Kenya

Trans pride flag

Kenyan court orders trans rights bill in landmark legal ruling

By / / Good News For Humankind

Kenya’s Eldoret High Court has issued a historic ruling affirming the rights and dignity of transgender people. The case, brought by activist Shieys Chepkosgei, challenged invasive treatment she endured while in custody, with the court declaring her rights had been violated. Judges awarded damages and, most significantly, ordered Parliament to draft legislation protecting transgender people from discrimination. Advocates call the decision a breakthrough for equality in a country where LGBTQ+ communities face stigma and legal barriers. While challenges remain, the ruling is a hopeful step toward recognition, dignity, and stronger protections for transgender Kenyans.

Fly

Kenya declared free of deadly sleeping sickness by WHO

By / / Good News For Humankind

Kenya has officially eliminated sleeping sickness as a public health problem—becoming the tenth country worldwide and the fifth in Africa to reach this milestone. The disease, spread by tsetse flies, causes fever, swollen lymph nodes and, if untreated, severe damage to the nervous system, disrupting sleep and leading to coma or death. Kenya recorded its last local case in 2009 and its last imported cases in 2012 after years of investment in surveillance, diagnostics and fly control. With WHO validation, Kenya’s success strengthens Africa’s collective drive to eliminate sleeping sickness across the continent by 2030.

Powerlines

Kenya has more than doubled access to electricity since 2013

By / / Good news links

Kenya is progressing toward universal electricity access by 2030, bolstered by strong policy implementation and clean energy technologies, according to the International Energy Agency. Kenya has seen an increase in access, from 37% in 2013 to 79% in 2023, supporting poverty reduction, education, healthcare, and economic development. The Last Mile Connectivity Project has been instrumental in connecting nine million rural inhabitants to the grid. By the end of this year, the project aims to connect an additional 280,000 households nationwide.

Charging an EV

Kenya to acquire 1,000 EVs per year for federal staff

By / / Good news links

The Kenyan government’s move to start buying electric vehicles could be good news for companies that are looking assemble or retail electric cars in the country. The announcement just said “vehicles,” and therefore could include electric buses, trucks, and motorcycles as well, which would be a major boost for Kenya’s nascent electric vehicle ecosystem.