Phode News Hub

  Kenya Met and WMO are warning of a moderate-to-strong El Niño likely to hit from the months of October 2026 and possibly persist to January 2027. 1. Timeline & Forecast August: Dry and hot. 80-82% chance El Niño conditions develop, but most of Kenya will see below average rainfall especially in Highlands West of Rift Valley, Lake Victoria Basin, Rift Valley, Northwestern Kenya October-November-December:  Above average rainfall is expected. 90-96% chance El Niño persists to the end of 2026. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki says rains could possibly continue until January 2027. Strength: Kenya Met says 81% chance it will be "very strong" with index possibly above 2.6. WMO warns if a positive Indian Ocean Dipole also develops, rainfall will be even more enhanced. 2. Main Risks Flooding and Infrastructure damage - Enhanced rainfall >50mm in 24hrs, some stations up to 180mm - High risk of flash floods, landslides, mudslides especially in mountainous areas - Da...

Kenya is one of Africa’s most biodiverse countries, but that diversity is under serious pressure. The trend line is clear: wildlife numbers, species survival odds and habitat quality have been dropping for decades. The boundary for biodiversity loss has already been transgressed in parts of Kenya, leaving many ecosystems at heightened risk of collapse. The scale of wildlife decline Wildlife: Kenya lost more than 50% of its wildlife biomass since 1970. Wild herd numbers in rangelands fell by 68% between 1977-2016. In the Masai Mara, most species declined by 50-80% since the 1970s, including a 90% drop in resident wildebeest. Species at risk: 463 plant and animal species in Kenya are threatened with extinction per the 2017 IUCN list - including 30 mammals, 43 birds, 73 fish and 234 plants. Of Kenya’s 7,000 plant species, 356 are threatened or near threatened, with 24 critically endangered. Survival probability: The IUCN Red List Index shows a downward trend for birds, mammals...

President William Ruto stared at an alarming crisis in 2024, after angry protestors stormed various streets across the country over punitive tax policies. Angry youths, breached security details and stormed Parliament buildings, forcing legislators to flee using alternative exit points. Some of the protestors lost their lives, while others sustained serious gun wounds as armed police fired aimlessly.  What started as a routine protest, culminated into a treasonous attempt to dethrone Ruto. Gen-Zs revolt almost crushed the entire Kenya Kwanza administration. This forced Ruto to send the entire Cabinet packing with the exception of the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. In attempt to sanitize his regime, Ruto reached out to his erstwhile political nemesis - the late Raila Odinga. In a strange twist of fate, the two political juggernauts shook hands and buried their differences. Later on, President Ruto formed a new Cabinet with the inclusion of four Cabinet Secreta...

President William Ruto and ODM leader Oburu Oginga are leading a joint Broad-Based Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting/retreat in Naivasha, Nakuru County.  The two-day retreat brings together lawmakers and leaders from the Kenya Kwanza/UDA side and ODM (plus affiliates) under the broad-based government arrangement formed after political engagements involving the late Raila Odinga. It includes more than 250 National Assembly members and about 45 senators, plus governors, Cabinet Secretaries, and party officials.  Attendees have included Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi, Health CS Aden Duale, governors such as Susan Kihika (Nakuru), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), Cecily Mbarire (Embu) and Gideon Mung’aro (Kilifi), plus party secretaries-general and others. Purpose and agenda of the meeting It focuses on strengthening the UDA–ODM partnership ahead of the 2027 general election (ro...

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi held a UDA grassroots mobilisation meeting in Butula, Busia County, on Sunday. Mudavadi's meeting came a day after Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and the Linda Mwananchi movement campaigned in the same area. The Prime Cabinet Secretary visit was framed as an effort to strengthen the ruling United Democratic Alliance’s support base in Western Kenya (the Mulembe/Luhya region) ahead of the 2027 general election and to rally residents behind President William Ruto’s re-election bid.  Reports and social media posts from the event showed Mudavadi engaging local leaders and supporters on organisation-building and development themes. Sifuna’s group (including Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya and Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale) had toured parts of Busia on Friday, including Bumala, Murumba, Butula, and Nambale.  This formed part of a broader Linda Mwananchi push into traditional opposition strongholds and a challenge to the long-dominant regi...

Love him or hate him, but Rigathi Gachagua is a super glue that will bind a united opposition in Kenya against president William Ruto. The former Deputy President is a man on a mission. His main goal is political vengeance against his impeachment that was orchestrated by the President. Gachagua knows well that without a united opposition, it wouldn't be possible to oust Ruto from presidency. The recent bullying of his colleague Party Leaders from Mt Kenya region to join his DCP Party was just to trigger them to wake up from their laurels and start campaigning against their common enemy. In the opposition, it's only Rigathi Gachagua and Edwin Sifuna who are on a serious campaign mode against the present government. Kalonzo Musyoka, Martha Karua, Fred Matiang'i, Eugene Wamalwa among other opposition figures are yet to show their seriousness.  Gachagua seems to be irritated by such laziness and has consistently stated that the single opposition presidential ticket should be ba...