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Why Kenyan brands are missing the real power of social media

Seven in ten Kenyans online now research brands on social media before buying, yet many corporate pages remain glorified noticeboards. That gap is becoming a major marketing risk.

This month, a US television host said American cities were starting to look like Nairobi. Kenyans on X responded with photographs of the Expressway, skyline and matatus, prompting him to apologise online and on air.

Nobody organised the campaign. No agency was hired. A few hundred thousand phones did the work spontaneously. For Kenyan brands, the lesson is clear: the same people demanding responsiveness from public figures expect it from businesses.

Dotsavvy’s State of Social Media in Kenya 2026 report, published in August, found that 69 per cent of Kenyan internet users research brands on social networks, compared with 48 per cent who use search engines. Social media is no longer merely an awareness tool. It is where customers discover and evaluate brands.

Yet many marketing departments still treat it as a noticeboard, relying on scheduled posts and junior staff without authority to respond.

A promotional post published while the country is grieving can trigger backlash, particularly when nobody with decision-making authority is monitoring the conversation. Sometimes, the product is fine. The silence becomes the story.

Businesses need three changes.

First, empower social media teams to respond quickly without waiting days for management approval. Clear guidelines agreed with legal teams and an available senior executive can prevent minor complaints from becoming reputational crises.

Second, treat community management as a strategic function. Customers judge brands by responses, reviews and conversations around their products. Those managing these interactions need proper training, recognition and a voice in campaign planning.

Third, prioritise conversations over broadcasting. WhatsApp, TikTok and Instagram are increasingly important commercial channels.

Businesses should provide responsive human support, particularly on WhatsApp, where customers expect answers about payments, deliveries and complaints.

Stop Personal Attacks Over Nawara Licence Cancellation – CMS-PRO Tells Kpebu

Management of CMS-PRO and A and A Southern Industries Ltd. has cautioned legal practitioner Martin Kpebu to exercise professionalism, restraint and objectivity in his public commentary on the revocation of Nawara Company Limited’s mining concession.

The companies urged Mr. Kpebu to establish facts and obtain credible information before making public statements on television and social media, rather than engaging in speculation or allegations that could mislead the public.

Management expressed concern over what it describes as repeated personal attacks by Mr. Kpebu against Mr. Alfred Mahama, brother of President John Dramani Mahama, in connection with the Nawara concession controversy.

According to the companies, the revocation is a regulatory matter that should be examined based on facts, relevant documents and applicable mining laws, not personal interests, political sentiments or attempts to seek public sympathy.

They said the circumstances surrounding the revocation can be independently verified through the Minerals Commission, which holds relevant records and documentation.

Management categorically stated that Mr. Mahama had no involvement in the revocation and is not a shareholder in either of the two Ghanaian companies that subsequently acquired the concession following Nawara’s alleged failure to meet regulatory obligations.

The companies insist their acquisition followed applicable regulatory processes and should not be linked to personal interests or alleged involvement of any individual.

The companies have challenged Mr. Kpebu to rely on verifiable facts and documentary evidence in his public engagements, given his professional background and availability of established regulatory channels.

They advised him to desist from statements they consider unfounded or personally damaging to Mr. Alfred Mahama and to allow facts surrounding the concession to speak for themselves.

Management warned it reserves the right to pursue legal action should what it considers defamatory and unsubstantiated allegations against Mr. Alfred Mahama and the companies persist.

It reiterated that the Nawara mining concession matter is fundamentally regulatory and should be addressed through facts, documentary evidence and respect for rule of law, rather than personal attacks, speculation or attempts to influence public opinion.

Construction boom attracts Kenyan firm

Dar es Salaam. Growing demand for construction materials, driven by investment in housing, commercial properties and hospitality facilities, is attracting foreign businesses to Tanzania, with Kenya-based company entering the Tanzanian market to tap into the expanding opportunities.

The company, which deals in tiles, sanitaryware, taps, kitchen fittings and other home-finishing products, already opened a showroom in Dar es Salaam, where it plans to sell products sourced locally and internationally.

