Latest news with #Ruto
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Kenya ramps up tourism push as wildebeest migration begins
NAROK, Kenya, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan President William Ruto said on Thursday that the government will intensify a campaign to boost tourist numbers in the country. Ruto, who opened the 2025 Great Wildebeest Migration global livestreaming at the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve in southwest Kenya, said the campaign aims to attract 5 million foreign tourists by 2027. "We are focused on tourism that enriches both the visitor and the host, and transforms travelers into ambassadors for Kenya, a country proud of its wild beauty, conservation achievements, and unbreakable spirit," he said. The president, who urged local and international tourists to take advantage of the country's attractions, said the campaign seeks to promote Kenya as the home of human origins and a top travel destination for innovation, sports, conference tourism, adventure, wildlife, culture, and beach holidays. Kenya's international tourist arrivals increased by 15 percent to 2.4 million in 2024, up from 2.09 million in 2023, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. Inbound tourism earnings rose to 452.20 billion shillings (about 3.5 billion U.S. dollars) from 2.92 billion dollars in 2023. Ruto said Masai Mara, which welcomes more than 400,000 visitors annually, is the crown jewel of Kenya's tourism offerings. "Sustainable tourism is a living reality in Masai Mara, where communities thrive, ecosystems flourish, and travelers leave enthralled." The Masai Mara wildebeest migration is an annual movement of millions of wildebeest, zebras, and other herbivores from Serengeti in Tanzania to Masai Mara in Kenya, primarily between July and October. This spectacular event, often referred to as the "Great Migration," is driven by the search for fresh grazing land and water. The highlight of the migration is usually the dramatic river crossings of the Mara River, where wildebeest face the risk of predation by crocodiles and other predators. Ruto said Kenya's efforts to protect biodiversity, restore habitats, and involve communities in stewardship have made Masai Mara not only a wildlife haven, but also a global symbol of sustainability. "To all watching around the world, I invite you to explore our treasures from the thundering hooves of Masai Mara to the calm shores of our coast, from snow-capped peaks to sunlit savannahs," he said.
AFP
a day ago
- Politics
- AFP
Old video of Museveni falsely linked to Kenya's recent anniversary demonstrations
'President Museveni not happy for Kenyan police using excessive force on protesters (sic),' reads the text overlaid on a TikTok video published on July 11, 2025, and shared more than 8,000 times. Additional text overlay quoted in English and Swahili reads: 'Do not point your guns at civilians, they are not enemies,' while the accompanying caption on the post reads, 'Museveni criticized Kenyan President William Ruto for police brutality on protesters.' Image Screenshot of the false post, taken on July 21, 2025 The video shows Museveni dressed in a military uniform, giving an address while holding a Y-shaped stick. 'Even if you're guarding, don't point your gun towards the citizens, direct it at your enemies. Yesterday I was seeing those young boys,' Museveni says in the clip as he makes shooting gestures towards the audience. 'That's very bad orientation. It means you don't know who the enemy is.' 'Even if they say 'control the crowd', your gun should be on your back like this,' he adds, pointing at his own back. Similar claims were published on elsewhere on TikTok, Facebook and X. Shooting orders The video was shared on the heels of Kenya's 35th anniversary of the 'Saba Saba' (Swahili for 'Seven Seven') pro-democracy protests of July 7, 1990, which paved the way for Kenya's multi-party democracy (archived here). This year's Saba Saba commemorations were marked by nationwide protests, characterised by a violent police response, death, looting and destruction (archived here, here and here). Ruto claimed the protests were an attempt by the opposition to 'overthrow' his government, telling the police, 'Anyone who burns down someone else's business and property, let them be shot in the leg and go to the hospital as they head to court. Yes, let them not kill, but shoot and break the legs' (archived here and here). The directive came just weeks after Kenya's minister of interior and national administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, ordered police to shoot anybody approaching a police station, following similarly violent prior protests that saw several police stations vandalised (archived here and here). However, the social media posts with a clip purportedly showing Museveni reacting to the recent events in Kenya are fals Unrelated old video At no point in the clip does Museveni mention Ruto, the Kenyan police or the recent protests. AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches for keyframes from the video, and the results established that the clip predates the recent unrest in Kenya. The clip was originally published by Ugandan media outlet NBS Television on January 5, 2020 (archived here). 