Author: Visaho Delson

South African human-rights lawyer and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognised her for “her efforts to promote peace and international law.”

Pillay becomes the fifth South African national to receive the Peace Prize. Her career includes landmark work as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and later as a judge on the International Criminal Court, where she contributed to the development of international justice mechanisms.

As UN High Commissioner she was a consistent voice on human rights, accountability for mass atrocities and the protection of vulnerable populations. The Committee highlighted her lifelong commitment to advancing the rule of law and confronting impunity on the global stage.

The award was announced on Friday in Oslo. Pillay’s selection continues a tradition of honouring individuals whose work has strengthened the architecture of international human rights and transitional justice.

Two police officers, including a Garissa police commander and his driver, were killed on Friday morning when their vehicle struck a suspected improvised explosive device along the Saretho–Dadaab road. The blast occurred at around 6 a.m., police said.

Security forces immediately launched investigations into the attack, which fits a pattern of roadside bombings that have targeted security personnel in the region in recent years. The officers were travelling on official duty when the device detonated.

Authorities have not yet attributed responsibility, though such incidents in Garissa and neighbouring counties have frequently been linked to Al-Shabaab or related militant networks. Reinforcements and additional patrols were expected to be deployed in the area as the probe continues.

The dual fatalities add to the toll on Kenya’s security services operating in the volatile north-eastern region. Senior police commanders expressed condolences to the families of the fallen officers and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice.

Former Cabinet Minister and Kenya’s first ambassador to the United States, Burudi Nabwera, has died at the age of 99. Nabwera, who also served as Lugari Member of Parliament, was widely regarded as one of the pioneering figures of Kenya’s post-independence diplomatic service.

His career spanned critical early years of the young republic, during which he helped shape Kenya’s foreign relations and represented the country at the highest levels in Washington.

Colleagues and political leaders paid tribute to his long public service and the steady hand he brought to both diplomacy and domestic politics.

News of his death was confirmed on Friday, prompting an outpouring of condolences from across the political spectrum. Many recalled his role as a bridge between Kenya’s independence generation and later administrations.
Funeral arrangements were yet to be announced by late Friday.

Nabwera’s passing removes one of the last living links to the foundational cohort of Kenyan diplomats who established the country’s international presence in the 1960s and 1970s.

Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja announced on Friday that she is leaving the ruling United Democratic Alliance and will seek the Nakuru governorship in 2027 on a Democracy for Citizens Party ticket. She made the declaration during a public forum in Nakuru, criticising President William Ruto’s administration for failing to meet public expectations.

Karanja, who joined UDA in early 2022 and won her Senate seat under the party later that year, accused the county administration under Governor Susan Kihika of mismanagement. Her move marks another high-profile departure from UDA ranks as political realignments accelerate ahead of the next general election.

The senator said she had consulted widely before deciding to switch parties. She positioned the DCP ticket as the vehicle through which she intends to offer an alternative to the current leadership in Nakuru.

The announcement adds to a series of defections and realignments already seen in recent days across Mount Kenya and other regions.

UDA leadership had not issued a detailed public response by late Friday. Political observers noted that Karanja’s exit further fragments the ruling coalition’s support base in a key county as parties begin formalising their 2027 strategies.

Kenya has heightened its Ebola response, with Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirming that 66 contacts of the country’s first confirmed patient remain in quarantine. Rapid response teams have been deployed and surveillance intensified at points of entry, especially along the Kenya-Uganda border in Busia County.

President William Ruto chaired a Cabinet meeting at State House on Friday under strict Ebola protocols as the government coordinates the national effort.

A suspected case reported in Wajir County has tested negative for Ebola and positive for malaria, bringing relief to health officials and the public. The original patient, a Kenyan who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo via Uganda, died earlier this week in a Nairobi hospital after testing positive for the Bundibugyo strain. Authorities continue tracing passengers and crew from the Jambojet flight he took into the country.

China has extended a USD 2 million (approximately Ksh 259 million) cash grant to support Kenya’s Ebola preparedness and drought-relief efforts. The World Health Organization remains engaged in monitoring the situation and supporting contact-tracing work. Some healthcare workers who treated the index patient have raised concerns about the conditions of their mandatory quarantine.

Officials stress that there is still no evidence of community transmission inside Kenya. The public has been urged to remain vigilant, report any symptoms promptly and continue observing basic hygiene measures while the surveillance system operates at elevated readiness.

Canadian poet, essayist and translator Anne Carson has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy cited “her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature.” Carson, 76, was reached in Iceland “listening to the wind” and expressed surprise at the honour.

Born in Toronto in 1950, Carson is known for genre-blending works that move freely between poetry, prose, criticism and translation, often drawing on ancient Greek literature and mythology. Notable titles include the verse novel Autobiography of Red, Eros the Bittersweet and Norma Jeane Baker of Troy, which interweaves the stories of Marilyn Monroe and Helen of Troy.