Its entry comes amid increased construction activity in residential, commercial and hospitality properties, creating opportunities for suppliers and domestic manufacturers seeking access to a growing market. Speaking yesterday during the opening of the Tile and Carpet Living in Style showroom, Tanzania Building Agency (TBA) Architectural Section manager Mr Godfrey Mwakabole said rising demand for accommodation, including hotels, guest houses and short-term rentals such as Airbnb, was creating investment opportunities in the construction industry.

He said the relocation of government operations to Dodoma and preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) had also contributed to investment interest in accommodation facilities and related infrastructure.

Mr Mwakabole said more people were investing in property development, converting residential houses into Airbnb accommodation and building hotels to capitalise on opportunities arising from tourism and international conferences.

He said the growing demand for construction materials was exceeding local production capacity, creating room for additional suppliers while offering local manufacturers opportunities to expand their market reach.

‘Currently, demand for construction materials exceeds local production capacity. Therefore, the entry of the Kenyan company will help complement the efforts of existing suppliers and manufacturers in meeting market demand,’ he said.

‘We are pleased to see many companies gaining confidence in the country and investing in this sector, given the growing demand for housing, residential properties and commercial buildings,’ he said.

Tile and Carpet Living in Style director Mr Chirag Sanghrajka said the company intended to work with Tanzanian manufacturers by giving them an opportunity to sell their products through its showroom.

The arrangement could give local producers access to customers through an established retail outlet, while expanding the range of products available to buyers.

Mr Sanghrajka said the company already worked with manufacturers in other markets, including businesses producing goods under its brand, and was interested in exploring similar partnerships in Tanzania.

He said the company first wanted to understand the local market and customer requirements before considering further investment in production.

‘We need to learn the ropes; we need to crawl before we can start walking,’ he said, adding that establishing manufacturing operations in Tanzania could be considered as the business develops.

‘Once we learn the Tanzanian market and its requirements, we will definitely look into manufacturing,’ he said.

The company has operated for more than 100 years and has a presence in Kenya, Rwanda, Dubai and Zanzibar.

For his part, Tile and Carpet Living in Style director Mr Chirag Sanghrajka said the company intended to work with Tanzanian manufacturers by giving them an opportunity to sell their products through its showroom.

The arrangement could give local producers access to customers through an established retail outlet, while expanding the range of products available to buyers.

Mr Sanghrajka said the company already worked with manufacturers in other markets, including businesses producing goods under its brand, and was interested in exploring similar partnerships in Tanzania.

He said the company first wanted to understand the local market and customer requirements before considering further investment in production.

‘We need to learn the ropes; we need to crawl before we can start walking,’ he said, adding that establishing manufacturing operations in Tanzania could be considered as the business develops.

‘Once we learn the Tanzanian market and its requirements, we will definitely look into manufacturing,’ he said.

The company has operated for more than 100 years and has a presence in Kenya, Rwanda, Dubai and Zanzibar.

However, Mr Sanghrajka raised concerns about the quality of building materials in African markets, arguing that consumers could be exposed to substandard products when purchasing goods based mainly on price.

Europe protests, it’s a political crisis. When Africa protests, is it a governance crisis?

From France to Italy, Spain, and Portugal, citizens are taking to the streets over rising living costs, housing shortages, economic inequality, and government policies. Students, workers, and trade unions are demanding change. Some demonstrations have resulted in violent confrontations, arrests, injuries, and destruction of property.

These scenes are familiar to Africans. Kenya’s Gen Z demonstrations against taxation and corruption, Nigeria’s protests over economic hardship, and Tanzania’s election-related unrest reflect concerns not entirely different from those troubling European citizens. But something interesting happens when we examine how governments are judged for responding to such unrest.

When protests erupt in Europe, international discussions frequently centre on economic grievances, policing and political dissatisfaction. When similar events occur in Africa, the language may shift towards democratic failure, human rights violations, political legitimacy, and possible international sanctions.

