Friday, 21 August 2026

Kenya’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026

Friday, 21 August 2026

Nairobi—:—London—:—New York—:—Beijing—:—

Kenyan press · Place

Goma

2026-04-302026-08-21

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

May 2026
17 MayThe Standard
… Fears of further spread grew when a laboratory on Sunday confirmed a case in the major eastern DRC city of Goma, which is controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia. …
WHO declares international emergency as Ebola kills more than 80 in DR Congo
15 MayThe Standard
… The region has been plagued by violence for more than 30 years, but fighting intensified in early 2025 when Rwanda-backed M23 fighters seized the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, overwhelming Congolese forces. …
Civilians caught in war of drones in eastern DR Congo
7 MayCapital News
… M23 rebels last year seized control of swathes of the North and South Kivu regions, including the key cities of Goma and Bukavu. …
DR Congo president hints at extending his term and delaying polls
1 MayCitizen Digital
… After going into self-imposed exile, he re-emerged last year in Goma, the key eastern city that had come under the control of Rwandan-based M23 fighters as they mounted a lightning offensive. …
US sanctions DR Congo ex-leader Kabila over rebel ties
April 2026
30 AprThe Standard
… After going into self-imposed exile, he re-emerged last year in Goma, the key eastern city that had come under the control of Rwandan-based M23 fighters as they mounted a lightning offensive. …
US sanctions DR Congo ex-leader Kabila over rebel ties

World & Region

International Contact Group urges DRC to implement FDLR disarmament protocol

The News

The International Contact Group for the Great Lakes region has called on the DRC to swiftly implement a disarmament protocol after an FDLR faction formally accepted and signed it on July 28. The ICG, chaired by France and including the US, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the EU, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, urged Kinshasa to develop an operational plan and realistic timeline for the effective neutralisation of the FDLR.

14 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Friday 14 August

International Contact Group urges DRC to implement FDLR disarmament protocol
The International Contact Group for the Great Lakes region has called on the DRC to swiftly implement a disarmament protocol after an FDLR faction formally accepted and signed it on July 28. The ICG, chaired by France and including the US, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the EU, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, urged Kinshasa to develop an operational plan and realistic timeline for the effective neutralisation of the FDLR.
14 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Monday 3 August

Rwanda and West differ on FDLR threat perception
The article argues that Western governments view the FDLR militia as one weakened armed group among many in eastern DRC, while Rwanda regards it as the surviving military and ideological heir to genocide forces and an existential national security threat rooted in its ideology, intentions, and access to recruitment networks.
3 August 2026 · The Standard →

Friday 31 July

Congolese community asks Kenya to probe M23 recruitment in Nairobi
Members of Kenya's Congolese community have called on the government to investigate alleged recruitment, mobilisation and fundraising activities by the Alliance Fleuve Congo/M23 movement in Nairobi, urging that Kenya's democratic freedoms not be exploited to fuel the conflict in eastern DRC.
31 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Wednesday 22 July

UN experts call for end to M23's violence in eastern DRC
United Nations experts have appealed for an end to the M23 armed group's "reign of terror" in the Democratic Republic of Congo, citing civilian reports of sexual torture and murder. The experts noted that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reported more than 90,000 cases of sexual violence related to armed conflict in DRC in 2025.
22 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Friday 17 July

Seven US aid workers quarantined in Kenya after Ebola exposure
Seven American aid workers who had been in Congo fighting an Ebola outbreak are quarantining at a new isolation facility in Kenya after the U.S. government introduced travel restrictions requiring Americans returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo to spend three weeks in a third country before entering the United States.
17 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Seven Americans quarantine in Kenya under US Ebola travel restrictions
Seven American aid workers who were in Congo fighting an Ebola outbreak are quarantining at a new isolation facility in Kenya after the U.S. introduced travel restrictions requiring American citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo to spend three weeks in a third country before entering the United States.
17 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 9 July

US funds Kenya Ebola readiness with Sh1.9 billion across 22 counties
Kenya will receive Sh1.9 billion from the United States to strengthen readiness against Ebola Virus Disease in 22 high-risk counties through new laboratories, trained personnel, and emergency response centres. The funding covers disease surveillance, laboratory systems, healthcare worker training, emergency response coordination, risk communication, and screening at points of entry.
9 July 2026 · The Standard →

Monday 29 June

UN reports unlawful killings and sexual violence in eastern DRC
A UN independent commission on human rights documented allegations of unlawful killings, sexual violence including sexual slavery, forced recruitment, and attacks on schools and health facilities in North and South Kivu provinces, amid a surge of unrest in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where the army battles the Rwandan-backed M23 group.
29 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Sunday 28 June

Kenya's Foreign Affairs PS urges DRC Leopards to promote peace
Kenya's Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Korir Sing'oei has called on the Democratic Republic of Congo national football team to use their historic FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification as a unifying force for peace in the Eastern DRC, following the team's dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over Uzbekistan.
28 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Kinshasa trapped in failed 2012 military strategy for DRC conflict
An opinion piece argues that Kinshasa is pursuing a military solution to the ongoing DRC conflict while the international community calls for dialogue, noting that while rebels have released prisoners and withdrawn from areas, Kinshasa has not fulfilled its corresponding commitments and continues military escalations around Rubaya and Minembwe highlands.
28 June 2026 · The Standard →

