THURSDAY, 5 NOVEMBER · 77 stories

Stephen Mwiti lost all six of his children in Shakahola Forest. As cult leader Paul Mackenzie faces sentencing on Friday for the murders of 190 children and an adult, Mwiti says even a hanging would not bring them back.

Shakahola is one of the worst cult-related tragedies in recent history. The sentencing will show how Kenyan courts punish the killings.

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A 137-page power-sharing proposal linked to Gen Salim Saleh, President Museveni's younger brother, was presented to party leaders in Jinja in October. Some Democratic Party figures want it put to a referendum first.

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Three High Court judges will decide on Friday whether CHADEMA chairman Tundu Lissu committed treason in a 2025 speech. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty, and Lissu has been detained since April 2025.

Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi was detained after trying to observe the case and was later dumped at the Lunga Lunga border. The Africa Report says Kenya's former chief justice was among others deported.

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Russian missile maker Vympel scheduled 90 LMUR helicopter missile launchers for Iran between late 2024 and December 2025, according to documents shared with the Guardian. The papers do not show whether the launchers were delivered.

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Spain's footballers' union AFE on Thursday asked for all of this weekend's matches to be postponed. Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel died after colliding with Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono in a second division match on Monday.

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Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba wants repeat sexual offenders blacklisted from jobs near children and vulnerable people. She made the call on Wednesday as MPs debated changes to the Sexual Offences Act.

The proposal would put new vetting duties on schools, hospitals and other employers that work with children and vulnerable people in Kenya.

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A London jury found comedian and actor Russell Brand, 51, guilty on Thursday of raping a fan and sexually assaulting three women. The judge remanded him in custody and said he faces a "significant custodial term".

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Nine banks have lent Tanzania $1.2 billion for the 411km Tabora-Kigoma section of its standard gauge railway, Mwananchi reported. The African Development Bank arranged the deal and backs it with an $800 million partial guarantee.

The line is meant to link western Tanzania to Burundi and, through Lake Tanganyika ports, to eastern DR Congo. That could change how goods move across the region.

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Media personality Nana Owiti says she would be happy for her ex, rapper King Kaka, if rumours linking him to creator Ema Kalekye are true. Ema has denied any romance, saying it was just a song repost.

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The Bank of England raised its base rate from 3.75% to 4% on Thursday, its first increase in more than three years. Governor Andrew Bailey said another rise is likely unless the conflict in the Middle East is resolved.

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Channel 4 has scrapped Married at First Sight UK after two reviews into claims made by three female cast members. Chief executive Priya Dogra said on Thursday that the show had "run its course" and apologised to the women.

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Dr Ben Kajwang, head of Kenya's College of Insurance, has received the seventh Global Change Makers Award from Project 100. Pulse Live Kenya reports that he is the first Kenyan CEO to win it, weeks after he was named a National Hero.

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The Kenya Revenue Authority collected KSh 1.010 trillion in the first four months of the 2026/27 financial year. October brought in KSh 260.6 billion, 15.5% more than a year earlier.

The money funds government spending. To hit its KSh 3.268 trillion target for the year, KRA must collect more each month than it has so far.

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The electoral commission found Omar breached the Electoral Code of Conduct with remarks at a Mombasa rally on September 11. He received a formal and strict warning, and IEBC says a repeat offence will bring tougher sanctions.

Kenya is preparing for the 2027 General Election. The ruling shows IEBC will act on campaign talk that it says undermines trust in the ballot.

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Kalonzo Musyoka was jeered in Nairobi on October 30 after saying Edwin Sifuna is "still just a party leader". Sifuna calmed his supporters, and Kalonzo later pledged to back him if he becomes the opposition flag bearer.

The opposition says it wants one candidate to face President William Ruto in 2027. The scene at the launch shows how hard that may be.