'President Museveni says that the Police should have their guns behind their backs when asked to control the crowd,' reads the post. VIDEO: President Museveni says that the Police should have their guns behind their backs when asked to control the crowd. @KagutaMuseveni: It means you don't know who the enemy is.#NBSUpdates# — NBS Television (@nbstv) January 5, 2020 In both videos, the Ugandan leader is seen in identical attire, holding the same stick, and standing behind two microphones with yellow mic foam covers. An orange tent is also visible in the background. Image Screenshots comparing the false post (left) and the original clip published by NBS Television At the time, Museveni had embarked on a six-day trek dubbed 'Africa Kwetu' ("Our Africa"), a 195-kilometre walk retracing the route his National Resistance Army (NRA) guerrilla forces took when they seized power in 1986 (archived here). We found no credible source of evidence showing Museveni commenting on the recent demonstrations in Kenya. However, he did speak about Kenya's 2024 anti-tax protests, which culminated in a breach of parliament, warning Ugandan youth against staging similar protests in their own country (archived here and here).
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First Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi calls William Ruto a 'real terrorist'
Mwangi said that he and his allies are 'terrorists' hunters' and they are 'hunting Ruto' read more Kenyan human rights activist Boniface Mwangi talks to his wife Njeri Mwangi from a steel caged dock after he was charged with unlawful possession of ammunition over his alleged role in deadly anti-government protests in June, at the Kahawa Law Courts in Kiambu County, Kenya July 21, 2025. Reuters After court appearance, outspoken Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi has rejected the government's attempt to connect him to anti-government protests, calling it a weak and desperate attempt to silence dissent. According to a report by Africanews, Mwangi appeared in court on Monday, facing charges of unlawful possession of ammunition, a case that stems from his alleged involvement in youth-led demonstrations that have taken place across the country for months. The charge sheet accuses Mwangi of illegally possessing three tear gas canisters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Njanja Maina, Mwangi's lawyer, has firmly denied the allegations, dismissing them as fabricated. The Kenya Human Rights Commission has also denounced the case, calling it a 'trumped-up accusation.' Shortly after the hearing, Mwangi was released on bond. Outside the court, he delivered a defiant message to journalists, calling President William Ruto a 'real terrorist.' Mwangi stated, 'Because we are terrorising Ruto's heart and Ruto knows that he's going home, because Ruto is a real terrorist. So we guys are not terrorists, we're terrorists' hunters. We're hunting Ruto to leave power because he's killing us and we're tired of being killed by our government.' According to Africanews, the arrest followed a raid on Mwangi's home over the weekend. During the raid, his wife, Njeri Mwangi, said that security agents seized electronic devices and spoke of terrorism and arson. Many had feared Mwangi would be charged with terrorism. In court, Mwangi distanced himself from organising the recent protests, giving credit to young Kenyans — the 'Gen Z' movement — for leading the charge. 'These kids are saying we want real change and that's why they're protesting. They are so brave that when they leave their homes, they even write obituaries,' Mwangi said. 'So this route tying to personalize the struggle for a better Kenya, about personality, it is very weak.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The protests initially began in mid-2024 after President Ruto proposed a controversial set of tax increases. Since then, demonstrators have broadened their demands to include action against corruption and what they describe as the regime's broken promises to ordinary Kenyans. As activists prepare for fresh demonstrations on August 8 — dubbed 'nane-nane' — Mwangi has made it clear that the fight for a more accountable government is far from over, even as the state seeks to silence its critics through legal pressure.
