Kenya Minute.
Thursday, 18 June 2026
Kenya’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Thursday, 18 June 2026
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Politics

Parliamentary finance committee rejects Ruto tax proposals

The News

The National Assembly's Committee on Finance and National Planning has broken ranks with President William Ruto's administration, recommending the deletion or softening of central proposals in the government's latest revenue-raising plan.

Why it matters

Parliament's break from Ruto on tax proposals represents a significant shift in fiscal governance with direct impact on Kenyans' wallets and government revenue.

7 hours ago · The Standard

Politics

  1. Parliamentary finance committee rejects Ruto tax proposals

    The National Assembly's Committee on Finance and National Planning has broken ranks with President William Ruto's administration, recommending the deletion or softening of central proposals in the government's latest revenue-raising plan.

    7 hours ago · The Standard

  2. Parliament clashes over Finance Bill 2026 tax increases

    MPs engaged in sharp exchanges and political brinkmanship over alleged hidden tax increases in the Finance Bill 2026 and its rapid progression through Parliament.

    7 hours ago · The Standard

  3. AG, Defence Council defend KDF deployment in 2024 Gen Z protests

    The Attorney General and the Defence Council have clashed with the Law Society of Kenya over the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces to contain the youth-led 2024 protests.

    7 hours ago · The Standard

Agriculture & Land

  1. Drought causes maize crop failures in Kenya's grain belt

    Farmers in Kenya's grain basket face significant losses as maize fields dry up following a prolonged dry spell, threatening to trigger a major food crisis.

    7 hours ago · The Standard

Society

  1. EACC warns of rising digital corruption draining public funds

    The anti-corruption watchdog has raised concerns over increased digital corruption as an emerging graft trend consuming billions of taxpayers' money.

    7 hours ago · The Standard

  2. Teachers' promotion scheme to prioritize qualifications, reduce job groups

    A major overhaul of teachers' promotions will restore academic qualifications as a key criterion and reduce job groups from 11 to 9 to address stagnation in the profession.

    7 hours ago · The Standard

  3. 61 teachers seek transfers amid by-election tension and intimidation

    At least 61 teachers have formally applied for transfers, which the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet) has linked to ongoing by-election campaigns. The union reported cases of intimidation and ethnic profiling in parts of the county.

    7 hours ago · The Standard

World & Region

  1. Global leaders increasingly turn to China for development partnerships

    China has recently hosted multiple world leaders and senior officials, positioning itself as a major economic, technological, and diplomatic power through initiatives like the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation that focus on trade, infrastructure, and investment partnerships.

    7 hours ago · The Standard

  2. Russia says Ukraine drone hit bus with Belarusian children

    Russia reported that a Ukrainian drone struck a bus carrying a children's football team from Belarus in the Bryansk region, killing an accompanying woman and wounding seven people including five children. Ukraine's military dismissed the Russian statement as false.

    8 hours ago · Citizen Digital

  3. Congo Ebola outbreak strains health response one month on

    Health workers battling an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo lack personnel, ambulances, and construction materials for isolation wards. A month after the WHO declared an international emergency, the rare Bundibugyo strain outbreak has grown to more than 800 confirmed cases, with warnings it could surpass the 2014-16 West Africa epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people.

    8 hours ago · Citizen Digital

  4. Taiwan says Kenya barred its delegates from ocean conference

    Taiwan's government said Kenya barred delegates from attending an international ocean conference under pressure from China. According to Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, visas issued to Taiwanese scientists were revoked at the last minute, and some participants had their passports and phones confiscated for more than 20 hours.

    10 hours ago · Citizen Digital

  5. G7 leaders unite on pressuring Russia over Ukraine war

    G7 leaders at a three-day summit hailed newly-found unity on increasing pressure on Russia to end its war against Ukraine, sensing a shift by President Donald Trump to take a tougher line against Moscow. The leaders agreed on a final statement involving key geopolitical issues and committed to increasing supplies of air defence equipment to Ukraine.

    3 hours ago · Citizen Digital

  6. Finland's parliament votes to lift ban on nuclear weapons

    Finland's parliament voted 125–61 to lift a total ban on nuclear weapons, allowing them to be brought, transported, supplied, or possessed where Finland's military defence requires it, aligning the country with NATO's deterrence policy after joining the alliance in 2023. The decision repeals restrictions from the Nuclear Energy Act dating to the 1980s and requires presidential approval.

    4 hours ago · Citizen Digital

  7. China urges Iran, US to implement war-ending memorandum

    China's foreign minister Wang Yi told his Iranian counterpart that all sides must "genuinely implement" their commitments after Tehran and Washington reached a memorandum of understanding to end their war, and called for careful handling of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

    5 hours ago · Citizen Digital

  8. Strait of Hormuz reopening likely to take time normalizing

    The vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane is expected to reopen on Friday after nearly four months following a US-Iran agreement to end the Middle East war. While stranded ships could theoretically move through almost immediately once formal approval is given, some vessels may require underwater hull cleaning, and a return to normal operations is likely to take time.

    6 hours ago · Citizen Digital

  9. Prince Harry and family to visit UK in July

    Prince Harry, his wife Meghan, and their two children will visit the UK next month, their first family trip to the country since 2022, British media reported. Harry has reportedly been planning the visit to mark the one-year countdown to the 2027 Invictus Games, due to be held in Birmingham.

    7 hours ago · Citizen Digital

Opinion

  1. Opinion: Blaming teachers alone obscures systemic school failures

    An opinion piece argues that Kenya's tendency to scapegoat teachers after school tragedies, citing the Utumishi Academy incident, prevents proper investigation of institutional failures. The author draws on sociologist Stanley Cohen's theory of moral panic and international examples like Columbine and Virginia Tech to show that complex systemic issues—not individual negligence—typically underlie such disasters.

    7 hours ago · The Standard

  2. Opposition leaders lack genuine reform credentials, opinion argues

    An opinion piece contends that many opposition politicians are not authentic reformers but rather respond opportunistically to changed political circumstances, adopting the language of reform only to win sympathy while maintaining previous patterns once in power.

    7 hours ago · The Standard

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