🔥 1 Kings 12:1–24:- A Prophetic Mirror for Kenyan Politics Today🚨

By Ruzeki, Shadoww News 
July 23, 2025  

Here’s how 1 Kings 12:1–24 can be directly and powerfully interpreted in light of current Kenyan politics, especially post-Gen Z protests, economic frustrations, leadership arrogance, and political fragmentation: 

 

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1 Kings 12:1–24 is a Prophetic Mirror for Kenyan Politics Today 

In 1 Kings 12, King Rehoboam takes over from his father Solomon. The people beg him to reduce the burden of heavy taxes and labor. Instead of listening to experienced elders, he consults arrogant peers and threatens the people with harsher rule. The result? National rebellion, division, and the loss of ten tribes under a new leader, Jeroboam. 

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🇰🇪 Relevance to Present-Day Kenya: 

1. The People are Crying for Relief (v. 4): 

“Your father put a heavy yoke on us… lighten the harsh labor…” 

Just like the Israelites, Kenyans are crying out: 
– "Cost of living is unbearable."
– "Taxes are choking us." 
– "We are overburdened by corruption and economic injustice." 

Gen Z and the youth-led protests have echoed the same biblical plea: 
"Lighten the yoke, and we will serve." 

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2. Two Kinds of Advisors – Elders vs. Cronies (vv. 6–11): 

Rehoboam had a choice: 

• Wise elders urged him to listen, serve, and win the people’s hearts. 
• Entitled friends told him to flex power, threaten, and rule by fear. 

In Kenya today, leaders are surrounded by out-of-touch advisors, insulated from the people’s pain, pushing arrogance over humility; provoking rage rather than respect and the rule of law. 

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3. Arrogance Ignites Rebellion (vv. 13–16): 

“My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” 

Rehoboam’s tone mirrors many Kenyan leaders who respond to protest with contempt and brutality. 
When peaceful dissent is met with violence or mockery, the result is always the same:
Rebellion. Loss of legitimacy. Disowning of leadership. 

"To your tents, O Israel!" sounds a lot like:
"We have no share in this corrupt leadership!" 
#RutoMustGo or #WanTam isn't just a slogan; it's a warning of detachment. 

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4. A Nation Divided – Politically and Spiritually (vv. 17–20): 

When Rehoboam failed to listen, ten tribes broke away. 
Today, Kenya faces a similar danger of national disintegration; not geographically, but in spirit and trust.
Faith in government is eroding. A new generation is redefining allegiance, not by tribe, but by truth, justice, and accountability. 

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5. God's Word: “Do Not Fight Your Brothers” (vv. 22–24): 

Rehoboam planned war to crush the uprising, but God warned: 

“Do not go to war against your fellow Israelites. This is my doing.” 

To Kenyan leaders, security agencies, and even citizens allied to both Tutam and WanTam factions: 
📢 Let there be no civil war. 
📢 No blood should be shed for ego or pride. 
📢 Sometimes, rebellion is divine correction. 

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Final Reflection💥✊🏾: 

Just like in 1 Kings 12, Kenya is at a crossroads. 

• Will the leaders humble themselves and listen? 
• Will they choose wise counsel over yes-men? 
• Will they lighten the yoke or harden their hearts? 

God is still speaking: 

“This is my doing.”
What’s happening in Kenya is not just politics; it’s divine disruption. A season of reckoning. A call to repent, reform, and serve. 

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Rehoboam represents President Ruto. A leader who had the chance to ease the people’s burden but chose pride, arrogance, and the counsel of the privileged few. Jeroboam, on the other hand, represents the opposition and the rising public dissent; a movement born out of ignored cries and injustice. 

Kenya stands at a pivotal moment, just like Israel did. The message is clear: when leaders refuse to listen, the people will withdraw their loyalty, and a new chapter will begin; i.e with or without them. 

Stay Informed: Top Global News Channels You Should Follow

By Ruzeki, Shadoww News 
June 01, 2025 

In a world where information is power, staying updated with credible global news is more important than ever. Whether you're tracking international politics, economics, or major social movements, here are the most trusted news channels from around the world you should follow: 

🌍 International Mainstream Media: 

CNN (Cable News Network, U.S.): Known for breaking news and in-depth analysis.

