Why Kenya Is Turning Against Foreign Workers And Businesses with Palki Sharma

Bad news! They are asked to leave, because the economy is not doing well.

(251) Why Kenya Is Turning Against Foreign Workers And Businesses | The Palki Sharma Show | IGR - YouTube

London Marathon 2026 results: Sabastian Sawe makes history with first competitive sub-two-hour marathon

Wow! Very impressive!

"... The 31-year-old Kenyan crossed the line to win in one hour 59 minutes 30 seconds, more than one minute faster than the late [Kenyan] Kelvin Kiptum's previous record of 2:00:35, set in 2023. ..."

London Marathon 2026 results: Sabastian Sawe makes history with first competitive sub-two-hour marathon - BBC Sport

Source

Kakapel rock art timeline reveals 9,000 years of painters in Kenya

Amazing stuff! The abstract of this research paper is lousy and dilettante!

"A recent study ... presents the first millimeter-accurate recording of the paintings at Kakapel rock shelter in Kenya, linking the layers of rock art painted over thousands of years to at least three culturally and genetically distinct groups.

The combination of rock art analysis, aDNA, and excavation data makes Kakapel one of the most comprehensively understood rock art sites in eastern Africa. ..."

From the abstract:

"... first described the Kakapel rock art of western Kenya in 1977.  ...

Fieldwork in 2011 was undertaken to ... further research at the site. This paper presents the first millimetre-accurate redrawing of the main panel at Kakapel and places the site within the broader context of eastern African rock art to propose an age and authorship for the different painted traditions represented there.

It thus builds on and extends current understandings of the rock art sequence of eastern Africa."

Kakapel rock art timeline reveals 9,000 years of painters in Kenya

The rock art of Kakapel Shelter, western Kenya (open access)

Figure 4. Kakapel: redrawing of the images in Layer 1 (redrawn by Wendy Voorveld in 2012 and coloured for publication by Kgolagano Vena).

Figure 5. Kakapel: redrawing of the images in Layer 2 (redrawn by Wendy Voorveld in 2012 and coloured for publication by Kgolagano Vena).

Figure 6. Kakapel: redrawing of the images in Layer 3 (redrawn by Wendy Voorveld in 2012 and coloured for publication by Kgolagano Vena).

Figure 1. Map of East Africa showing location of Kakapel rock art site in relation to other sites and places mentioned in the paper.

Zambia, Kenya, and Ethiopia Choosing Yuan Over Dollar

What is going on in Africa?

Kenya Secures $1 Billion China Trade Deal and at the same time an extension of US market access

Nice move by Kenya!

Kenya Pauses $1 Billion China Trade Deal After Pressure From Trump

Serious stuff!

The Kenya Emergency of the British Empire Explained. Really!

Recommendable! However, this video tries maybe too hard to whitewash the brutal Mau Mau insurgency! It appears to have become a leftist dogma that the casualties and atrocities inflicted by the British were far higher than the civilians killed or mutilated by Mau Mau. However, there was the the lack of means by the Mau Mau to do more killings.

Then there is the issue that the Mau Mau despite the many civilian casualties did not give up, the rebellion lasted from 1952-1960. Why did the Mau Mau  not opt for a more peaceful resistance a la Mahatma Gandhi?

I think, further research is needed.

U.S. backs Zipline with $150M for drone delivery in Africa for medical supplies

Good news!

"Zipline last week announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of State to expand its drone delivery service across Africa. Under a new pay-for-performance model, the State Department is providing Zipline with up to $150 million to expand its infrastructure, enabling African governments to provide delivery of essential medical supplies to hospitals and health facilities.

Zipline said this could triple the number of hospitals and health facilities it serves from 5,000 to 15,000. It could also provide up to 130 million people with instant access to blood and medications. ...

Zipline said African countries will pay up to $400 million in utilization fees. The U.S. government will release funding only when governments sign expansion contracts and commit to paying for ongoing logistics services to ensure long-term sustainability. ...

The American financing will support Zipline in constructing new hubs. Each of the company’s hubs is staffed entirely by local employees, which creates skilled local jobs. ...

Zipline said its infrastructure can deliver better health outcomes by solving the root of many public health challenges in Africa: slow, unreliable, and analog logistics that often leave blood, medications, and supplies out of stock or spoiled. In some places where Zipline operates in Africa, the average time between when a health facility places an order and when it is delivered is 13 days. Zipline said it cut that to under 30 minutes for the facilities it serves in the country. ..."

U.S. backs Zipline with $150M for drone delivery in Africa

Zipline in Africa Source

The Unbelievable Sexuality Of Turkana Women in Kenya

Recommendable! Where women rule!

Africa launches a continental drug regulator, the African Medicines Agency (AMA)

Good news!

