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Kenya launches new strategy to combat digital piracy, aims to save over 50,000 jobs

By
Binti Wangila
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NAIROBI — More than 50,000 jobs could be created or safeguarded as Kenya moves to tackle digital piracy, which costs the country an estimated KSh92 billion annually.

The government has unveiled a new strategy to combat digital piracy following the release of a report showing that the illegal distribution of digital content is draining the economy by approximately KSh92 billion every year.

Speaking during the launch of the report, Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo said the government will begin implementing recommendations from the National Steering Committee on Digital Piracy to protect creators’ rights, increase government revenue, and strengthen Kenya’s creative economy.

“The findings of this report are significant. Digital piracy costs Kenya approximately KSh92 billion every year, equivalent to nearly KSh252 million every day. It also deprives the National Treasury of about KSh17 billion in tax revenue annually,” Kabogo said.

According to the report, digital piracy continues to erode the earnings of musicians, filmmakers, authors, journalists, software developers, and sports broadcasters. Consumers who access pirated content are also exposed to cybersecurity risks, including malware, online fraud, and identity theft.

The report further indicates that effectively addressing digital piracy could create or preserve more than 50,000 jobs across Kenya’s creative and technology sectors.

To strengthen enforcement, the committee has recommended the establishment of a Joint Digital Piracy Enforcement Framework, coordinated by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy in collaboration with the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), and the Copyright Tribunal.

Kabogo emphasized that the proposed framework has been designed with constitutional safeguards in mind.

“This framework includes strong safeguards. Every enforcement action will follow due legal process and comply with the Constitution, which protects both intellectual property rights and freedom of expression,” he said.

The report also recommends stronger protection for live sports broadcasts and other high-value digital content, alongside tougher enforcement measures against commercial-scale piracy networks.

Kabogo said the ministry will begin implementing the recommendations in the coming weeks through a nationwide public awareness campaign on the dangers of digital piracy. The government will also develop a National Digital Piracy Policy in consultation with industry stakeholders.

In addition, the government will work with the Office of the Attorney General and the Kenya Copyright Board to align the proposed legal reforms with the Copyright and Related Rights Bill, 2026, which is currently undergoing public consultation.

Concluding his remarks, Kabogo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting creators and expanding access to legitimate digital content.

“The government will continue supporting creators, enforcing the law against those who profit from copyright infringement, and working with industry stakeholders to ensure legal content is widely available and affordable,” he said.

Five killed, one injured in Marsabit–Isiolo road crash

By
Mike Kwoba
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MARSABIT — Five people lost their lives and one person was left seriously injured following a road accident involving two lorries on the Marsabit–Isiolo highway early Friday, Marsabit County Police Commander Leonard Kimaiyo confirmed.

The crash occurred at around 4:00 AM at Kargi Junction, approximately 10 kilometers from Marsabit town. According to Commander Kimaiyo, both lorries were ferrying beans to Isiolo and traveling in the same direction when one vehicle rammed into the rear of the other.

“Four people died on the spot. A fifth victim died on arrival at Marsabit Level Five Hospital,” Kimaiyo reported.

Police officers, led by the Marsabit Central Sub-County Police Commander, responded quickly to secure the scene and launch an investigation into the cause of the accident. The bodies of the deceased have since been moved to the Marsabit Level Five Hospital mortuary, awaiting identification and post-mortem examinations.

In the wake of the incident, Commander Kimaiyo urged all motorists to exercise caution and strictly obey traffic rules as investigations continue.

A Decade of strengthening reintegration efforts and impacting 7,700 lives  

By
Edgar Kalimbo
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Resilient Woman | Highlight of exchange visit in Mt. Elgon under economic empowerment initiative

NAIROBI — What began ten years ago as a compassionate vision to support women leaving prison has evolved into a formidable movement reshaping community reintegration, trauma recovery, and family restoration across Kenya. Resilient Woman, a community-based organization dedicated to uplifting vulnerable women and children, is marking its 10-year anniversary celebrating a decade of breaking systemic cycles of trauma and social marginalization.