Why? Are these differences always justified by circumstances, or does a country’s international standing influence the judgement?

We frequently discuss inequality between rich and poor, between social classes and between the Global North and Global South. But what about inequality within the international system itself? The international order is founded upon principles of sovereignty, human rights, and equality among nations.

Yet equality in principle does not necessarily translate into equality in practice.

Consider the United Nations. Its Charter recognises the sovereign equality of member States, yet five permanent members of the Security Council possess veto powers unavailable to other countries.

Consider France, where recent demonstrations have involved serious confrontations between protesters and security forces. Allegations of excessive police force, including injuries to young demonstrators, have prompted criticism and investigations.

Now consider Kenya’s 2024 demonstrations against the Finance Bill, during which protesters were killed, and serious allegations of unlawful police conduct emerged. Both situations raise legitimate questions about citizens’ rights and the appropriate use of State force.

Yet France is a major economic power and permanent member of the Security Council. Kenya occupies a very different position within international economic and diplomatic relationships. Does this difference influence the international consequences of domestic unrest?

Historian Tariq Ali recently compared contemporary unrest with the worldwide upheavals of 1968, when students and workers challenged established authority across Europe, America, and Asia. Interestingly, this occurred when several African and Asian countries had recently achieved independence. But political independence did not automatically produce equality within the international system. Newly independent nations entered international financial, diplomatic, and security arrangements largely established before they acquired political sovereignty. Nearly 60 years later, how much has changed?

There is also a lesson for African governments and political movements seeking external alliances to resolve domestic disagreements. International partnerships may be useful, but powerful countries pursue their own interests. Africa must, therefore, strengthen its capacity to resolve political differences internally, protect citizens’ rights, and negotiate international relationships without excessive dependency.

This interrogation neither condemns European governments nor excuses African governments. But if justice, accountability, and human dignity are universal principles, should their application depend upon a country’s economic or geopolitical influence?

Perhaps contemporary demonstrations offer an opportunity to examine not only how individual countries are governed but also how the world itself is governed. When Europe protests, it is a political crisis. When Africa protests, is it a governance crisis? If the principles are universal, should the standards not be universal, too?

Why more Kenyans now eye guaranteed financial products

In May, Kenya’s inflation rate jumped from 5.6 to 6.7 percent in a single month, driven by an oil shock from tensions in the Middle East. Somewhere in a Nairobi office, a salaried professional opened her payslip and ran the same quiet arithmetic she runs every month: rent, school fees, transport, savings.

The payslip was stretched thinner than it used to.

That lack of control over forces like inflation is quietly shaping how Kenyans, especially the formally employed, think about money. The search for certainty is pushing more Kenyans toward products that promise a fixed outcome regardless of the economy.

The numbers tell it all. Kenya’s insurance penetration hit 2.63 percent of gross domestic product last year, an eight-year high, with life insurance overtaking general insurance for the first time in premiums and economic share.

Life cover more than tripled between 2016 and 2025, and gross premiums grew 36 percent in the first quarter of this year alone. Something has changed in how Kenyans relate to the future, and it isn’t just better sales pitches.

Kenya’s overall inflation has stayed within the Central Bank’s target range, but everyday prices tell a different story. The prices consumers feel most directly such as fuel, transport, school fees, and rent have climbed far faster than the average. Transport costs alone rose 16.5 percent over the past year, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.

Formal employment itself carries its own quiet pressure: of the 822,100 jobs Kenya created last year, roughly 105,000 were formal positions, a reminder of just how competitive, and how worth protecting a salaried role has become. No wonder many of Kenya’s professionals are increasingly asking: If I can’t control inflation, or how long my job lasts, what can I actually rely on?

There’s also a less-discussed driver behind this trend that may matter more than any economic indicator: Kenyan households are shrinking. The extended family safety net, such as the uncle who covered a hospital bill, the cousins who pooled school fees, is thinner than a generation ago, as urban, nuclear living becomes the norm.