NBC News (National Broadcasting Company, U.S): Offers mainstream news and powerful political commentary. 

MSNBC News (Microsoft National Broadcast Corporation, U.S.): Offers mainstream news plus unique political commentary. 

BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation, UK): Local and global coverage with a balanced tone. 

Reuters (Canada): Leading source of global news. Wire services trusted for accuracy and speed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 

Associated Press (AP, U.S.): Wire services trusted for accuracy and speed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 

France24 (France): Great for global affairs, especially Europe and Africa.

Deutsche Welle (DW, Germany): Global news with a European perspective.

WION (India): "World Is One News" — emerging as a global player with a non-Western lens.

TASS (Russia): State-run, but gives insight into Russian framing of global events. 

CGTN (China Global Television Network): China’s official English-language news outlet.

🌏 Other Regional Powerhouses: 

Press TV (Iran): State media offering Iran’s view on international affairs. 

Ahram Online (Egypt): One of the top English-language news sources from the Arab world. 

NTV Kenya: Key sources for East African and Kenyan national news. Others include KTN and K24. 

eNCA (South Africa): Leading English-language news broadcaster in Southern Africa. 

For balanced understanding, follow outlets from different regions. It helps you cut through bias and form an informed worldview. 

America on the Brink: How Trump’s Policies Are Fueling Economic Decline

By Ruzeki, Shadoww News 
March 20, 2025 

 

Trump is dragging America to the brink of a full-blown recession—rising inflation, stock market crashes, and economic instability are just the beginning. 

In just two months of his so-called "concepts of a plan," the U.S. has gone from a pillar of economic strength to a volatile and unpredictable trading partner. Once the world's top investment destination, America is now hemorrhaging credibility. Global markets are rattled, investors are pulling back, and businesses are bracing for impact. 

Trump's reckless trade wars and destructive tariffs—haphazardly imposed on China, Europe, Canada, Japan, and Mexico—are suffocating industries at home while alienating allies abroad. His erratic DOGE-driven policies turn Wall Street into a casino, where economic forecasts shift on the whims of a tweet. Meanwhile, his decision to gut USAID programs, particularly in Africa, is dismantling decades of U.S. diplomatic leverage, eroding America’s soft power, and accelerating its decline in global influence. 

With these business-hostile policies, Trump is achieving only one thing: the immiseration of Americans. Jobs are vanishing, wages are stagnating, and prices are soaring—all while he insists it’s “worth it.” 

The world is losing faith in U.S. assets. Investors no longer see America as the safe bet it once was. And since power abhors a vacuum, others are stepping in. 

China is tightening its grip on global trade. Europe is forging new alliances. BRICS+ is rising. The geopolitical landscape is shifting—and under Trump, America is slipping from the throne. 

New World Order: BRICS bloc welcomes six new members

By Ruzeki, Shadow News.

Summary

• BRICS adds Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE. 
• Expansion boost BRICS global strength. 
• Group leaves door open to further expansion, especially for the Global South. 
• BRICS bloc makes 27 percent of the global economy and 46 percent of the world population. 

Johannesburg, Aug 24 - The BRICS bloc of major emerging economies agreed on Thursday to admit Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in a move aimed at accelerating its push to reshuffle a world order it sees as outdated. 

In deciding in favour of an expansion, the bloc's first in 13 years, BRICS leaders left the door open to future expansion as dozens more countries voiced desires to join a grouping they hope can level the global playing field. 

The BRICS group makes decisions by consensus. On Thursday, it agreed on the guiding principles, standards, criteria and procedures of the BRICS expansion process. 

The expansion adds economic muscle to BRICS, whose current core members are China, the world's second largest economy, as well as Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa. 

The expansion of the group is part of its plan to build dominance and reshape global governance into a multipolar world order that puts voices of the Global South at the centre of the world agenda. 

According to the Chinese President Xi Jinping, the membership expansion was historic. It shows the determination of BRICS countries for unity and cooperation with the broader developing nations. 

BRICS was originally BRIC, an acronym coined by Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O'Neill in 2001, the bloc was founded as an informal four-nation club in 2009 and added South Africa a year later in its only previous expansion. 

The six new members will formally become members on January 1, 2024, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said when he named the countries during a three-day XV BRICS summit he is hosting in Johannesburg. 

