Connect with us

News

Kenya government condemns ‘shameful’ shoe-hurling at president

Published

on

The Kenyan government has described as “shameful” an incident in which a shoe was thrown at President William Ruto during a rally on Sunday.

Widely shared video clips show the footwear striking the president’s left arm as he held it aloft while he was speaking.

Government spokesman Isaac Mwaura condemned what happened and called for those behind it to be “apprehended”. “What would happen if we all decided to throw shoes at each other? What values are we teaching our children?” he asked in post on X calling for the institution of the presidency to be respected.

Kenyan media are reporting that three people have been arrested, but the police have not confirmed this.

Some MPs have also criticised the shoe-throwing, which has been described as a major security lapse.

The president was addressing a crowd at a public event in the western county of Migori as part of a three-day tour of the region where he has been launching and commissioning development projects.

While the views of some ordinary Kenyans chime with the feeling that the shoe-throwing was disrespectful, others have suggested that it reflected frustrations over the state of the economy.

An official video of the event shared by the president on X does not show the shoe incident, which appears to have happened off-camera.

However, commotion within the crowd is briefly seen. The president is heard asking his security officers, who may have been about to look for the culprit, to leave the people in the audience alone.

The screen then goes blank before and minutes later the video shows other people speaking at the rally.

The shoe-throwing comes amid growing concerns over the safety of public officials. Last week, an opposition MP was shot dead last week in the capital, Nairobi, by gunmen on a motorcycle in a suspected assassination.

Nelson Koech, an MP in the president’s party, said Sunday’s incident was an “affront to our democracy” adding that “we have taken a joke too far”.

“You can imagine if that shoe was a bullet… people joke about the security of the president. It took a very bold step for someone to take their shoe and throw it at the president.

“We must secure the head of state,” he told local station Citizen TV.

Migori is in a region considered to be a stronghold of veteran opposition politician Raila Odinga, who ran against Ruto in the 2022 presidential election, but who has since made a deal with the president.

The agreement signed in March between Odinga and Ruto was “to help ease the prevailing tension in the country”, following deadly anti-tax demonstrations last year.

Since he became president in 2022, Ruto has faced protests from Kenyans frustrated with the cost of living and increased taxes.

News

Ex-Army chief Yahaya urges overhaul of recruitment, training to bolster military readiness

Published

on

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya (rtd), has called for a comprehensive and uncompromising reform in recruitment, training, and performance evaluation to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s professionalism and combat effectiveness.

He made this call while delivering a lecture at the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2025, held at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna on Saturday.

He emphasized that courage, vigilance, and uncompromising standards must guide every stage of a soldier’s career—from recruitment and training to operational deployment.

“Recruitment and selection into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and Depot Nigerian Army must be thorough and uncompromising. There is no room for weakness or mediocrity. We must be courageous and firm in weeding out bad eggs at every stage,” Yahaya stated.

He said the evolving modern threats and impacts on current training must include a change in training paradigms to reflect, not only conventional warfare, but also terrorism, asymmetric warfare, ideological extremism, and cyber threats.

He suggested a modification of military training. programs to include important strategic courses on emotional intelligence, military psychology, counter-terrorism tactics, and social media awareness.

“Effective training will help solidify the soldier-first concept in the minds of instructors and students. We must reflect modern threats in our training, not just conventional warfare,” he said.

The retired Army chief also stressed the importance of enhancing simulation-based and hands-on training to match real-time battlefield conditions. He urged military institutions across the country to modernize their facilities to meet 21st-century demands.

Yahaya proposed increased collaboration with international military institutions in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Pakistan. He said such partnerships would help fast-track knowledge transfer and improve the technical competence of Nigerian personnel.

“We must scale up our engagements with allied nations on training programs. Our non-commissioned officers should have wider access to Junior Command, Regimentation, and Train-the-Trainer courses abroad to meet international standards,” he added.

He stressed the need for capacity building for senior non-commissioned officers (SNCO) as a key target in modern military operations, primarily when operating below the level of battalion in a decentralized context, such as the North East and Lake Chad Basin.

“Modern security challenges can no longer be addressed solely through massed formations.

The Army must build a force capable of executing small-unit warfighting with speed, precision and initiative using a decentralized command structure grounded in the principle of mission command,” Yahaya said.

He reiterated that providing tactical leadership skills to SNCOs will close the gap of officers especially in remote and high-risk theatres of operation.

Yahaya concluded by saying that any reform effort must be soldier-centric which ensures that soldier’s welfare; professionalism and operational capability are the focus.

“The future of our Army depends on the soldier—how well we train, equip, and support him. Let us define our vision clearly and pursue it with consistency and discipline,” he said.

The guest lecture was part of a series of professional engagements, paving the way for NADCEL 2025, which saw a celebration of the 162nd year of the establishment of the Nigerian Army.

Continue Reading

News

Keyamo to launch Enugu Air July 7

Published

on

Nigeria’s minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, will officially launch the Enugu State government-owned commercial airline, Enugu Air, on Monday, July 7, 2025.

The launch ceremony will take place at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.

This is according to a recent statement from the airline.

The airline will begin operations with a fleet of three Embraer jets from the E170 and E190 series, chosen for their performance, passenger comfort, and suitability for regional routes.

Commenting on the development, the Commissioner for Transportation, Enugu State, Dr. Obi Ozor, said Enugu Air is pivotal to Governor Peter Mbah’s vision for positioning Enugu State as a major aviation hub in Nigeria.

“With a strong foundation built on innovation and sustainability, Enugu Air is poised to transform regional air travel, boost state pride, and raise Enugu’s profile nationally and globally,” he said.

The domestic airline announced that its inaugural routes will be Abuja and Lagos, with plans to expand services to Port Harcourt, Owerri, Benin, Kano, and other key locations in Nigeria.

Continue Reading

News

Commissioner of Police orders prompt medical care for sick suspects in Abia Command

Published

on

Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, Danladi Isa has charged officers in the Command to maintain professionalism, avoid corruption, and strictly adhere to the NPF social media policy.

He has also directed that suspects must not be detained beyond 24 hours for bailable offences and that sick suspects must receive prompt medical attention.

CP Danladi, who gave the directive during the Command’s monthly conference, which was attended by Area Commanders, DPOs, Heads of Departments and Tactical Commanders, warned that senior officers would be held vicariously liable for misconducts by their subordinates, hence they must ensure proper supervision of officers under them.

He further prohibited Point of Sales, (PoS) operations within Police premises and urged officers to secure their bases, protect government infrastructure, and work in synergy with Mayors of local governments and the public for effective crime-fighting.

The Commissioner of Police, who commended the officers for their dedication to duties, said that greater responsibility is required from them.

He further recognised the the PRO of the Abia Command, DSP Maureen Chinaka for receiving award from the Inspector General of Police and for completing a short course on New Media Capacity Building in China.

Continue Reading

Trending