A financial shock today falls on a smaller circle of support. That’s arguably the deeper reason ‘guaranteed-outcome’ products, described as a fixed sum on a fixed date, regardless of market conditions, with savings continuing even if you can’t, have gone from niche to mainstream.

This is why the recent wave of long-term savings and endowment-style products entering the Kenyan market deserves more scrutiny than a passing product announcement.

None of this makes any single guarantee immune to inflation since a fixed shilling sum promised today will still buy less in 15 years if prices keep climbing.

What it does offer is certainty. In an economy where fuel prices and job security are all out of your control, having something predictable counts for a lot.

10th NASS committed to increasing women’s representation in legislature – Bamidele

The Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has said the 10th National Assembly is committed to breaking the barriers limiting women’s participation in governance through a proposed constitutional amendment seeking special seats for women in the National and State Houses of Assembly.

Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, said the proposed legislation was designed to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in Nigeria’s political institutions and ensure their adequate participation in decisions affecting the country.

The Senate Leader spoke on Monday as a guest speaker at the 2026 Law Week of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ekiti State Chapter, held in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, with the theme, ‘Justice in a Changing World: Responding to New Challenges Affecting Women and Children’.

The event was attended by dignitaries, including the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, who was accompanied by other judges, as well as politicians, lawyers and traditional rulers, among others.

He said the proposed constitutional alteration would create 37 additional seats in the Senate and 37 in the House of Representatives, with one seat reserved for women in each state and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside three additional seats in each State House of Assembly.

According to him, the arrangement, which would not displace existing legislative seats, is proposed to run for 16 years, covering four electoral cycles, after which its impact would be reviewed.

Describing the initiative as a historic intervention rather than a partisan project, Bamidele said a democracy that excluded a significant proportion of its population from decision-making could not claim to be fully representative.

‘A democracy that systematically excludes over half of its population from the decision-making tables that determine their future is, at best, a flawed democracy and, at worst, a veiled oligarchy,’ he said.

He disclosed that the National Assembly had commenced engagements with State Houses of Assembly to secure the constitutionally required concurrence for the proposed amendment, adding that the process was being pursued through extensive consultations and consensus-building.

Bamidele, who commended the advocacy of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said the 10th Assembly was determined to correct historical gaps in women’s political representation, stressing that the proposed reform demonstrated the legislature’s commitment to inclusive governance.

He said the challenges confronting women and children had become more complex in the face of globalisation, artificial intelligence, digitalisation, insecurity, economic instability and climate change, which had created new opportunities while exposing vulnerable groups to emerging forms of abuse and exploitation.

According to him, women continued to face gender-based violence, economic exclusion, discrimination and inadequate healthcare, while children remained vulnerable to sexual abuse, trafficking, child labour, early marriage, malnutrition, educational deprivation and digital exploitation.

The lawmaker noted that poverty, unemployment, inadequate social protection, educational inequalities, social stigma and weak enforcement of existing laws had further compounded the situation.

He maintained that protecting women and children was not merely a humanitarian responsibility but a constitutional obligation and a critical investment in national development, economic productivity and social stability.

Bamidele also highlighted some legislative interventions of the 10th Assembly, including the four Tax Reform Acts of 2025, which he said exempted sanitary products, baby diapers and other essential products for women and children from Value Added Tax.

He described the measure as a social justice intervention aimed at reducing the financial burden on low-income women and families, particularly those struggling with the rising cost of essential household items.

He further disclosed that the National Assembly was considering the National Hospital for Women and Children, Abuja (Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at strengthening the institution’s capacity to provide specialised healthcare services to women and children.

Bamidele, however, stressed that the effectiveness of legislation depended largely on its implementation, noting that justice must go beyond constitutional provisions and statutory declarations to become accessible, affordable, timely and effective for victims of abuse.

He called for stronger collaboration among the legislature, executive, judiciary, law enforcement agencies, social welfare institutions, religious organisations, traditional rulers, civil society groups and the private sector to strengthen the protection of women and children.

