First Lady Rachel Ruto, Ida Odinga lead Mau Forest restoration drive By Citizen Reporter June 26, 2026 03:02 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter First Lady Rachel Ruto and Kenya's Ambassador, Permanent Represen …
NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 26 – NAKURU, Kenya, Jun 26 – First Lady Rachel Ruto and Kenya’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNEP Ida Odinga on Thursday led a major tree-planting exercise in the Mau Forest Complex as part of a long-term conservation programme aimed at restoring …
NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 26 – Over 1,650 learners at Karen C Comprehensive School have received shoes donated through a First Lady Rachel Ruto initiative aimed at promoting dignity and inclusivity in education. …
… The devastating fire sent shockwaves across the country, renewing calls for stricter enforcement of fire safety measures in learning institutions to prevent similar tragedies.Yesterday, during the memorial service attended by First Lady Rachel Ruto, Education Cabinet Secretary Ju …
NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 12 – President William Ruto was notably absent on Friday as the nation gathered in Gilgil, Nakuru County, to pay respects to the 16 students who died in the tragic Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire, with First Lady Rachel Ruto instead leading the national m …
… First Lady Rachel Ruto is leading the nation in the ceremony, which has brought together senior government officials, hundreds of bereaved families, and members of the public to honour the victims. …
First Lady Rachel Ruto and Ida Odinga led a tree-planting exercise in the Mau Forest Complex as part of the Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Programme, which aims to plant more than 40 million tree seedlings over the next decade to rehabilitate the forest and support the national campaign to grow 15 billion trees by 2032.
Why it matters
First Lady leads Mau Forest tree-planting restoration drive as part of national campaign to grow 15 billion trees by 2032.
First Lady Rachel Ruto and Ida Odinga led a tree-planting exercise in the Mau Forest Complex as part of the Integrated Conservation and Livelihood Improvement Programme, which aims to plant more than 40 million tree seedlings over the next decade to rehabilitate the forest and support the national campaign to grow 15 billion trees by 2032.
First Lady Rachel Ruto and Kenya's Ambassador to UNEP Ida Odinga led a tree-planting exercise in the Mau Forest Complex as part of a long-term conservation programme targeting the planting of more than 40 million seedlings over the next decade to restore degraded forest landscapes. The First Lady adopted 33 hectares within the forest as part of the restoration campaign.
Over 1,650 learners at Karen C Comprehensive School received shoes donated through First Lady Rachel Ruto's initiative aimed at promoting dignity and inclusivity in education, part of the Voice of Children programme providing school supplies and essential needs.
President William Ruto arrived in Evian, France, to represent Africa at the G7 Leaders' Summit, invited by French President Emmanuel Macron. Ruto, accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto and Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, will participate in discussions on the economy, international trade, climate action, security, and artificial intelligence.
President William Ruto arrived in Evian, France, to participate in the G7 Leaders' Summit as an invited guest of French President Emmanuel Macron. Ruto is expected to advocate for reforms of the global financial system and stronger Africa-world partnerships on trade, infrastructure, and energy.
An opinion piece reflects on a ceremony at Gilgil Stadium where sixteen empty places marked the deaths of schoolgirls, with First Lady Rachel Ruto and national leaders present in silence.
A joint memorial service was held at Gilgil Stadium in Nakuru County for 15 schoolgirls who died in a dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Senior School two weeks prior. The ceremony, attended by hundreds of mourners including the First Lady and government officials, saw families honour the departed students amid renewed calls for stricter fire safety enforcement in learning institutions.
Former Deputy Inspector General Edward Mbugua, founder of Utumishi Girls Academy, has proposed abolishing boarding schools in Kenya and converting dormitories into laboratories and workshops. Speaking at a memorial service for sixteen Utumishi Girls High School students who died in a dormitory fire on May 27, Mbugua urged the government and education stakeholders to transition toward day schooling and strengthen local schools to prevent similar tragedies.
President William Ruto did not attend a national memorial service in Gilgil, Nakuru County, for 16 students who died in the Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire; First Lady Rachel Ruto led the ceremony alongside senior government officials instead, while the President hosted grassroots leaders from Marsabit County at State House.
A memorial service for 16 Utumishi Girls students who died in a school fire last month was held at Gilgil Stadium, led by First Lady Rachel Ruto and attended by senior government officials and bereaved families. The bodies of 15 victims present at the stadium will be released to families for burial, with one student already buried previously in Kwale County.
Kenya and Finland have signed memoranda of understanding on education (covering technical and vocational training, teacher development, and competency-based learning), digital innovation (digitisation of public services and digital transformation), and climate action (climate change resilience, environmental sustainability, and green growth). President William Ruto witnessed the ceremony with President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki on June 10, 2026.
