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Kigali, Rwanda At the UCI Road World Championships 2025 in Kigali, one of the most inspiring faces in the crowd was not a medal winner but a young Kenyan entrepreneur, Mr. Brian Karoney, in his early 30s. He came to Rwanda not just as a fan, but as the founder of a new cycling team called Airpocket, backed by Enovepay, his Nairobi-based payment company.

For Brian, cycling is more than sport. It is deeply personal. A few years ago, his wife fell seriously ill and needed regular blood donations. The people who donated were mostly cyclists athletes with strong health and open hearts. Their kindness gave Brian more time with his wife before she passed away.

The hills of Kigali delivered history today as Megan Arens from the Netherlands won the Women’s Junior Individual Time Trial at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.

The 18-year-old stopped the clock at 25 minutes 47 seconds on the 18.3-kilometre course, which started at BK Arena and ended at the Kigali Convention Centre. The route included steep climbs and a hard cobbled finish on the Côte de Kimihurura, where Arens made the difference.

The streets of Rwanda’s capital came alive on Saturday, September 20, as hundreds of cyclists took part in a vibrant social ride ahead of the 2025 UCI Road World Championships, which officially begin today, September 21, and run until September 28 2025.

The event drew riders of all ages and backgrounds, including toddlers under three, children up to five, and professional cycling fans who rode side by side in a spirit of celebration. Each participant received a medal of participation, turning the ride into a memorable experience for families and cycling enthusiasts alike.

In a significant step for Africa’s food future, two of the continent’s major financial organizations have joined forces. The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have made a powerful commitment to help Nigeria’s small-scale farmers. At a recent trade meeting in Algeria, they signed an agreement to create a funding program worth up to US$1 billion. This money is meant to help farmers grow more food and sell it more easily.

At least 22 people were killed in Niger’s Tillabéri region on Wednesday when armed men riding motorbikes attacked villages, according to local reports. Most of the victims were attending a baptism ceremony.

Witnesses say the gunmen first opened fire during the baptism, killing 15 people on the spot. As they fled, they shot dead another seven people nearby. Authorities in Niamey confirmed the attack but did not share official numbers.

The High Court in Pretoria has dismissed an appeal from the family of late Zambian president Edgar Lungu, who wanted him to be buried in South Africa. The court ruled that Lungu should be laid to rest in his home country.

Lungu, who led Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died in June at the age of 68 while receiving medical treatment in South Africa. Since then, his remains have been kept in a South African morgue as his family fought legal battles over where he should be buried.

The African farmer is moving from subsistence to business. This message came out strongly at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) in Algiers, where Agro-processing companies from Malawi and Nigeria presented their work.

The National Bank of Malawi PLC joined the exhibition to show how local banks are backing small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The bank is supporting farmers in rice, tea, macadamia, honey, potatoes, and chili processing.

“We finance the whole value chain, from production to processing and finally to market,” said Mr. Chimweme Chijere, Business Development Manager at National Bank of Malawi. He added that African banks must play a big role in food security by giving farmers access to funds and trade tools.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has begun hearings against Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony, even though he remains at large. This is the first time the ICC has held such proceedings in absentia.

Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), is accused of killing more than 100,000 people and abducting at least 60,000 children during his decades-long insurgency in Uganda and across Central Africa. He faces 39 charges, including murder, rape, torture, enslavement, and sexual slavery.

The Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) is underway in Algiers, Algeria. The fair started on 4 September and will end on 10 September 2025. It is the 4th edition, bringing together all African countries in one place.

At the previous IATF 2023 held in Cairo, Rwanda faced challenges with packaging. Their products were often more expensive compared to others. This was due to Rwanda’s ban on single-use plastics, which made packaging harder to find.

A fireside chat at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025) on Saturday brought together two leading voices shaping Africa’s trade landscape; H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, and Prof. Benedict Oramah, outgoing President and Chairman of Afreximbank.

The session, held under the theme “The First Mile to the Future: Reflections on IATF, AfCFTA, and the Power of Partnership,” explored how African partnerships, policy, and finance are driving the continent’s trade transformation.