https://www.scmp.com/rss/520230/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Western governments and financiers increasingly avoid infrastructure projects that involve a Chinese presence as their geopolitical and economic rivalries intensify. Yet the Nairobi Railway City project stands as a rare exception. It combines British financing with Chinese construction and labour to build a major new public transport hub in the Kenyan capital. At the heart of the project is the proposed new Central station and a 172-hectare (425-acre) district that includes new businesses, homes... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349734/does-kenyan-rail-project-provide-model-chinese-and-western-firms-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349734/does-kenyan-rail-project-provide-model-chinese-and-western-firms-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:00:13 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan The first tankers that turned away from the Strait of Hormuz did not just redraw shipping maps. They redrew grocery lists, too. After Iran’s partial closure of the strait disrupted a chokepoint that carries roughly 20 per cent of the world’s oil, traders priced in something they know too well: war is not only about missiles; it’s about the bill that lands on kitchen tables months later. Brent crude climbing back above US$100 a barrel, and touching roughly US$120 on the worst days, is already... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349221/war-premiums-hit-groceries-china-deals-give-africa-room-breathe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3349221/war-premiums-hit-groceries-china-deals-give-africa-room-breathe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Across major African cities such as Nairobi, Lusaka, and Abuja, governments are using surveillance technologies and credit lines from China to monitor public spaces and curb crime, a new survey shows. The UK-based Institute of Development Studies (IDS) said Chinese banks were increasingly funding African governments to build and maintain digital infrastructure – including surveillance cameras and command and control centres – under the “safe city” project, also known as “smart city”, which is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348916/chinese-surveillance-tech-rolled-out-africa-zte-hikvision-and-huawei-helm?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:30:07 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Kenya has revived construction on its multibillion-dollar Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) extension that stalled more than six years ago, replacing heavy sovereign debt with innovative financing after renegotiating its loans with China. According to Kenyan officials, China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and its subsidiary, China Road and Bridge Corporation, will build the railway’s two remaining sections at an estimated cost of US$5.4 billion. Kenyan President William Ruto earlier this... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348406/china-and-kenya-partner-finish-most-consequential-rail-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348406/china-and-kenya-partner-finish-most-consequential-rail-project?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:11 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage For most people, ants are unwelcome guests at a picnic, but international demand for the insects is driving a new black market in East Africa, where it could threaten ant populations and the broader environment. In early March, 27-year-old Chinese national Zhang Kequn was detained at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, with more than 2,200 live queen ants packed in his luggage. Around the same time, Thai authorities seized a shipment of ants sent from the Kenyan port city of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348256/why-are-smugglers-swarming-east-africa-ants-send-china-and-europe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348256/why-are-smugglers-swarming-east-africa-ants-send-china-and-europe?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 04:00:12 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Kenya secured trade and infrastructure financing deals during Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng’s visit this week, but analysts cautioned that deepening ties were complicated by rising debt and Nairobi’s balancing act between global powers. The “early harvest” Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries grants Kenyan products – including tea, coffee and avocados – duty-free and quota-free access to the Chinese market starting in May. After talks with Han on Tuesday, Kenyan President... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348071/kenya-secures-trade-deal-china-rising-debt-us-competition-complicate-deeper-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3348071/kenya-secures-trade-deal-china-rising-debt-us-competition-complicate-deeper-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:00:07 +0000 Dulue Mbachu Dulue Mbachu The ripples of the US-Israel on Iran are fuelling inflationary pressures across Africa through higher energy and fertiliser prices, threatening a fragile economic recovery. Most of Africa’s 54 countries depend on fuel imports and have experienced sharp increases in fuel prices, driven by disruptions to Middle East exports and the surge in global prices. Most are just getting over the price shocks caused by Russia’s war with Ukraine, which started in 2022 and has hurt many African countries that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347572/iran-war-delivers-new-inflation-stress-african-economies-emerging-older-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3347572/iran-war-delivers-new-inflation-stress-african-economies-emerging-older-shocks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:13:26 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Chinese national and a Kenyan man were charged on Tuesday with unlawfully dealing in wildlife species after they were found in possession of hundreds of live ants stored in specialised tubes. The case was the latest focused on the alleged smuggling of ants in the East African country, where authorities last year described a growing trend in the trafficking of ants to markets in Europe and Asia. Officials have not said if the ants are sought after as pets or for other purposes. The suspects,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346945/chinese-national-and-kenyan-associate-charged-illegally-smuggling-ants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346945/chinese-national-and-kenyan-associate-charged-illegally-smuggling-ants?