All schools will re-open on Monday next week, President William Ruto has announced.

The President said the decision has been made in consultation with the Meteorological Department, which has confirmed that the rains will subside in coming days.

Schools were set to reopen on April 29, 2024, but the Ministry of Education postponed following massive flooding across the country.

“All parents are now advised, based on the assessment of weather experts and the government, that it is safe for our children to go back to school.”

The President also said the government will release funds to the National Government Constituency Development Fund for rehabilitation of schools that have been damaged by the floods.

He made the remarks at State House Nairobi during a meeting with grassroots leaders from Kajiado Central and Laikipia North constituencies led by MPs Kanchory Memusi (ODM) and Sarah Korere (Jubilee) respectively.

The President also announced that next Friday has been gazetted as a public holiday to remember those who have been affected by the floods.

On the same day, the President said, an extensive tree-planting programme will be launched to conserve and restore the environment and begin to reverse the challenges of climate change.

“On this day, we will plant trees and remind ourselves that the solution to climate change is taking care of our environment,” he said.

The President announced that the plan is to plant 200 million trees on the day and urged each Kenyan to plant at least 50 trees.

On destruction of infrastructure by flooding, President Ruto stated that the government will work with development partners to repair damaged roads.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of President of the Republic of Kenya.

The UAE has condemned in the strongest terms the Israeli forces invasion and seizure of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza, and warned against military escalation that threatens to cause the loss of more innocent life and exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.

Furthermore, the UAE stresses the need to ensure the safe and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid and delivery of life-saving supplies to the population in the Strip.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) reaffirmed its strong condemnation of any forced displacement of the brotherly Palestinian people, and all practices that violate the resolutions of international legitimacy and international and humanitarian law.

The Ministry called on the international community to undertake immediate efforts to reach a ceasefire to avoid further loss of life, and prevent fueling the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, while preventing regional spill-over that risks further violence, tension, and instability.

In this regard, the Ministry commended the mediation efforts undertaken by the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt to reach a ceasefire, expressing hope that it would result in a truce that leads to an end to the war, protecting the brotherly Palestinian people from further suffering and reinforcing pillars of stability and achieving sustainable peace in the region.

The Ministry reaffirmed the UAE’s position calling for a return to negotiations to achieve the two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state, emphasizing the urgent need to find a political horizon to return to negotiations to achieve comprehensive peace, bringing a halt to tensions and violence, and safeguarding the lives of civilians, while facilitating the urgent delivery of aid to the people of Gaza in a safe and sustainable manner, without impediment.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs&International Cooperation.

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Dr. Mohamed Shaker, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Dr. Hani Sewilam, President’s Advisor for Urban Planning Major General Amir Sayed Ahmed, Head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority Major General Ahmed Al-Azazy, and Executive Director of Future of Egypt Authority for Sustainable Development Colonel Dr. Bahaa El-Ghannam.

The Spokesman for the Presidency Counselor Dr. Ahmed Fahmy said the meeting reviewed the necessary provision of facilities and services, especially in the electricity, water, and irrigation sectors, for the Future of Egypt project in the New Delta, as well as agricultural development projects in Fayoum, Minya and Beni Sueif, “Sanabel Sono” project in Aswan, and the Dakhla project in Southern Egypt. This comes within the framework of the state’s keenness to provide high-quality agricultural products to the local markets at affordable prices for citizens, in addition to increasing export rates.

The President gave directives to continue and enhance efforts to benefit from the successes achieved by the project, so as to contribute to realizing the country’s strategic goals in developing the agricultural sector and achieving a boom in the cultivated area, so as to ensure food security in the country and protect it from international fluctuations, in addition to increasing national income growth rates.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Located some 60 miles from Terekeka town, Tindilo is awash with challenges. These range from poor roads, dilapidated medical facilities, absence of telephone networks, intercommunal feuds, and food and water shortages.

These conditions are exacerbated by mistrust among communities and high illiteracy rates which deprive the population of taking advantage of new and vital information that could build social cohesion.

But recently the three communities of Tali, Tindilo, and Mundari Mula decided to leave past hurts behind and start a new chapter of peace to foster economic growth. This undertaking received support through a peace conference organized and funded by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), through its Civil Affairs Division and partners.

A wide spectrum of some 300 stakeholders attended the conference, including state and county authorities, religious and traditional leaders, intellectuals as well as youth and women’s representatives.

Assunta Paul, Chair of Terekeka County Women’s Association, praised this initiative to foster communal harmony among greater Tali residents.

“There is much to be said about leaving aside what divides us and instead having these productive dialogues that benefit everybody,” she said.

Ending repeated cycles of intercommunal violence was a common concern.

“The culture of revenge killings, destruction of properties and farms must end,” said Angelo Maring, Chair of the Tali Community, emphatically.

For John Kenyi Kila, a pastor, the need of the hour are genuine voices for peace.

“Forgiveness requires forgetting the past and embracing that we are united in our diversity to forge a sense of national identity,” Mr. Kila said.

For his part, UNMISS Civil Affairs Team Leader, Victor Namah Fasama, reiterating the UN Peacekeeping mission’s ongoing commitment to supporting communities in arriving at dialogue-based solutions to outstanding disputes.

“Our presence here demonstrates that we are your steadfast partners as you seek to find sustainable and locally driven solutions towards forging a brighter future,” he averred.

Among issues discussed, a clear call was for an increase in services for residents of greater Tali.

Roda Kiden, a 28-year-old nurse at a health facility in Tindilo, narrated how a woman and her unborn child recently died of complications during childbirth because the combination of bad roads, patchy phone networks and the rising cost of fuel made it impossible to coordinate timely referrals.

Mari Doki, a resident of Mundari Bura, spoke about how only two boreholes make it impossible for greater Tindilo populations to have access to plentiful and clean water.

A lack of essential food and non-food items were also cited by many attending the conference.

Joseph More Bendere, Chair of the Tindilo United Youth Association summed it up succinctly.

“Insecurity, lack of food and medicine as well as rising cost of living are factors that push young people to leave greater Tindilo and move to Juba to eke out a living. It’s also what drives violence. We need more services and more opportunities for everybody,” he averred.

George Wani, County Commissioner of Terekeka, rounded up the discussions aptly.

“Peace is critical because without it we cannot have stability, better health facilities and better education for our communities. Therefore, I urge everybody present to uphold the pledge for intercommunal harmony they have committed to at this dialogue.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).