Over the past ten years, the organization has directly impacted more than 7,700 participants through holistic, evidence-informed interventions structured around four interconnected pillars: Trauma Healing and Mentorship, Economic Empowerment, Education and Life Skills Development, and Reintegration Advocacy.

Central to the organization’s philosophy is the understanding that unresolved trauma is a primary driver of behavioral challenges, fractured relationships, and recurring hardship after incarceration. Rather than offering temporary relief, Resilient Woman prioritizes comprehensive emotional restoration.

Through structured support groups, counseling, mentorship, and specialized trauma-informed care workshops, the organization has equipped 619 women, caregivers, church leaders, prison personnel, and community representatives with vital psychological coping tools. By training local stakeholders alongside survivors, families and broader communities become supportive environments for healing rather than venues of rejection.

The organization’s prison ministry serves as one of its foundational programs, operating directly within key correctional institutions, including Kericho Women’s Prison, Meru Prison, and Eldoret Women’s Prison. To date, 193 incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women have participated in targeted mentorship programs designed to cultivate resilience, rebuild personal dignity, and instill life skills necessary for life after release. Recognizing that successful rehabilitation depends heavily on the prison environment itself, Resilient Woman has increasingly engaged prison officers in trauma-informed care training, transforming institutional mindsets from punitive to rehabilitative to foster empathy within correctional walls.

Outreach extends well beyond facility perimeters to ensure long-term societal integration. Through extensive public sensitization initiatives, church engagements, and community awareness campaigns, Resilient Woman has reached over 5,500 community members. These efforts directly challenge the deep-seated social stigma associated with incarceration, paving the way for former inmates to return to welcoming, compassionate neighborhoods without fear of exclusion.

Realizing that emotional recovery must be paired with financial independence to prevent recidivism, Resilient Woman’s economic empowerment model has transformed the financial trajectories of 220 women. Through community savings groups, financial literacy education, entrepreneurship training, and micro-business development initiatives, participants gain the practical tools necessary to achieve financial stability. Rebuilding personal livelihoods restores self-worth and positions these women as contributing members of their households and local economies, strengthening overall community resilience.

Understanding that the collateral damage of incarceration deeply affects families, Resilient Woman actively works to intercept generational trauma among children and adolescents living in difficult circumstances. Through targeted life skills training, peer mentorship programs, trauma-healing camps, and psychosocial support services, the organization has reached 849 young people. Furthermore, through the generosity of individual donors and supporters, 46 children of incarcerated or vulnerable mothers have received educational sponsorships, securing their right to continuous schooling and a brighter future.

Resilient Woman’s decade of impact reflects strategic organizational maturation from a grassroots movement into a structured, accountable non-profit. Strategic partners such as the Faith Mennonite Church majorly supporting education sponsorship and other programs, Africa Gospel Church have facilitated prison access and community mobilization, while Life in Abundance strengthened governance and financial systems through Organizational Capacity Assessment Training (OCAT). Additionally, Giving Women supported a two-year capacity-building journey to refine strategic direction and communications, and First Fruit Grant enabled operational expansion into Eldoret to widen service reach.

This sustained growth and commitment to service delivery culminated in national recognition at the prestigious 2025 Utumishi Bora Awards an initiative honoring integrity, leadership, and public service. Selected from sixty-two nominated organizations in the Family Category, Resilient Woman earned Second Runner-Up honors for its outstanding contribution to family reconciliation, trauma recovery, and successful post-prison reintegration.

As Resilient Woman enters its second decade, leadership remains focused on expanding its geographic presence, deepening its trauma-informed programs, and broadening advocacy for institutional policy reform. Reflecting on the milestone, the organization expressed deep gratitude to its dedicated staff, volunteers, Board of Directors, correctional partners, and funding organizations, affirming that its success rests on the courage of the thousands of women and children who have embarked on the journey toward healing.