"Africa has inaugurated its own drug regulator, the African Medicines Agency (AMA), after ten years in the works. The agency aims to make drug development more relevant to African populations, whose genetic diversity is rarely reflected in global research, and harmonize regulation across its nations. The continent also faces rapid population growth and urbanization, and an upheaval in international funding. ..."

"After more than a decade of planning, the launch of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) is being celebrated in Mombasa, Kenya, this week at the Seventh Biennial Scientific Conference on Medical Products Regulation in Africa. The agency’s establishment marks a pivotal moment in Africa’s public health, at a time when the need for biomedical research conducted in Africa, focused on African health problems, has never been greater. ..."

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

Africa finally has its own drug-regulation agency — and it could transform the continent’s health "If it gets things right, the first major regulator of medicines to launch for 30 years could empower Africa to tackle African challenges around health and disease."

Failure is not an option for Africa’s newly launched medicines agency "The inequitable distribution of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic was the final proof of the need for more home-grown manufacturing and regulatory capacity across Africa."

African Medicines Agency (AMA)

Doping to win women's world marathon record?

African runners too need a little doping to win marathons?

"Women’s marathon record-holder Ruth Chepng’etich received a three-year ban from competition after admitting that she had violated doping rules. The Kenyan runner set the fastest women’s time ever last year at the Chicago Marathon, finishing in 2:09:56."

Friday, October 24, 2025 - Join The Flyover

Kenyan police shoot at mourners viewing body of deceased leader Odinga, killing at least 3

Wow, huge crowds or mourners to pay last respect to an apparently very popular politician!

A historic phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of antimalarial drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy in Africa. Really!

One may cynically ask why is this trial started in Africa and not anywhere else? Are Africans used as guinea pigs? 

Certainly, Africans suffer severely from Malaria, but ???

Is it not enough to give antimalarial drugs to women before pregnancy?

"A historic phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of antimalarial drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy—aimed at addressing a longstanding gap in malaria research—enrolled its first patient; the trial is being conducted in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Kenya. ..."

"

• Through the SAFIRE consortium, experts from Africa and Europe are closing a critical treatment gap for women in early pregnancy.
• Each year, over 12 million pregnant women are exposed to malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Findings will inform global malaria treatment guidelines and help expand treatment options for pregnant women.

The Safety of Antimalarials in the FIRst trimEster (SAFIRE) consortium has enrolled its first patient in Mali, marking the official start of the first-ever Phase 3 adaptive platform trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of antimalarial drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy. ... "

"... An Africa-Europe partnership, SAFIRE is addressing long-standing gaps in malaria research and treatment for pregnant women, who have been systematically excluded from drug development programmes, depriving them of newer, better treatments. ..."

Global Health NOW: Tobacco Use Falls, Industry Pivots; Aid Cuts Hit Yemen Amid Measles Crisis; and Conversion Therapy Goes Before the Court

First patient enrolled in historic Phase 3 clinical trial to treat malaria in first-trimester pregnancy "Major milestone in Africa’s first-ever study assessing malaria treatments in early pregnancy"

First patient enrolled in historic Phase 3 clinical trial to treat malaria in first-trimester pregnancy (original news release) "Major milestone in Africa’s first-ever study assessing malaria treatments in early pregnancy"

Genetic alterations in Kenya's nomadic Turkana people allows them to survive in extreme arid regions

Amazing stuff! This research was first published in January 2023. Not fresh, but not stale! 😊

"The Turkana communities of northern Kenya live in one of the most arid regions on Earth. Perhaps unsurprisingly, when researchers tested blood and urine samples, they discovered that about 90% of the people are dehydrated. What was surprising, however, was that they were generally healthy in spite of this. Their secret? Genetic adaptations that help them fare well with less water. ...

The researchers also looked at gene expression profiles in Turkana people who now live in cities and compared them to the expression patterns of Turkana pastoralists. There was more evidence of selection in the genes that differed between the two groups than in genes that didn’t ..."

From the abstract of the Perspective:

"Despite being genetically homogeneous compared with other animals, humans are geographically diverse and have evolved to meet the demands of local environments, pathogens, and diets.

In 1962, James Neel proposed that genes that predispose people to metabolic diseases may have been advantageous in the evolutionary past.

Yet empirical support for his hypothesis remains limited.  ... Lea et al. report genomic analyses of samples from the Turkana people in northwest Kenya that reveal a more nuanced narrative. The Turkana have practiced nomadic pastoralism (raising and herding of livestock) in extreme arid environments for ~5000 to 8000 years.

The authors analyzed 367 genomes and discovered adaptations to ecological pressures, particularly chronic water scarcity. They identified physiological compromises in kidney function that improved water retention but mildly increased the amounts of urea in the blood. This context-specific trade-off may become pathological as Turkana populations urbanize."