President William Ruto arrived in Helsinki for a two-day state visit focused on strengthening bilateral relations, trade, investment, technology partnerships, and cooperation in clean energy and sustainable development. During his preceding Norway visit, Ruto met with Norwegian officials and businesses to advance Kenya-Norway cooperation on shipping, blue economy, and sovereign wealth fund management, resulting in Norwegian firms' commitment to recruit 120 Kenyan seafarers by end-of-year and 1,000 more by 2030.
President Ruto told Norwegian investors at a business forum in Oslo that Kenya offers clean energy, regional connectivity, and a young workforce as an attractive investment hub for expanding across Africa. The two countries are deepening cooperation in electric mobility, the blue economy, and fisheries, with bilateral trade currently at $54 million in 2025 but targeted to reach $500 million.
President Ruto told Norwegian business leaders at a forum in Oslo that Kenya offers a young workforce, strategic continental location, and clean energy systems, while highlighting Norway's expertise in clean energy, maritime technology, and sustainable fisheries as complementary strengths for partnership.
President William Ruto oversaw the signing of three major cooperation agreements with Finland during a State Visit to Helsinki, covering education, technology, and climate action. The agreements are expected to deepen bilateral relations through practical collaboration in TVET, digital transformation, and climate initiatives.
President William Ruto pledged to deepen economic, diplomatic, and strategic ties with South Africa during a State Visit to Pretoria, saying the two nations are key players in elevating Africa's voice on the global stage and positioning themselves as drivers of Africa's transformation.
President William Ruto travelled to South Africa on Wednesday aboard a privately chartered Boeing Business Jet 2, as Kenya's official presidential aircraft—a Fokker 70 acquired in 1995—remains out of service in the Netherlands since August 2025.
President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto arrived in Pretoria, South Africa, on Wednesday for a two-day State Visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Kenya and South Africa. Ruto described Kenya-South Africa ties as a strategic partnership anchored on trade, investment, pharmaceuticals, and vaccine development, with a shared vision for Africa's economic transformation.
The Diaspora Women Leaders Caucus, First Lady Rachel Ruto, and the Joyful Women Organization have agreed to collaborate on linking Kenyan women entrepreneurs to international markets and expanding global opportunities for locally made products, with the State Department for Diaspora Affairs coordinating implementation.
President William Ruto will visit Finland from June 10 for a two-day state visit hosted by President Alexander Stubb, focusing on strengthening diplomatic, trade, and investment ties between the two countries. The visit will include official discussions at the Presidential Palace on topics including the UN system, mediation, regional issues, and trade promotion, along with a joint press conference and ceremonies in Helsinki.
President William Ruto issued a formal apology to the people of Northern Kenya for state-sanctioned marginalisation and neglect resulting from a 1965 Cabinet Sessional Paper that concentrated development on so-called "high potential" areas, leaving the northern frontier without adequate roads, water, healthcare or schools.
President Ruto emotionally recounted the loss of his first-born son while addressing maternal and newborn deaths in Kenya at the National Prayer Breakfast in Nairobi, saying the experience remains personal to him and First Lady Rachel Ruto.
Gloria Orwoba criticized the government for proceeding with the National Prayer Breakfast while a fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County killed 16 learners and injured 79 others. She argued the event should have been cancelled in honour of the deceased and accused the government of failing to implement school safety measures despite previous tragedies.
During a State Visit to Kazakhstan, First Lady Rachel Ruto visited the Asyl Miras Center for children with autism and called for Kenya to adopt similar models of comprehensive support, awareness-raising and professional training to serve children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families.
Presidents William Ruto and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev agreed to translate trade and investment ties into concrete commercial partnerships during a business forum, laying out a roadmap for cooperation in trade, energy, logistics and technology.
Kenya and Kazakhstan have signed bilateral agreements during President William Ruto's State Visit to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties, with the agreements positioning Kenya as Kazakhstan's anchor nation in East and Central Africa and Kazakhstan as Kenya's gateway to Central Asia.
An editorial argues that Africa's partnerships with external actors—focused on financing, infrastructure, resources, and trade—risk deepening dependency unless the continent develops industry-ready skills to drive its own industrialisation and fulfil the vision of the African Continental Free Trade Area and Agenda 2063.
Kenya's First Lady Rachel Ruto called for child protection to be central to Africa's digital transformation, warning that the continent's rapid digital expansion and projected 400 million child users by 2030 are outpacing fragmented safety systems and underdeveloped online safety legislation.
President William Ruto arrived in Baku to participate in the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum, where Kenya has been recognized for progress in affordable housing and sustainable urban development. During the visit, Ruto is expected to hold bilateral meetings with heads of state and international investors to deepen cooperation in energy, ICT, infrastructure development, and agricultural exports, including talks with Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev.
First Ladies across Africa have called for governments, technology companies, parents, educators, and communities to work together to protect children in digital spaces and an increasingly AI-driven world, speaking at the Africa Forward Summit's High-Level Side Event on Building Safer Digital Spaces for Children in Africa.