East Africa woke up to a grim regional tragedy on Friday even as Kenya juggled diplomatic, security and economic headaches of its own. Here is a roundup of the stories shaping the day.
A fire tore through two primary schools in Bukavu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s rebel-held South Kivu province, on Thursday, triggering a stampede that left dozens of children dead. According to Al Jazeera, the blaze broke out at the Ujamaa and Furaha schools and a neighbouring settlement, with local officials citing a death toll of at least 20 to 24, mostly girls, while a nurse described receiving roughly 50 students and teachers with severe smoke inhalation. The fire also destroyed hundreds of nearby homes. Casualty figures remain unconfirmed and are still being verified by authorities in the M23-held city.
Closer to home, the diplomatic fallout from Kenya’s crackdown on undocumented foreign traders has claimed a prominent casualty. According to Kenyans.co.ke, the African Union Commission dismissed veteran Burundian diplomat Fred Gateretse Ngoga for gross misconduct after he publicly questioned why Burundian nationals were being singled out under President William Ruto’s directive. The sacking comes as hundreds of Burundians continue queuing outside their Nairobi embassy for travel documents, even after Kenya apologised and offered a 90-day grace period for foreign traders to regularise their status.
In a separate development, Kenya’s anti-graft agency struck against alleged police corruption. Kenyans.co.ke reports that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission arrested two DCI officers based in Kipkelion after they allegedly demanded Sh500,000 from a complainant to terminate a murder investigation against him. The pair were caught receiving a Sh120,000 down payment and were later released on Sh30,000 cash bail each as investigations continue.
On the economic front, Kenya is turning to Washington for relief from its punishing borrowing costs. The Daily Nation reports that Nairobi is seeking a US sovereign loan guarantee, possibly through the US Development Finance Corporation, to unlock cheaper financing after paying a steep 10.4% yield on a $1.5 billion Eurobond in February, well above the 6.875% rate on the bond it was refinancing. Kenya’s debt-to-GDP ratio now tops 70%, and Treasury officials say persistent economic shocks are straining the country’s finances even as a $500 million Eurobond nears maturity.