World Tour: Protests in Kenya wind down

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Coming up next on The World and Everything in It: World Tour with Onize Ohikere, our reporter in Africa.

ONIZE OHIKERE, REPORTER: Kenyan protests end - We begin today’s roundup in Kenya, where an opposition leader has paused two weeks of anti-government protests.

SOUND: [Protest]

Demonstrators looted businesses and set cars and places of worship on fire.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga had called for the protests that began March 20 over his electoral loss back in August. Three people have died.

The Supreme Court unanimously upheld President William Ruto’s victory. But Odinga, who has lost five presidential bids, insisted he won.

He warned his supporters would take back the country in fresh protests some tagged as “Mega Monday.”

But in a late Sunday statement, Odinga said he has listened to religious leaders and others who have spoken to him about the crisis.

RAILA ODINGA: They have implored us to give dialogue especially during this holy period of Easter and Ramadan.

Odinga said he will follow Ruto’s call for a bipartisan parliamentary (par-luh-men-tree) resolution. But he warned the demonstrations will resume if no meaningful response emerges within one week.

Finland’s new leader - We head next to Finland, where conservative parties have taken the lead after a tightly contested vote.

SOUND: [Chanting]

The center-right National Coalition Party barely clinched the most votes Sunday. The right-wing populist Finns party and the ruling Social Democrats trailed behind the winner with nearly one percentage point difference.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who emerged as one of the world’s youngest leaders at 34 back in 2019, conceded defeat.

SANNA MARIN: [Speaking Finnish]

She says here democracy has spoken and the people made their choice.

The National Coalition Party is now tasked with forming a ruling coalition. Party leader Petteri Orpo:

PETTERI ORPO: I trust the Finish tradition to negotiate with all parties, with all parties, and try to find the best possible majority government for Finland.

Orpo’s campaign focused on a stronger economy. He also pledged continued support for Ukraine. Finland shares a land border with Russia and formally joined NATO yesterday.

Ukraine monks - We head next to Ukraine.

SOUND: [Court]

A court in Kyiv has placed a top Orthodox priest under house arrest on suspicion of justifying Russian aggression.

Metropolitan Pavel is the abbot of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, one of the most revered sites for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Monks there have resisted a March 29 deadline to vacate the complex.

The metropolitan denied the charges against him. Authorities sentenced him to two months under house arrest and placed a monitoring bracelet around his ankle.

PAVEL: [Speaking Ukrainian]

He says here that he leaves the prosecutors to God’s judgment.

Ukraine has cracked down on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church … over its historic ties to the church in Russia. The church has insisted it is loyal to Ukraine.

SOUND: [Singing supporters]

Dozens of supporters have gathered outside the monastery to oppose the monks’ eviction.

Iraq book fair - We close today in Iraq.

SOUND: [Visitors]

Hundreds of Iraqis of all ages have climbed the steps onto a docked ship in the southern city of Basra.

The attraction? Rows of books on board the Logos Hope ship. The floating fair has sailed across several countries loaded with books since 2009.

Logos Hope’s collection includes books on science and languages, and also books for children.

SOUND: [Speaking Arabic]

This lecturer from Basra University says he came to check out music books… since they are rare in the country.

Edward David is the managing director of Logos Hope.

EDWARD DAVID: We have more than 300 people from 70 different countries right now. And the expectation, the level of interest, in wanting to experience Basra is incredible.

The Logos Hope will head to the United Arab Emirates next week.

That’s it for this week’s World Tour. Reporting for WORLD, I’m Onize Ohikere in Abuja, Nigeria.

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