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Buyers paid $6.70 million (KSh 865 million) for 1,131,513 kg of coffee at sale No. 5 on Tuesday. That works out to an average of $296 per 50kg bag, Business Today Kenya reported.

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CAF's executive committee has overturned the 2025 decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations every four years. President Patrice Motsepe said the 2027 tournament in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda will go ahead, followed by editions in 2028, 2031 and 2033.

Kenya co-hosts the 2027 Afcon with Tanzania and Uganda. CAF says it fully backs the three hosts despite reports that their infrastructure may not be ready.

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Striking nurses and health workers in Mbandaka will join a door-to-door cholera vaccination campaign running November 6-15. Their unions say the strike goes on, and hospitals and health centres remain closed.

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Japan FA honorary president Kozo Tashima will stand against Gianni Infantino in Fifa's presidential election in March. The Guardian reports that he has Uefa's blessing, but Infantino is still expected to win a fourth term.

According to the Guardian, Africa backs Infantino. That makes the continent's member associations a key voting bloc in the race.

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Sonja Louise Madzikanda and Esther Chivayo signed a deal in Harare on Tuesday to co-administer the estate of late Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo. The appointment still needs formal legal approval, Mwananchi reported.

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The IMF expects Ethiopia's economy to grow 9.2% in 2025-26. New fighting in the north could push up inflation, drain public funds and scare off investors, a London-based analyst told DW.

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South Africa coach Pitso Mosimane has named a 27-man squad for two AFCON qualifiers against Kenya this month. Mamelodi Sundowns supply 12 players, including injured captain Ronwen Williams and midfielder Teboho Mokoena.

Kenya, coached by former Bafana Bafana striker Benni McCarthy, host South Africa at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on November 17 in a Group D qualifier for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

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Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, announced on Thursday in a social media video that he is handing back Portugal's No 7 shirt. His 23-year international career ends weeks after a public fallout with coach Jorge Jesus.

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Kenya Railways has told train passengers to stand behind the yellow line, board one at a time and put phones away on platforms. The advisory comes as passenger numbers are expected to rise over the holidays, Pulse Live Kenya reported.

Many Kenyans now take the train as a cheap, convenient option for long trips home. Crowded stations over the festive season raise the risk of accidents and theft.

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England captain Harry Kane has extended his Bayern Munich contract to 2029, the German club announced on Thursday. The 33-year-old had 12 months left on his deal and has scored 156 goals in 161 games for Bayern.

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KenGen has secured KSh 10.5 billion to build a battery energy storage facility, Business Today Kenya reported on Thursday. The plant will store surplus wind and solar power and cut reliance on costly thermal plants.

Thermal power is the most expensive part of Kenya's electricity mix. Storing cheaper wind and solar power could make supply more reliable.

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Fabricated voter details and AI-made ID photos have turned up on Nigeria's draft electoral roll, Semafor reports. Rights groups want an external audit, while the electoral commission blames rogue staff and says the register is still open for review.

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Heavy rain in Nzovwe ward, Mbeya city, left 43 households homeless, HabariLeo reported. Regional Commissioner Jumanne Sagini has ordered people in high-risk areas to leave temporarily ahead of forecast El Nino rains.

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The five, facing robbery with violence charges, broke out at about 11pm on Wednesday while 10 detainees were being moved. DCI detectives from Nairobi have joined the manhunt in Kiambu County.

It is the second reported escape from a Kenyan police station in under two weeks. Four suspects broke out of Itabua Police Station in Embu on October 24.

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Tuesday's US midterm vote could change who controls Congress, which approves the funds behind Kinshasa's deals with the Trump administration, Actualite.cd reported. At stake are a $1.2 billion health pact and a minerals partnership.

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The European Union handed non-lethal military equipment to the Kenya Navy in Mombasa on Tuesday under the European Peace Facility. It will go to the Navy's Special Operations Squadron, and an EU official said more packages will follow.

