vatican Stories

Pope Leo warns leaders about pitfalls of AI
DW News  |  Jun 21, 2025

Pope Leo XIV told politicians in Rome not to forget that artificial intelligence is a tool. He warned, "Our personal life has greater value than any a...

State House gets Sh3.7 billion boost in supplementary budget amid austerity concerns
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jun 20, 2025

The fresh injection, tabled by the National Treasury less than two weeks before June 30, is largely directed towards domestic travel and operational c...

National Treasury reverts to old law after court nullifies 2023 Privatisation Act
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jun 17, 2025

National Treasury is now banking on the older law and the reactivated Privatisation Commission to raise Sh149 billion in the 2025/26 financial year.

Audit reveals Sh3 billion spent in nine months at Office of the President amid austerity pledges
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jun 11, 2025

The report by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakango shows that Sh1.2 billion was used on salaries, Sh145.3 million on domestic travel, and Sh16.9 mil...

Hospitals threaten to shut surgical theatres over six-month SHIF payment delays
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 08, 2025

RUPHA has revealed that nearly six months after performing critical surgeries between April and May, many hospitals have yet to receive reimbursements...

KEPSA calls on banks to raise lending to private businesses to 15 per cent to spur growth
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jun 06, 2025

The alliance emphasised the need for banks to shift towards lending based on cash flow for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and startups, rather th...

Kenya’s hospitals in financial crisis as only 20pc of primary health facilities get full payments
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jun 05, 2025

Despite President William Ruto’s public acknowledgement of the issue three months ago, the government has yet to allocate funds to clear the billions...

MPs warn fertiliser VAT shift in Finance Bill 2025 could trigger food price surge
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 01, 2025

Although the Bill does not propose a direct tax on fertiliser, the shift from zero-rated to tax-exempt means manufacturers will no longer be able to r...

World Bank urges 16 per cent VAT on meat, wheat flour, avocado, coffee to boost Kenya’s revenue
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 01, 2025

The lender argues that taxing these items would expand fiscal space without burdening the poor, as they form a minor part of low-income households’ sp...

Cabinet rift over Sh4.5 billion Bomas upgrade exposes Ruto government divisions
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 27, 2025

Mbadi wants the Tourism department to ring-fence the Sh4.5 billion for the upgrade, a move Miano is uncomfortable with because the facility falls outs...

The future of leadership? AI replacing human CEOs
Margaret Wanjiru  |  May 24, 2025

Some of the world’s top tech CEOs are letting their AI doubles handle big moments, like earnings presentations.

Rwanda tests AI system to modernise judicial processes and improve access to justice
Bashir Mbuthia  |  May 21, 2025

Developed by local technology company IST Legal, the platform is designed to assist lawyers, prosecutors, judges, and legal researchers with services...

Treasury tightens PPP rules amid public outrage over secretive infrastructure deals
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 21, 2025

The directive responds directly to public outrage over projects like the failed proposal by the Adani Group of India to lease the Jomo Kenyatta Intern...

African islands under threat: What to do about Trump’s withdrawal from climate change agreement
The Conversation  |  May 21, 2025

The 2025 order also revokes any purported financial commitment made by the US under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, includi...

Kenya's food crisis deepens as 2.8 million face starvation following poor rains in 2024
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 20, 2025

The report attributes this spike to depressed October–December rains, which have severely affected crop and livestock production in arid and semi-arid...

Government urges universities to embed AI in all training programmes
Joseph Ndunda  |  May 15, 2025

Owalo said the use of AI in agriculture has supported precision farming, and in healthcare, it enables early diagnosis and personalised treatment.

ELOG demands release of IEBC recruitment report, cites transparency concerns
Bashir Mbuthia  |  May 11, 2025

According to ELOG, transparency in the recruitment of IEBC commissioners is vital to building public trust in electoral processes.

Pope Leo XIV signals vision for peace, social justice and tradition in first public moments
Reuters  |  May 09, 2025

"La pace sia con tutti voi!" (Peace be with you!), Leo's first words in public, echoed the ones Catholics use in their celebrations but also offered a...

Who is Robert Prevost, the new pope?
Reuters  |  May 08, 2025

Made a cardinal by Pope Francis in 2023, he has given few media interviews and rarely speaks in public.

Cardinal Robert Prevost elected as Pope Leo XIV
Reuters  |  May 08, 2025

Aged 69 and originally from Chicago, Prevost has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and became a cardinal only in 2023.

White smoke appears from chimney of Sistine Chapel, signals new pope elected
Reuters  |  May 08, 2025

The election came on the first full day of voting by the 133 cardinal electors, who secluded themselves behind the Vatican's medieval walls on Wednesd...

Black smoke signals no pope elected at first vote, next round of voting on Thursday
Reuters  |  May 07, 2025

This was an hour more than it took for smoke to be seen after the first vote in the 2013 conclave that picked the late Pope Francis.

Private sector activities rise to a 27-month high in April on strong customer demand
Alfred Onyango  |  May 07, 2025

Job creation also quickened in the period under review, the strongest observed in nearly one year, as firms looked to ease pressure on workloads.

Nairobi Archdiocese: Cardinal Njue was invited to papal conclave but won’t attend due to health
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 06, 2025

The clarification comes amid earlier reports suggesting that Cardinal Njue had not received an invitation to participate in the conclave.

I wasn't invited to elect Pope Francis' successor - Cardinal Njue
Bashir Mbuthia  |  May 06, 2025

He stressed that his absence was not due to health issues but admitted that he was unsure why he had been left out.

Taxpayers to fund Sh2.3 billion State House, lodges facelift despite austerity measures
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 06, 2025

The National Treasury has indicated that the bulk of the Sh2.3 billion will go into rehabilitation and refurbishment works at State House, Nairobi and...

2025 Finance Bill changes may worsen cash crunch for Kenyan exporters
Alfred Onyango  |  May 03, 2025

The proposed changes, if passed into law, would increase the period for refund ascertainment from the current 90 to 120 days, along with an extension...

Ruto’s housing plan hit as Treasury moves to end tax exemptions on building materials
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 02, 2025

The proposed tax changes, if approved, could raise the cost of building affordable homes and slow down the delivery of housing units.

Finance Bill 2025 proposes 16% VAT on internet radio and TV
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 01, 2025

If passed, the amendment means consumers of online radio and television will face higher subscription costs as service providers adjust prices to refl...

Why innovation investment falters despite businesses’ thirst - study
Alfred Onyango  |  Apr 29, 2025

Developing countries encourage far less innovation as firms and governments appear to be leaving billions of dollars on the table in forgone productiv...

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