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Thursday, 21 May 2026
Kenya’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026
Thursday, 21 May 2026
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Kenyan press · Place

Russia

Also known as: Moscow

2026-04-242026-05-21

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. May 2026
  2. Sunday, the WHO said it was maintaining its assessment of the hantavirus outbreak as "low risk". - Andes strain - The people disembarking on Monday comprise 17 from the Philippines, four from the Netherlands (two crew and the two medical staff), four from Ukraine, one from Russia

    Citizen Digital

    Hantavirus-hit cruise ship ends deadly voyage
  3. mulls diversification into defence By AFP May 17, 2026 05:33 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter The comment's by the Mercedes-Benz CEO come as Germany is beefing up its military capacity in response to Russia

    Citizen Digital

    Mercedes Benz mulls diversification into defence
  4. Kyiv says Russia has returned 528 bodies to Ukraine By AFP May 17, 2026 03:04 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter People are crying at a makeshift memorial near a partially destroyed residential building in Kyi

    Citizen Digital

    Kyiv says Russia has returned 528 bodies to Ukraine
World & Region

Iran jails ex-goalkeeper for anti-Khamenei social media post

The News

Iran has jailed Mohammad Rashid Mazaheri, a former goalkeeper for the national men's football team who played in the 2018 World Cup, after he published a post critical of then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei earlier this year. The Iranian judiciary confirmed his arrest but claimed he was detained for attempting to illegally cross the border, according to his wife's account.

5 hours ago · Citizen Digital

Yesterday

  1. Iran jails ex-goalkeeper for anti-Khamenei social media post

    Iran has jailed Mohammad Rashid Mazaheri, a former goalkeeper for the national men's football team who played in the 2018 World Cup, after he published a post critical of then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei earlier this year. The Iranian judiciary confirmed his arrest but claimed he was detained for attempting to illegally cross the border, according to his wife's account.

    5 hours ago · Citizen Digital

  2. Russian director returns with Ukraine war drama film

    Acclaimed Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev premiered "Minotaur" at Cannes Film Festival, his first film in nine years and first in exile, a family drama set amid the war in Ukraine featuring a wealthy Russian couple's failing marriage against the backdrop of men being drafted for the front.

    20 hours ago · Citizen Digital

Tuesday 19 May

  1. Putin visits Beijing for summit with Xi Jinping

    Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Beijing on Tuesday for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to deepen their strategic partnership. The two nuclear powers' relations are underpinned by China's economic heft and Russia's vast oil production, likely central to this week's talks.

    19 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship docks in Rotterdam after outbreak

    A Dutch cruise ship operated by Oceanwide Expeditions docked in Rotterdam Harbour with a skeleton crew after a hantavirus outbreak killed three passengers. The remaining crew faces weeks of quarantine, though the WHO has stressed that contagion from the virus is very rare despite its multi-week incubation period.

    19 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

Sunday 17 May

  1. Mercedes-Benz CEO open to entering defence industry

    Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kaellenius said the company has not ruled out entering the defence industry, stating that Europe needs to strengthen its defence capabilities in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His remarks reflect Germany's broader effort to boost military capacity.

    17 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. Russia returns 528 bodies to Ukraine in repatriation effort

    Kyiv said Russia has returned 528 bodies identified as Ukrainian soldiers killed in action, one of the few areas of cooperation between the warring neighbours. The prisoners of war centre stated that investigators will take necessary steps to identify the repatriated deceased, following a prisoner exchange between the two countries.

    17 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

  3. Ukrainian drone barrage kills three in Moscow region

    Over 500 Ukrainian drones attacked Russia overnight, killing three people in the Moscow region, with air defences shooting down 556 drones across 14 Russian regions and other areas including Crimea and the Black and Azov seas, according to Russia's defence ministry.

    17 May 2026 · The Standard

Saturday 16 May

  1. Thirty-six countries approve special tribunal for Ukraine

    Thirty-four European states plus Australia, Costa Rica, and the EU expressed intention to join a special tribunal to prosecute Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an accord with the Council of Europe last year to create a legal body to prosecute the "crime of aggression" in the invasion Russia launched in 2022.

