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By.philes isaboke

Three Saudi citizens, including a national pilot, were killed after Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired ballistic missiles at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed Friday that the attack on Thursday, October 8, killed three people and wounded several others of different nationalities.

The deceased pilot was identified as Captain Hamoud Ali al-Kalthami. In an obituary, Saudia Group said, “It is with profound sadness that Saudia announces the passing of Captain Hamoud Ali al-Kalthami, who lost his life on Thursday in the incident at King Khalid International Airport.”

According to GACA, the first missile targeted airport facilities, while the second struck a Saudia aircraft parked on the tarmac. The aircraft had no passengers on board at the time but sustained damage.

The Houthis claimed responsibility, saying they targeted the airport with a ballistic missile.

The attack is the deadliest on Saudi soil since the Kingdom launched a military offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. It prompted hundreds of flight cancellations. FlightAware reported massive disruptions, with Air India suspending flights to Riyadh through Saturday, Lufthansa Group through October 16, and Pakistan International Airlines also suspending operations.

The United States Embassy issued a security alert Friday urging Americans across the Middle East to “exercise heightened vigilance” due to potential airspace closures and travel disruptions.

Oil prices surged more than 5 percent on Friday following the attack, amid fears of wider shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb.

Operations at the airport resumed at 6 p.m. Thursday, but Saudi authorities said they are assessing damage and reviewing security.

The escalation comes days before Riyadh was due to host a major gathering of global oil industry leaders.

by.philes isaboke

South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, 85, has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her lifelong efforts to promote peace and international law.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award on Friday at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.

“The system of international law is under tremendous pressure, and its institutions are under attack,” the Committee said in its citation. “We see a shift towards power politics at the expense of legal frameworks. Whenever might overtakes right, it undermines stability, trust and peaceful co-existence.”

Born in 1941 in Durban to a family of Indian Tamil origin during apartheid, Pillay made history in 1967 as the first woman to start a law practice in Natal Province and later as the first non-white woman to serve as a judge on South Africa’s High Court.

Her early legal work included defending Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists.

Internationally, she served as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she played a landmark role in establishing rape and sexual violence as acts of genocide, and as a judge of the International Criminal Court. She also served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.

Most recently, she chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which last year concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Israel dismissed the report as “scandalous.”

The Committee praised Pillay for holding states accountable and bringing hope to victims, noting a “common thread” from her anti-apartheid work to major international tribunals.

The Prize is worth 12 million Swedish crowns, about USD 1.2 million, and will be presented in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

Pillay succeeds Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won in 2025.

by.philes isaboke

INDIA DONATES 6,000 PPE KITS AS KENYA CONTAINS EBOLA SCARE

India has donated 6,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to Kenya to support the country’s Ebola response, as health officials maintain that the country remains safe after an imported case.

The High Commission of India in Kenya said on Thursday, “India stands in solidarity with Kenya in its efforts to combat Ebola Virus Disease. We remain committed to supporting Kenya’s public health preparedness.”

The donation comes after Kenya’s Ministry of Health confirmed on Monday that a traveller from the Democratic Republic of Congo died on October 6 after testing positive for Ebola.

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale briefed diplomats on Thursday, assuring them that a single imported case does not indicate widespread transmission.

In a related development, Wajir County Governor on Thursday confirmed that a suspected Ebola case reported in Wajir had tested negative.

Kenya also received a USD 2 million grant from China yesterday, split equally between Ebola response and drought mitigation.

The Ministry said the National Incident Management System has been operational since May 2026, with surveillance intensified at health facilities, border points, and communities. Rapid response teams remain on high alert nationwide.

“The response continues to be guided by verified epidemiological information, scientific evidence and established public health protocols,” the Ministry said.

Citizens have been urged to report any suspected symptoms and observe hygiene measures.

By.philes isaboke

The Cabinet has approved a major financial rescue package for Kenya Airways in a bid to save the struggling national carrier.

In a dispatch released after a Cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House on Friday, the government approved USD 350 million, approximately Ksh 45.4 billion, in shareholder financing.

According to the statement, the funds are intended to meet urgent financial obligations, including aircraft maintenance and efforts to return grounded planes to service. The financing will be disbursed in tranches under the oversight of the National Treasury, with a repayment period of up to ten years and a clause allowing for possible conversion into equity.

In a second intervention, Cabinet endorsed the proposed conversion of Ksh 122 billion in existing government loans, together with accrued interest, into an equity-qualifying tradable instrument. The move is designed to clean up Kenya Airways’ balance sheet and improve its ability to attract strategic investors.

“The interventions form part of the airline’s long-term turnaround plan,” the dispatch read.

The government defended the bailout, noting that Kenya Airways contributes more than USD 1.3 billion annually to Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product through tourism, trade, and regional connectivity.

The approvals are not yet final. Both measures remain subject to corporate, shareholder, and regulatory approvals.

The national carrier, which is majority-owned by the government, has been loss-making for over a decade and is currently seeking fresh capital from strategic investors.

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.

Two police officers, including a senior police commander, have been killed after their vehicle struck a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) along the Saretho–Dadaab road in Garissa County on Friday morning.

The incident occurred at approximately 6:00 a.m. when a Toyota Land Cruiser attached to Hagadera Police Station ran over the suspected explosive device along the main supply route, killing the Hagadera Sub-County Police Commander and his driver at the scene.

According to reports by Kenyan media, the explosion extensively damaged the vehicle, prompting a security response in the area as authorities began investigating the incident.

Garissa County Police Commander Samson Chelugo confirmed the deaths, while additional security personnel were dispatched to the scene to investigate the circumstances surrounding the blast and pursue those responsible. 

Preliminary reports suggest that the incident could be linked to militant activity in the region, with suspected Al-Shabaab militants being mentioned as possible perpetrators. However, no verified claim of responsibility had been reported at the time of publication.

Investigators are working to establish how the explosive device was planted along the road and identify those responsible for the attack. Security operations have also been intensified in the area following the incident. 

The attack has renewed concerns about the safety of roads used by security officers and other motorists in northeastern Kenya, particularly in areas near the Kenya–Somalia border.

Garissa and neighbouring counties have experienced previous incidents involving roadside explosives, which have targeted security personnel and disrupted movement along key transport routes.

The Saretho–Dadaab road is an important route for transportation and security operations in the region. The latest incident highlights the continuing challenges facing security agencies as they work to protect personnel and communities.

Investigations into Friday’s explosion remain ongoing, with authorities expected to provide further information as more details become available. 

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