Equity Bank’s director of diaspora banking Sam Ireri, left, and the bank’s business development manager Jeff Gitahi, right, help Dennis Omayo Moses of Brooklyn Park reactivate an account during the bank’s diaspora team roadshow stop in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. They will be in Minnesota through Wednesday, Oct. 29. | Mshale Staff Photo by Tom Gitaa
Equity Bank’s director of diaspora banking Sam Ireri, left, and the bank’s business development manager Jeff Gitahi, right, help Dennis Omayo Moses of Brooklyn Park reactivate an account during the bank’s diaspora team roadshow stop in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. They will be in Minnesota through Wednesday, Oct. 29. | Mshale Staff Photo by Tom Gitaa
Kenyans in the U.S. dreaming of having a bank account in Kenya will have a powerful resource at their fingertips in the coming days as that country’s second largest bank kicked off its Diaspora Roadshow in Minnesota on Friday.
Prominent Kenyan American, Mr. Sam Ireri – a longtime Wells Fargo commercial banker until last year – is now director of diaspora banking at Equity. Ireri, who is making his first visit to his longtime home of Minnesota since relocating to Kenya to take the high-profile position, told Mshale the roadshow like in previous years is meant to showcase banking services that are tailored to the unique needs of the diaspora.
“Beyond opening a new bank account, we do have existing customers around the U.S. that we want to connect with and help them, for example if someone has let their account become inactive and they want to reactivate it,” Ireri said.
The bank has won global acclaim in democratizing banking by opening it up to the unbanked, and now enjoys the largest customer base in the industry which its founder and CEO James Mwangi told Harvard Business Review in a past interview, was due to the “resilience and determination of the employees.”
The 2024 “Bank Supervision Annual Report” by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) listed Equity Bank as second in market share in terms of customer deposits and also comes in second in terms of total assets. There were 38 commercial banks 14 microfinance banks operating in Kenya by the end of 2024, according to CBK.
Central Bank of Kenya figures show remittances from Kenyans in the diaspora were the leading foreign exchange earner last year totaling $4.94 billion in 2024, an 18% increase from 2023. 54% of the remittances last year were from North America, mostly the United States. Tea, the country’s leading export, brought in $1.35 billion in 2024.
In addition to its home base of Kenya, Equity Bank now operates in five other Arican countries (Demcoractic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan and Rwanda). The bank also has a commercial representative office in Ethiopia, with full operations expected to commence there once legislation allowing foreign banks to open subsidiaries there is implemented.
Jane Nyaga of Equity Bank’s diaspora banking team, right, assists a customer during the bank’s diaspora team roadshow stop in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. They will be in Minnesota through Wednesday, Oct. 29. | Mshale Staff Photo by Tom Gitaa
“We are also happy to discuss how our expansions into other markets might benefit those in the diaspora doing business across multiple African countries,” Ireri said. “We definitely want to make sure our new diaspora customers and existing ones are aware of the entire suite of services available to them.”
Ireri said diaspora customers can open a dollar or Kenya shilling account or both. One can also explore mortgage solutions the bank offers for property in Kenya.
What to bring to open your Equity Bank account
To open your account, you will need a Kenyan ID or U.S. Driver’s license, a passport size photo and KRA PIN. KRA is Kenya Revenue Authority. If you don’t have a KRA PIN, you can obtain one instantly at this KRA link (If your browser warns you it’s an unsafe link, Mshale tested it and it is safe).
The Equity team of Ms. Jane Nyaga and Messrs Jeff Gitahi and Sam Ireri are at the following address through Wednesday, Oct. 29 from 9am to 6pm:
Chief Justice Natalie Hudson of the Minnesota Supreme Court swears in Kowsar Mohamed as a University of Minnesota regent on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. Ms. Mohamed is the first Somali American woman to hold the position in Minnesota's only land-grant university. | Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Chief Justice Natalie Hudson of the Minnesota Supreme Court swears in Kowsar Mohamed as a University of Minnesota regent on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. Ms. Mohamed is the first Somali American woman to hold the position in Minnesota's only land-grant university. | Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Kowsar Mohamed, a PhD student from the Twin Cities, has officially begun her term as the student-at-large representative on the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents, becoming the first Somali American woman to hold the position.