Eyewitness News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
Kenya drops terror charge against prominent activist
NAIROBI, KENYA - Kenya dropped terror charges against prominent activist Boniface Mwangi on Monday, following widespread condemnation, hitting him with a lesser charge of unlawful possession of ammunition. The east African country has seen a wave of deadly protests against President William Ruto and police brutality that have left dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed. Rights groups have criticised the government's heavy-handed response, including the recent use of terrorism charges against protesters. Mwangi was detained on Saturday and accused by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations of the "facilitation of terrorist acts", which he denied, declaring in an image on X: "I am not a terrorist". He appeared in a Nairobi court on Monday chanting "Ruto Must Go". His charge sheet, seen by AFP, accused him of "possession of noxious substances to wit three teargas cannisters without lawful authority", as well as a single round of blank ammunition. He pleaded not guilty, denying all charges, and was released on a one-million-shilling (around $7,000) personal bond. "The truth is our president is scared of young people, because young people are organising by themselves, they are going to the streets, they are demanding better," Mwangi told supporters and journalists outside the court. "Our president thinks people are being paid to go to the streets, and they think I am the financer. "People hate Ruto for free," he said. 'ABANDON THIS APPROACH' A coalition of rights groups welcomed the court's decision to drop the terrorism charges, but said they remained "deeply concerned" by its use "in more than 100 other cases". The coalition urged the authorities to "abandon this dangerous approach to managing public dissent". Last week, interior minister Kipchumba Murkomen said that 71 people were facing charges related to acts of terrorism following the recent violent protests. Responding to the criticism, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said the charges should be "understood within the framework of established legal thresholds and national security imperatives rather than interpreted as efforts to suppress legitimate political expression". Mwangi's detention over the weekend triggered significant online condemnation under the hashtag #FreeBonifaceMwangi. The search warrant police used to raid his home and office accused the campaigner of paying "goons" to stoke unrest at protests last month. Mwangi has been arrested multiple times in Kenya. He was also detained in May in neighbouring Tanzania, where he was attending the treason trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Mwangi and Ugandan activist Agather Atuhaire say they were tortured and sexually abused while in the custody of Tanzanian police before being returned to their respective countries. The pair brought a case against the Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan governments to the East African Court of Justice last week. Mass protests initially broke out in Kenya in June 2024 over tax rises, and reignited last month over police violence and illegal detentions. Rights groups say more than 100 people have been killed by police since the protests began last year.
3 days ago
- Politics
Kenyan pro-democracy activist charged with alleged possession of ammunition
NAIROBI, Kenya -- The prominent Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi was on Monday charged with unlawful possession of ammunition in a case stemming from his alleged role in street protests against the government. Opposition leaders and Mwangi's followers had feared he would be charged with the more serious offense of terrorism. He was freed on bond immediately after his appearance in court on Monday. The charge sheet said the suspect possessed three canisters of tear gas without lawful authorization. His attorney, Njanja Maina, told reporters on Sunday that Mwangi never possessed such items. Mwangi's wife Njeri, in a post on the social media platform X, said on Saturday that security personnel raided their home and took the activist and his electronic gadgets while 'talking of terrorism and arson.' Police said after his arrest on Friday that Mwangi was linked to the facilitation of violent activities in recent street protests. Detectives searched his home and his office. The Kenya Human Rights Commission described the ammunition charge as a 'trumped-up accusation.' 'This pattern of inventing charges to harass and silence activists like Mwangi erodes public confidence in the independence' of the justice system, the civic group said. The rights group Amnesty International said in a statement Monday that legal action against Mwangi appears to be 'part of a broader effort to intimidate lawful dissent and those committed to upholding the rule of law.' "We are deeply concerned by the continued misuse of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to manage public order in more than 100 other cases," Amnesty said. 'This practice undermines Kenya's criminal justice system and jeopardizes critical international partnerships aimed at safeguarding national security.' Mwangi is a well-known pro-democracy activist in Kenya. On X, where he has 2 million followers, he describes himself as "The People's Watchman.' He has been a critic of successive Kenyan governments. Protesters who have rocked President William Ruto's administration say they want to rid his government of corruption, marked by theft of public resources and the seemingly extravagant lifestyles of politicians. They also say that Ruto, in power since 2022, has broken his own promises to working-class Kenyans. The protests started in mid-2024 when Ruto proposed aggressive new tax measures opposed by many Kenyans. At least 500 people are facing criminal prosecution following arrests during protests in June and July that resulted in at least 47 deaths.
