At least one person was killed in renewed anti-government protests across Kenya on Tuesday, a Reuters reporter said, as police clashed with demonstrators demanding that President William Ruto step down. Youth-led nationwide protests that broke out a month ago against proposed tax hikes have continued even after Ruto withdrew the legislation and fired almost all of his cabinet. Activists say they want Ruto to resign and are calling for systemic changes to clean up corruption and address poor governance. … In Kitengela, a town on the southern outskirts of the capital Nairobi, police fired repeatedly in the direction of hundreds of protesters, some of whom were throwing rocks, Reuters TV footage showed. The protesters also burned tyres, waved Kenyan flags and chanted “Ruto must go!” … Tuesday’s protests appeared to be some of the biggest since Ruto withdrew the tax increases on June 26. The Nation newspaper reported demonstrations in at least 23 of Kenya’s 47 counties. (The East African)

A United Nations study has estimated it will cost up to $600 million for a fleet of 100 lorries to clear the rubble left by Israel’s devastating campaign in the Gaza Strip, before a full reconstruction of the area can fully begin.

The UN Environment Programme believes 137,297 buildings had been damaged in Gaza, more than half of the total, while up to 1,235 acres of landfill sites could be needed to accommodate the waste, depending on what could be recycled.

The project to completely rebuild infrastructure will cost upwards of $40 billion. (Press Release)

At least five people were killed when militiamen ambushed a convoy in central Somalia and seized heavy weapons, the local government and residents said on Tuesday, seven months after a decades-long arms embargo was lifted. The convoy was travelling on Monday with a security escort near the town of Abudwaq when militiamen from a local clan attacked and overpowered security forces, four residents told Reuters. They said the arms, which included machine guns, anti-aircraft weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, originated in neighbouring Ethiopia. … Rashid Abdi, an analyst with the Sahan Research think-tank, called the incident “the single most serious incident of arms proliferation in central Somalia” and said some of the weapons would likely be bought by al Shabaab, an al Qaeda affiliate. (The East African)

About 600 stakeholders from over 30 countries in Africa and beyond came together from July 8 to 10 at the inaugural Mastercard Foundation EdTech Conference in Abuja, Nigeria, to discuss education technology for resilient and inclusive learning in Africa. Participants reached a consensus that integrating technology into learning systems in Africa is now a necessity, not a luxury.

Hosted in partnership with the Federal Government of Nigeria, the conference concluded with a collective call to action on 10 recommendations for governments and other EdTech stakeholders.

“Investing in education in Africa is not only about Africa; rather, it is about investing in human capital for the world. It is also about building resilience in our learning systems to better prepare us for future shocks such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This is why the Mastercard Foundation is committed to working with partners to scale education initiatives and enable innovations that foster the integration of technology into learning systems,” Peter Materu, Chief Program Officer at the Mastercard Foundation, told participants while underscoring education as the key to building an inclusive and resilient society and the urgent need for investments in education to skill Africa’s young people. (Press Release)