Looking ahead, Resilient Woman invites churches, corporate entities, development partners, and community members to join its mission to ensure that every individual, regardless of their past, is offered the compassion, dignity, and resources necessary for a true second chance.

Kenya strengthens border biosecurity at JKIA with new digital health surveillance App

By
Vincent Amara
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PS for Public Health and professional standards Mary Muthoni at JKIA

The Ministry of Health has officially deployed the UHAI Travelers App at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to bolster the screening and monitoring of passengers arriving from Ebola high-risk countries, reinforcing Kenya’s national preparedness against cross-border public health threats.

To assess the performance of the new platform, Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni, inspected operations at Port Health Services within the airport. Her evaluation focused on the real-time functionality of the app, the efficiency of passenger health screening procedures, and the readiness of Port Health personnel to detect and respond swiftly to potential risks.

As East Africa’s central aviation hub, JKIA processes nearly 9 million passengers annually and handles over 200 domestic and international flights daily. Implementing automated surveillance across this massive volume of air traffic ensures that incoming flows are screened systematically without creating operational bottlenecks at immigration and arrivals.

By embedding smart digital technologies directly into disease surveillance at Kenya’s primary international gateway, the UHAI travelers App enables instant data collection and rapid intervention. This enhanced monitoring capacity significantly lowers the risk of importing Ebola and other infectious diseases via international travel.

Reaffirming the Government’s ongoing strategy, PS Mary Muthoni emphasized that continued investment in digital health innovations and robust surveillance systems remains central to safeguarding the health and safety of all Kenyans.

President William Ruto calls for national dialogue to chart Kenya’s post-vision 2030 future

By
Edgar Kalimbo
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NAIROBI – President Dr. William Ruto has stated that Kenya needs a national dialogue to discuss the country’s development direction over the long term, particularly after the Vision 2030 timeline, while reflecting on the progress made since the adoption of the 2010 Constitution.

Addressing the nation from State House, Nairobi on Thursday, President Ruto noted that this is neither a government initiative nor a political agenda, but a collective responsibility for all Kenyans. He stated that the fundamental question is how citizens want the nation to look in the future for coming generations.

The Head of State emphasized that nations that were once at a similar development level with Kenya years ago citing examples such as South Korea, China, and Singapore have since made significant economic strides because they made decisive choices and established long-term development plans for their citizens.

President Ruto said that Kenyans must be courageous and reflect on why they have not yet fully utilized available opportunities to transform the country, as well as determine what needs to be done differently to succeed.

He added that the current Constitution has empowered Kenyans with the framework and tools to improve the nation across various sectors, including healthcare, education, livelihoods, and food security, making it essential to focus on these areas to move the country forward.

President Ruto announced that on August 12, the government will officially launch a national dialogue that will bring together Kenyans from all walks of life including youth, professionals, scholars, business leaders, religious leaders, workers, and civil society organizations to begin the journey of formulating a new vision for Kenya.

During his address, President Ruto acknowledged that while Kenya has made developmental progress under Vision 2030, it has not achieved all of its targets, highlighting the need for further strategic planning for the country.

The President addressed the nation at a time when political leaders, particularly from the opposition, continue to tour various parts of the country in early campaigns ahead of the 2027 General Election. Opposition leaders contend that Kenyans are facing economic hardships, despite the President’s assertion that the national economy is growing.

Among these leaders is Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who has held meetings with opposition allies to strategize on forming a united front to defeat President Ruto in the 2027 polls. Kalonzo emphasized that he will continue collaborating with other parties aligned with changing the current leadership through the ballot.

At the same time, Kalonzo dismissed claims that he has been holding secret talks with President Ruto to join the government, terming the reports false and intended to weaken opposition unity. He declared that these efforts would fail and maintained that no opposition leader will join President Ruto’s administration as they prepare for the next election.

