President William Ruto will host Junior Starlets at State House, Nairobi after they booked their place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The qualification marks Kenya’s second appearance at the global tournament after the Junior Starlets made history in 2024 by becoming the first Kenyan football team to qualify for any FIFA World Cup.
After qualifying, Ruto congratulated the Junior Starlets, as former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko rewarded the team with Sh1 million.
Ruto praised the players for making the country proud and pledged his full support as they prepare for the tournament in Morocco.
“You have made us very proud. I love you guys, you have made our country proud. Congratulations, and I'm very proud of you. You can count on my support one hundred per cent,” Ruto told the team.
The Junior Starlets booked their place at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup after defeating South Africa's Bantwana 3-1 in the second leg of the final qualifying round at Nyayo National Stadium.
Governors Sakaja, Wamatangi to face Senate committee on disaster management
The Senate Committee on National Security will hold a meeting with governors Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi) and Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu) at Bunge Towers at 9 am.
The meeting will deliberate firefighting and disaster Mmnagement in the two county governments.
Disaster preparedness and emergency response have increasingly come under scrutiny in both Nairobi and Kiambu counties following a series of deadly fires, floods and building-related incidents that have exposed weaknesses in response systems.
Concerns have been raised over inadequate firefighting equipment, understaffed emergency services, poor coordination among agencies and delayed response times, particularly in densely populated informal settlements and rapidly expanding urban centres.
In Nairobi, frequent market and residential fires have highlighted the county's limited firefighting capacity, with residents often forced to rely on neighbouring counties or private responders before county fire engines arrive.
Kiambu County has similarly faced challenges in responding
to fires, flooding and other emergencies as rapid urbanisation places increasing
pressure on existing infrastructure and emergency services.
Education Committee meets stakeholders over CBE rollout, school funding
National Assembly’s Committee on Education meets various stakeholders to deliberate on matters relating to education funding, the implementation of Competency-Based Education (CBE), education sector reforms, and the FY 2025/2026 Budget Implementation.
Officials from State Department for Basic Education, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), and the Kenya Government Press (Government Printer) will appear before the committee.
The meeting will take place at Bunge Towers from 9 am.
Kenya's education sector is undergoing far-reaching reforms aimed at equipping learners with practical skills, critical thinking abilities and competencies needed for the modern economy. At the centre of the reforms is the transition from the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) to the Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework.
The reforms have faced several implementation challenges.
Stakeholders, including teachers' unions, parents and education experts, have
raised concerns over inadequate funding, shortages of classrooms and learning
materials, insufficient teacher training and disparities in infrastructure
across counties.