The Academy praised her ability to break from traditional lyrical forms and create playful, ironic works that span classical and modern traditions. Carson has previously received major honours including the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Princess of Asturias Award for Literature. She also holds Icelandic citizenship.

The prize carries a monetary award of 12 million Swedish crowns and will be formally presented in Stockholm in December. Carson becomes one of the relatively few women to receive the literature Nobel, adding to a distinguished list of laureates recognised for reshaping contemporary literary expression.

The World Rally Championship has confirmed that Kenya will host the Safari Rally once again in 2027, securing the country’s place on the official calendar. Organisers indicated that the event is expected to return to the Naivasha area, continuing the successful format that has drawn global attention in recent editions.

The confirmation comes as Kenya Railways also announced a June 2027 target for completion of the Standard Gauge Railway extension, with billions of shillings allocated for compensation of affected persons.

Officials said the railway projects include planned connections to major Nairobi sporting venues, underscoring broader infrastructure momentum.

Local stakeholders welcomed the WRC news as a boost for tourism, hospitality and motorsport development. The Safari Rally remains one of the most distinctive and challenging events on the world calendar, known for its demanding terrain and passionate local support.

Preparations for the 2027 edition are expected to begin in earnest once the full calendar details and exact dates are finalised. The dual announcements of the rally and railway progress were viewed as positive signals for Kenya’s sporting and transport sectors on the same day.

Githunguri Member of Parliament Gathoni Wamuchomba announced on Thursday that she is leaving the ruling United Democratic Alliance and will not seek re-election on its ticket.

Speaking at a press briefing, she said extensive consultations with constituents, community leaders and the church had led her to conclude that her conscience would not allow her to continue associating with party figures she accused of showing disregard for other communities.

Wamuchomba specifically criticised Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale over remarks she described as targeting the Mount Kenya community and said her earlier calls for disciplinary action had been ignored. She stated she would defend her seat for a third term but through a different political vehicle that she will name after further consultations with voters.

The announcement marks another notable defection from UDA ranks in the Mount Kenya region as political realignments intensify ahead of 2027.

Wamuchomba had previously threatened to withdraw support from the Kenya Kwanza administration over similar concerns. She said she would now join ordinary Kenyans in calling out what she termed selective justice and disrespectful rhetoric.

Party leadership had not issued an immediate detailed response by late Thursday. The exit adds to a series of strategic shifts by politicians recalibrating their positions in the run-up to the next general election.

Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta has formally resigned as chairperson of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Council with immediate effect. In a letter dated 5 October he linked the decision to his recent handover of Jubilee Party leadership, stating it was part of the ongoing renewal of democratic institutions. The coalition has since rebranded as The Ukombozi Alliance.

Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka confirmed receipt of the resignation and thanked Kenyatta for his stewardship, emphasising that the former president remains a committed member ready to offer counsel when needed.

Kalonzo clarified that the party-leader and council-chair positions are distinct and that no leadership vacuum exists. Names of Rigathi Gachagua and Siaya Governor James Orengo have been floated as possible replacements during internal discussions.

The move comes weeks after a High Court ruling restricted retired presidents from holding formal party office beyond six months after leaving State House. Kenyatta had already stepped aside from Jubilee leadership in favour of Fred Matiang’i. Opposition figures are now accelerating realignments ahead of the 2027 general election.

Kalonzo insisted the resignation does not signal any fracture within the alliance and reaffirmed the coalition’s unity of purpose. The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has reserved the name The Ukombozi Alliance, formalising the rebrand as parties position themselves for the next electoral contest.

Kenya is racing to contain its first confirmed imported Ebola case after a Kenyan man who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for seven years died in a Nairobi hospital.

The patient fell ill about a month earlier, received treatment in several DRC facilities, travelled by road to Kampala, and flew into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on a Jambojet flight on 3 October before being isolated. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the case involved the Bundibugyo strain and that the man died late on 6 October.

Authorities have quarantined at least ten close contacts, including relatives and health workers, while tracing around 57 others who may have been exposed, among them passengers and crew from the same flight. More than 650,000 travellers have already been screened at ports of entry and 267 samples tested, with only this single positive result so far. Four hospitals have been designated for suspected cases and isolation capacity is being expanded.

The World Health Organization has advised Kenya against closing borders, recommending instead intensified entry screening, rapid contact tracing and targeted public-health measures. Duale has repeatedly assured the public that there is no outbreak inside Kenya and that the country remains open and safe for travel and trade. Counties such as Bomet have already set up sub-county preparedness centres to strengthen surveillance.

Concerns remain about how the patient crossed multiple borders while symptomatic without earlier detection. The Africa CDC is working with regional partners to bolster response capacity as the wider eastern Congo outbreak continues. Officials urge anyone with recent travel history from affected areas and compatible symptoms to seek care immediately.