Mohamed was born in Minneapolis to Somali immigrants and raised in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, a bustling immigrant community known for its cultural vibrancy. In a recent interview with Mshale, Mohamed said she grew up seeing firsthand how public policy affects families like her own – an experience that shaped her commitment to civic engagement and community advocacy.
“I started this work as a young person advocating for my community,” Mohamed said. “That commitment to public service has guided me ever since.”
Ms. Kowsar Mohamed attends her first meeting as a member of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents after being sworn-in by Chief Justice Natalie Hudson on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. | Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Mohamed was one of four new members appointed in August by Gov. Tim Walz to the University of Minnesota’s governing body.
“The University of Minnesota Board of Regents is gaining four accomplished, knowledgeable, and dedicated leaders,” Walz said when he announced the appointments. “They will bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives, united by a deep commitment to the University’s mission.”
Mohamed was officially sworn in by Minnesota Chief Justice Natalie Hudson during the regent’s meeting held on Oct. 10. Her swearing-in marked the start of a new chapter in her long-standing commitment to public service and community representation.
“Welcome officially regents Bergstrom, Heins, Lugar, and Mohamed,” Doug Huebsch, chair of the Board of Regents, said.
Chief Justice Natalie Hudson of the Minnesota Supreme Court and University of Minnesota president Rebecca Cunningham join newly sworn-in member of the university’s board of regents, Kowsar Mohamed, for a portrait on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. | Mshale Staff Photo by Richard OogaMinnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison observes the swearing-in of four new University of Minnesota regents on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. The four included the first Somali American female regent. | Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
As a teenager, Mohamed co-founded the Cedar-Riverside Neighborhood Youth Council, which worked with local nonprofits to secure resources and expand community programming for the neighborhood. The group was responsible for helping to establish new community centered local businesses such as the Sisterhood Boutique, a thrift store that hires and empowers young girls in the community. They also collaborated with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation board to build a new gymnasium and a soccer field.
Mohamed is a two-time alumna of the University of Minnesota. She holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, policy and management and another in urban studies. After her undergraduate studies, she went on to earn a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the university’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Ms. Kowsar Mohamed is joined by family for a portrait after being sworn in as a University of Minnesota regent on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025 and making history as the first Somali American woman to be a regent at the state’s only land-grant university.| Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Mohamed has had a substantial career in public service which includes serving as Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Center for Economic Inclusion and as senior project manager for the city of St. Paul’s Department of Planning and Economic Development. She was also an adjunct professor at the university, teaching courses in urban studies, and served on the Regent Candidate Advisory Council from 2020 to 2024. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in natural resources science and management, with a focus on equity, sustainability, and community development.
Mohamed said that her immigrant background informs her approach to leadership.
“When you come from an immigrant family, you grow up understanding how systems can both empower and exclude people,” she said. “That perspective is something I carry with me in every space I enter.”
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents governs the state’s land grant institution, overseeing its budget, policy direction, and strategic planning. As a student-at-large regent, Mohamed represents the interests of students across the university’s five campuses, including graduate and professional students. She is a full member of the board.
“I see this role as a bridge,” she said. “It’s about ensuring that the student experience, in all its diversity, is reflected in the decisions made at the highest level of the university.”
Regents of the University of Minnesota at their October 10, 2025 meeting which was also the first sitting of the body’s first Somali American female member. | Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Her appointment comes at a time when higher education is facing critical issues around affordability, student well-being, and equity. Mohamed said she intends to center those concerns in her work on the board.
Mohamed’s priorities include increasing student engagement in governance, advancing equitable policies, and strengthening ties between the University and surrounding communities, she said. She also hoped to amplify the voices of first-generation and immigrant students.
