Kenya Nurses End 43-Day Strike After Government Strikes Deal
Kenya’s nurses’ union and the government signed a return-to-work agreement Wednesday, ending a 43-day strike, with union chief Seth Panyako saying members will be back in hospitals within 24 hours. The deal gives 45 days to negotiate implementing a 2017 collective bargaining agreement that has gone unfulfilled, and it comes as doctors had threatened to join the walkout over rising workloads.
Gambia’s Barrow Promises New Power Plants After Blackout Protests Turn Violent
Gambian President Adama Barrow pledged a 24-megawatt generator by the end of October and a 50-megawatt solar plant, after violent protests over rolling blackouts hit Banjul this week, with police using tear gas on crowds demanding his resignation. The outages, blamed partly on climate change and surging demand, come months before Barrow seeks a third term in December’s election.
Uganda Pulls Out of Invictus Games Two Months After Joining
Uganda’s defense chief, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, announced Uganda is withdrawing from Prince Harry‘s Invictus Games, saying he didn’t want to appear opposed to King Charles III after a letter clarified Harry and Meghan aren’t working royals. Uganda had joined as the 26th country in July, and organizers say they haven’t received any official word on the withdrawal.
US Pledges Help Building Kenya’s Critical Minerals Industry
A senior U.S. official told Kenyan business leaders that Washington will help Kenya build a critical minerals processing industry, as Kenya weighs bids to develop the Mrima Hill deposit, believed to hold tens of billions of dollars in rare earths and niobium. President William Ruto welcomed the support, saying local processing will create jobs, while U.S. officials framed the push as part of countering China’s dominance in the sector.