The Senate Leader urged FIDA to deepen its engagement with the National Assembly and other relevant institutions, particularly in identifying gaps in existing laws, proposing reforms and ensuring that government policies and budgetary provisions translated into tangible benefits for vulnerable Nigerians.

He also challenged the organisation to hold the legislature accountable for the implementation of its commitments, especially the proposed special seats for women and adequate funding for child protection, women’s healthcare and gender empowerment programmes.

‘The law is only as good as its implementation. Hold us accountable. Demand that the Special Seats Bill becomes law. Demand that appropriations for child protection and women’s health are not just passed, but released and utilised,’ he said.

Bamidele said the ultimate objective should be to build a Nigeria where women could live free from violence and discrimination, children could grow in safety and dignity, and no victim would be denied justice because of poverty, social status, disability or geographical location.

He urged participants at the Law Week to develop practical recommendations that would strengthen legal protection and improve access to justice for women and children in Ekiti State and across the country.

In her keynote address, the Vice-Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Professor Smaranda Olarinde, called for stronger legal and institutional frameworks to protect women and children against emerging forms of abuse, particularly those enabled by technology and economic vulnerabilities.

Olarinde said the growing use of artificial intelligence and digital platforms had created new dimensions of threats, including cyberstalking, online harassment, deepfake images, impersonation and the exploitation of children.

Speaking on the theme, she also called for stronger collaboration among the government, judiciary, law enforcement agencies, universities, religious and traditional leaders, the media and civil society organisations to tackle gender-based violence and child abuse.

Olarinde urged FIDA to move beyond advocacy to measurable outcomes, proposing a collaborative Women and Children Access to Justice Action Framework to improve legal protection, digital safety and support for survivors.

On his part, the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ogunmoye, lauded FIDA for choosing the Senate Leader to deliver the lecture, describing him as the right person to speak on emerging issues and initiate legislative and policy reforms for the protection of women and children.

In her welcome address, the Chairperson of FIDA Ekiti State Chapter, Ayobami Olowoyo-Richards, commended Senator Bamidele for his lecture and thanked the other guests, saying FIDA would remain committed to promoting, protecting and preserving the rights of women and children.

‘The changing realities of our world continue to present new and complex concerns for the safety, dignity, and fundamental rights of women and children, demanding fresh perspectives and more effective responses from all stakeholders. We must continually strengthen our laws, institutions, and collective response to ensure that justice remains accessible, effective, and responsive to their needs,’ she said.

Truth Commission to assist in legal action on drug war autopsies

The Truth Commission will assist families of drug war victims if they take legal action against the doctors who allegedly violated their profession’s code of ethics when they signed off death certificates with dubious causes of death.

A lawyer for the families of the drug war victims said, however, that there are currently no plans to go after the doctors, adding that government prosecutors should initiate that case.

One of these five physicians has died. She and another doctor were medical officers at the health departments of Caloocan City and Quezon City.

Carlos Conde, spokesperson of the civil society-led commission, told the Inquirer on Saturday that the commission was planning to reach out to families who were affected by the alleged ‘miscertification’ of the cause of death of drug war victims to ask what action they plan to pursue.

‘And if they want to file a petition, we certainly will assist them,’ he said.

The copies of the death certificates and other related documents would also be brought to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), added Conde.

Falsification charges possible

Forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun, who is also part of the Truth Commission, flagged discrepancies in the causes of death of 13 people who were gunned down for being suspected drug users or pushers.

They were either shot in the head, torso, arm, or neck but were declared to have succumbed to such ailments as pneumonia, stroke, sepsis, and other ‘natural causes.’

Conde said, at the very least, complaints of falsifying public documents, a criminal offense, could be brought against the erring doctors.

Human rights lawyer Theodore Te, who is also interim chair of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), said they could be held liable for malpractice. But he noted that PRC is in the best position to determine whether or not the doctors acted professionally or within the ethical bounds of their profession.