    16 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. Ukraine vows more strikes after Russian attack kills 24

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed to launch retaliatory strikes on Russia after a Russian missile strike on Kyiv killed 24 people, including three children. A Ukrainian drone strike on the Russian city of Ryazan killed four people, including a child, amid the ongoing four-year invasion.

    16 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

Friday 15 May

  1. Ukraine's mental health crisis will impact generations, WHO warns

    The World Health Organization says Ukraine's mental health needs are growing four years into Russia's full-scale invasion, with 71 percent of people experiencing anxiety, stress, and sleeplessness. WHO estimates that mental health effects will be felt for generations, with two-thirds of Ukrainians reporting worsened health since the war began.

    15 May 2026 · The Standard

Tuesday 12 May

  1. France hosts first African summit in Kenya, pledges $27bn investment

    At the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, French President Emmanuel Macron announced $27bn in investments in energy transition, digital, AI, maritime economy and agriculture, saying France aims to broaden partnerships and move beyond traditional colonial-era ties. Macron stated the investments would create some 250,000 jobs in Africa and France, and called for African business leaders to invest in France as well.

    12 May 2026 · Capital News

  2. Russia and Ukraine resume military strikes after three-day truce

    Russia resumed attacks on Ukraine as a three-day ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump expired on Tuesday, striking the capital with drones and killing one person in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region. The Russian military said it shot down 27 Ukrainian drones after the ceasefire ended.

    12 May 2026 · The Standard

  3. Gachagua calls Ruto Kenya's greatest threat at Africa Forward Summit

    Democratic Change Party leader Rigathi Gachagua dismissed the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi as a political "sideshow," accusing President William Ruto of seeking international legitimacy while ignoring crises in healthcare, education and security. Gachagua directed remarks at UN Secretary-General António Guterres and French President Emmanuel Macron, calling Ruto a human rights violator and threat to regional stability, and cited the abduction of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye in Nairobi in November 2024 as evidence of government collusion with foreign governments.

    12 May 2026 · The Standard

Monday 11 May

  1. EU diplomat: Ukraine war dynamics shifting in Kyiv's favour

    EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the Ukraine war's dynamics are changing in Kyiv's favour, citing Moscow's record battlefield losses and Ukraine's deep strikes into Russia. Kallas stated that Ukraine is in a much better position than a year ago, and that Putin is in a weaker position than ever before.

    11 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. Guterres advocates for Africa's permanent UN Security Council seat

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres has renewed his push for fair representation of African countries in the multilateral system, arguing that Africa has demonstrated potential in clean energy, digital innovation, peacebuilding, and economic transformation, but is held back by global obstacles including unjust borrowing costs and debt burdens.

    11 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

Sunday 10 May

  1. Family holds mock burial for Kenyan killed in Russia-Ukraine war

    Oscar Khagola Mutoka, a former Kenya Defence Forces soldier, died fighting for Russia against Ukraine on August 14, 2025, but his body was never recovered. His family conducted a symbolic burial ceremony in Busia County, burying a stone foundation instead of his remains, and called on the government to intervene against young Kenyans being recruited to fight in foreign wars.

    10 May 2026 · The Standard

Saturday 9 May

  1. Putin receives Slovak PM Fico at Kremlin Victory Day

    Russian President Vladimir Putin received Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Kremlin on Saturday during Russia's scaled-back Victory Day celebrations, with Fico as the only EU leader visiting Moscow. A handful of European states refused to let Fico's plane use their airspace en route to Moscow.

    9 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. Trump announces three-day Russia-Ukraine ceasefire with prisoner swap

    US President Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine that includes suspension of all kinetic activity and a prisoner swap of 1,000 prisoners from each country. Both Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian state media confirmed agreement to the proposal.