“I want students to know they matter, their voice matters,” she said. “Policy should not be something that happens to us. It should be something we help shape.”
Senegal's Alude Wade and his band will take the Cedar Cultural Center stage for the first time on Nov. 19, 2025 when he kicks off his North American tour. | Photo by Mickael Berton via Alune Wade Facebook
Senegal's Alude Wade and his band will take the Cedar Cultural Center stage for the first time on Nov. 19, 2025 when he kicks off his North American tour. | Photo by Mickael Berton via Alune Wade Facebook
Senegal never left me,” Alune Wade said to Mshale in a recent interview. Born in Dakar, capital of Senegal, now living in Paris, traveling around the globe touring with bass guitar in one hand and a microphone in the other, this versatile musician’s heart still beats for his beloved Africa.
He switches with ease from French to English to Wolof. Despite his mastery of a multi-cultural life, “I’m still in Senegal even if I am in Paris,” he insisted. “My soul, my body, everything, is still in Senegal. I never left.”
Nonetheless, he’ll kick off his North American tour on November 19th when he and his band take the stage at The Cedar Cultural Center. It’s their first time at The Cedar, but nine years ago, Wade played with with the López-Nussa brothers at the Dakota.
“On combining Senegalese music with New Orleans Jazz,” Wade said, “I think it was very natural. When I was a child in Senegal, we used to listen to a bunch of different music from all over the world, classical music because my father was a classical musician in the Senegal Army – We’d listen to a bit of Mozart, John Sebastian Bach at home—but also my uncles were musicians. My uncle was playing and listening to reggae and jazz and scat music. My sisters listened to pop music from Europe and the United States.”
Wade announced on InstaGram that his latest album was officially up for consideration for Best Global Music Album. Recorded in Paris, Dakar, Lagos and New Orleans, it covers as much musical ground as it does geographical ground.
Wade said echoing his InstaGram page, “This project is more than just music — it’s a cultural bridge between Africa and New Orleans. A celebration of our roots, our rhythms, and our resistance. It tells stories of migration, resilience, and rebirth — through sound.”
Over our Sunday morning Zoom connection, Wade said, “You know, my music is not just Senegalese, but east Dakar” – the westernmost point of mainland Africa – “because a lot of things happen in Dakar, music from Congo, from Mali, from France, this is the music of Dakar. That’s why I say, the choice [New African Orleans] was very natural.”
Some of the songs we might hear at The Cedar in November include Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya, Boogie and Juju, and a reimagined Watermelon Man, pull from Wade’s roots and combine with his early years as a professional musician.
When he was 18 years old, he said he was lucky, but he already had the chops to be selected to “play with one of the best African artists at that time in the 1990s, Ismaël Lô. We did a lot, all these magnificent musicians going all over the world. That was my school. That made me what I am today.”
Since that time, he’s played with many renown musicians from all over the world, becoming one himself.
“That’s why I say we absorb a lot of culture from other people. That’s why we’re more eclectic, more rich for the things we learn from the other people,” Wade said, describing how his musical style and sound developed.
In the end, though, Alune Wade’s performance November 19th will be not only unforgettable, but decisively unique.
“The base of my music,” ensures Wade, “is still African.”
Tickets available here for his show at The Cedar Cultural Center on Wednesday, November 19th. Doors open at 7 pm and show starts at 7:30 pm.
Kenyans in Minnesota held a celebration of life event in honor of the former prime minister of Kenya Raila Odinga at Church of the Nazarene in Brooklyn Center on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. He died on Oct. 15, 2025 aged 80. | Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. – Former prime minister Raila Odinga of Kenya was remembered as a champion of democracy and human rights, during a “Celebration of Life” Saturday at the Church of the Nazarene organized by the Kenyan community.