The penalties for their possible criminal offenses would depend on the evidence and whether there was malicious intent or mere negligence.

‘If it was malicious, meaning there was a clear intent to mislead, to remove this person’s identity from this whole mass of EJKs (extrajudicial killings), then you have…possible charges of falsification,’ Te said in a press conference by the commission on Friday. ‘And then you even have the possibility [that they were] part of a much larger plan, of conspiracy.’

‘Pressure or duress’

But Te also noted that pursuing the criminal aspect of the alleged violations could be ‘much more difficult’ because the quantum of evidence required before the courts is higher at ‘proof beyond reasonable doubt.’

This much higher threshold is not required by the PRC or the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) should they act on their own and decide to impose administrative sanctions on the doctors at least.

Conde said the commission could only speculate at this point on what prompted the five doctors to sign the death certificates and declare that the drug war victims died of various illnesses despite being fatally shot.

‘The context of this is the drug war, and God knows what sorts of pressure or duress a lot of people were under,’ Conde told the Inquirer.

As to some physicians who were in private practice and were unauthorized to sign death certificates, he cited Fortun, who noted that some of the relatives of the victims may have been compelled to tap private doctors ‘in their desire and haste’ to bury the bodies.

But nothing is certain. That is why an investigation is necessary, stressed Conde.

‘Policy of impunity’

Human rights group Karapatan and former Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares, a lawyer for the families of drug war victims, said on Saturday the ‘miscertification’ of the victims’ cause of death shows the ‘impunity’ enjoyed by former President Rodrigo Duterte.

‘[This] is yet another proof that there is [a] cover-up or whitewashing of the Duterte regime’s crimes,’ Karapatan Secretary-General Cristina Palabay said in a statement to the Inquirer.

She said ‘impunity was a declared policy’ under Duterte as shown by his ‘guarantee to both soldiers and police that they will protect them as long as they kill according to his orders.’

Colmenares echoed Palabay’s statement, saying the doctors who allegedly committed the miscertification are ‘part of the infrastructure of impunity.’

‘Human rights lawyers have been raising that for a while, the misdeclaration of the death certificates and even in the autopsy reports,’ Colmenares said, recalling the story of Lenin Baylon, whose death certificate was corrected almost nine years after his death.

Baylon was killed by a stray bullet in 2016 from masked gunmen who were allegedly running after drug suspects. But his family was forced to sign a waiver agreeing to list bronchopneumonia as the cause of death for his body to be released.

Colmenares said the misdeclaration of the cause of death has ‘severe’ impacts, saying that families of those killed during the drug war would not be able to sue the assailant because the cause of death would show they died from other causes.

‘The impact of this miscertification is not trivial. These are very serious actions, and the doctor should be investigated, and those found to have connivance with the police should go to prison,’ he added.

Building a case

Colmenares said doctors who falsify the victims’ cause of death ‘should be charged as an accessory to the crime,’ given how they are ‘making it impossible for victims to get justice from the court.’

‘If they did that to cover up for the police, they should go to prison together with the police. It’s really horrible for the victims to falsify documents that make them helpless in seeking justice for their loved ones,’ he said.

An investigation could also help establish before the International Criminal Court (ICC) that there was ‘widespread’ or ‘systemic killing’ under Duterte, who is detained by the Hague tribunal for the charges of crimes against humanity of murder.

‘Regarding the charges, the doctors were not mentioned. But regarding the evidence and the witnesses, they can be mentioned. Because part of what the prosecution needs to establish before the ICC is the widespread or systematic killing[s],’ Colmenares said.

‘Because the system is a matter of policy. Like a plan, and the falsification forms part of the plan to make the police or perpetrators unaccountable,’ he added.

But regarding the pursuit of charges, Colmenares said: ‘It’s really difficult for us to file cases when the documents are not available…and the police is not so cooperative, and the [Department of Justice] is not supportive.’

