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Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga was treated to a hostile welcome when he visited Gusii Stadium on Sunday, March 9, 2025.

Raila was greeted with ‘Ruto must go’ and ‘Raila must go’ chants when he stood to speak while other Shabana FC fans stood to leave the stadium. 

Raila was in Kisii County alongside Kisii Governor Simba Arati and other senior government and ODM leaders for the official launch of Shabana FC’s new kits.

The heckling comes a day after the ODM party signed a coalition pact with President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) to work together in government.

Speaking during the signing ceremony event at KICC on Friday, March 7 2025, President William Ruto reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that Raila is accorded the respect he deserves in the country.

Ruto reminisced about his relationship with Raila and the strong political bond he shares with the former premier acknowledging his efforts and contributions to his political career.

“I called my brother and told him, you have been my brother and party leader, today by God’s grace I am president, I want you to be treated well and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you have respect in Kenya. I am not doing this for any other reason that is selfish to me; I am doing this because I’m a younger person, you are an elder as far as I am concerned by age and the contributions you have made to this country deserves respect and that is the relationship I have built with Raila,” Ruto said.

“I am very clear in my mind that going into the future will take more than Raila and myself; it will take everyone of us to pull this country together and achieve the things that will change Kenya for the better.”

On his side, Raila pledged to address constitutionalism, rule of law and respect for human rights in his pact with the UDA party as well as addressing issues of youth unemployment, cost of living, inequality and failure of institutions.

“We have agreed to use our parties as a broad platform bringing together various voices, opinions and concerns to address the critical challenges facing the country through a formation that is truly inclusive in outlook,” Raila stated.

“We make it clear that the Memorandum we have signed today does not define the formation of a political coalition between ODM and UDA. However, its successful implementation could inform the basis of steps towards the establishment of a constitutive formation of a stable country in future.” |

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka  at Bunge Towers, Parliament, Nairobi. November 22nd,2024[Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka now wants the government to explain the unauthorized withdrawal of Sh1.3 trillion from the National Treasury between July 12, 2024 and February 20, 2025.

The senator, who sought a statement from the Senate Finance Committee, said the funds were withdrawn by the national and county governments from the exchequer manually, bypassing the automated financial management system meant to ensure transparency and accountability in public finance management.

The senator, who was speaking at the Senate plenary on Thursday, said the matter calls for serious questions regarding compliance with Public Finance Acts, appropriateness of the oversight bodies and risk of financial mismanagement and it was important that the Senate seeks to get some clarification. 

“The Senate should get some clarification on the legal and propriety of manual withdrawals and whether they were in accordance with the provisions of the Finance Management Act, 2012,” said Onyonka. 

The senator is seeking to have the House informed of precise destinations and recipients of the withdrawn funds, including the ministries, departments, agencies, and counties they ended up in.

He wants the Senate to be told of the role the Controller of Budget played in sanctioning the transactions and whether due process was followed in the pursuit of financial accountability.

Onyonka wants the Senate to be informed of the efforts made to prevent such withdrawals in the future and ensure total automation of the exchequer process.  

“I would like the Senate to be told of the impact of such withdrawals on the country’s budget, public debt, and allocations in counties,” said Onyonka.

National Treasury Principal Secretary Chris Kiptoo, in a press release, said that  the exchequer requests and withdrawals were processed manually until the end of the 2024 financial year as the system had not yet been automated. By Edwin Nyarangi, The Standard

A 46-year-old woman based in North West has opened a case with South African Police Service after her boyfriend, known as Ivan Tusiime from Kenya, vanished in the days that her R520,000 vanished.

A 46-year-old North West woman, Zenani, has been seeking answers from First National Bank since November 2022 after she discovered that an amount of R520,000 which she had received as pension had vanished.

In February, IOL published the story of Keneilwe who alleges she does not know how her R2 million pension was transferred from her FNB account. She insisted that she was not present when her hard-earned money was transferred, and said she never gave anyone her banking app passwords. 

In the case of Zenani, (not her real name but her full details have been given to FNB), the Mahikeng-based woman told IOL that her bank statements indicated that the money was withdrawn from an FNB branch located at Northgate Shopping Centre - a place she had never been to.

“On November 3, 2022, I went to the bank to withdraw R10,000 at Swartruggens FNB which I wanted to share among my family members as I had resigned. After the withdrawal, I checked the SMS notifications on my phone, only to realise that there had been a withdrawal of R520,000 the previous day. I thought I was dreaming,” she said.