Kenya's waters in the Western Indian Ocean carry key trade routes. The Navy says they face threats from piracy, maritime terrorism, trafficking and illegal fishing.

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Democrats' sweeping midterm win could give European allies fresh confidence to resist President Donald Trump, analysts told Semafor. The White House says Trump has restored American strength abroad.

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Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi says East African Community integration should be built from the grassroots up, not mainly through high-level cooperation. He spoke on Thursday at the opening of the 9th East Africa Local Governments Forum in Nairobi.

Mudavadi's message suggests counties and other local governments could get a bigger role in regional trade and cooperation in East Africa.

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Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata says Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna appeals beyond his region and could lead the opposition ticket. He also argues the government cannot drop DP Kithure Kindiki without paying a political price.

The opposition has not yet agreed on a single presidential candidate for 2027. At least five leaders want the ticket.

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Health CS Aden Duale has presented the Public Health (Ebola Disease) Rules, 2026, to MPs. The rules would ban bringing home the bodies of people who die of Ebola outside Kenya and require burial within 24 hours.

The rules would change how families bury relatives who die of Ebola. They come as DR Congo, the centre of the outbreak, struggles to contain the disease.

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Safaricom's half-year results show M-Pesa revenue above KSh100 billion for the first time, Business Today Kenya reported on Thursday. Group service revenue rose 13.1% to KSh226.10 billion.

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President Ruto's daughter shared photos from "The Mother's Blessing", where the women in her family prayed over her and gave her gifts. It follows a pink-themed bridal shower and a gown fitting before her white wedding to Isaya Yunge.

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Housing Finance Bank has partnered with Interswitch so customers can deposit, withdraw and check balances at Quickteller agents across Uganda. The deal, announced on Wednesday, aims to cut trips to bank branches.

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Cheka Tu comedian Joseph Job, known as JJ Ephraim, told Mwananchi that a shortage of live shows is his biggest challenge. He asked leaders to bring back the old system of regular events for stage performers.

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Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka starts a two-day "Ukombozi Tour" in Migori on Thursday and moves to Homa Bay on Friday. The Star reports he will lean on his past ties with the late Raila Odinga to win over the region.

The region has largely voted ODM in past elections, and The Star reports its political leaders now back President Ruto's re-election. That makes it a key test for the opposition ahead of 2027.

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Seoul will ask parliament to extend its Cheonghae unit's patrol area to waters near Oman's port of Duqm, about 650km from the strait. The plan follows criticism from Donald Trump over South Korea's support for his war in Iran.

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The outage began at 3am on Thursday and runs until 8am on Friday while the Karimenu Transmission Pipeline is shut. Kenyatta University and Kahawa Barracks are among the places affected.

This is Nairobi's second big pipeline shutdown in under two weeks. Homes, schools and businesses in the city's east and north are left without piped water.

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Corruption widens Kenya's fiscal deficit by about 2% of GDP a year, the World Bank said in its latest Kenya Economic Update, released in Nairobi on Wednesday. The lender also raised its 2026 growth forecast to 4.6% from 4.3%.

Graft adds to Kenya's borrowing and its interest bill. That leaves less money for roads, hospitals and other services, and makes it harder to create jobs.

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Senegal's National Assembly rejected a revised 2026 budget on Tuesday by 109 votes to 20. The vote threatens a planned IMF board vote on a $2.2 billion three-year programme as early as next month.

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Riyadh pupils are back to remote learning after a staggered school reopening lasted only three days, Semafor reports. Missile alerts still sound several times a week, and office towers above 10 floors remain shut.

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Tanzania's Mwananchi says fans are asking why dancer Ashurey, once close to Zuchu, has been missing from her biggest moments. The dancer also reportedly dropped Wasafi from a social media bio and missed Diamond Platnumz's Uganda show.

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Ukrainian police say the footage, from a dead officer's camera, shows villagers heading to a shelter in Kamyshuvakha before it was hit on Monday. At least 40 people died, and Zelensky says more than 30 may still be under the rubble.

