Kenya’s President William Ruto said on Wednesday that his government had finalised a trade deal with China this week, without giving further details. Ruto made the comments at an investment conference in the capital Nairobi. In January Kenya announced a preliminary trade deal with China that would give 98% of its exports duty-free access to the large Chinese market. The East African nation has been forging closer ties with China, with Ruto making a state visit to Beijing last year during which a number of financing and cooperation agreements were signed. The two countries’ bilateral trade is currently heavily tilted in favour of China. Reuters

Kenya’s flower industry has reported weekly losses of up to $1.4 million since the Iran war began, with growers attributing the losses to a decline in demand and shipping disruptions. The Kenya Flower Council, a private sector organization representing growers and exporters of cut flowers and ornamentals in Kenya, said Tuesday the ongoing conflict has resulted in over $4.2 million in losses over the last three weeks. “We are seeing a reduction in movement, delays in movement of produce, and longer routes, while pricing is extremely high. … Kenya’s horticulture sector, one of its most important industries, is worth over $800 million annually, according to the Central Bank of Kenya. Normally, direct flower exports to the Middle East account for about 30% of business at Isinya Flower Farms and up to 15% nationally, with Europe being the largest market, accounting for up to 70%. However, while the Middle East isn’t Kenya’s main export market for flowers, cargo freight to Europe been disrupted by the conflict in the Middle East, resulting in reduced exports as well as higher costs. … The Kenya Flower Council now says it is lobbying the Kenyan government to introduce direct cargo flights to Europe in a bid to maintain the European market and cushion growers. AP

At least 42,000 unaccompanied and separated children have been registered in Sudan and neighbouring countries as a result of the ongoing conflict, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Tuesday. As the war nears the end of its third year, Sudanese children have faced grave violations, including killing, maiming, and sexual violence, alongside being stripped of access to education and medical care. In a child protection briefing, UNHCR said it had identified 42,000 children separated from their families. Of these, 5,000 are within Sudan, while the remainder are among refugee populations in neighbouring states. … The report further cautioned that displaced children face heightened risks of family separation, recruitment by armed groups, child labour, and forced marriage. These threats are exacerbated by psychological trauma and limited access to basic services amid worsening insecurity and vanishing livelihoods. Sudan Tribune

At least 600 medical personnel have been killed or injured in Sudan since the outbreak of war in April 2023, the preliminary committee of the Sudanese Doctors Union said on Tuesday. The figures underscore the mounting risks for healthcare workers as the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) nears its third year. Adiba Ibrahim Al-Sayed, a member of the union’s preliminary committee and an internal medicine specialist, told Sudan Tribune that the committee recorded 222 deaths among medical staff while on duty. Another 378 personnel have been wounded between April 15, 2023, and March 2026. … Al-Sayed said more than 2,000 hospitals and health centres have been destroyed during the war. The destruction has triggered a collapse of the country’s health sector, leaving millions without access to basic medical care. Sudan Tribune