Senator Sifuna faults President Ruto’s policy focus, prioritizes constitutional values over state development

By
Vincent Amara
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Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna|File Photo

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has launched a sharp constitutional critique against President William Ruto, accusing the executive of prioritizing government “development” projects over fundamental constitutional values and human rights.

Posting on his Facebook page, the law maker stated that: “Ruto just spent 40 minutes trying to create a false equivalence between our national values set out in the constitution and his so called “development”. Kenyans, please trust me when i tell you there is a reason the Preamble comes before Article 43. You don’t get to the “development “ clauses until and unless you have taken into account the reasons we passed this constitution in the first place. Democracy, Human Rights, Freedom, Equality, Rule of Law and Social Justice.”

Sifuna emphasized that the structure of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya places foundational governance principles ahead of economic and social rights set out under Article 43, such as health, housing, food, and education. He argued that physical infrastructure or state-led development initiatives cannot justify neglecting fundamental rights, including democracy, human rights, freedom, equality, the rule of law, and social justice.

The Nairobi Senator warned against framing economic progress as a substitute for respecting civil liberties and democratic institutions.

Meanwhile, critics aligned with the administration countered that infrastructure development and economic stabilization are essential prerequisites for citizens to fully enjoy their constitutional rights.

The exchange highlights growing political tensions surrounding the government’s policy focus, with opposition leaders insisting that governance and constitutional compliance must take precedence over political branding.

Kalonzo rejects coalition prospects with President Ruto ahead of 2027 general election

By
Vincent Amara
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Wiper Patriotic Front party leader Kalonzo Musyoka

Wiper Patriotic Front party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has formally dismissed speculation regarding a potential political alliance with President William Ruto, firmly maintaining that they will remain on opposing sides in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking on Thursday at the SKM Command Centre following a consultative meeting with leaders of the Linda Mwananchi movement, the former Vice President revealed that the Kenya Kwanza administration has repeatedly deployed intermediaries to persuade him to join the ruling coalition.

“I want to tell Mr. William Ruto: please stop imagining that I can ever join you. We will meet at the ballot,” Musyoka stated. “Ruto and his team have panicked. I assure the citizens of this country that if I must be the last man standing to drive Ruto out of office, I will.”

Musyoka urged the Linda Mwananchi movement and other opposition-aligned groups to remain steadfast, warning against division as the country prepares for the political calendar ahead.

“They are sending all kinds of emissaries,” he noted. “Anybody looking back now will be betraying the national consciousness. Reach out to everyone, including Wamalwa and Wamunyoro. We officially enter the election year in three days.”

Looking ahead, Musyoka announced an upcoming strategy session for the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition to chart a political path forward. He invited the Linda Mwananchi faction to engage in formal discussions once their administrative registration process is finalized.

“On Monday, as party leader of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya, we have a strategic meeting scheduled,” Musyoka explained. “The Council, chaired by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and the Executive, which I chair, have visualized the path forward and will continue sharing updates with the public.”

Musyoka’s statement follows an official communication released by the Wiper Patriotic Front party, which reaffirmed its total support for his political stance. The party dismissed reports of negotiations with the ruling administration as a coordinated campaign of misinformation, reiterating its commitment to the United Alternative Government coalition ahead of the 2027 polls.

“Abandon Outdated Practice”: Elders, activists push to end FGM in pastoralist communities

By
Francis Katelo
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A woman holds a razor blade in Burkina Faso.

MARSABIT— Child rights activist Rose Orguba says in many pastoralist communities including the Rendille, Borana, Gabra and Somali, female genital mutilation is still viewed as a rite of passage into adulthood.

Speaking during a workshop in Marsabit County, Orguba said the practice violates basic human rights and leaves girls with severe physical and psychological scars.

“Girls experience severe pain, bleeding and shock during the procedure, which is often done without pain relief,” she said.