After gaining her strength, Zenani said she approached the FNB branch officials at Swartruggens seeking an explanation.

“The FNB lady in the bank explained to me that I had withdrawn money at Northgate Mall in Johannesburg. I told her I didn't even know the place. She then phoned the Northgate branch, and she also requested my bank card, and I gave it to her. After a conversation with her colleague at Northgate, she told me that my bank card was matching the bank card that had been used in Joburg,” she said.

Zenani said she was told that her withdrawal limit had also been increased.  

“I asked the FNB officials at Swartruggens if it would be possible for me to walk into the bank and just make a withdrawal of such a huge amount of money and they said it was not possible. They said prior to the withdrawal, I would have to give a request to the bank,” she said.

“Also, the FNB staff told me that when the withdrawal was made at Northgate Shopping Centre, a funeral cover policy, with my first-born child as a beneficiary, had been opened. At that time, I could not even talk because my mind was everywhere.”

Zenani said on three occasions, she returned to the FNB branch at Swartruggens, seeking clarity on what had happened to her money. 

“They asked me to report to the FNB fraud department. In seeking answers, I travelled to FNB Rustenburg, thinking they would help, but I had no luck. They said it was a Home Affairs Department case. I then went to open a case at Swartruggens police station, and they transferred the matter to Honeydew police station in Gauteng,” she said.

In an updated response to IOL, FNB says its clients who lost millions of rand in dating scams voluntarily provided their banking details to the criminals. In February 2023, Zenani said she was called by a police officer from Honeydew police station, who introduced herself as the investigation officer. The police officer said she needed clarity from Zenani as she could not understand what had transpired. 

“I explained everything to her, and she said she will call again. After two weeks, she called again, and she said she had gone to the FNB Northgate Shopping Centre but she had not managed to speak to the manager who was said to be in a meeting. She said she couldn't wait for the manager, and she had left. That was it,” said Zenani. 

In November 2023, Zenani received an SMS from the SAPS informing her that her case was being closed because there were leads for the police to pursue. IOL contacted the SAPS in Gauteng, who stated that the case had been moved to North West. However, police in North West said the case was being handled in Gauteng.

Zenani believes at the heart of the heist is her boyfriend at the time, a man she knew as Ivan Tusime who claimed to be from Kenya. The two had met around April 2022 around Mahikeng, and exchanged numbers. 

The police case was opened against Tusime, who has since vanished after the transactions. Zenani insists she never shared her bank details, pin or passwords with Tusime.

A North West woman opened a case against her boyfriend, who is known as Ivan Tusiime who claimed to be from Kenya.

The love relationship started around June 2022 and Zenani would visit Tusime at his rented place at Mahikeng. 

Days later, Tusime claimed to have bought a house at Riviera Park. When Zenani visited the new home, Tusime told her that he has a prayer room in the house, and according to his religion, he goes in to pray at 7pm. 

“When we went into the prayer room, I noticed there was traditional cloth inside, and on the corner, there was a little house thatched with grass. It was so scary, but he assured me that I should not be afraid. We knelt down and he started chanting in his language. When he finished chanting, there was a scary movie-like sound coming through the wall entering that small grass house,” Zenani narrated.

“Then there came a voice of an old man greeting Tusime, and they saw he had a visitor. I tried to run away but he grabbed my hand. Then the voice greeted me and added that I must not be scared. To cut a long story short, I was forced to go to different banks to apply for loans. After the loans were approved, I was specifically instructed to open an account at FNB, and to transfer all the money into the FNB account.”

The woman, who was working at a district hospital in North West, said she was then told to resign from her job.  Since last year, IOL has been running the scammed series where several women and men have lost their hard-earned money including pensions and bank loans through romance scams. The victims have regrouped and are knocking on different doors, demanding answers.

Part of some of the victims’ complaints include allegations against FNB, with the victims insisting that FNB was the bank preferred by the scammers. Many of the scammed victims said they did not have FNB accounts, but during the complicated scams, they were encouraged by the scammers to open and transact using FNB.

In December, IOL submitted a dossier to FNB containing the details of several customers, including Keneilwe and Refilwe, who were scammed. The victims insist that the bank did not protect them during physical visits to FNB branches, or online.

