Pauline Kairu

Reporter, Nation Media Group at Business Daily Africa

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Articles

Trapped by floods: How disasters are fueling Kenya’s hidden HIV crisis

1 week ago | nation.africa | Pauline Kairu

When flash floods submerged Nairobi's Kawangware slum last May, they didn't just destroy homes— they cut off Mwende* from her lifesaving HIV medication. For days, the 22-year-old couldn't reach the local clinic for her antiretrovirals (ARVs) refill, leaving her exposed. Mwende watched the calendar tick closer to the moment her ARVs run out—her health held hostage by climate change.
Flower industry decries airfreight crisis, soaring costs and wastage

1 week ago | businessdailyafrica.com | Pauline Kairu

Kenyaâ€™s flower industry, a vital contributor to the countryâ€™s economy and global horticulture trade, is facing a crisis triggered by a severe shortage of airfreight capacity. At the opening of the International Floriculture Trade Expo (IFTEX) 2025 in Nairobi, last week on Tuesday, government officials and industry leaders did not shy away from highlighting the growing pressures.
How Trump tariffs have hit Kenya’s vital flower sector?

3 weeks ago | zawya.com | Pauline Kairu

Kenya’s floriculture sector, known for its premium roses, carnations and summer flowers, is grappling with hurdles as it seeks to expand beyond the traditional European markets and break into the lucrative United States market. Kenyan flower growers and exporters, who were looking to the American market as their next frontier, found it largely closed off by geopolitical tensions, trade barriers and, now, US President Donald Trump’s protectionist tariffs.
Africa’s eyesore as electronic waste piles up on low quality, fakes influx

1 month ago | zawya.com | Pauline Kairu

An influx of short-lived electronic devices, including mobile phones, computing devices, chargers, and household appliances, which break down easily due to poor manufacturing standards, is leaving an ill-equipped Africa with electronic waste crisis, warn sector players.
Popular baby formulas contain arsenic at levels higher than drinking water standards | Daily Nation

1 month ago | nation.africa | Pauline Kairu

Baby formulas found to contain toxic metals
Kenyan researchers in global effort to develop improved dietary supplement for pregnant women

Feb 20, 2025 | nation.africa | Pauline Kairu

Kenyan researchers are spearheading the development of a groundbreaking dietary supplement that could revolutionise maternal and child health across the world. The project, named ‘Mother’s Micronutrient Supplement for Pregnancy and Lactation’, will develop and test an improved dietary supplement tailored to the needs of pregnant women, with the goal of reducing risk of low birth weight and enhancing the health and development of mothers and children.
Concerns grow as malaria drug resistance found among children

Nov 21, 2024 | nation.africa | Pauline Kairu

A new study has revealed alarming evidence of African children with severe malaria beginning to show partial resistance to the world’s most effective malaria drug—artemisinin. This discovery from Uganda provides the first evidence to date that resistance to a lifesaving malaria drug may be emerging in the group of patients that accounts for most of the world’s malaria deaths - young African children suffering from serious infections.
Why Africa should refine its minerals

Nov 15, 2024 | theeastafrican.co.ke | Pauline Kairu

Africa could refine crucial minerals like lithium, nickel, manganese, and copper at up to 40 per cent lower costs than competitors worldwide by 2030, according to a new study. This cost advantage, the findings show, could present an opportunity for the continent to capture a greater share of the global battery and renewable energy markets, playing back into the global supply chains as the world moves to green energy.
Iron supplements found safe and beneficial for children with HIV

Nov 14, 2024 | nation.africa | Pauline Kairu

Administering iron supplements to children living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa may be a critical step in promoting optimal brain development, according to recent research. Iron supplementation has historically been approached with caution in children with HIV due to concerns that extra iron might increase the risk of infections. Iron is essential for various vital functions in the body, including transporting oxygen and energy production, and it plays a crucial role in brain development.
Iron supplements may be safe for children with HIV

Nov 12, 2024 | theeastafrican.co.ke | Pauline Kairu

Iron supplements may just be safe for children with HIV, helping them develop their brain, new findings say. The details are contained in a study published in Lancet HIV, which show that iron supplements can improve haemoglobin, the pigment cells need to carry oxygen in the body, and iron levels in children with HIV without increasing infection risks. It suggests that controlled iron supplementation may be beneficial for this population without the feared adverse effects.