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 23:31:46 +0000 Reuters Reuters A total ⁠of ⁠62 ⁠people including eight children have died since heavy rains and flooding hit Kenya’s capital ‌Nairobi and other areas late last week, police said on Saturday. The capital was the worst hit with ⁠33 deaths, the force said in ‌a statement on X that updated the official ‌tally of casualties. More than 2,000 ⁠families ⁠have been displaced across Kenya and ‌intense rain was continuing in several ‌regions, it ‌added. Aid workers started pulling ‌bodies from floodwaters across Nairobi... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346673/kenya-floods-death-toll-rises-62-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346673/kenya-floods-death-toll-rises-62-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:48:32 +0000 Reuters Reuters A man was arrested with more ⁠than 2,200 live ⁠garden ants in his ⁠luggage at Nairobi’s main airport this week amid a rise in cases of smuggling of the insects in Kenya. Chinese national Zhang Kequn, 27, was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta ‌International Airport on Tuesday while he was trying to leave the country, court filings on Thursday showed. Immigration officials flagged a “stop order” on Zhang’s passport after he evaded arrest in Kenya last year. Ant aficionados pay large sums to ⁠maintain... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346382/ant-smuggling-rises-kenya-chinese-national-caught-2238-insects-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3346382/ant-smuggling-rises-kenya-chinese-national-caught-2238-insects-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:15:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press At least 23 people were killed in flash flooding overnight in the capital Nairobi, police said Saturday, amid search and rescue operations and widespread devastation. Torrential rains lashed the city late on Friday, turning major streets into rivers and flooding thousands of homes and businesses. Rescue teams were still pulling out bodies and rescuing trapped residents on Saturday, while reporters saw heavily damaged roads and infrastructure from the city’s vast slums to upmarket areas like... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3345823/8-dead-kenya-floods-motorists-stranded-flights-disrupted?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3345823/8-dead-kenya-floods-motorists-stranded-flights-disrupted?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:04:16 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Chinese railway giants look set to scout Eurasia in the years ahead to build high-speed train lines as the domestic market matures and some countries are more prepared than others for capital-intensive yet transformative ventures, analysts said. Inspired by China-invested projects such as the 142km (88-mile) Jakarta-Bandung high-speed line in Indonesia and the partly finished 350km (217-mile) Budapest-Belgrade railway, Chinese construction and engineering firms are expected to expand their... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344149/rail-ahead-high-speed-lines-saturate-china-how-far-can-their-global-reach-extend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3344149/rail-ahead-high-speed-lines-saturate-china-how-far-can-their-global-reach-extend?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Feb 2026 08:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters More than 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited to fight on Russia’s side in the war in Ukraine, according to a Kenyan intelligence report presented to lawmakers this week, five times more than authorities had previously estimated. The Russian embassy in Nairobi denied on Thursday that Moscow was involved in illegally recruiting Kenyans to fight in Ukraine, though it said ‌foreign citizens could voluntarily join its armed forces. Reading the report of Kenya’s National Intelligence Service to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344104/over-1000-kenyans-recruited-fight-russia-ukraine-war-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344104/over-1000-kenyans-recruited-fight-russia-ukraine-war-report?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 06:44:23 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese deals in Kenya often move from signing to construction in less than a year, according to the head of the African country’s investment agency, with most of the agreements signed during Kenyan President William Ruto’s visit to Beijing in 2025 well under way. John Mwendwa, CEO of the Kenya Investment Authority (InvestKenya), noted that in contrast, projects funded by the West typically took longer due to stricter environmental, social and governance standards and complex regulatory... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343302/why-chinas-fast-turnaround-gives-its-projects-edge-kenya-over-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343302/why-chinas-fast-turnaround-gives-its-projects-edge-kenya-over-west?