworthy that these violations committed by Port Sudan forces and allied militias "remained largely hidden," according to CNN. network's investigation, conducted in collaboration with the investigative newsroom Light House Reports, relied on satellite images, survivor testimonies, and field analyses that revealed "horrific" violations and "described war crimes" committed by Port Sudan forces. The investigation detailed the violations, stating that Port Sudan forces and allied militias used "unprecedented" brutal methods, in...

By Editor Empovia47 Founder and CEO Ms Maximilla Wafula.  Today, the Empovia47 Foundation successfully held its inaugural webinar under the theme “Why the Voices of Youth Matter.” Speaking during the session, CEO Maximilla Wafula emphasized the importance of creating platforms where young people can express themselves, influence decision-making, and actively contribute to community growth. She underscored that the youth are not just beneficiaries of change, but essential drivers of transformation across all 47 counties. Her remarks were seconded by Mr. Antony Kinyili, who took center stage to highlight youth economic empowerment as one of the foundation's key pillars. He noted that empowering young people economically will not only uplift individual livelihoods but also strengthen Kenya’s overall development agenda. In the meantime, Norah Komora and Emmaculate Bill delivered a compelling joint session on why the voice of the youth is critical in shaping today’s conversations. They ...

  By Editor   Empovia47 Founder and CEO Ms. Maximilla Adhiambo.  Empovia47 Foundation has renewed its call for nationwide mental health awareness as the country enters a tense electioneering period, highlighting the mounting emotional and psychological pressures facing young people. Speaking during a meeting in Nairobi, Chief Executive Officer Maximilla Wafula underscored that Health and Well Being, with a strong emphasis on mental health, remains one of the organisation’s most important pillars. She noted that the youth, who form the foundation’s primary target group, are increasingly vulnerable to stress, anxiety, trauma, and emotional instability. Ms Wafula warned that the heightened political activities, uncertainty, and societal expectations often associated with elections can significantly affect mental stability for leaders, candidates, youths, and the public at large. She reflected on the recent wave of demonstrations where many young people lost their lives while...

 By Elijah Odanga  Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has officially launched his new political party, the National Economic Development Party (NEDP), after receiving full registration from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP). The highly anticipated launch event, held on Tuesday, marks the beginning of what Sonko described as a new chapter in Kenyan politics, one that will offer Kenyans an alternative leadership to the long-standing "legacy parties" that have dominated the political landscape for decades. In his address to supporters and the media, Sonko, who has long been a polarizing figure in Kenyan politics, reiterated his frustration with the status quo. "Kenya has been held hostage by the same old parties, with the same old faces, offering the same old solutions," Sonko stated. "The country deserves better. We need a fresh start, new ideas, and real leadership that puts the interests of the people first." Sonko’s NEDP, which he de...

 By Steve El Sabai State Department for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development has deepened its national empowerment agenda by extending NYOTA Project Business Training to some of the most marginalised and geographically isolated communities in Lamu West Constituency. On Sunday, Principal Secretary Hon Susan Mang’eni led a comprehensive outreach mission to several remote training sites deep within the expansive Boni Forest, reaffirming the government’s commitment to uplifting young people who have long faced barriers to economic opportunities. For years, many villages in Lamu’s interior have grappled with persistent isolation caused by poor road networks, limited access to government services, recurring insecurity, and the vast forest terrain that cuts off entire communities from mainstream initiatives. Youth from areas such as Kiwayu, Ndau, Mkokoni and Kiangwe often trek long distances for basic services and have historically missed out on capacity building programmes tha...

By East Africa Times Reporter   The Sudanese army killed dozens of women and children in a “double-tap” drone strike on civilians in the Nuba Mountains on Sunday, the group controlling the region has said. At least 48 people were killed, mostly children and students from the Hakima Health College, with eight left critically injured, making it the deadliest attack on civilians in the Nuba mountains since the civil war erupted in April 2023. The attack took place in Kumo, a village some 10 kilometres east of Kauda, a farming town that sits in a wide valley, where The Telegraph reported from earlier this year. The reports come from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), a rebel-group that has been fighting the government on and off since 1983, and has now aligned with the anti-government Rapid Support Forces (RSF). “This was not a military target, nor an active combat zone … the strike deliberately targeted non-combatants,” said the SPLM-N in a statement, adding that t...

By East Africa Times Reporter   Fazul Mahamed Former DG Private Security Regulatory Authority A new complaint submitted to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission on 27 November 2025 has brought renewed attention to the long-running debate surrounding the academic history, eligibility for office, and accountability of former NGO Coordination Board chief and former Private Security Regulatory Authority Director General Fazul Mahamed. In the letter, citizen Haggai Odiawo asks the anti-graft agency to clarify why, despite earlier investigations and persistent public questions, Fazul has reportedly continued to access state benefits associated with positions he previously held. Odiawo also states that based on publicly available salary information, Mr. Fazul received about KSh 56,240,000 in cumulative earnings while serving as the head of both the NGO Coordination Board and the Private Security Regulatory Authority. He now wants those funds refunded. While Odiawo is not the first to ...