Okada rider stabs man to death over transport fare dispute in Ibadan

An okada rider has stabbed a 25-year-old man (name withheld) to death at Olodo garage area of Lagelu Local Government Area, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Eyewitnesses stated that the deceased was stabbed to death by an enraged okada rider over an alleged breach of agreement on the payment of the transportation fare as agreed upon.

It was gathered that the refusal of the deceased to honour the agreement reached with the okada rider resulted in a scuffle between them, which eventually led to his untimely death.

The okada rider, as reliably informed, stabbed the deceased with a sharp object, having realised that he could not match his strength.

The death of the man has sparked off violence in the area, as business and other related activities have been grounded.

Our source stated that people living in the area have been subjected to untold hardship, as okada riders have withdrawn their services for fear of reprisal attacks.

Confirming the incident in a telephone chat with our correspondent, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, said the matter is under investigation.

Aquino family, visitors remember Ninoy, Cory, Noynoy on All Souls’ Day

Members of the Aquino family and other Filipinos visited the Aquino family mausoleum at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City on Monday, All Souls’ Day.

Civil society leader Kiko Aquino Dee, with his parents, Viel Aquino Dee and Richard Dee, lit yellow candles and offered prayers at the mausoleum to remember the late former senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr., and former presidents Corazon ‘Cory’ Aquino and Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III.

In an interview with the Inquirer, Kiko thanked Filipinos who took time to visit and remember his relatives.

‘Alam po namin na mahalagang panahon po yung Undas para sa maraming Pilipino kaya talagang naha-humble po kami na may nakakahanap pa rin ng oras na bumisita po dito kahit na talagang dapat naman talaga inuuna po yung mga pamilya natin sa panahon na ito, so thank you po talaga,’ he said.

(‘We know that Undas is an important occasion for many Filipinos, so we are truly humbled that people still make time to visit here, even though this is a time when they should really be prioritizing their own families, so we are truly grateful.’)

Asked what legacy he hoped visitors would remember when they visit the Aquino family mausoleum, Kiko recalled how his grandfather Ninoy, grandmother Cory, and uncle Noynoy, along with other Filipino heroes, stood up when they saw something wrong in society.

‘Marami rin naman po yung lumalaban sa kasalukuyang panahon. Sana yung mga yumao at pati na rin yung mga lumalaban po ngayon, sana ay suportahan po natin sila,’ he said.

(‘There are still many people fighting for what is right today. I hope we continue to support both those who have passed away and those who continue to fight in the present.’)

Members of the religious community

Among the other visitors were brothers Martin Angelo Ansano and Sean Zaluaga, seminarians from the University of Sto. Tomas.

Zaluaga recalled how some of his former formators at the UST Central Seminary participated in the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution after hearing the call of then Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin.

Their stories, he said, gave him a deeper appreciation of the Church’s role in promoting peace and standing with the community during crucial moments in Philippine history.

‘Hindi tayo pwedeng tahimik when there’s corruption. Hindi tayo pwedeng tahimik talaga,’ Zaluaga said.

(We cannot remain silent in the face of corruption. We really cannot afford to stay silent,)

Also, Ruben Bergonia, a safety officer working for a private company in Las Piñas City who hails from Cagayan Valley also offered prayers for the three.

Bergonia, who wore a yellow shirt and stayed at the mausoleum from 8 a.m. until past 10 a.m., said it had long been his dream to visit the Aquino family because of their contributions to Philippine history and society.

Walang Pasok: High heat index prompts class suspensions on Nov. 3

Some schools and local governments have announced the suspension of face-to-face classes for Tuesday, Nov. 3, because of expected high heat indices.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said a heat index of 42°C to 51°C is already dangerous, pointing out that with this level of heat, ‘heat cramps and exhaustion are likely.’

Once the heat index reaches 52°C and beyond, heat stroke would be imminent as the level is already considered extremely dangerous, based on the state weather bureau’s effect-based classification.

Here’s the list of class suspensions:

Quezon province

Mulanay: All levels, public and private

Bacolod City, Negros Occidental

Cabug National High School