Madaraka Day in Wajir: President William Ruto presides over the first-ever national Madaraka Day celebrations in North Eastern Kenya at the newly built Wajir International Stadium, with security and traffic plans in place as thousands of delegates stream in. County Finance & Power Access: Ruto also set aside Sh4.1bn to connect 17,000 Wajir households to the national grid through a 54km extension tied to a solar hybrid plant. Devolution & Political Protection: National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula backs a pension scheme for MCAs, saying it will cushion former ward leaders once they retire or exit politics. Land & Infrastructure: The National Land Commission moves to compulsorily acquire land for the Isiolo–Mandera highway works and fibre optic installation under the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project. Banking Pressure from Rate Cuts: Absa Bank Kenya reports falling Q1 earnings as lower interest rates compress revenue, with net earnings dropping for the first time since 2017. Ebola Preparedness Debate: Kenya’s push to identify quarantine and isolation sites in high-risk border counties is framed as a preparedness move that still depends on staffing, training, labs and public communication. Gig Economy Rules: The ILO is close to finalising global ground rules for platform workers, aiming to protect pay and working conditions regardless of contractor status. Health Systems Digitisation: Cloud infrastructure is being deployed to help Kenya’s electronic medical records run faster while keeping patient data within the country.