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 04:00:20 +0000 Ivan Franceschini,Charlotte Setijadi,Ling Li Ivan Franceschini,Charlotte Setijadi,Ling Li “I was running from the war, and I got to a war again.” This is how Eric, a young man from central Africa, described how he ended up at a scam compound in Cambodia – and then stranded in the country with no way out. His story is like that of many people deceived into the scamming world. After fleeing conflict in his home country and living in extreme deprivation, Eric – not his real name – received an email offering a US$2,000-per-month job in Cambodia. The recruiter quickly persuaded him to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3343519/cambodias-scam-factory-survivors-find-no-escape-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3343519/cambodias-scam-factory-survivors-find-no-escape-freedom?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 04:00:18 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Africa’s top regional body is hosting its annual summit in Ethiopia this weekend to discuss the future of the continent of some 1.4 billion people, as the organisation faces widespread discontent. Set up to “promote the unity and solidarity of the African States,” analysts say the African Union faces a legitimacy crisis among youth for failing to meet their expectations. Meanwhile, several African countries battle military coups, disputed elections and protests inspired by economic hardship... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3343583/african-union-youth-anger-mounts-over-corruption-lack-accountability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3343583/african-union-youth-anger-mounts-over-corruption-lack-accountability?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 09:54:30 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Beijing’s push to internationalise the yuan is gaining a new vehicle in Africa as another major multilateral lender is set to diversify towards the Chinese currency to slash borrowing costs and reduce the risks of dollar volatility. Multilateral lender Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has confirmed that a debut panda bond issuance is “on the table for this year”, as it looks to deepen its ties with Chinese capital markets following last year’s successful triple-A Chinese rating. Banji Fehintola,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343347/africas-yuan-pivot-why-more-top-lenders-are-eyeing-chinas-bond-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343347/africas-yuan-pivot-why-more-top-lenders-are-eyeing-chinas-bond-market?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:00:14 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Hong Kong should focus on connecting its capital markets with African financial centres so that companies and Belt and Road Initiative projects on the continent can raise funds in the city, according to a council that advises the government on development strategy. In addition to being a funding source for commercial enterprises and infrastructure projects, Hong Kong could be a place for wealthy Africans to set up family offices to manage their wealth, succession and charitable activities, the... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3341345/hong-kong-must-invest-africa-asia-financial-corridor-government-adviser-fsdc-urges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3341345/hong-kong-must-invest-africa-asia-financial-corridor-government-adviser-fsdc-urges?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 06:30:08 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Chinese lending to Africa dropped by nearly half to US$2.1 billion in 2024 compared with the previous year, according to a new report. The decline formed part of a decade-long trend. Lending had been on an upward trajectory since 2006 and peaked between 2012 and 2018 – a period that saw the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative – when it passed the US$10 billion mark each year. At its height in 2016, Beijing lent US$28.8 billion. But since 2020, the annual total has not crossed the US$5 billion... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341213/chinese-lending-africa-nearly-halves-year-priorities-shift-smaller-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341213/chinese-lending-africa-nearly-halves-year-priorities-shift-smaller-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 06:00:17 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Kenya has reached a preliminary trade deal with China for duty-free exports of key products including coffee, tea and cut flowers – a major step towards narrowing the East African nation’s long-standing trade gap with Beijing. The “early harvest” framework grants duty-free access to the Chinese market for 98.2 per cent of Kenyan exports, as announced by the Kenyan Ministry of Trade on Thursday – less than a month after negotiations closed on December 19. While the deal provides an immediate... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340189/why-monumental-china-duty-free-trade-deal-has-kenya-wanting-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340189/why-monumental-china-duty-free-trade-deal-has-kenya-wanting-more?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ugandan authorities shut down internet access nationwide on Tuesday, two days ahead of elections in which President Yoweri Museveni has overseen a crackdown on the opposition as he seeks to extend his 40-year rule. The 81-year-old leader, who once said African rulers should not overstay their time in office, was widely expected to win a seventh term on Thursday due to his total control over state and security bodies. But he was taking no chances against a popular opponent, Bobi Wine, a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3339812/uganda-shuts-down-internet-museveni-seeks-extend-long-rule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3339812/uganda-shuts-down-internet-museveni-seeks-extend-long-rule?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 03:27:37 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Washington is securing bilateral health deals with countries across Africa to ensure direct access to critical pathogen data and specimens following the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO). Analysts say the US’ strategic retreat from multilateral organisations has created a vacuum that China is likely to exploit to deepen its influence within global health bodies and position itself as the main partner for the developing world. Under the “America First Global... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338042/washington-lines-slew-health-deals-us-and-china-vie-influence-across-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338042/washington-lines-slew-health-deals-us-and-china-vie-influence-across-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage More than six centuries ago, roughly 80 years ahead of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, Chinese admiral Zheng He reached the eastern coast of Africa with a massive fleet and a crew of more than 20,000 under his command. The Ming dynasty ships braved formidable waves and traversed vast distances on seven epic maritime expeditions to reach the shores of Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia and finally the eastern coast of Africa. Despite his achievements, Zheng He remains largely absent from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337689/exhibition-traces-chinas-long-links-kenya-admiral-zheng-he-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3337689/exhibition-traces-chinas-long-links-kenya-admiral-zheng-he-belt-and-road?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Dec 2025 12:00:10 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A microbiologist who revolutionised the production of laboratory-grown seafood protein took home the top prize in the 2025 African Business Heroes awards in Rwanda on Saturday, in the seventh annual edition of the largest event for start-ups of its kind on the continent. Diana Orembe, the founder of Tanzania-based NovFeed, was the winner out of 10 finalists in the awards, which received up to 32,000 applications from 54 countries. She took home US$300,000 in grant funding. Abraham Mbuthia of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336326/china-africa-partnership-leaps-future-beijing-expands-market-access-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336326/china-africa-partnership-leaps-future-beijing-expands-market-access-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 09:19:45 +0000 Winston Mok Winston Mok Whereas then US president Joe Biden initially missed the group photo at the annual Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro last year, requiring a reshoot, his successor did not even bother showing up for this year’s meeting in Johannesburg. US President Donald Trump boycotted the summit due to alleged mistreatment of white people in post-apartheid South Africa. Yet, even in the absence of the US, the G20 managed to make a leaders’ declaration at the start of the summit, which usually comes at the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335374/how-china-can-help-africa-build-human-capital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335374/how-china-can-help-africa-build-human-capital?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 08:35:14 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China’s big money is returning to African infrastructure as its state-owned firms evolve from mere builders into long-term financiers and operators. This is so they have enough “skin in the game”, according to one analyst, as Beijing seeks lasting influence over key transport routes and critical mineral supply chains in Africa. Across the continent, these companies are increasingly financing, building and operating key infrastructure under public-private partnerships (PPP). This financing model... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335506/skin-game-china-pivots-operating-african-railways-ports-funding-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3335506/skin-game-china-pivots-operating-african-railways-ports-funding-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 04:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Kenyan parliamentary inquiry has denounced a “disturbing trend of sexual misconduct” at a British Army base in the east African country “marked by rape, assault, and abandonment of children fathered by soldiers”. Since Kenya’s independence in 1963, the former colonial power has maintained the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) on the outskirts of Nanyuki, about 200km (130 miles) north of the capital Nairobi. The inquiry by the Kenyan parliament’s Defence Committee said there was little... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3335144/kenya-inquiry-denounces-disturbing-sexual-misconduct-uk-army-base?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3335144/kenya-inquiry-denounces-disturbing-sexual-misconduct-uk-army-base?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 03:53:52 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse From Finland opening diplomatic outposts in Senegal to Czech instructors training Mauritanian security forces, a group of smaller European nations has joined a global scramble for influence in Africa. Estonia, Romania and Malta are among European Union countries that have sought to boost their presence on the continent over the past five years, revamping diplomatic and trade links. “There is a wave of second-generation Africa policy refreshes completed and … under way,” said Alex Vines of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3333849/africa-attracts-smaller-eu-nations-scrambling-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3333849/africa-attracts-smaller-eu-nations-scrambling-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 09:46:06 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia is seeking a foothold in Africa’s fast-changing markets as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim tours Ethiopia, South Africa and Kenya this week, casting the continent as a “strategic collaborator” for new supply-chain routes and emerging consumer markets. “Malaysia is deeply rooted in open markets, but we need reliable partners in a rapidly changing world,” Anwar told Ethiopian business leaders on Wednesday, according to local daily The Star. The outreach comes as the Southeast Asian nation... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3333544/malaysia-pivots-strategic-collaborator-africa-new-supply-chains-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3333544/malaysia-pivots-strategic-collaborator-africa-new-supply-chains-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 09:00:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan played down days of bloody protest as she was inaugurated on Monday, despite the opposition warning that hundreds were killed. The electoral commission said Hassan won 98 per cent of the vote. The main opposition party, Chadema, which was barred from running, has rejected the results. It has called for fresh elections, saying last Wednesday’s vote was a “sham”. In her speech, Hassan called for “unity and solidarity” but also alleged that some of the young... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3331397/tanzanias-president-sworn-opposition-says-hundreds-killed-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3331397/tanzanias-president-sworn-opposition-says-hundreds-killed-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 20:59:00 +0000 Reuters Reuters The death toll from a landslide in western Kenya’s Rift Valley has risen to 26, a government spokesman said on Sunday, following heavy rains on Saturday. Twenty-five people were still missing and 26 others had been rescued after devastating floods in Elgeyo-Marakwet County, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said in a statement. Most of the rescued people were receiving treatment. The government has deployed military planes and disaster response specialists to conduct a search and rescue... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3331253/landslide-and-floods-leave-26-dead-western-kenya?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3331253/landslide-and-floods-leave-26-dead-western-kenya?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 17:42:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A plane crash killed 11 people, mostly foreign tourists, in Kenya’s coastal region of Kwale early Tuesday while en route to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The airline, Mombasa Air Safari, said in a statement that eight Hungarian and two German passengers were on board, and that the Kenyan pilot was also killed. The plane crashed in a hilly and forested area about 40km (25 miles) from the Diani airstrip, authorities said. The airline did not confirm what time the aircraft departed Diani,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3330679/8-hungarian-2-german-tourists-die-kenyan-plane-crash-en-route-game-reserve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3330679/8-hungarian-2-german-tourists-die-kenyan-plane-crash-en-route-game-reserve?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 15:39:43 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Division and suspicion have gripped five villages near Kenya’s coast as global powers from the United States to China eye a forest that is rich in rare earths – minerals vital to hi-tech and low-carbon industries. The US government under President Donald Trump has made securing critical minerals central to its diplomacy in Africa, including through a peace deal in the resource-rich Democratic Republic of Congo this year. Mrima Hill, a forest of around 157 hectares (390 acres) near Kenya’s Indian... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3330342/global-powers-us62-billion-rare-earth-hunt-kenya-stokes-fear-and-division?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3330342/global-powers-us62-billion-rare-earth-hunt-kenya-stokes-fear-and-division?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 02:19:13 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Ethiopia’s plan to convert its dollar-denominated Chinese loans to yuan is a “savvy financial arbitrage play” in the view of some analysts, while others warned that the move could “complicate” negotiations with bondholders over the 2023 Eurobond default. Eyob Tekalign, governor of the Ethiopian central bank, confirmed last week that Addis Ababa had initiated talks with Chinese lenders, including the Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank) and the People’s Bank of China, to swap part of its... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330057/chinas-global-goal-yuan-boosted-ethiopian-hopes-loan-currency-swap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3330057/chinas-global-goal-yuan-boosted-ethiopian-hopes-loan-currency-swap?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:00:34 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse Dozens of mourners were injured on Saturday at a memorial service for Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga as crowds swelled, with some in critical condition taken to a nearby hospital, a Kenyan Red Cross official said. A Reuters witness saw injured people receiving treatment at the scene in the city of Kisumu in western Kenya, the political heartland of Odinga’s Luo tribe. The Standard newspaper had said on X that hundreds had been injured. Two people were killed and more than 160 others were... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3329530/dozens-injured-memorial-revered-kenyan-politician-odinga-red-cross-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3329530/dozens-injured-memorial-revered-kenyan-politician-odinga-red-cross-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2025 12:45:38 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hong Kong supported 4.5 million people in need worldwide over one year through the relief agency World Vision, its president has said, envisioning the city becoming a humanitarian aid hub. Andrew Morley, president and CEO of World Vision International, a child-focused charity operating in more than 100 countries, also urged people to contribute more as he said government funding for humanitarian aid across the world had decreased by about 25 per cent this year compared with 2024, despite a surge... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3329505/phenomenal-how-hongkongers-generosity-helped-45-million-need-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3329505/phenomenal-how-hongkongers-generosity-helped-45-million-need-worldwide?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Oct 2025 07:01:15 +0000 Reuters Reuters Four people were killed in Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Thursday after security forces fired shots and teargas to disperse huge crowds at a stadium where the body of deceased opposition leader Raila Odinga was lying in state, local media reported. Odinga, a major figure for decades in Kenyan politics who was once a political prisoner and ran unsuccessfully for president five times, died on Wednesday aged 80 in India, where he had been receiving medical treatment. With thousands of his supporters... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3329308/4-dead-after-kenyan-forces-fire-shots-disperse-crowd-mourning-late-politician-odinga?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3329308/4-dead-after-kenyan-forces-fire-shots-disperse-crowd-mourning-late-politician-odinga?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 21:11:47 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Raila Odinga, a former prime minister of Kenya and perennial presidential candidate whose populist campaigns rattled authorities and gave him an outsize influence on political life in his East African country, died on Wednesday of a heart attack while travelling in India. He was 80. His death was confirmed by the Devamatha Hospital in India’s Kerala State, where he was taken after he collapsed during a morning walk. A statement from the hospital said Odinga suffered a cardiac arrest and didn’t... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3329120/raila-odinga-ex-kenyan-pm-and-democracy-fighter-dies-80-after-heart-attack-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3329120/raila-odinga-ex-kenyan-pm-and-democracy-fighter-dies-80-after-heart-attack-india?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:42:22 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Kenya has converted its US dollar-denominated railway loans from China into the Chinese yuan, not only securing debt relief but also fitting into Beijing’s long-term goal of internationalising its currency. Analysts said the decision, announced by Kenya last week, paved the way for other debt-stressed African countries and could ultimately draw them closer to China. Kenyan Treasury Minister John Mbadi said on Tuesday that the country’s US$5 billion Chinese railway loans had been converted to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328665/why-kenyas-swap-us-dollar-loans-chinese-yuan-offers-more-debt-relief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3328665/why-kenyas-swap-us-dollar-loans-chinese-yuan-offers-more-debt-relief?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Oct 2025 04:00:16 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The apparent collapse of a 25-year tariff-free trade pact between the United States and Africa symbolises an American retreat, according to observers, who say the shift is paving the way for China to deepen its influence across the continent. The Clinton-era African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) expired on September 30 after Congress failed to pass a renewal bill, leaving more than 6,000 African exports, such as apparel and textiles, subject to higher US tariffs. The resulting economic... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327837/how-dead-us-trade-deal-pushing-africa-further-chinas-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3327837/how-dead-us-trade-deal-pushing-africa-further-chinas-orbit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 02:00:07 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage China is betting on a new generation of digital influencers and content creators to reshape its image in Africa, which observers have said is a major shift as Beijing looks to refine its “soft power” campaigns. This new strategy aims to reshape China’s public image by connecting directly with younger audiences through cultural exchange and tourism, showcasing a side of the country rarely seen in traditional news reports. For the second consecutive year, the Chinese embassy in Kenya is sponsoring... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326132/beijing-targets-gen-z-millennials-new-digital-strategy-build-its-brand-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3326132/beijing-targets-gen-z-millennials-new-digital-strategy-build-its-brand-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 06:03:06 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution to transform a UN-backed security mission in gang-dominated Haiti into a larger, full-fledged force with military troops. The new force can now have a maximum of 5,500 uniformed personnel, including police officers and soldiers, unlike the current mission, which is just law enforcement. US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said the vote by 12 council members “to transform the Multinational Security Support mission to the new gang... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3327489/un-security-council-approves-new-military-force-battle-haitis-gangs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/3327489/un-security-council-approves-new-military-force-battle-haitis-gangs?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Oct 2025 07:05:01 +0000 Brian Y. S. Wong Brian Y. S. Wong Donald Trump may have a point in highlighting the UN’s ability to address global challenges. However, the antidote to stunted multilateralism isn’t abandoning the concept altogether, but inclusive reforms that empower countries that lack representation. Besides its New York headquarters, the UN has three large secretariat hubs in Nairobi, Vienna and Geneva, but few offices located in Asia, a continent with around 60 per cent of the world’s population. Bangkok does serve as a de facto... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3327144/hong-kong-should-be-chinas-gateway-united-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3327144/hong-kong-should-be-chinas-gateway-united-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Kenyan athletes may have shone at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, winning seven gold medals, but persistent allegations of doping still cast a shadow as the global anti-doping agency threatens to sanction the East African country. The warning is anything but trivial for a nation whose runners embody Kenyans' hopes for lifting families out of poverty, a desperate desire that can drive some over the line. Over the years, and following numerous scandals, Kenya has repeatedly promised... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3326406/kenyan-athletes-shine-tokyo-world-championships-doping-remains-problem?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3326406/kenyan-athletes-shine-tokyo-world-championships-doping-remains-problem?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 10:25:47 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A Kenyan high court has ordered the arrest of a British national on charges of murdering a local woman near a British army training ground in central Kenya 13 years ago, court officials said Tuesday. The body of 21-year-old Agnes Wanjiru was found in a septic tank in April 2012 in Nanyuki, north of Mt. Kenya, weeks after witnesses said she was seen leaving a bar with British soldiers. The court in Nairobi on Monday ordered the arrest of the suspect, who is in Britain, but said that the suspect’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3325776/kenyan-court-orders-arrest-uk-national-accused-2012-murder-woman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3325776/kenyan-court-orders-arrest-uk-national-accused-2012-murder-woman?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:28:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters Ethiopia officially inaugurated Africa’s largest hydroelectric dam on Tuesday, a project that will provide energy to millions while deepening a rift with downstream Egypt that has unsettled the region. Ethiopia, the continent’s second most populous nation with over 120 million people, sees the US$5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on a tributary of the Nile as central to its economic ambitions. The dam’s output has gradually increased since the first turbine was turned on in 2022,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3324951/ethiopia-opens-africas-largest-dam-amid-egyptian-protest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3324951/ethiopia-opens-africas-largest-dam-amid-egyptian-protest?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:01:15 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Kenya’s plan to convert its US dollar-denominated Chinese debt to yuan is a “win-win”, as it is expected to reduce interest payments for the African nation while advancing China’s goal of increasing the global use of its currency, according to analysts. The deal would be precedent-setting and could establish a new rule book for future debt restructuring and possibly cut reliance on the US dollar. In late August, Kenya’s Treasury announced that talks with the Export-Import Bank of China were at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324321/kenyas-plan-switch-debt-payments-china-us-dollars-yuan-win-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324321/kenyas-plan-switch-debt-payments-china-us-dollars-yuan-win-win?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 08:00:09 +0000 Alice Li Alice Li At this year’s meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), President Xi Jinping said China will launch 10 additional Luban Workshops in the organisation’s member countries over the next five years, providing training slots for 10,000 individuals. Named after the ancient architect and inventor Lu Ban, the project is somewhat low profile compared to others in Beijing’s infrastructure-heavy Belt and Road Initiative. But the vocational education programme has quietly expanded across... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324058/chinas-xi-jinping-wants-more-luban-workshops-worldwide-what-are-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3324058/chinas-xi-jinping-wants-more-luban-workshops-worldwide-what-are-they?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:00:15 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage When more than two dozen officers from the Somali National Armed Forces were awarded Chinese training scholarships this month, Beijing’s ambassador to Somalia Wang Yu assured them and the rest of the country that “China will not be absent” in helping the East African country achieve peace. Since the 1991 overthrow of president Siad Barre, Somalia has been plagued by civil war and conflict with extremist groups such as al-Shabab. The training aims to help Somalia build a self-reliant defence... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323696/new-model-peace-china-takes-its-global-security-initiative-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323696/new-model-peace-china-takes-its-global-security-initiative-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Aug 2025 10:00:12 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley Global headlines continue to be dominated by wars, both of the physical kind characterised by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s siege of Gaza, as well as trade wars such as those provoked by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. It is perhaps no surprise, then, that the resurgence of infrastructure wars has attracted relatively little international attention. And yet Japan’s relaunch of a major land and maritime infrastructure initiative spanning East Asia, Africa, India and the Middle... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3322677/why-japan-should-cooperate-china-infrastructure-not-compete?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3322677/why-japan-should-cooperate-china-infrastructure-not-compete?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Aug 2025 08:30:08 +0000