Odinga died October 15 in India where he was undergoing treatment, setting off frantic efforts by the Kenyan government to transport his body home, and respect his wishes that he be buried within 72 hours of his death. A Kenya Airways plane was dispatched to India to bring him home with a delegation of leaders led by the country’s foreign minister. A state funeral was held in Nairobi on October 17 and he was laid to rest at his rural home in Bondo on Sunday, October 19 – one day before the country’s “Mashujaa Day” celebration.
He was 80.
He ran for the presidency five times without success, but his place in Kenya’s history will be that of the pivotal role he played in the fight for multiparty democracy. His long running fight for democracy and human rights was at the center of many of the remarks about his life and legacy.
Saturday’s celebration of life in Minnesota also mirrored the frantic pace of organizing back in Kenya, but the local organizers here got lucky that an unrelated political event featuring a visiting Kenyan politician was scheduled for Saturday at the venue. With the political figure – an ally of the late Odinga – having to fly back to Kenya in time for the funeral, the event was repurposed to a celebration of life of the departed Odinga.
The pews at Saturday’s event were filled with about 80 people who watched videos of the late Odinga featuring his political life, including clips from Friday’s state funeral. They danced on stage and then took turns speaking about his impact on Kenya and Africa.
Mr. Larry Mboga, an at-large elected two-term member of the Eau Claire City Council in Wisconsin, drove more than 100 miles to honor the life of a man he described as “Jesus-like.”
“Both Trump and Kamala (Harris) supporters voted for me and what I learnt from Raila over the years is that you have to work with both sides as a leader,” Mboga said. “He has worked so hard for our wellbeing, our rights — and we celebrate his life. … he was almost the same as Jesus was, because Jesus always associated himself with the disadvantaged and poor — just like Raila did.”
Minnesota-based Kenyan-American lawyer, Henry Ongeri, ran for governor in Nyamira County during Kenya’s 2022 general election under Mr. Odinga’s Azimio coalition. Ongeri spoke on the legacy of the prodemocracy leader and the time they spent working together over the years promoting his ideals.
“In 2007 we stood at a stage just like this at the Edge Christian Center (Brooklyn Park) and Raila Odinga was our guest. We held the largest gathering of Kenyans in Minnesota to-date,” Ongeri said. “That is how in 2022 I ended up in the same ballot with the legend (Odinga) – with him as our presidential flagbearer.”
The event was for the most part a celebration, with many chanting “Jowi! Jowi! Jowi!” as they got up to speak or dance. The exception was City of Brooklyn Park Charter commissioner Ms. Susan Marube who could not hold back tears as she paid tribute to Odinga, saying his death has “greatly affected me.”
Commissioner Marube recalled how Odinga influenced her interest in politics when as a young girl in Kenya, her mother was nominated by Odinga’s party to contest for city council elections in their area. Marube said the mother was the first one to run on an opposition party ticket, a politically risky move at the time.
“I call him ‘Baba’ a true champion of democracy and fearless voice for the voiceless and a unifying voice for the nation, rest in peace Baba” Marube said in her tribute as she burst into tears.
Mr. Frank Oluoch of Minneapolis told attendees in addition to the political legacy of Odinga, he also remembered him as a great entertainer in manner of speaking. To good effect, the criminal justice system practitioner did a good impression of Mr. Odinga addressing a political rally and drawing prolonged laughter.
Another speaker, Ms. Susan Nzii of Minnetonka, described herself as a “diehard supporter of Baba.” The former USAID staffer, a communications specialist by profession, said the big crowds of mourners that turned out to mourn in Kenya was proof that Odinga had the support to get him what he fought so hard for – referring to the failed presidential bids – “as numbers don’t lie.” Supporters of the late Odinga have long believed elections have always been rigged against him. Following a petition by Mr. Odinga, a candidate in the 2017 presidential election, the Supreme Court of Kenya – in a first for Africa – nullified the election, ruling that the electoral board committed “irregularities and illegalities,” thus harming the integrity of the election. In the repeat election, Odinga boycotted it saying the irregularities the court had pointed out had not been addressed by the electoral commission.