From the editor's summary and abstract:

"Editor’s summary

Humans have adapted to many environments, dietary shifts, and conditions. Lea et al. analyzed blood markers and genomes from 367 Turkana individuals in northwest Kenya ... This group has primarily practiced nomadic pastoralism in an extremely arid environment for the past 5000 to 8000 years, with as much as 80% of their traditional diet being composed of animal products. The authors identified several regions of the genome that appear to be under recent selection, including one near the gene STC1, which is involved in the kidneys’ response to dehydration. The authors also shared the results with these groups, which may help them be more aware of possible medical complications as some individuals move to urban centers. ...

Abstract

The Turkana pastoralists of Kenya inhabit arid, water-limited environments and rely largely on livestock for subsistence. Working with Turkana communities, we sequenced 367 whole genomes and identified eight regions with evidence for recent positive selection. One of these regions includes a putative regulatory element for STC1—a kidney-expressed gene involved in metabolism and the response to dehydration. We show that STC1 is induced by antidiuretic hormone in human cells, is associated with urea levels in the Turkana themselves, and is under strong and recent selection in this population as well as a second East African population, the Daasanach.

This work highlights how integrating anthropological and genomic approaches can lead to a new understanding of human physiology with biomedical relevance."

ScienceAdviser

Partnership with Kenya's Turkana community helps scientists discover genes involved in adaptation to desert living

Trade-offs and human adaptation at the extremes (Perspective, no public access) "Genomic analyses of Turkana pastoralists identify variants that increase water retention"

Adaptations to water stress and pastoralism in the Turkana of northwest Kenya (no public access)

Adaptations to water stress and pastoralism in the Turkana of northwest Kenya (preprint, possibly outdated, open access)

Why Bitcoin is on the rise in Kenyan slums of the capital

Recommendable! Africa is fast adopting digital currencies!

Kenya: Nearly 800 Killed & Injured In Massive Rebellion; Deadly Street Battles Underway

Serious stuff! What is going on in Kenya?

Female baboons with close father bonds tend to live longer lives, study finds

Amazing stuff! Father's Day was just last week!

It seems, the article does not say how much genetics was involved or whether the fathers also had a longer than usual lifespan.

Caveat: I did not read the study.

"A team of biologists and wildlife specialists ... and Amboseli Baboon Research Project, in Kenya, has found evidence that female baboons who have relatively strong ties with their fathers while growing up tend to live longer lives. For their study, ... the [team] tracked the lifespans of more than 200 wild female baboons living in Kenya.

Prior research has shown that most primate fathers typically play little to no role in raising their young—humans appear to be the main exception. ..."

From the abstract:

"Parent–offspring relationships can have profound effects on offspring behaviour, health and fitness in adulthood. These effects are strong when parents make heavy investments in offspring care. 

However, in some mammals, including several species of carnivores, rodents and primates, fathers live and socialize with offspring, but paternal care per se is subtle or indirect.

Do these limited father–offspring relationships also affect later-life outcomes for offspring? Working in a well-studied baboon population where males contribute little direct offspring care, we found that juvenile female baboons who had stronger paternal relationships, or who resided longer with their fathers, led adult lives that were 2–4 years longer than females with weak or short paternal relationships.

This pattern did not differ between females who experienced high versus low levels of early-life adversity; hence, paternal relationships were equally protective in both harsh and benign early environments. Males’ relationships were strongest with juvenile females they were most likely to have sired and when males had few mating opportunities. Hence, father–daughter relationships may be constrained by male mating effort. Because survival predicts female fitness, fathers and their daughters may experience selection to engage socially and stay close in daughters’ early lives."

Female baboons with close father bonds tend to live longer lives, study finds

Early-life paternal relationships predict adult female survival in wild baboons (open access)

Credits: Studie: Gute Vaterbeziehung verlängert das Leben junger Pavian-Weibchen

Fig. 2 Juvenile females’ paternal grooming relationships and co-residency predict their adult survival

Kenya’s ancient Gedi city holds secrets of lost civilisations and efforts to save it from decay

Recommendable! Quite impressive this Gedi city.

Kenya’s energy sector is making strides toward universal electricity access by 2030

Good news!

"Kenya is on track to achieve universal electricity access by 2030, as ambitious implementation plans and electrification using clean energy technologies position the country as an economic and energy development leader across the region, according to the IEA’s new Energy Policy Review of the country.

With a sustained focus on electrification, electricity access rates in Kenya rose from 37% in 2013 to 79% in 2023, with urban areas already achieving full access, the report notes. ..."

Kenya’s energy sector is making strides toward universal electricity access, clean cooking solutions and renewable energy development - News - IEA "New IEA report highlights Kenya’s strong progress in expanding access to electricity and clean cooking driven by robust policies and targeted infrastructure investments"

Credits: Human Progress weekly newsletter

Kenya Arrests Ant Smugglers: Why are People Trafficking the Insects? with Palki Sharma

Bad news! One ant can fetch a price of up to a few hundred dollars.