Meet the USS Gerald R. Ford. It’s an aircraft carrier the size of three football fields, packed with 75 fighter jets and capable of wiping out targets thousands of miles away. But forget the heavy artillery for a second—how on earth do you house, feed, and clean 5,000 sailors on a ship that doesn’t touch land for months?

Just How Much is Ksh 1.7 Trillion in Kenya?

To put the Ksh 1.7 trillion ($13 billion) cost of the USS Gerald R. Ford into perspective, this single military vessel is an absolute economic behemoth. In a Kenyan context, Ksh 1.7 trillion could:

Easily fund 40% of the National Budget 

Kenya’s projected national budget for the 2025/2026 fiscal year is roughly Ksh 4.3 trillion. Of this amount Ksh 3.09 trillion is for recurrent expenditure and Ksh 725.1 billion for development.The cost of this one ship could fund almost half of the country’s entire operations for a year.

Build an additional 19 Nairobi Expressways

The 27-kilometer Nairobi Expressway cost roughly Ksh 86 billion. For the price of the aircraft carrier, Kenya could build nearly 20 of those superhighways.

Construct 4 Standard Gauge Railways (SGR)

The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR project cost approximately Ksh 416 billion (in today’s USD terms). Ksh 1.7 trillion is enough to build four of them from scratch.

Here is a look inside the daily life of the sailors operating this trillion-shilling titan.

Feeding a City: A Ksh 8.4 Million Daily Grocery Bill

Floating in the middle of the ocean means you can’t just step out to the local supermarket. The logistics behind keeping the crew fed are staggering:

A team of highly trained culinary specialists serves up to 17,300 meals every single day, keeping the kitchens running 24/7. In just one day, the crew consumes 1,600 lbs of chicken, 350 lbs of lettuce, and brews 20,000 cups of coffee. 

The grocery bill alone costs the US Navy between Ksh 5.85 million ($45,000) and Ksh 8.45 million ($65,000) per day—over Ksh 130 million ($1 million) a month. Every 7 to 10 days, massive supply ships pull alongside the moving carrier to transfer hundreds of thousands of pounds of food via cable systems.

Sleeping in “Steel Coffins”

Forget about personal space or plush mattresses. Space is an absolute premium on an aircraft carrier. Sailors sleep in cramped compartments where beds, known as “racks”, are stacked three people high. A standard rack is slightly smaller than a twin bed. 

The most shocking part? From the top of the thin foam mattress to the bottom of the rack above, there is only 20 inches of clearance. It’s barely enough room to roll over, which is why sailors in the lower bunks affectionately call them “coffin lockers.”

The Ksh 52 Million Toilet Problem and “Navy Showers”

Staying clean in a vessel shared with 5,000 other sweating humans is heavily enforced to prevent disease outbreaks, but it comes with unique challenges. A typical enlisted birthing area has three to four showers and toilets shared by 80 to 100 people. On the newest Ford-class carriers, all bathrooms are completely gender-neutral, meaning there are no urinals at all.

The ship uses a vacuum-powered septic system similar to an airplane. Because sailors sometimes flush unauthorized items, the pipes frequently clog. To clear a serious blockage, the Navy has to perform a chemical “acid flush” that costs an eye-watering Ksh 52 million ($400,000) every single time.

Fresh water is a precious resource. Sailors take a “Navy Shower”—you turn on the water to get wet, turn it off to lather up with soap, and turn it back on to rinse. This method uses just 3 gallons (11 liters) of water, compared to a typical civilian shower that guzzles up to 60 gallons.

Laundry Room

Doing laundry on a ship this massive is an extreme sport. The laundry facilities process a staggering 150,000 pounds of laundry every single week.

The machines are housed deep below the waterline, where temperatures regularly exceed 135°F (57°C). Because of the intense heat, sailors are often limited to working one-hour shifts just to avoid heatstroke.

It might not be a luxurious life, but the amenities have heavily improved over the decades, with newer ships offering Wi-Fi lounges, gyms, post offices, and relatively better food. It takes immense mental toughness to adapt to the constant noise, artificial light, and cramped quarters, but it’s what keeps one of the world’s most powerful military forces operational.

At 26, she purchased a daycare business in Houston, Texas, which she now operates and employs at least 20 people directly. But how did she achieve all this at a young age?

This is her journey as told by WOK:

Relocating To The US

Wanja’s story in the United States began at the age of three, when her parents relocated from Kenya to the United States in pursuit of higher education. That was in 2001. Her father pursued a doctorate and her mother a master’s at LSU.

