“A Briton accused of Islamist extremist ties has appeared in court in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa.

Jermaine Grant, 29, was arrested last December and denies allegations that he was planning a bomb attack and possessed explosive materials.

The Londoner, who Kenyan authorities say is linked to Somali militants al-Shabab, has already been jailed for being in the country illegally.”

“Food prices are rising across the globe, driven in part by the higher transport costs that accompany rising oil prices. The World Bank said last week that food prices are 36 percent higher today than a year ago, and are pushing people ‘deeper into poverty.’

But no region has been hit harder by rising food costs than Africa over the last three months. Wheat costs 87 percent more in Sudan. Rice is up 30 percent in Chad. Maize has risen at least 25 percent in Uganda, Somalia, Mozambique and Kenya.

About 100 people blocked traffic near parliament in downtown Nairobi on Tuesday to protest the price increases. A day earlier the government cut taxes on kerosene and diesel, but protesters said the cuts were too small. Yash Pal Ghai, a constitutional law expert who took part in the demonstration, said the issue was both prices and corruption.

‘The revenue authority said recently that one-third of the (tax) revenue is stolen by politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen,’ he said. ‘Some people have a single meal a day while others live in obscene luxury and comfort. It is amazing there has not been a rebellion by now.’

In Uganda, Kenya’s western neighbor, the country’s top opposition politician has led three marches over the last 10 days to protest higher food and fuel prices. Police have unleashed tear gas and bullets on the protests, and even shot the opposition leader, Kizza Besigye, in the hand. Protests have been held countrywide.”

“The Kenyan prime minister has said that his government is opposed to leaving the International Criminal Court (ICC), and that trials of high-profile suspects involved in the country’s post-election violence in 2007 will go ahead at The Hague.”

“Over the years since Mr. Salat arrived here — an arid patch of Kenya roughly 50 miles from the Somali border — the refugee population at Dadaab has swelled to nearly 300,000, virtually all Somali, making it the largest refugee complex in the world, United Nations officials here say, and one of Kenya’s largest cities, dusty and spread out.

Next year, Dadaab will celebrate its 20th birthday. But as Somalia’s conflicts rage on, Kenyan attitudes toward them have grown icy, and this collection of refugee camps has become a nettlesome political problem and, some contend, a source of insecurity itself.

Intense fighting in Somalia in recent months has sent new floods of refugees across the border, which Kenya officially closed in 2007. Last week, the United Nations accused Kenyan soldiers of forcing thousands of Somalis who had fled to Kenya back across the border.”

“The summit was to take place in Kenya, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) had demanded that Kenya act on an ICC arrest warrant against Bashir, who faces charges of genocide over the counter-insurgency campaign in Darfur.”

“The UN has officially declared two parts of Somalia to be in famine amid the worst drought in east Africa for 60 years.

‘Current humanitarian response is inadequate to meet emergency needs,’ [a UN report] said. ‘Assuming current levels of response, evidence suggests that famine across all regions of the south will occur in the coming one to two months. A massive multisectoral response is critical to prevent additional deaths and total livelihood/social collapse and, most immediately, interventions to improve food access and to address health/nutrition issues are needed.’”

“The African Union has endorsed Kenya’s request to delay the International Criminal Court trial of those accused of organising post-election violence. Kenya says it wants the six suspects named by the ICC to be tried at home. The six Kenyans who the ICC wants to put on trial are mostly very senior politicians - allies of both President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.”

“The prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has named six high-profile Kenyans he accuses of being behind the violence that followed the disputed 2007 elections.”

“Kenya is to launch a climate exchange platform to facilitate the trading of carbon credits and help tackle climate change.”