According to President Ramaphosa, BRICS has embarked on a new chapter in its effort to build a world that is fair, a world that is just, a world that is also inclusive and prosperous. He confirmed that the five core BRICS members had consensus on the first phase of the expansion process and other phases will follow. 

Friends and Allies lead candidates 

The countries invited to join reflect individual BRICS members' desires to bring allies into the bloc. 

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had vocally lobbied for neighbour Argentina's inclusion while Egypt has close commercial ties with Russia and India. 

The entry of oil superpowers Saudi Arabia and UAE highlights their drift away from the United States' orbit and ambition to become global heavyweights in their own right. 

Russia and Iran have found common cause in their shared struggle against the U.S.-led sanctions and diplomatic isolation, with their economic ties deepening in the wake of Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine. 

On Thursday, the Russian President Vladimir Putin said BRICS is not competing with anyone. President Putin is attending the summit remotely due to an international warrant for alleged war crimes. He's being represented by the world's most vocal diplomat FM Lavrov. 

Mr Putin acknowledged that the process of the emerging of a new world order still has fierce opponent. He believes the de-dollarization is irreversible. 

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi celebrated his country's BRICS invitation with a swipe at Washington, saying on Iranian television network that the expansion "shows that the unilateral approach is on the way to decay". 

Beijing is close to Ethiopia and the country's inclusion also speaks to South Africa's desire to amplify Africa's voice in global affairs. 

More than 40 countries had expressed desire in joining BRICS, and 23 formally applied to join the bloc. 

Some 50 other heads of state and leaders attended the XV BRICS Summit in South Africa, which concluded on Thursday. 

Ambitions and Results 

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attended the Thursday's expansion announcement, reflecting the bloc's growing influence. He echoed BRICS' long-standing calls for reforms of the U.N. Security Council, International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other global governance structures. 

BRICS is now home to 46% of the world's population and 27 percent of global gross domestic product. 

Bloc heavyweight China has long called for an expansion of BRICS as it seeks to challenge Western dominance, a strategy shared by Russia. 

Other BRICS members support fostering the creation of a multi-polar global order. But Brazil and India have both also been forging closer ties with the West. 

For 80 years, the United States dollar has dominated all other currencies. But BRICS is tired of the West’s looming presence over global governance and finance. The bloc is determined to take it down.  

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday in a virtual address to the BRICS summit, that the process of de-dollarisation is “irreversible” and “gaining pace". 

The US weaponises the dollar in the Russian and Iran sanctions, there is increasing desire by other developing countries to seek alternative currencies for trade, investment, and reserves, as well as developing alternative multilateral clearance systems outside of SWIFT. 

Africa-Russia Summit: Africa Turn Towards Russia for strong economic, diplomatic and security relations

By Ruzeki, Shadow News.  

What are the prospects for cooperation between Russia and Africa? 

The areas of increased co-operation between Russia and Africa are in the areas of agriculture, energy, security, education and health. 

-What are the challenges and advantages of Africa-Russia cooperation? 

Apart from Western countries putting pressure on Africa not to cooperate with Russia, the other challenges which Russia faces, regarding increasing co-operation in Africa is logistical, financial and infrastructure. The West has the advantage of dominating certain African nations economically. 

Now, the advantages that Russia has unlike Western nations is historical and cultural, Russia was never involved in colonialising Africa and during the cold war, contributed to a number of African nations gaining independence from former western colonial powers. 

-What are the positive aspects of the Russia-Africa Summit memorandum? 

- The positive aspects of the recent Russia-Africa Forum were 4 joint declarations signed between Russia and all heads of states, including the head of the African Union. 

Moreover, Russia planning to increase the number of embassies in Africa, where since the 1990s, was closed down. 

Additionally, Russia announced it will provide grain for free after its withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal, where Africa was provided with little to no grain. Importantly, Russia announced it would write off a total of $23 billion in debt obligations. 

Russia will continue grain supplies to the African continent. Actually, in 3-4 months, free grain will be sent to Africa.

The potential stumbling blocks to Russia’s ability to deliver grain is logistics, considering the risks of undersea drone attacks in the Black Sea by the Ukraine forces. 

The way to overcome this is potential setback is to increase the transit of grain via the North-South Transport Corridor to have a secure route to facilitate deliveries to Africa. 