Responding to the widespread allegations, last month FNB’s spokesperson Sizwekazi Mdingi said detection and prevention of fraud are of utmost priority to the bank.

“FNB takes all fraud cases seriously and undertakes to investigate each case thoroughly in line with its zero-tolerance approach to criminality. In terms of the outlined fraud cases and their modus operandi, the bank sympathises with all victims of these incidents, and the detection and prevention of this fraud remains of utmost priority to the bank,” she said.

FNB said it is committed to ensuring that its bank accounts are managed in compliance with all regulatory and legal requirements.

“In reference to the large cash withdrawal requests made in these cases, FNB can confirm that it has strict processes and procedures in place that need to be adhered to upon receipt of a cash requisition or withdrawal request from a customer. Such a transaction cannot occur without the appropriate audit trail being in place,” said Mdingi.

She said the bank is obligated to give its customers their personal funds when requested to do so, provided all the necessary protocols have been followed.

“As a bank we have implemented strong measures, including robust monitoring systems and well-trained staff, to spot and handle any suspicious activities. These steps, combined with our continuous enhancements in security strategies and partnerships with law enforcement agencies, demonstrate our unwavering commitment to keeping our customers safe,” said Mdingi. By Jonisayi MaromoIOL

KHARTOUM - 15 April 2023 it was the beginning of a sad story for the Sudanese, when the Rapid Support Forces militia launched a serious war on the Sudanese government army in order to control the government in Sudan.

The result of this attack was harsh on the Sudanese, who were displaced, killed, and raped by the Rapid Support Forces militia.

And after a sudden control over large areas in Sudan ،  the Rapid Support forces rapidly lost almost complete control over their deployment areas in central Sudan after they extended from the center of the capital Khartoum to the borders of the city of Damazin, 600 kilometers south, and from the southeast to the borders of the city of Abu rukhm on the borders of the state of Gedaref in eastern Sudan.

The deployment of the Rapid Support forces did not stop in the south and center of the country, but extended eastward to the Al-Faw District of Al-Qadarif and took control of several towns including it.

But these forces, which were deployed in the center of the country, lost control after accelerated military operations carried out by the Sudanese army, forcing them to retreat to the borders of the capital.

The center of Sudan represents the strategic depth of the country, and witnessed fierce battles between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support forces, the largest of which was in the town of Jebel Moya in the state of Sinnar, a battle that lasted for days in which the army used warplanes and marches so intensively that the Rapid Support commander Mohammed Hamdan Daglo (hemedti) said in press statements that "a neighboring country to Sudan is the one who defeated his forces in Jebel Moya through the Air Force".

The town of Jebel Moya, surrounded by a series of high mountains in Sudan, is connected to the center, west, south and East, and was taken over by the Rapid Support forces in July 2024 through organized attacks led by the Rapid Support commander of the Sennar axis, Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Rahman Al-Bishi, before he was killed in an air strike carried out by the Sudanese Air Force in the town of Tayba Al-lahwin near Jebel Moya.

After the army took control of the town of Jabal Moya, it was able to close the supply line of the Rapid Support forces located in Sinja, Al-dander, Abu Hajar and dalnil on the outskirts of al-Damazin.

The army launched intensive ground attacks in which it recaptured most of the cities of Sinnar state, including the capital Sinja, and managed to break the Rapid Support siege on Sinnar city, which lasted for months, then the army headed from Sinnar and Sinja west towards the Sinnar Sugar Factory and the cities of Jazira state, starting from wad Al-Haddad to Wad Madani.

Several reasons played a decisive role in the superiority of the Sudanese army in the battles in the center of the country-especially in the states of Sinnar and Gezira - and led to the retreat of the Rapid Support forces to more than 600 kilometers to the borders of Khartoum state.

The most notable of these are:

The army possessed an air force that played very effectively and managed to cut off rapid support supply lines.

The most prominent leaders of the rapid support in central Sudan, most notably the commander of the rapid support in Sinnar State, Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Rahman Al-Bishi, the commander of the rapid in Al-Jazeera State, Major General Abdullah Hussein, and Mahdi Rahma (jalha) the most prominent leaders of the rapid support in Al-Jazeera.

The joining of a force from the Sudan shield led by Abu Aqla Kekel, who previously served as the commander of rapid support in the state of Al-Jazeera, was a milestone in the battles in the center of the country, according to observers.

