Simba AI factory lab in Nakuru on May 3, 2025. [Caroline Chebet, Standard] Kenya has entered the global artificial intelligence race with the debut of Simba AI, the continent’s pioneer AI chatbot capable of translating English into various local dialects. Simba AI is a collaborative effort involving Simba AI and Lish AI Labs. It is a pioneering chatbot developed by Kenyan developers in conjunction with their US counterparts to bridge the continent’s existing information gap. “With Simba AI, we are sourcing data from our local platforms to feed into the chatbot so that it can respond to any question about Africa. We want local communities to interact with AI in their…
Author: By Caroline Chebet
Swabrina Esmael, one of the students under the Young Conservation Scholarship champions. May 1, 2025. [Caroline Chebet, Standard] When 16-year-old Abdulrahym Godhana joined the Wildlife Club at Maranda High School, he thought it was just another extracurricular activity. His simple choice would plunge him into becoming part of a team of students tasked with finding solutions to counter the changing environment in his home in Tsavo. Godhana is one of the first five cohorts of Young Conservation Scholarship champions, a conservation education programme where students will be running programmes targeted at conserving critical biodiversity and finding solutions to existing challenges…
Baboons at a residential adjacent to Lake Nakuru National Park on November 4, 2022. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] At Naka Estate in Nakuru County, an ordinary day unfolds with the extraordinary sight of baboons turning rooftops into their playground. Young baboons dangle from internet and TV cables, while some amusingly brush their teeth using old toothbrushes scavenged from the neighbourhood. Beneath this aerial spectacle, children from the estate scatter at the approach of adult baboons—a situation they have been forced to adapt to over the past six months since the invasion began. “They’ve taken over the estate. They’ve claimed rooftops and…
Baboons at a residential adjacent to Lake Nakuru National Park on November 4, 2022. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] At Naka Estate in Nakuru County, an ordinary day unfolds with the extraordinary sight of baboons turning rooftops into their playground. Young baboons dangle from internet and TV cables, while some amusingly brush their teeth using old toothbrushes scavenged from the neighbourhood. Beneath this aerial spectacle, children from the estate scatter at the approach of adult baboons—a situation they have been forced to adapt to over the past six months since the invasion began. “They’ve taken over the estate. They’ve claimed rooftops and…
St. Mary’s School participates in the 63rd Kenya National Drama and Film Festival at Lions School in Nakuru on April 4, 2025. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] On the fourth day of the National Drama and Film Festival—following the Butere Girls High School play saga—more schools took to the stage with similar bold themes. Through fictional narratives, students exposed the nation’s deep seated corruption, crumbling health system, and the dashed hopes of creative youth yearning for opportunity. The performances carried a collective plea: to be seen, heard and understood by the world around them. On the fourth day of the National Drama and Film Festival—following the Butere…
St. Mary’s School participates in the 63rd Kenya National Drama and Film Festival at Lions School in Nakuru on April 4, 2025.[Kipsang Joseph, Standard] Discussions about the Ministry of Education’s preparedness to effectively integrate Arts and Sports as viable pathways in senior secondary schools took center stage during the ongoing 63rd National Drama and Film Festivals in Nakuru City. Thespians and teachers questioned how the Arts, in particular, would be mainstreamed given the existing challenges in the creative sector, especially as the first cohort of Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) learners prepares to transition to senior school next year. These discussions occurred during the inaugural conference, which was held alongside the festivals and featured experts from the creative sector. During the conference,…
Students receive training through masterclasses and film during the 63rd Kenya National Drama and Film Festival at Lions School, Nakuru, on April 8, 2025. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] Learners participating in this year’s National Drama and Film Festivals are being treated to unique experiences and interactions with experts in art spaces. In addition to free screenings of African films that highlight various themes, including leadership, heritage, self-awareness, and climate storytelling, learners at all educational levels are being offered a masterclass to gain insights into film creation. The film masterclass is a collaborative effort that brings together stakeholders in the film industry…
Former UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala addressing the press at Kirobon Girls’ School, Nakuru. [Caroline Chebet, Standard] Former UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala was on Wednesday blocked by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) from accessing students of Butere Girls High School at Kirobon Girls’ School in Nakuru, where they are rehearsing the contentious play Echoes of War. I am now being arrested for scripting a play, ECHOES OF WAR.Shame!!! pic.twitter.com/rLOG8F0pMg — Cleo Malalah (@Cleophasmalala) April 9, 2025 Malala, who authored the script, had reportedly gone to the venue to support the Butere Girls’ cast ahead of their…
Pupils from Makunga Primary School in the Western region rehearse their cultural dance titled Shwanja ahead of their performance at the 63rd Kenya National Drama and Film Festival, held at Lions School, Nakuru, on April 8, 2025. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] During the ongoing Kenya Film and Drama Festival, students from Londiani Boys High School presented a timely documentary shedding light on the emotional toll of road accidents, particularly on the busy Nakuru-Eldoret highway. Titled Jinxed Junction, the documentary explores the tragic events that have led to the deaths of thousands on this perilous road. The students portray the notorious junction,…
Butere girls high school drama students perform during zonal games. [Benjamin Sakwa/ Standard] A Nyamira court has directed Butere Girls High School drama students to present their play titled “Echoes of War” at the ongoing 63rd National Drama and Film Festivals in Nakuru. Justice Winfrida Okwany delivered the ruling on Tuesday, directing that the students who are set to perform the play and the script writer, former UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala, to attend and participate at the ongoing festivals. The play, which has attracted attention due to claims there had been attempts to ban it, focuses on the youth-led protests, famously…
Lake Bogoria National Reserve in Baringo County on February 19,2024. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] At 34 degrees Celsius in Maji Moto, Baringo, the searing heat may be uncomfortable for most visitors, but for Joseph Kobetbet, it is something he has long grown accustomed to. For over four decades, he has traversed this harsh land, and the heat barely phases him. Kobetbet, a member of the indigenous Endorois community, is often seen walking with a canvas bag slung over his shoulder, filled with what he believes are invaluable resources targeted by industries, pharmaceutical companies, and researchers. “Our land is a treasure…