- Reasons why a number of countries on the African continent are preparing to join the BRICS and prefer to cooperate not with Europe and the United States, but with Russia, China and their allies. 

The main reasons why BRICS looks attractive for the number of African nations wanting to join is economics. Especially, as each nation has undergone the same or similar experience of development (neo-liberalism and its disastrous effects). 

BRICS has surpassed the G7 in terms of total GDP value and wealth. The group members never interfere with a nation’s internal affairs. Especially, as certain western nations which have historically and to this day, continue to openly sponsor colour revolutions to topple governments, and force controversial policies on nations which don’t abide by their demands. 

The emergence of new multilateral institutions such as the BRICS new development bank, African Development Bank and Asian Investment Infrastructure Bank, provides a new source of funding to support key projects in African nations and breaks the monopoly of financial loaning from the World Bank and in the worst-case scenario, the I.M.F. 

Each member of the BRICS has played a key role in supporting the interests of African nations at other multilateral institutions such as the G20, supporting the application of the African Union to become a member. 

- How could Africa-Russia improve interaction in the cultural sphere? 

Russia must increase its cultural exchanges in education, sports, art and media. As these kind of exchanges are necessary to understand what makes each nation unique and areas of cooperation. 

- What is BRICS to Africa?

For Africns, the BRICS bloc provide alternative economic development models for other developing nations to pursue, instead of the failed neo-liberal policies which continue to be promoted by western nations despite the failed promises of neo-liberalist policies in Africa. 

De-dollarization of the World Economy is underway and it is gaining momentum!

By Ruzeki, Shadow News 

08 June 2023, Nairobi 

• One of the most intriguing financial trends of 2023 is the de-dollarization movement led by Russia, Brazil, India, China, Africa, Saudi Arabia and Iran. This is an effort to reduce the role of the U.S. dollar in international trade. 

• Rivalry with China, fallout from Russia-Ukraine war and the recent wrangling in Washington over the U.S. debt ceiling have put the dollar's status as the world's dominant currency under fresh scrutiny. 

• Russia's sanctions-imposed exile from global financial systems last year also fuelled speculation that non-U.S. allies would diversify away from dollars. 

• De-dollarization, which is the decline of the United States dollar as the world’s dominant reserved currency, is underway, and it’s gaining momentum all over the world. 

For over 100 years, the U.S. dollar has been the world reserve currency, which means it has been the dominant foreign currency held by central banks to carry out international transactions and settle international debt. 

However, in the last 20 years, the dollar’s dominance in countries’ reserves has decreased from 70% to 58%, according to the International Monetary Fund. 

This trend has been accelerating since 2022, when the U.S. and its NATO allies froze Russia’s dollar reserve as a response of the country’s special operation in Ukraine. 

Since then, several countries have been looking for alternatives to the U.S. dollar. Some are discussing the creation of new currencies for international trade, while others are buying an increasing amount of gold to diversify their reserve. 

In 1931, amid the Great Depression, the US dollar replaced the Great British pound as the world’s preferred reserve currency. 

During world war I & II, the United States supplied the allies with the majority of their weapons and munitions. Most allies paid for the weapons with gold, meaning that by the end of the World War II, the US possessed most of the world’s gold. 

This was set in stone in 1944 when 44 countries agreed on the Bretton Wood system. The international delegation agreed to peg the world’s currencies to the dollar rather than to gold since the dollar was itself linked to gold. The US dollar was now the world’s official reserve currency. 

Some economists expect de-dollarization to occur as emerging economies in the Global South grow and seek to diversify the composition of their reserve currencies. 

In 2021, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that “the US dollar’s share of global reserves has declined”. 

There are economic, political, and strategic reasons most countries want to shift away from the dollar. Since the end of the Cold War, the US has been the world’s sole superpower, meaning that the world order has been unipolar. 

However, some states like China and Russia would prefer the world to be multipolar, wherein there would exist multiple poles of world power. De-dollarization would assist in the transition from unipolarity to multipolarity. 

Another incentive for countries to diversify the composition of their reserve currencies, particularly those with poor bilateral relations with the US, is that the US can wield the preponderance of its currency as a geopolitical weapon. 

Sanctions imposed by Washington can be especially potent because of the centrality of the dollar in international finance. Even US allies like Saudi Arabia are wary of US sanctions since their culture could make them a target for Washington’s ire. 

