Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican said in a video statement on Monday, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to overhaul the hidebound institution.

He was 88, and had survived a serious bout of double pneumonia.

Francis’ death comes a day after the pope had made his first prolonged public appearance since being discharged on March 23 from a 38-day hospital stay for pneumonia.

On Easter Sunday, Francis had entered St. Peter’s Square in an open-air popemobile shortly after mid-day, greeting cheering crowds. He had also offered a special blessing for the first time since Christmas.

Leaders across the world, including PM Modi were reacting to the pope’s death with praise for his efforts to serve the poor and downtrodden and offering condolences to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Now that the Pope has died, many are questioning who could be next in line.

Who will be the next Pope?

As of January 22, 2025, the conclave regulations specify that among the 252 cardinals, only 138 electors are eligible to participate.

The age restriction mandates that only cardinals below 80 years can cast their votes in the confidential balloting process held at the Sistine Chapel, the Independent reported.

The voting procedure consists of four daily rounds that continue until a candidate secures a significant two-thirds majority.

According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website, this electoral process generally extends between 15 to 20 days.

Several prominent Cardinals are considered potential successors, including:

• Cardinal Pietro Parolin – the Vatican’s Secretary of State
• Cardinal Peter Erdö- former president of the Council of Bishops Conferences of Europe
• Cardinal Peter Turkson (Ghana) – former head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
• Cardinal Luis Tagle – Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and former Archbishop of Manila
• Cardinal Matteo Zuppi – president of the Episcopal Conference of Italy since May 2022
• Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke- cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010

Additional potential candidates include Cardinals, Gerhard Muller, Angelo Scola, Angelo Bagnasco, Raymond Burke, Robert Sarah and Malcolm Ranjith.

A tragic Sunday evening in Mombasa’s Bamburi Mwisho area turned fatal after a septic tank caved in beneath a structure used by football fans, leaving at least four people dead and several others feared trapped.

The incident occurred in Nyali Constituency, where a hall, commonly used for screening football matches and movies, had been built directly over an old septic tank. As fans gathered to enjoy a football match, the floor beneath them suddenly gave way, sending people and debris crashing into the collapsed tank below.

Confirming the incident, Mombasa County Commissioner Mahmoud Noor said rescue teams were on the ground and working urgently.

“They were watching a football match when the incident occurred, and they fell inside,” said a distressed relative of one of the victims. “Everything is trapped inside the septic.”

The collapse sparked panic in the neighborhood, as relatives and friends rushed to the scene, hoping for news of their loved ones.

Emergency responders, including police officers and county disaster teams, launched rescue operations immediately after the collapse, using equipment and manpower to dig through the debris.

Residents have since questioned how such a structure could have been built on a septic tank, demanding answers from the Mombasa County Government regarding building approvals and structural safety.

“This is not just a tragic accident—it’s a failure of oversight,” said one local resident. “We need to know how such a building was allowed to operate.”

As of Monday morning, rescue operations were still ongoing, with officials yet to confirm how many people may still be trapped beneath the rubble. The county government and local authorities have not yet issued a full update on the number of casualties or survivors.

This devastating incident has not only robbed families of their loved ones but also reignited the urgent call for better enforcement of construction regulations, particularly in densely populated urban areas.

Kenyan lawyer and constitutional expert Willis Evans Otieno has ignited a national conversation after asserting that the next presidential election should be held in 2026, not 2027, as many have assumed.

In a detailed legal breakdown shared across his social media platforms on April 18, 2025, Otieno argued that Article 136(2)(a) of the Constitution mandates that presidential elections be held “on the second Tuesday in August in every fifth year,” which, in his view, places the next election on August 11, 2026.

“This is not a flexible guideline—it is a constitutional command,” Otieno wrote. “The law says in the fifth year, not after five years.”

Breaking Down the Constitutional Math

Otieno outlined a year-by-year count from the last election, held on August 9, 2022:

• 2022 – Year 1

• 2023 – Year 2

• 2024 – Year 3

• 2025 – Year 4

• 2026 – Year 5

Following this logic, he concludes that the second Tuesday of August 2026—August 11—is the legitimate date for the next presidential election.

He further referenced Article 136 as the governing provision for the presidential election date, stressing that it takes precedence over Article 142, which simply states that a president’s term is five years from the date of swearing in.