Orguba cited long-term health effects including increased risk of infections from shared cutting instruments, scar tissue that blocks or narrows the vaginal opening, chronic urinary tract infections, painful urination and severe menstrual pain.

Survivors also suffer emotional trauma such as post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression and feelings of betrayal by their community. She added that the seclusion period after cutting forces girls to miss weeks of school.

In many pastoralist communities, a circumcised girl is expected to marry immediately, often to a much older man in exchange for bride price such as livestock.

Girls and families who reject the practice face stigma, bullying and are labelled “unclean,” leading to social isolation.

A Rendille Community elder, Mzee Isaac Dokhle also addressed the forum and highlighted the long-term health complications of FGM that increase financial burdens on families, especially during childbirth.

He urged pastoralist communities to abandon the outdated practice, saying it is the responsibility of all community members to fight it.

Mr. Dokhle called on elders to come together to end the practice and asked mothers to stop endorsing it, and instead educate young girls on its dangers.

Health services hit in Samburu as nurses strike over delayed CBA

By
Paul Lekarikei
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MARALAL, SAMBURU — Health services in Samburu County have been disrupted following a nurses’ strike over delays in signing the Collective Bargaining Agreement-CBA.

Nurses under the Kenya National Union of Nurses, Samburu Branch, staged demonstrations in Maralal town on Tuesday.

They want the county government to fast-track the signing of the CBA and forward it to the Council of Governors before the Salaries and Remuneration Commission implements it.

Led by KNUN Samburu Secretary Halima Letoluai, the nurses said the CBA process has dragged on without satisfactory feedback, forcing them to take to the streets.

Letoluai also cited insecurity in the line of duty. She said a nurse was killed two weeks ago in Naimaral, Samburu North, highlighting the risks health workers face.

Samburu CEC for Public Health and Sanitation, Dr. Nassir Amiyo Lekudere, said the county had reached an agreement to ensure emergency services continue during the strike.

“Under the Constitution, patients have a right to healthcare. Measures have been put in place to ensure emergency cases are attended to,” he said.

Dr. Lekudere added that laboratory officers, doctors and clinical officers are still offering services at health facilities.

However, he noted that due to the large number of nurses and their role in service delivery, specialized hospital services will be heavily affected.

The striking nurses have vowed to continue with the industrial action until the county government gives a firm commitment on CBA implementation.

Turkana, ICPAK sign MoU to strengthen public financial management

By
Vivian Achwa
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TURKANA – The County Government of Turkana has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) to strengthen public financial management, enhance accountability and promote the prudent utilisation of county resources.

Signed at the Turkana County Headquarters, the agreement establishes a framework for collaboration in public finance through policy development and research, professional capacity building, financial accountability, integrity and ethical conduct, as well as monitoring and evaluation of programmes implemented under the partnership.

The MoU is expected to enhance the technical capacity of accounting and finance professionals in the county public service by promoting continuous professional development, knowledge sharing and the adoption of sound financial management practices.

ICPAK Vice Chairman FCPA Benard Amukah said Turkana becomes the 13th county government to formalise such a partnership with the institute. He noted that counties with similar agreements have registered improved performance in financial management, accountability and stewardship of public resources.

Deputy Governor Dr John Erus, who witnessed the signing alongside County Executive Committee Member for Finance Roseline Aite, welcomed the partnership, saying it was the result of a series of consultative engagements between the county government and ICPAK.

Dr Erus said the collaboration would strengthen the capacity of accountants and finance professionals within the county public service, improve professional standards and enhance efficiency in financial management and service delivery.

The agreement also provides for continued institutional engagement through designated contact persons, a joint technical framework to coordinate implementation, and periodic monitoring and evaluation to assess the progress and impact of the partnership.

ICPAK is a statutory professional body established under the Accountants Act with the mandate to develop and regulate the accountancy profession while promoting professional competence, ethical conduct, accountability and adherence to recognised financial and accounting standards.

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