    9 May 2026 · Capital News

  3. Kenyan recruits describe frontline experiences in Ukraine war

    Kenyan recruits with little to no military training have been deployed to fight on the Russia-Ukraine frontlines, according to accounts from individuals like Dickson Chege, who arrived in Russia in December 2025 with no weapons training and found himself assigned to dangerous drone-hunting duties in eastern Ukraine.

    9 May 2026 · The Standard

Friday 8 May

  1. Sabalenka hopes to compete under Belarus flag again

    World number one Aryna Sabalenka hopes to represent Belarus after the IOC lifted its ban on the country's athletes competing in the Olympics. Sabalenka has competed under a neutral banner due to Belarus's support for Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

    8 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. IOC lifts ban on Belarusian Olympic athletes; Russia still restricted

    The International Olympic Committee lifted restrictions on Belarusian athletes competing in the Olympics, allowing them to participate in teams. Russian athletes remain restricted and may only compete under a neutral banner on an individual basis if they have not actively supported the conflict in Ukraine.

    8 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

  3. Government unable to confirm number of Kenyans in Russian military

    Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi admitted the government cannot confirm how many Kenyans have been recruited into Russian military operations, noting that some travelled without notifying authorities or families.

    8 May 2026 · The Standard

  4. Government unable to confirm how many Kenyans joined Russian military

    Prime Cabinet Secretary Mudavadi has admitted the government cannot confirm the number of Kenyans recruited into Russian military operations, saying some travelled without notifying authorities or their families.

    8 May 2026 · The Standard

  5. Russia, Ukraine launch major attacks amid ceasefire collapse

    Russia and Ukraine exchanged intensive strikes on Friday as Moscow's declared two-day unilateral ceasefire around its World War II commemorations broke down. Ukraine's air force reported downing 56 drones while Russia conducted over 850 drone strikes and more than 140 strikes on Kyiv's frontline positions, according to President Zelensky.

    8 May 2026 · The Standard

  6. Twin jihadist attacks kill more than 30 in central Mali

    Two strikes claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) killed more than 30 people in villages in central Mali on Wednesday, according to security and administrative sources. The assaults were reportedly in retaliation for acts by the Dan Nan Ambassagou militia, a self-defence group that authorities have accused of a massacre.

    8 May 2026 · The Standard

Thursday 7 May

  1. Kenyans recruited in Russian army rises to 291, with 19 dead

    The Prime Cabinet Secretary told the Senate that 291 Kenyans have been confirmed recruited into the Russian army, up from 252 reported in April; 19 are believed dead, 53 have been repatriated, 42 are missing, and 2 are held as prisoners of war in Ukraine.

    7 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. Zelensky accuses Russia of rejecting ceasefire, escalating attacks

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia rejected a Ukrainian ceasefire proposal by launching fresh attacks, raising the prospect of Ukrainian retaliatory strikes during Russia's May 9 World War II commemoration, after the Kremlin had proposed a mutual ceasefire pause for that day.

    7 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

Wednesday 6 May

  1. Uganda parliament passes controversial foreign agents bill

    Uganda's parliament passed the "Protection of Sovereignty Bill," which criminalises actions promoting "the interests of a foreigner against those of Uganda" and labels foreign-funded recipients as "agents of foreigners," with convictions carrying sentences of up to 20 years. Rights groups and journalists have criticised the law for mirroring Russian language used to silence dissent.

    6 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

Tuesday 5 May

  1. UK sanctions 35 individuals and entities over Kenya trafficking

    The UK has imposed sanctions on 35 individuals and entities linked to Russian drone production and human trafficking networks accused of deceptively recruiting foreign migrants, including Kenyans, either to send them to the front line in Ukraine or to work in weapons factories.

    5 May 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. Three dead in suspected cruise ship hantavirus outbreak

    Three people have died after a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship sailing between Argentina and Cape Verde, with one case confirmed by the WHO, which said the public risk remains low. The outbreak has raised questions about whether hantavirus, normally spread by rodent contact, is being transmitted between humans.

    5 May 2026 · The Standard

Russia — Kenyan press coverage · Kenya Minute