Precedent from Past Elections

Otieno supported his argument with examples from previous election cycles:

• In 2013, President Uhuru Kenyatta was sworn in on April 9, but the next election was held on August 8, 2017, nine months before his official five-year term under Article 142 would have ended.

• In 2017, after a rerun election, President Kenyatta was sworn in again on November 28, yet the following election occurred on August 9, 2022, again short of a full five-year term.

According to Otieno, these precedents affirm that Kenya holds elections in the fifth year, as the Constitution requires—not after completing five calendar years in office.

“We are a Republic, not a monarchy,” Otieno said. “If your only path to power is by stretching time through calendar tricks, then you’ve already lost the people.”

A Nation Divided

Otieno’s legal interpretation has sparked intense online debate. While many supported his reasoning, others challenged the logic behind using election anniversaries as the starting point for counting years.

Economist Mohamed Welihye questioned the assumption that the “fifth year” in the Constitution refers to a specific calendar calculation, asking whether the courts had interpreted the term.

In response, Otieno cited Article 259(3)(c) of the Constitution, explaining that one full year is counted from August 9, 2022, to August 8, 2023, thus making August 9, 2022 – August 8, 2027 the completion of five years, with the election required in the fifth year (i.e., between August 2026 and August 2027), and precisely on the second Tuesday of that year.

One user, Nemuel Mustafah, asked, “How can 2022 be Year 1 if the second Tuesday in August already passed?”

Otieno’s response:

“To arrive at year one, you count from August 9, 2022, to 11:59 PM on August 8, 2023. The fifth year runs from August 9, 2026, to August 8, 2027. So you pick the second Tuesday within that fifth year.”

Legal Clarity Needed

With the debate gaining traction and sparking confusion among Kenyans, many are now calling on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) or the Supreme Court to issue an official interpretation.

Otieno, however, remains firm in his stance, arguing that the Constitution’s language is clear and was intentionally crafted to prevent any attempts at extending presidential terms through delayed elections.

Whether or not his argument gains traction in legal or political circles, one thing is clear—the countdown to Kenya’s next general election is now under intense scrutiny.

A multi-agency security team has arrested a 45-year-old woman in Moyale after she was found in possession of cocaine worth approximately Sh1.6 million, concealed in her private parts.

The suspect was intercepted at the Odda roadblock while traveling in a Marsabit-bound Toyota Probox.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), her suspicious behavior during routine checks raised red flags.

“At the Odda roadblock in Moyale, a multi-agency team nabbed 45-year-old Caroline Thiunguri Kabonyi, a suspected drug peddler with a knack for hiding her illicit goods in the most private of places. The bust went down when Caroline, a passenger in a Marsabit-bound Toyota Probox, decided to play hardball during a routine search.”

“While her fellow passengers complied with the officers’ checks, the woman threw a tantrum, refusing to be searched. Her defiance raised red flags, and Moyale detectives swooped in, escorting her to Moyale Sub-County Referral Hospital for a closer look,” the DCI reported.

With assistance from medical personnel, detectives discovered that she had concealed eight pellets of cocaine weighing 414 grams internally. The illegal substance has since been secured as an exhibit, while the woman remains in custody at Moyale Police Station, pending her arraignment.

Ongoing War on Drugs

This arrest is the latest in a string of anti-narcotics operations by law enforcement agencies across the country. On March 29, DCI detectives apprehended three suspected drug traffickers in Maji Mazuri, Mwiki, Nairobi County.

The operation, conducted by officers from the Anti-Narcotics Unit and Operations Action Team, led to the seizure of a significant stash of cannabis sativa.

“A search of the premises led to the discovery of 67 bales and five sacks of cannabis sativa meticulously concealed within the house,” said the DCI.

The main suspect, a 38-year-old woman, was arrested at her residence following a tip-off from the public.

She later led investigators to two alleged accomplices — a 43-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man — who were also taken into custody. All three are being held at Muthaiga Police Station, while the seized drugs were transported to DCI headquarters as evidence.

More Arrests in Nairobi

Just last Thursday, April 17, police in the Karen area of Nairobi arrested two men found in possession of 40 kilograms of bhang. In addition to the bulk cannabis, officers recovered 203 rolls of bhang, 100 packets of razzlers, Sh1,400 in cash, and a rolling flag believed to be used in the packaging process.

A motorcycle suspected to have been used for the distribution of the narcotics was also impounded.

The DCI continues to urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity. These recent operations highlight the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to dismantle drug trafficking networks and protect communities from the harmful impact of illegal drugs.