After completing their studies, they remained in the U.S. to work, and the family has been there ever since.

From a young age, Wanja’s mind was set on becoming an entrepreneur. “I’ve always wanted to go into business,” she explained in an interview with Chams Media.

For this reason, she chose to study finance for her undergraduate degree at Purdue University and later at Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business for her graduate studies.

After completing school, she delved into the career of management consulting, with her most remarkable achievement being becoming the vice president of the Northern Trust Bank at the age of 25.

While still working in consulting, Wanja began thinking of running her own business in the Houston area. “I wanted to run my own business, but I didn’t know which business to buy,” she explained. “I finally decided to buy a daycare business because they are consistently profitable.

Unlike other businesses, daycares rarely fluctuate up and down with the economy or with the different seasons of the year,” she said.

She found Joyful Days Academy, a daycare that was profitable, stable, and had a high employee retention rate. Seeing it as a good deal, she invested all her savings into buying the business.

Challenges Of Running A Daycare

Joyful Days Academy cares for children from six months to 12 years old. The facility provides a comprehensive service for busy parents, offering all-day care, meals, and snacks.

During the school year, a curriculum is in place for younger children, focusing on math and reading in the morning, with fun activities in the afternoon.

Currently, Wanja’s business employs at least 20 people.

However, she was keen to state that running a small business is not a bed of roses. “Being a small business owner is very hands-on. You have to really know your employees, what they are going through, their challenges,” she explained.

When it comes to the dos and don’ts of the daycare business, Wanja emphasized that customer service is paramount. “One unhappy customer can cost you 100 customers, while one happy customer can bring you 10 customers,” she said.

To remain competitive, she offers discounts and ensures that the children are treated well and have nothing to complain about. She adds that creating a strong bond with families is also critical, as parents need to feel their children are in trusted hands.

For young people who want to venture into business but feel they lack the funds, Wanja advises them to focus on building a high credit score, which will enable them to secure a bank loan.

Alternatively, she points to creative financing, where one can find private investors interested in earning passive income.

Her parting shot is that “Anyone can succeed in any industry provided they put in the effort to learn what they need to learn.”

• Free accommodation in serviced apartments in one of Dubai’s most sought-after neighbourhoods throughout the 3-month Academy residency
• Generous salary to cover living expenses for the duration of the programme
• Epic perks including unparallelled access to shoot in some of Dubai’s most stunning and exclusive locations, normally reserved for celebrities and royalty
• Insider knowledge and the chance to work alongside Jeremy Jauncey, CEO and Founder of Beautiful Destinations
• Hands-on coaching and mentorship from Beautiful Destinations’ travel creators so participants can master the creative and technical skills to take their content to the next level
• Certificate of Participation from one of the world’s leading tourism educational organisations, the Dubai College of Tourism 
• Guaranteed pipeline of job opportunities with Beautiful Destinations upon graduation, setting alumni on an unrivalled career pathway as a social media content creator whose work will be showcased to millions of followers and brands

• Upload a 60-second video to their Instagram feed showcasing their perspective on travel, culture, or adventure
• Tag @BeautifulDestinations @VisitDubai #BDacademy in their post
• Submit a link to their post via www (dot) beautifuldestinations (dot) com/academy

  and complete the online application

Dubbed the “Trump Gold Card,” this initiative promises permanent residency and a pathway to U.S. citizenship for a cool $5 million (approximately Ksh 650 million).

Announced earlier this week, the plan is set to replace the existing EB-5 investor visa program, and it’s already sparking curiosity among Kenya’s elite.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump described the gold card as a premium upgrade to the traditional green card.

“We’re going to be selling a gold card. It’s going to give you green card privileges, plus it’s a route to citizenship. Wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card—they’ll be successful, spending lots of money, and paying lots of taxes,” he said.

For Kenyans with deep pockets, this could be a golden ticket to the American dream.

How it works for Kenyans

The Trump Gold Card is straightforward; pay $5 million, and you’re in.

Unlike the EB-5 program, which required investments of at least $1 million (or $800,000 in certain areas) into U.S. businesses that create jobs, the gold card appears to ditch those extra steps.

Trump’s team hasn’t detailed specific requirements yet, but Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hinted that applicants will face vetting to ensure they’re “world-class global citizens.”

For Kenya’s business moguls, politicians and high-flying entrepreneurs, this could be a game-changer.

Trump even suggested that companies could buy these cards for top talent, raising the possibility that Kenyan firms might sponsor their star employees for a shot at U.S. residency.

Can Kenyans afford it?

