Garowe, Puntland – British Ambassador to Somalia, Charles King, made his first visit to Garowe, the capital of Puntland State, to meet with President Said Abdullahi Deni and discuss key issues aimed at fostering a secure and stable Somalia. The meeting, held at the Presidential Palace, was attended by Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor, members of the Puntland Cabinet, and a delegation accompanying the ambassador.

The discussions focused on several critical areas, including Somali political dialogue, joint stabilization efforts, and the ongoing fight against terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State (Da’ish). Both sides emphasized the importance of progress in these areas to ensure long-term peace and security in Somalia.

During the visit, Ambassador King commended Puntland’s commitment to combating terrorism, particularly highlighting the region’s counter-terrorism operations in the Almiskaad Mountains. In a show of support, the British government donated medicines and medical supplies to aid these efforts, reinforcing the UK’s partnership with Puntland in addressing security challenges.

The meeting also covered Puntland’s internal affairs, including efforts to strengthen democratic processes and development projects supported by the UK in the region. President Deni and Ambassador King expressed optimism about deepening bilateral cooperation to promote stability and growth in Puntland and Somalia as a whole.

Ambassador King described Garowe as a “dynamic city” and underscored the significance of the visit in advancing UK-Somalia relations. The discussions reflect a shared commitment to tackling Somalia’s challenges through collaborative efforts in security, governance, and development. By Hanad Askar, Horseed Media

Transaid, in partnership with the FIA Foundation, hosted the second Safe African Helmets Initiative (SAHI) Summit in Nairobi this week (7-9 July 2025), bringing together industry experts and representatives from government and civil society to discuss life-saving projects to improve motorcycle helmet safety. 

Kenya is currently home to an estimated 2.4 million motorcycle taxis, known as boda bodas, a rise of nearly 500,000 since 2021. A study by Kenya’s National Helmet Wearing Coalition found that only 63 per cent of riders and 15 per cent of pillion passengers wear helmets, despite research showing that a helmet can reduce the risk of death by 42 per cent and the risk of head injury by 69 per cent in the event of a crash. 

SAHI aims to address motorcycle safety in Sub-Saharan Africa through a platform for sharing experiences, discussing challenges, and building consensus on the urgent need to combat the rise in deaths and serious injuries related to motorcycle crashes. 

The three-day event addressed key challenges and opportunities to improving helmet safety, with representation from African nations. Split into country cohorts, participants received tailored support from representatives of Transaid, the FIA Foundation, the Global Road Safety Partnership, the Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP), and other industry leaders to develop and refine strategic action plans to deliver long-term, life-saving impact. 

Jason Finch, Programmes Support Manager for Transaid, says: “Encouraged by the success of last year’s inaugural summit, we felt confident expanding the second SAHI to include even more countries. Hosting it in Nairobi gave us the opportunity to highlight Kenya’s unique context and celebrate the local experts, practitioners and riders leading the charge for safer helmets. 

“The inclusion of four new countries from West Africa brought valuable new perspectives and reinforced the urgency of action and the importance of regional coordination. The more voices at the table, the stronger the collective effort - this is truly a pan-African initiative. The country action plans developed by each delegation hold real potential to save lives.” 

FIA Foundation Programmes Director Aggie Kransnolucka says: “Motorcycle numbers across Africa are rising rapidly and with them, deaths and serious injuries. A quality helmet, properly worn, is the most significant measure to protect motorcyclists. This Summit has provided a critical opportunity to convene countries, recognise progress, and collaborate on the solutions to save lives.”   

This year’s event built on the progress made in 2024, as well as the 4^th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety which took place in February this year. Delegates from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda returned for a second year, while Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, and Senegal joined for the first time in Nairobi. The summit created a platform to share and reflect on experiences, identify common challenges and exchange effective solutions. 

Transaid launched the National Helmet Wearing Coalition in Kenya in 2021, with the initial phases of its work focused on improving enforcement and raising awareness amongst riders. With support from the FIA Foundation, the Coalition released A Fare Price, a report detailing the health and economic costs of motorcycle taxi crashes. Phase three of the project began last year, working towards introducing a helmet testing laboratory and building on the advocacy and enforcement campaigns – previously identified as key barriers to improving safety across the country.

The Court of Appeal has emphasised the need for a serious discussion regarding the mandatory minimum sentences for convicts of robbery with violence, especially in cases where only threats were involved.

Sitting in Nakuru, Justices John Mativo, Paul Gachoka, and George Odunga expressed their bewilderment that a murderer could receive a lighter sentence, while those convicted of robbery with violence, even when threats were the only element, faced the death penalty.

Their remarks came when delivering the judgment on a case against Daniel Chege, a man on death row, for stealing a bicycle, valued at Sh4,000, on February 28, 2010, in Naivasha.

“This glaring discrepancy is one that the public finds difficult to understand. We cannot rationally justify it, except with the old response that ‘it is the law.’ It is a question we pose but cannot answer,” the judges remarked.

They expressed hope that, sooner rather than later, this inconsistency would be addressed. The facts of the case were that Bernard Karanja was riding his motorcycle when Chege and an accomplice approached him. 

In his appeal, Chege claimed that the victim had not been injured during the incident.

Judges Mativo, Gachoka, and Odunga noted that section 296(2) of the Penal Code mandates the death sentence for robbery with violence.

“With heavy hearts, we must reiterate that the evident discriminatory sentencing framework needs to be reviewed and reconsidered as soon as possible,” the judges ruled. 

They found it puzzling that murderers could receive a sentence of just one day in prison at the court’s discretion, while other offenses automatically incur a mandatory death or life sentence. By Yvonne Chepkwony, The Standard