One approach to de-dollarization is Local Currency Trade (LCT), whereby states conduct trade with one another using their own currencies. The currencies are converted based on exchange rates. 

Earlier this year, China and Brazil announced that they would engage in LCT, as opposed to using the dollar. The BRICS bloc of countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa- is developing a new currency to compete with the US dollar. Moscow and Beijing are aggressively leading the charge toward de-dollarization. 

Other countries that have already started trading in their local currencies include United Arabs Emirates, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Venezuela, Kenya, Malaysia, Egypt, India, Argentina, Turkey, Zambia, Algeria, Morocco, Afghanistan, and others in the global south. 

It is argued with this major development, the value of the dollar is going to lose its sheen very soon. Increased investment in BRICS countries would lead to an increase in spending and economic development. Consequently, it is predicted that if the BRICS nations follow forward with their plan and create a new currency, it might help stabilise their economies. 

For more updates on geopolitics, follow Ruzeki on Twitter. 

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US debt limit: This is what happens if the United States default on its debt

By Ruzeki, Shadow News 

PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol Building is seen, May 5, 2023 in Washington, DC. 

• United States could default on its debt as soon as June 1 if the debt limit isn't raised. 

Millions of Americans who rely on federal payments to make ends meet, could be negatively impacted if the government is unable to pay its bills come June 1. 
If allowed to happen, economists agree the first debt default in U.S. history would be an economic catastrophe and could trigger a global financial crisis.  Allowing the U.S. to default on its debts would induce a self-inflicted recession.  
This week Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen put Congress on notice. In a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., she warned the U.S. could be unable to continue to satisfy all of the government's obligations by June 1 if Congress does not raise or suspend the debt limit before that time. 
The federal government would have to make hard decisions, like who gets paid and when, and the consequences would be far-reaching. 

• Will Social Security be affected by debt ceiling?

Payments to 67 million Social Security beneficiaries could be halted. 
However, a 1996 law provides an escape clause that allows the Treasury Department to continue paying Social Security benefits, even if there is a delay in raising the debt ceiling. 
The law allows for the Social Security trust fund to be drawn down to keep those benefits flowing until the debt limit is raised, while prohibiting those funds from being used to pay for any other government programs. 
Analysts say the best defense for Americans is to keep their own financial house in order. They say having emergency savings on hand and paying down debt will be more important than ever. 

• What else could be impacted? 

Payments on other U.S. obligations, including for Medicare and Medicaid, SNAP food assistance, veterans' benefits, housing assistance and school lunch programs would be at risk, inflicting pain on Americans across the country. 
The U.S. credit rating would most likely be downgraded, sending interest rates higher and making it more expensive for businesses and consumers to borrow money. 
Financial analysts say a credit market freeze could hurt the ability of U.S. companies to operate effectively.  
Additionally, Secretary Yellen warned that a debt default would harm the U.S. global leadership position, as world financial markets lose faith in the U.S. and its ability to pay its bills. 
The government would not have the money to pay back buyers of its bonds and other securities, causing the U.S. dollar to weaken and the stock market to tumble, hurting Americans' retirement savings and other investments. 

• Debt limit could hurt jobs, unemployment

The damage would largely depend on how long the impasse lasts. 
According to the financial services company Moody's, if the default lasts for about a week, close to 1 million jobs would be lost, the unemployment rate would jump to about 5% and the economy would contract by nearly 0.6%. 
However, if the impasse drags on for six weeks, Moody's estimates more than 7 million jobs would be lost, the unemployment rate would soar above 8% and the economy would decline by more than 4%. 

• How did the U.S. get here? 

The Biden Administration and House Republicans have been deadlocked in debt negotiations for months now. 
The House Republicans passed their own bill that slashes government spending in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, but President Biden has said he will not negotiate with them until spending talks are separated from the debt limit. 
A recent Washington Post poll finds broad worry about the consequences of default among Americans. 
A vast majority of respondents, 82%, are very or somewhat worried that a government default would damage the economy. 
Only 26% of Americans adopt Speaker Kevin McCarthy's position that Congress should allow the government to pay its debts only if the White House agrees to cut federal spending. 
Meanwhile, an overwhelming 65% agree with President Joe Biden's view that the issues of debt payment and federal spending should be handled separately.