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The Media Council of Kenya recorded 13 press freedom violations in Nairobi between July and September. Homa Bay had eight and Meru seven, while goons were the biggest threat to journalists with 17 cases.

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Public Service Commission chair Francis Meja says more disciplinary appeals are reaching the commission because agencies ignore HR rules. He spoke on Monday at a Mombasa workshop for heads of state corporations and public universities.

Badly handled disciplinary cases can lead to court losses paid for with public money. Meja also warned that they can hurt the services Kenyans get from public institutions.

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Kenya wants 199,645 visitors from the UK by year end, up from 170,936 in 2025, The Star reported. The Kenya Tourism Board is pitching more than safaris at World Travel Market London.

Europe is Kenya's second-largest tourism source market after Africa. More UK visitors would mean more business for hotels, tour operators and coastal destinations.

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A Bank of Tanzania official said on Wednesday that cutting the Central Bank Rate does not guarantee cheaper loans, because commercial banks set their own rates. He said private sector credit growth hit 33.4% in September.

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Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said on Wednesday he will set up political bases in Nakuru and Meru. He called Nakuru, with 1.3 million votes, a key battleground in the 2027 election, The Star reported.

Gachagua is taking his campaign to the counties with the most voters. That shows where the 2027 presidential race could be decided.

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Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said he flew back from the US on October 20 without telling anyone, not even his guards. He skipped his convoy and took a Probox straight to Wamunyoro in Nyeri, The Star reported.

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A US judge on Wednesday dismissed all criminal charges against Kseniia Petrova, a Russian scientist at Harvard. She spent four months in immigration detention after flying into Boston with frog embryos for research, The Guardian reported.

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DR Congo's Justice Ministry has barred new inmates from Kinshasa's Makala central prison, except in exceptional cases. The prison was built for 1,500 people but now holds more than 16,000, the ministry says.

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A British health worker who tested positive for Ebola in DR Congo is being evacuated to the UK, the UK government said on Wednesday. The patient is stable and will go to a specialist isolation unit, according to a document seen by Reuters.

The Guardian reports that the outbreak has already spread from DR Congo to Kenya and Uganda. Africa CDC warns that no country is safe without proper preparedness.

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A proposed amendment in Nigeria would require hospitals to start treating emergency patients within 15 minutes of arrival, Premium Times reported. Doctors and nurses who delay treatment could face six months in jail.

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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned anyone who keeps supporting Iran's government, BBC Swahili reported. The warning followed new US sanctions on a large criminal network accused of aiding Iran's secret oil tanker trade.

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Kenya's Mombasa-Nairobi SGR cost $7.6 million per kilometre, against $5.7 million for Tanzania's line, the World Bank's November 2026 Kenya Economic Update says. Governance weaknesses explain at least 30% of the potential $900 million saving.

The SGR was paid for with public borrowing. Higher construction costs therefore reach taxpayers through debt repayments and other fiscal commitments, Nairobi Wire reported.

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Degraded land covering more than 96 million acres costs Kenya about $1.3 billion a year, The Star reported. The government has launched a five-year, $200 million World Bank-funded project to restore land across 12 counties.

Natural resources support more than 80 per cent of livelihoods in Kenya. Damaged land means poorer harvests, less water and more harm from droughts and floods.

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Medical Services PS Ouma Oluga said on Wednesday that viral claims linking cetirizine to sex are driving people to misuse the drug. He said the government could build a system to trace everyone who buys it.

Pulse Live Kenya reports that Nairobi pharmacies are running short of the common allergy drug and that prices have tripled. Tracing buyers could change how Kenyans buy everyday medicines over the counter.

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Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen told the National Assembly on Wednesday that kidnappings and abductions had dropped sharply since 2022. He cited a dedicated Anti-Abduction Investigations Unit as proof of the government's commitment.