Saturday 13 June

Mbadi's 201-page budget speech long but sparse on detail
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi delivered a 201-page Budget Statement on Thursday that was notably lengthy—comparing the duration to international flights from Nairobi—yet provided limited substantive disclosure.
13 June 2026 · The Standard →

Thursday 11 June

Three Congo labs halt Ebola testing due to reagent shortages
Three laboratories in the Democratic Republic of Congo have run out of supplies needed to test for Ebola, according to the WHO. The labs in Bukavu, Lwiro, and Goma are awaiting reagents to resume work on backlogged samples as the outbreak of the Bundibugyo species continues to grow.
11 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 4 June

Sudan, DR Congo top world's most neglected displacement crises
A Norwegian aid group says Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Colombia head the world's most neglected displacement crises, citing lack of humanitarian funding, media coverage, and international political will. Sudan has more than nine million internally displaced people, four million refugees in neighbouring countries, and 19.5 million facing hunger.
4 June 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 3 June

US sanctions M23 and FDLR commanders over DRC atrocities
The United States has imposed sanctions on M23 intelligence chief John Nzenze and FDLR commander Gustave Kubwayo over alleged human rights abuses, including sexual violence and attacks on civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The US said the measures target individuals linked to instability in the region.
3 June 2026 · The Standard →

Tuesday 2 June

US official seeks Kenya medical facilities for Ebola response
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz says the US State Department is working with Kenya to secure medical support capabilities near the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where an Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak has confirmed 321 cases and 48 deaths.
2 June 2026 · Capital News →

Wednesday 20 May

Ebola deaths in eastern DRC reach 131; WHO declares emergency
Deaths from an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have risen to 131, with 543 suspected cases and 33 confirmed cases in DRC, plus two confirmed cases in Uganda. The WHO Director-General has declared the rare Bundibugyo strain outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, the first such declaration made before convening an emergency committee.
20 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Tuesday 19 May

Ebola outbreak spreading faster than initially detected, WHO warns
A WHO representative warned that Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province may be spreading faster than originally thought, with over 513 suspected cases as of Tuesday and 131 deaths. Modelling by the London-based MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis suggested substantial under-detection and could not rule out more than 1,000 cases already occurring, while one death has been recorded in neighbouring Uganda.
19 May 2026 · Capital News →
WHO examines vaccine and treatment options for DRC Ebola outbreak
The WHO is evaluating candidate vaccines and treatments for an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which the organization has declared an international health emergency. The outbreak, suspected to have killed 131 people and infected more than 500, involves the Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or treatment currently exists.
19 May 2026 · The Standard →
Armed conflicts complicate Ebola response in eastern Congo
The Ebola outbreak spreading in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo faces obstacles from long-running regional conflicts, including M23 militia control of territory and inter-ethnic violence between Lendu and Hema groups in Ituri province, where the outbreak's epicentre is located in Mongbwalu.
19 May 2026 · The Standard →
US issues highest travel alert for DRC, South Sudan, Uganda
The US State Department advised Americans not to travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, or Uganda due to an Ebola outbreak, issuing a "Level 4: Do Not Travel" advisory. The CDC also suspended some visa processing and said non-US passport holders who traveled to these countries in the last 21 days would be restricted from entering the US.
19 May 2026 · The Standard →

Sunday 17 May

WHO declares international emergency over DR Congo Ebola outbreak
The World Health Organization declared an international health emergency over an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has killed more than 80, with 88 deaths and 336 suspected cases reported so far. Fears of wider spread increased after a case was confirmed in the eastern city of Goma.
17 May 2026 · The Standard →

Friday 15 May

Drone strikes wound 25 civilians in eastern DR Congo market
In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a drone attack in Mushaki, a farming area about 40 kilometres from Goma under M23 control, wounded at least 25 civilians including a two-year-old girl last week. The region has been plagued by violence for more than 30 years, with fighting intensifying in early 2025 when Rwanda-backed M23 fighters seized key cities including Goma and Bukavu.
15 May 2026 · The Standard →

Thursday 7 May

DR Congo president considers third term via referendum
DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi said he may seek a third term when his mandate expires in 2028 if the people approve via referendum, contravening the two-term constitutional limit. He also indicated that elections may not be held on schedule due to ongoing conflict in the east.
7 May 2026 · Capital News →

Friday 1 May

US sanctions DR Congo's Kabila for Rwandan rebel ties
The United States sanctioned former DR Congo President Joseph Kabila on Thursday, citing allegations that he assisted Rwandan-linked rebels who have seized parts of his country. The action follows a peace deal that President Trump announced in December after meeting both countries' leaders.
1 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Thursday 30 April

US sanctions DR Congo ex-leader Kabila over rebel support
The United States imposed sanctions on Joseph Kabila, former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, accusing him of providing financial and political support to Rwandan-linked rebels responsible for violence and instability in the region. The action follows a peace deal announced by President Trump in December.
30 April 2026 · The Standard →