At Ksh 650 million, the gold card isn’t for the average Kenyan but Kenya’s elite might see it as a steal.

With no cap on how many cards will be sold, unlike the EB-5’s annual limit of 10,000, the door’s wide open for those who can pay.

Trump even quipped that Russian oligarchs could qualify, adding, “I know some who are nice people—they can afford five million dollars.”

According to a report by Reuters on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, the Rwanda-backed militia gained control of the Goma airport, marking the worst civil unrest escalation since 2012. The rebel group is reportedly moving south towards Bakavu, the capital of South Kivu province, in what appears to be an attempt to expand their territory and assert their grip of eastern DRC.

Following the recent escalation in conflict, several people have been killed whereas over 1 million others have been forced to flee their homes. A tally by AFP of tolls from the city’s overflowing hospitals, indicated that over 100 people have been killed and over 1,000 others wounded.

The rebels marched into Goma on Monday night and were met with resistance from government troops and allied militia. After hours of confrontation, they overpowered them and seized control of strategic infrastructure including the airport.

Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), which includes DRC’s M23 rebels, told Reuters on Tuesday, January 28, that they plan to govern Goma.

History of M23

M23, which refers to the March 23, 2009, accord that ended a previous Tutsi-led revolt in eastern Congo, is a group of ethnic Congolese Tutsi-led insurgents operating primarily in Northern Kivu Province in eastern DRC.

The rebel group first seized control of Goma in November 2012, but Congolese troops, along with United Nations peacekeeping troops, retook control of the city, and the rebels announced a ceasefire and said that they wanted to resume peace talks.

M23 attempted to seize control of Goma again in 2017, but their efforts bore little fruit. The group made a bigger comeback in 2022, seeing control of the eastern town of Bunagana. In November 2022, M23 rebels got close to the city of Goma and forced about 180,000 people to leave their homes after the Congolese Army had withdrawn from the region near the village of Kibumba.

Rwanda’s involvement

The DRC government, U.N. officials and a section of Western powers including the United States have accused Congo’s neighbour Rwanda of fuelling the conflict by deploying thousands of its own troops and heavy weapons on Congolese soil in support of M23.

Inventor and entrepreneur Maxwell Chikumbutso, founder of Saith Technologies and Saith Motors, presented President Emmerson Mnangagwa with the Saith FEV Car, claiming it to be a self-powering vehicle that operates without fuel, recharging, or external input, powered solely by radio waves.

He also presented a Hypersonic Energy Device that he alleged harnesses radio frequencies and converts them into electricity

“President Mnangagwa praised Chikumbutso as a brilliant inventor whose invention has never been seen before anywhere in the world, making it a first of its kind. The President said such talent needs to be cultivated and nurtured for the benefit of the nation,” the presidential department of communications wrote on a social media post.

His inventions quickly sparked online skepticism, with many accusing him of deceiving the President and fabricating his claims.

Zimbabweans accused him of buying an electric vehicle and a portable power station, then presenting them to President Mnangagwa at the Zimbabwe State House while falsely claiming them as his own inventions.

A reverse image search revealed that the invented car was a Kaiyi model manufactured in Japan while the hypersonic energy device was actually a Browey powerstation with a built in solar panel.

Among the skeptics was Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono, who called out Chikumbutso, labeling him a bogus inventor for misleading the President with false claims about the invention.

Expressing his disappointment, he also criticized Zimbabwe’s state security service for failing to conduct due diligence on the authenticity of the inventions.

He lamented the negative impact such stunts have on the country’s reputation.

“What shocks me is that Zimbabwe has a state security service that should be preventing the president from being exposed to such embarrassing moments. The world is not just laughing at Mnangagwa, it is laughing at our country,” he wrote on his social media platform.

On February 25, the heads of African countries will convene in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to cast their vote on who will succeed outgoing chairman Mouusa Faki Mahamat, from Chad.

Kenyan candidate and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s road has gained momentum with over 20 African countries pledging their support.

Currently the following countries have pledged to cast their ballots in Raila’s favour:

1. Mauritius

2. Rwanda

3. Guinea-Bissau

4. Togo

5. Zambia

6. Angola

7. Equatorial Guinea

8. Zimbabwe

9. Algeria

10. Gambia

11. Malawi

12. Republic of the Congo

13. Senegal

14. Burundi

15. DRC

16. Seychelles

17. Tanzania

18. Ghana

19. Uganda

20.South Sudan

Odinga’s campaign secretariat has ramped up his campaign with back-to-back appearances lined up ahead of election day. He has also been attending global summits alongside President William Ruto as part of the government’s efforts to drum up support for his candidacy.