Public concern over missing persons and alleged abductions continues. Murkomen also linked the government's security work to the 2027 General Election and to the Kenya-Ethiopia border at Moyale.

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Business in Butembo, in DR Congo's North Kivu province, remained largely paralysed on Wednesday as traders kept up their strike, Radio Okapi reported. They are protesting against heavy taxes and what they call administrative harassment.

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NTSA and other agencies arrested 21 drivers on the Kakamega-Mumias Road for drunk driving, missing licences and expired PSV badges. The authority also ordered long-distance PSV operators to put two drivers on every trip this festive season.

The crackdown is part of NTSA's festive season campaign. Travellers face more day and night checks on major roads, and long-distance buses must now carry two drivers.

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The NBA says Rwanda's army-funded APR club was withdrawn from the 2026 Basketball Africa League because of US sanctions imposed in March. The club stays barred while the sanctions remain in place.

The US sanctions are linked to the conflict in eastern DR Congo, where Washington accuses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels. Rwanda denies this.

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American puncher Deontay Wilder will fight unbeaten Australian Jai Opetaia in the co-main event of Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua, the BBC reported. The card takes place at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on December 12.

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The Stanbic Bank Kenya PMI rose to 52.5 in October as new orders jumped, Business Today Kenya reported. Output grew for the first time in eight months, and business confidence hit its highest level since early 2020.

The survey tracks Kenya's private sector. Rising input costs could push up prices for ordinary consumers.

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Geoffrey Ruku told South B residents on Tuesday that he wants to lead Nairobi after the 2027 election. He joins a crowded race against Governor Johnson Sakaja, who has just moved from UDA to ODM.

The race will decide who runs services in Kenya's capital, which Ruku called the hub of East Africa. Sakaja's switch to ODM is reshaping alliances ahead of 2027.

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Real Madrid twice came from behind to beat AEK Athens 3-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday. Federico Valverde's long-range strike in stoppage time preserved their 100% record in the league phase.

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Erling Haaland scored in the 77th minute to give Manchester City a 3-2 Champions League win at RB Leipzig on Wednesday. The win ends a run of two defeats in three games, but goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made another costly error.

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Gospel deejay Samuel Muraya, known as DJ Mo, was fined KSh 5,000 on Wednesday after pleading guilty to traffic offences. Police had arrested him on Thika Road that morning, and he appeared at the Milimani Traffic Court the same day.

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DR Congo has ordered an investigation into suspected illegal mining after seizing thousands of tons of copper and cobalt, Semafor reported on Wednesday. Police, soldiers and mining officials also took more than 500 trucks and machines in the southeast.

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One person has been killed and several injured in two weeks of attacks by armed gangs in Kisumu, Citizen Digital reported. The county commissioner says security raids will run from next week until December.

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Real Madrid have offered the United academy forward a multi-year contract and hope to sign him in January, The Guardian reported. United will consider legal action if they believe any rules have been broken.

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The Central Bank of Kenya accepted KSh 70.86 billion from KSh 99.47 billion in bids, against KSh 50 billion on offer. The new 30-year bond drew KSh 62.40 billion in bids, and CBK accepted KSh 40.95 billion of it.

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The Communications Authority wants polling stations outside 3G and 4G coverage connected before the 2027 General Election. Deputy Director Paul Kiage told senators in Naivasha that all mobile operators have been directed to upgrade their networks.

Results transmission in 2027 depends on mobile networks reaching every polling station, including in remote areas. The plan also covers cyber threats, hate speech on radio and TV, and parcels sent by courier during the election period.

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The World Bank's new Kenya Economic Update, launched on Wednesday, names corruption as the biggest governance constraint on growth. It says graft and weak governance add two percentage points of GDP to Kenya's annual fiscal deficit.

Ordinary people pay too. The World Bank says informal workers, who make up 83.8% of Kenya's workforce, can lose up to 20% of their daily earnings to bribes.

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