October 17, 2023: Top news events to look out for today
By Wycliffe Nyamasege, October 17, 2023
Here is what you need to know in order to get up to speed with today’s happenings.
1. Civil society groups’ reaction to Athi River demolitions
Civil society organisations are today expected to condemn the ongoing demolitions on the land owned by East Africa Portland Cement Company (EAPCC) in Athi River, Machakos County.
The lobby groups will address the media at the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) offices on Gitanga Road at 11:00 am.
The demolitions entered day four yesterday amid agony, pain, anguish and loss of property worth millions.
Homeowners narrated painful tales of how they acquired the disputed land which the court last week ruled belongs to Portland Cement.
Some of the victims were duped by land-selling companies and possess title deeds they believe are genuine. Some hold shared certificates.
Reports indicate that some of the buyers who fell prey to the well-orchestrated land fraud paid relatively lower prices for the land compared to the current market price for the prime piece of land situated on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
The demolitions are expected to enter the fifth day today even as Ukambani leaders led by Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti over the weekend pleaded with the government to halt what they termed as an inhumane exercise.
President Ruto in China
President William Ruto’s official tour to China enters day two today.
The Head of State is in China for the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation whose theme is “High-quality Belt and Road Cooperation: Together for Common Development and Prosperity.”
On Monday, he witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Kenya and China’s Energy International Group that will optimize flexibility and reliability of electrical power systems and modernise power generation, transmission lines, distribution lines and substations.
He also witnessed the signing of another MoU between Kenya and Huawei to promote digital transformation across various sectors.
“Our partnership with leading Chinese technology corporation, Huawei will advance our ICT infrastructure and drive digitisation across key sectors like transportation, e-government, education, and health,” Ruto said.
“This partnership is vital for Kenya’s Digital Superhighway and the components of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.”
President Ruto also had an extensive tour of China’s Engineering Corporation Limited in Beijing, where he wooed Chinese investors to tap into major opportunities in Kenya, particularly in energy, water, and housing.