The qualitative weapons that the army has recently possessed-including the Air Force and long-range marches-played a pivotal role in its victories in central Sudan.

As for the capital Khartoum, it is almost free from the rebellion, which was confined to small peripheral areas on the outskirts of Khartoum, and the militia fled in large numbers towards the Darfur region. By Mohamed Saad Kamil, Editor-in-Chief of Brown Land Newspaper-Sudan

© European Union, 2025

A celebratory event held at Mbeya Food Park in Mbeya City , marked the program’s conclusion graced by Honorable David Silinde, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and H.E. Christine Grau, EU Ambassador to Tanzania and the East African Community. Over 100 participants from private and public institutions attended. 

The European Union (EU) and the Government of Tanzania have celebrated the achievements of the AGRI-CONNECT programme, a flagship initiative that has  supported sustainable agriculture through improved value chains for shared prosperity. With a total investment of EUR 100 million (approximately TZS 278 billion) funded by the European Union, AGRI-CONNECT, launched in 2019, has played a crucial role in enhancing Tanzania's agricultural sector, particularly in horticulture, coffee, and tea.

A celebratory event held at Mbeya Food Park in Mbeya City , marked the program’s conclusion graced by Honorable David Silinde, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and H.E. Christine Grau, EU Ambassador to Tanzania and the East African Community. Over 100 participants from private and public institutions attended. 

AGRI-CONNECT programme focused on Southern Highlands and Zanzibar and was guided by the EU's holistic "Farm to Fork" approach. This strategy emphasized improving farm production, road infrastructure, access to finance, and market linkages, ultimately improved the nutrition and livelihoods of rural communities.

The programme has successfully fostered a favorable environment for farmers by enhancing policies, increasing their involvement in commodity platforms, and lowering trade barriers. It has benefited 135,000 farmers in the Southern Highlands and 35,000 in Zanzibar, with a particular emphasis on nutrition education and empowering rural communities. The programme has created 516,833 jobs and self-employment opportunities, generating TZS 3.86 billion in income for small-scale farmers across selected value chains. Key achievements also include the completion of 166 infrastructure projects and the upgrading of 162 kilometers of rural roads.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Hussein Bashe, Honorable David Silinde, Deputy Minister for Agriculture expressed his admiration to the programme’s impacts. He commended the EU for its support to agriculture sector, particularly the traditional export crops (coffee, tea and horticulture) benefitting smallholder farmers. “AGRI-CONNECT's priorities aligned with the Agricultural Master Plan, supporting our vision for a sustainable economy, resilience to climate change, and the use of sustainable agricultural practices to improve the livelihoods of the majority of Tanzanians reliant on agriculture”, said Hon. Silinde”. 

The programme made significant investments in agricultural infrastructure, including the Mbeya Food Park and the Mpanda agro-processing facility, which supports more than 50 women-led enterprises. About 90 processing units and investments in technology such as screen houses, solar irrigation, and cold storage were made, contributing to value addition along the agricultural value chains. 

H.E. Christine Grau, EU Ambassador to Tanzania and the EAC, highlighted the programme’s broad impact, stating: “The success of AGRI-CONNECT is clearly reflected in the tangible improvements across Tanzania’s coffee, tea and horticulture value chains. I am honored to be here today and witness how this initiative has benefitted over 177,000 small-scale farmers and created more than half a million jobs. As a flagship EU initiative, it has been delivered with outstanding success, and we take great pride in the partnership that made it all possible..”

During the occasion, attendees had a unique opportunity to witness inauguration of upgraded rural roads addressing farm-to-industries-to-markets bottlenecks, with 160 km of roads converted from seasonal gravel to all-weather tarmac in 9 LGAs, particularly in tea-producing regions.

Well-maintained roads offer numerous benefits, including attracting investment to boost the rural economy by improving access to markets and processing centers. These upgraded rural roads are part of Tanzania's broader strategy to expand its national road network.”, said Dr, Festo Dugange, Deputy Minister of State in the President's Office (Regional Administration and Local Government).

The successful conclusion of the AGRI-CONNECT programme represents a key milestone in the ongoing partnership between the EU and Tanzania and underpinned under the EU Global Gateway strategy. This initiative aims to drive investments in partner countries to improve infrastructure, add value, and promote sustainable growth. This programme highlights the commitment of all parties involved to promoting sustainable agriculture and improving the well-being of both rural and urban communities in Tanzania. EEAS

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