In fact, Raila has spent the past week touring  and wooing Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries as he enters the final leg of his campaign.

According to former Kenyan ambassador to the USA and one of Raila’s strategists, Elkana Odembo, his CV has been translated into six languages to help expand his appeal and communicate effectively with non-English speaking heads of state.

Raila’s manifesto entails plans to dismantle economic barriers, empower the youth and women, and unite the continent behind a common goal—prosperity.

He also promises to eliminate trade impediments and visa requirements that have stagnated growth.

Raila is competing with two other candidates, including Djibouti’s Mohamoud Youssouf and Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar.

For the former premier to win, he is required to garner the support of two-thirds of the 55 countries eligible to vote, translating to 33 African Union member states.

A video by American skateboarder Nyjah Huston showing the poor condition of his bronze medal just ten days after winning went viral, capturing his shock and disappointment in the organization.

“Alright, so these Olympic medals look great when they’re brand new, but after letting it sit on my skin with some sweat for a little bit and then letting my friends wear it over the weekend, they’re apparently not as high quality as you would think.”

He added: “I mean, look at that thing. It’s looking rough. Even the front. It’s starting to chip off a little. So yeah, I don’t know, Olympic medals, you maybe gotta step up the quality a little bit.”

His video sparked a wave of images and clips from several other athletes including Team USA stars Nick Itkin and Ilona Maher lamenting the poor condition of their hard-earned medals.

International publication Daily Mail reported that the management of the company who produced the medals, Monnaie de Paris, has been dismissed due to the issue.

The company has responded, claiming that problems arose after the ban of use of a critical component of the medals was prohibited, consequently leading to the cutting back on testing time.

The medals awarded in the Paris 2024 Olympics contain a sliver of the Eiffel Tower paying homage to the host city. However,  the composition of medals vary between Olympics. Gold medals are primarily made of silver with a gold coating while bronze medals are usually a mix of copper, zinc and tin. Over time, bronze naturally oxidizes when exposed to air and moisture and the rate of degradation depends on the proportion of metals in the alloy with cheaper metals accelerating the  process.

Seaking to the publication, the International Olympic Committee stated that the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 was working closely with the Monnaie de Paris  to investigate any issues with medals and determine the cause of any damage.

The committee assured that replacement medals were in production and would be distributed in the coming weeks.

“Damaged medals will be systematically replaced by the Monnaie de Paris and engraved in an identical way to the originals. The process to provide any replacements should start in the coming weeks in a process managed by Paris 2024 and Monnaie de Paris, together with the National Olympic Committees of the athletes concerned. Paris 2024 is in contact with the relevant National Olympic Committees.”

“The process to provide any replacements should start in the coming weeks in a process managed by Paris 2024 and Monnaie de Paris, together with the National Olympic Committees of the athletes concerned. Paris 2024 is in contact with the relevant National Olympic Committees.’

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HMPV can cause upper and lower respiratory disease in persons of all ages, specifically targeting young children, the elderly and those with weakened body immunity systems.

Allaying fears of HMPV’s presence in the country, the Ministry of Health, in a statement on January 7, 2025, noted that there is no surge of respiratory diseases in the country, urging Kenyans to remain cautious and observe basic public health practices.

“The national public health surveillance system is on high alert, and we are happy to confirm that currently, there is no reported increase in the expected number of patients presenting with respiratory symptoms in our health facilities,” MoH said.

“The Ministry remains committed to safeguarding the health and safety of all Kenyans. We request members of the public to remain vigilant, continue observing public health practices such as hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette as promoted through the Epuka Uchafu Afya Nyumbani initiative.”

History of HMPV

The Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) was discovered in 2001 by Dutch virologists who were seeking an explanation for various individual respiratory infections that had occurred in recent decades, but which couldn’t be attributed to any known pathogen. HMPV is in the Pneumoviridae family along with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

HPMV in China

According to experts as quoted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), China experienced a surge in HPMV cases during the winter due to the virus’ increased activity and ability to survive cold seasons. People spending most of their time indoors with windows and doors closed propels spread of the virus.

A health report by the Chinese CDC tracked till December 29, 2024, indicated a continuous upward trend in respiratory viral infections, including seasonal influenza, rhinovirus, RSV and human metapneumovirus in the final weeks of the year, particularly in northern provinces of China.

WHO, however, notes that from its monitoring of the region, there have been no unusual trends of the HMPV virus.

“The observed increase in respiratory pathogen detections is within the range expected for this time of year during the Northern Hemisphere winter,” WHO said.

