TropiGlobe blog

Narok Town, Kenya Today, the cowardly and brutal regime thought they could silence the voice of the people. Clear instructions had been issued to the police: block Rigathi Gachagua and his entire entourage from entering Narok Town to campaign for our Democratic Congress Party (DCP) candidate for Narok Ward, the formidable Hon. Douglas Masikonde. They deployed roadblocks. They brought teargas. They brought stones and bullets and all the instruments of intimidation that a panicked dictatorship clings to when it senses its days are numbered. But they forgot one thing: you cannot block a villager in his own village. I am a son of this soil. I grew up walking these paths, herding cattle under the same sun that shines on Narok today. When the police sealed the main roads, I turned to my fellow villagers — the real owners of this land — and asked for their guidance. Quietly, calmly, they showed us the ancient footpaths, the hidden trails through the bushes that no uniformed officer from Nairo...

 Mbeere North, Embu County.   The Deputy President, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, dropped the professorial calm, grabbed the mic, and went full Sunday-school mode on Rigathi Gachagua. “Wewe Goliathi! Wewe Goliathi! Umechoka kutisha watu. Siku zako zimeisha. Nitakuonea aibu!”   (Translation for the city folks: “You Goliath! You Goliath! You’re done threatening people. Your days are over. I will shame you!”) Kenya stopped scrolling and said:   “Finally. Kindiki aliamka.” For over a year, Rigathi Gachagua has been the loudest ex-DP in Kenyan history. Church services, funerals, harambees – everywhere he goes, he has one sermon:   “Kindiki is a puppet. Ruto betrayed Mt Kenya. I am the real king of the mountain.” He has called Kindiki a houseboy, a briefcase carrier, a man without a spine.   Kindiki’s response? Silence. Polite smiles. “Let the work speak.”   Until yesterday. Yesterday, the professor borrowed Gachagua’s own megaphone an...

In the sweltering heat of Dar es Salaam, where the Indian Ocean breeze usually carries whispers of hope, the air has turned thick with grief and fury. Just weeks ago, on October 29, 2025, Tanzania held its general elections—a day meant to echo the nation's democratic aspirations but instead erupted into a nightmare of gunfire, burning barricades, and cries for justice. What began as a call for fair votes has morphed into a stark reminder of how fragile freedom can be when power clings too tightly. And in the midst of it all, a simple phrase—"Mind Your Own Business"—has transformed from everyday slang into a defiant political rallying cry, a shield against the state's overreach. If you've scrolled through your feed lately, you might have seen CNN Correspondent Larry Madowo's post lighting up timelines: a screenshot of CNN's homepage, with "Police fatally shot protesters in aftermath of Tanzania’s disputed election" screaming from the top. It's...

Perched on Kenya's sun-kissed Indian Ocean coastline, Kwale County isn't just beaches and dhows—it's a geological jackpot where heavy mineral sands glitter beneath the dunes. Famous for its casuarina-lined shores and Swahili heritage, Kwale hides vast deposits of titanium, zircon, and rutile that power global industries from aerospace to pigments. In this TropiGlobe deep dive, we unearth the minerals shaping Kwale's economy, backed by mining reports and sustainable development insights, revealing how this coastal gem balances extraction with eco-tourism. Kwale's Sandy Foundations: A Rift's Gift to the Coast Kwale's mineral wealth stems from ancient beach placers, remnants of the East African Rift's tectonic drama millions of years ago. These heavy mineral sands—dense grains sorted by waves and winds—form ilmenite-rich layers up to 30 meters deep in areas like Msambweni. The county's dune complexes, stabilized by indigenous vegetation, overlay Precamb...

Nestled on the southern flanks of Mount Kenya, Kirinyaga County is a verdant paradise of tea plantations, coffee estates, and rice paddies—but beneath its fertile surface, a subtler story unfolds. While Kenya boasts over 970 confirmed mineral occurrences across 15 counties (notably Kitui, Embu, Tana River, and others), Kirinyaga doesn't make the headlines for mining booms.Its geology, dominated by Tertiary-Quaternary volcanic rocks from the Aberdare Range and Mount Kenya complex, hints at untapped potential rather than active extraction. Think phonolites, basalts, and trachytes—igneous formations rich in silicates, but light on economic heavy-hitters. So, which minerals do we have in Kirinyaga? Based on geological surveys and databases like Mindat.org, the county's mineral wealth is modest and largely unexplored. Here's a breakdown of what's known (or suspected) to occur, drawn from volcanic compositions and regional analogies. Note: No large-scale mining happens here; ...

 Brewed Awakening: Kirinyaga Coffee Farmers Ride a Wave of Reforms and Rewards in 2025 In the misty highlands of Kirinyaga County, where the volcanic soils cradle coffee bushes like old friends, 2025 has been a year of bitter-sweet transformation for the region's 150,000+ smallholder farmers. Once synonymous with exploitation and dwindling yields, Kirinyaga's coffee sector—producing 40,000 tons annually and generating KSh 2.8 billion in revenue—has seen a dramatic turnaround. From record payouts that filled wallets to fierce protests over payment reforms, the past 11 months have brewed a potent mix of hope, hustle, and hard-won gains. As the 2025/2026 season looms, let's percolate through the headlines shaping these farmers' fortunes. Record Payouts: A Cherry on Top of Reforms If early 2025 was a wake-up call for Kirinyaga's coffee growers, it came with a caffeine kick. In April, 27 of the county's 75 wet mills announced payouts ranging from KSh 100 to KSh 145 p...

In the heart of Kenya's Central Region, Kirinyaga County stands as a beacon of progress, its lush hills and vibrant communities a testament to resilient leadership. Since her election in 2017 as one of only three women governors in the country, Anne Waiguru has steered Kirinyaga through transformative years, re-elected in 2022 for a second term. Drawing from her background as Kenya's first Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning, Waiguru has brought a technocratic edge to governance, focusing on economic empowerment, health, infrastructure, and inclusivity. Her vision, encapsulated in the groundbreaking Mountain Cities Blueprint—the country's first sub-national 15-year development plan—has guided Kirinyaga toward sustainable growth, lifting livelihoods and fostering hope. As of her 2025 State of the County Address, the results speak volumes: poverty reduced from 23% to 21%, impacting over 52,000 households, and the county's Gross County Product surging from KSh 11...