Here is what you need to know to keep up to speed with today’s happenings.

Church services to honour Pope Francis

Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, April 21, 2025, various catholic priests are expected to lead masses in honour of the late pontiff.

“As good children of this common Father and shepherd, we all come together to offer prayers for our dear Holy Father. I invite you all to offer masses for his soul for the next seven days, and invite all Christians to pray rosaries and sacrifices for his soul,” Archbishop of Nyeri Anthony Muheria implored faithful in his message.

Ruto to arrive in China

President William Ruto is expected to arrive in China on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, where he is expected to hold a series of meetings and other high-level engagements.

He is expected to be received by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Ambassador Willy Bett at Beijing Capital International Airport, among other high-ranking officials from China.

According to State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, he is expected to hold talks with President Xi Jinping on matters of economy, development, and global cooperation.

He will also officiate the Kenya-China Business Forum, bringing together over 100 companies from both countries to explore new opportunities in trade, investment, digital innovation, and industrial growth.

“As part of efforts to boost Kenya’s agricultural exports, he will inaugurate the Kenya Tea Holding Centre in Fujian Province. Situated in one of China’s key tea regions, the centre will enhance the visibility and market access of Kenyan tea, support smallholder farmers, and strengthen Kenya’s trade footprint in Asia,” the statement explained.

Parliament session

Parliament is expected to resume on Tuesday, April 22, 202,5, with various issues lined up to be deliberated upon.

A motion on the consideration of the prevention of terrorism (implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions on Suppression of Terrorism) regulations, 2024, is expected to be tabled.

The county governments’ additional allocation bill (Senate Bill No.1 of 2025) is expected to be presented for the second reading.

The Learners with Disabilities Bill (Senate Bill No.4 of 2023) will also be presented for second reading.

Messages, petitions, papers, notices of motion, questions and statements will also be presented.

CS Tuya to launch anti-money laundering training

Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya is expected to launch a five-day training program aimed at combating terrorism financing and money laundering from Tuesday, April 22, 2025, to April 26, 2025.

The initiative, organised in collaboration with the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), is designed to enhance institutional and individual capacities in addressing the financial dimensions of terrorism.

The program, themed “Initiative for Countering Terrorism Financing and Money Laundering”, will combine legal training, modern technology demonstrations, and international cooperation frameworks to build resilience and public awareness around these threats.

Senators meeting in Angola

International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) will enter day three on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

Mandera Senator Ali Roba is expected to represent the Kenyan Parliament at the Ordinary Session of the Executive Committee on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

On Monday, April 21, 2025, the Kenyan delegation called for more financial prudence and a robust audit of the regional body’s funds to enhance public trust and spur broader resource mobilisation from within and beyond the state parties.

The delegation, led by Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, made this submission during the ongoing ICGLR conference in Luanda, Angola, where the summit is being held.

During a meeting of the ICGLR Parliamentary Forum’s Committee on Finance and Resource Mobilization, Committee Member and Nyeri Senator, Wahome Wamatinga, who represents the Kenyan ICGLR Parliamentary Caucus in the Committee, noted that delayed release of financial reports, and lack of full involvement of the member states in financial audits was working against the campaigns for resource mobilization.

“Some of these reports need to be released in good time, so that the member states are also able to review and critique them in good time,” Wamatinga stated.

Mbadi’s engagements with IMF

Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning John Mbadi and his Energy and Petroleum counterpart Opiyo Wandayi are in the United States of America for a series of high-level meetings.

The two are leading the Kenyan delegation that is attending the 2025 International Monetary Fund (IMF) / World Bank Group (WBG) Spring Meetings taking place from April 21 to 26, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Rainfall

The Kenya Meteorological Department has predicted that more rainfall will pound several parts of the country from Tuesday, April 22, to 28, 2025.

In a statement on Monday, April 21, 2025, the weatherman said that rainfall will be expected in the Central Highlands (including Nairobi), Western Kenya, the Lake Victoria Basin, the Southeastern Lowlands, the Central and South Rift Valley, and Northeastern Kenya.

“Rainfall is expected to continue over several parts of the country. Isolated heavy rainfall events are expected over some parts of the Central Highlands (including Nairobi), Western Kenya, Lake Victoria Basin, Southeastern Lowlands, Central and South Rift Valley, and Northeastern Kenya,” the weatherman forecasted.

The weatherman said average daytime (maximum) temperatures of more than 30°C will be experienced in the Coast, North-eastern and North-western Kenya and Isolated areas in Western Kenya.