“WHO is in contact with Chinese health officials and has not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns. Chinese authorities report that the health care system is not overwhelmed and there have been no emergency declarations or responses triggered.”

Is there chance of a global pandemic?

While social media has played a role in fear-mongering, experts have stated that HMPV is not like Covid-19 and therefore, does not bear the threat of a pandemic. They note, that human metapneumovirus has been around for decades and some people may have pre-existing immunity to the virus.

“Whilst HMPV does mutate and change over time with new strains emerging, it is not a virus that we consider to have pandemic potential. This is because the changes in HMPV are gradual and based on previously circulating strains,” said Dr Andrew Catchpole, a virologist and chief scientific officer at hVIVO, a British research organisation that conducts human challenge trials of infectious and respiratory disease vaccines.

“Pandemics occur when a totally new virus enters the human population, like for COVID-19, or in the case of influenza, when a totally new variant of the virus enters the human population by combination [of a human and animal] version of the virus from what is known as the animal reservoir. There is no such animal reservoir of related viruses known for HMPV.”

The ban was triggered by the US government’s concern over the app’s operations, alleging that China could gather data on Americans or manipulate the content on TikTok to shape U.S. users’ opinions. Other reasons include threatening national security and access to inappropriate content.

Should the TikTok ban take effect, America will join a list of nations that have either partially or completely banned the app, citing reasons ranging from infringement of data privacy to moral degradation.

Here are the countries that have banned the app:

Afghanistan

After the Taliban assumed power, TikTok was banned in April 2022, with the claim that the application was “misleading youths.”

Australia

The Australian banned TikTok from government devices in April 2023, but is still allowed on devices belonging to the general public.

Austria

Austria banned TikTok from all government employee devices in May 2023.

Belgium

In March 2024, the Belgian government announced that it was banning the app from all government devices citing the need to uphoald the safety of the country’s information. TikTok is however available on the citizens’ devices.

Canada

In February 2023, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that TikTok was banned from all government-issued mobile devices, urging citizens from the business and private sector to reflect on the security of their own data and make informed choices.

China

The international version of TikTok is banned on mainland China and instead, users are required to download Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok which is censored by  Chinese Communist Party.

Denmark

Denmark’s Ministry of Defense banned Tiktok from its employees’ work phones in March 2023. The country’s main public service broadcaster also instituted special protocols to provide special approval for journalists to allow use for only reporting purposes.

Estonia

TikTok was banned from the work phones of state officials in Estonia in March 2023.

India

India completely banned TikTok in 2020, following the aftermath of a  border clash between China and India that resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers.The escalating tensions between the two countries saw India boycott Chinese goods, including certain mobile applications with the claim that they  were “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data.”

Iran

The Islamic Republic has fully banned the use of TikTok along with other internationally social media platforms including X and Facebook.

Ireland

TikTok was banned from government devices in Ireland in April 2023.

Jordan

TikTok has been banned in the Kingdom of Jordan since December 2022, after a police officer was killed during a protest with videos of the event shared on the app.

Kyrgyzstan

The country banned Tiktok in August 2023, with the reason for the ban being that the application was posing harm to the development of children.

Latvia

Since March 2023, the app is prohibited on work phones within Latvia’s Foreign Ministry.

Malta

In Malta Tiktok is blocked from government-provided cell phones along with all other non-government applications in Malta.

The Netherlands

The Dutch government banned the app from employees’ work phones in March 2023 following strained relations between the Netherlands and China.

Nepal

Nepal completely banned TikTok for all its citizens in November 2023, citing it as a threat to social harmony.

North Korea

North Korea restricts most of its citizens from accessing the internet. While a few websites and apps are permitted for the privileged elite to visit, TikTok is not one of them.

Senegal

In August 2024, Senegal imposed a total ban of the application after an opposition candidate was accused of using the platform to disseminate “hateful and subversive messages.”

Somalia

In August 2023, the Somali government announced that it was banning TikTok, Telegram, and the online betting website 1XBet, as according to Minister of Communications Jama Hassan Khalif, the apps were used for dangerous propaganda.

Taiwan

Taiwan received a warning from the FBI leading to a ban on all government devices from using Chinese-made software, including TikTok, in December 2022.

United Kingdom

In March 2023, the U.K. announced that all government employees were banned from using TikTok on government provided mobile devices in March 2023.

Uzbekistan

TikTok has been banned in Uzbekistan since July 2021, after it was announced that the app was not compliant with the country’s personal data protection laws.