COP17 | IUCN welcomes COP17 biodiversity commitments but warns funding gaps threaten 2030 targets
2026 UN Biodiversity Conference venue in Yerevan, Armenia. PHOTO/IUCN.
By PATRICK MAYOYO
newsdesk@africaeconews.co.ke
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has welcomed a series of landmark decisions aimed at accelerating global efforts to halt biodiversity loss, following the conclusion of the 2026 United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, while warning that insufficient funding and slow implementation continue to threaten the achievement of international conservation targets by 2030.
The two-week conference, which concluded on 31 October, delivered important progress towards implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), including stronger recognition of the contributions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, local and regional governments, women, young people, businesses and other non-state actors.
IUCN welcomed the strengthened recognition of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, sub-national governm...
Will Kalonzo’s heckling at Sifuna’s event trigger another political U-turn ahead of 2027?
Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka at a past event. PHOTO/UGC.
By PATRICK MAYOYO
newsdesk@africaeconews.co.ke
The heckling of the Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka, during the inauguration of Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi Movement headquarters in Lavington, Nairobi, on 20 October 2026 has re-opened an uncomfortable question about his political future: what exactly are his next moves as the opposition struggles to identify a single presidential candidate to challenge President William Ruto in 2027?
What appeared to be an ordinary political gathering quickly turned into a revealing moment in the increasingly competitive battle for the United Opposition’s presidential ticket. Musyoka attended the event alongside several opposition leaders, including former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa.
However, the reception Musyoka received exposed the growing rivalry between his presidential ambitions and the emerg...