“We supported him even when the political atmosphere was not conducive,” Nzii said. “We join in mourning this great man, in my opinion the great president Kenya never had.”
Former Prime Minister of Kenya Raila Odinga addresses Kenyans in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on February 27, 2007 as he campaigned for the presidency. On the right is Dr. Siyad Abdullahi. | Mshale Staff Photo by Julia Opoti
Former Prime Minister of Kenya Raila Odinga addresses Kenyans in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota on February 27, 2007 as he campaigned for the presidency. On the right is Dr. Siyad Abdullahi. | Mshale Staff Photo by Julia Opoti
The death of Kenya’s former Prime Minister and prodemocracy leader Raila Odinga on Wednesday, October 15, has prompted mourning across the Kenyan diaspora in the US – including Minnesota where he had strong ties. He died in Kerala, India where he was undergoing treatment.
A statement from the hospital said he collapsed and died as he went for his morning walk, and gave the cause of death as cardiac arrest. He was 80.
In Kenya, he is referred to as “Baba,” which means father in Kiswahili, the country’s lingua franca. He will be best remembered for leading the protests that ended one-party rule in Kenya, culminating in the first multiparty election being held in 1992. The protests he led came after spending six years in detention without a trial under the draconian regime of President Daniel Arap Moi.
The late Odinga made numerous visits to Minnesota – both as a leader of the opposition leader and after he became prime minister. He was prime minister from 2008 to 2013. His last visit to Minnesota was on October 2013.
In a statement to Mshale, retired Fourth Judicial District Court judge, LaJune Thomas Lange, expressed her sadness over Odinga’s death and described him as a “great African leader who fought for democracy and transparency.”
The retired judge is the founder and president of the International leadership Institute (ILI), which advocates for civil and human rights causes globally. It is through the institute that she came to play a consequential role in the process that led to Odinga becoming prime minister, following the 2007/2008 post-election crisis that gripped Kenya.
As the crisis deepened, the Kenyan community in Minnesota contacted Judge Lange for help and she agreed to lead a team to Washington, DC. to meet with the African Union (AU) ambassador to the United States and ask for the continental body to intervene.
“I then went to the Odinga family home in Nairobi and conveyed a proposal from the ambassador to Mr. Odinga at his family home in Nairobi, and he agreed to send his team to Addis Ababa where they were able to get the support of the AU Heads of State,” Lange said in her statement. “This process allowed Kofi Annan to have a formal mandate to negotiate the election dispute with support of the African Union and the United Nations and a coalition government was formed.”
Ms. Roselidah Nyaberi, who is president of Mwanyagetinge Association of Kenyans in Minnesota – the largest organized group of Kenyans in the state, had just migrated to the United States the last time Mr. Odinga visited Minnesota. However, she is aware of the love many Minnesota Kenyans have Baba and it was upon her to express the collective grief the community felt. In a written statement to Mshale, Nyaberi sent condolences to the Odinga family, praising his commitment to peace and national unity, adding that “as a community we are standing with you during this sorrowful moment.”
“As Kenyans in the diaspora, we will miss him for his visionary leadership, courage and resilience in the face of adversity and unwavering dedication to human rights,” Nyaberi said in her statement. “Let us honor his legacy by following his example and respect others regardless of their opinion.”
Dr. John Makori who chaired the Minnesota chapter of Azimio la Umoja, the coalition that Mr. Odinga ran for the presidency under in the 2022 presidential election, told Mshale the late prime minister emphasized integrity in the few encounters he had with him, always insisting that one should “be satisfied with the little that God has bestowed upon you, so as not to compromise your integrity.”
Then Prime Minister Raila Odinga of Kenya addresses Kenyans at the DoubleTree in Bloomington, Minnesota in 2011. He died on October 15, 2025 while undergoing treatment in India. A state funeral is planned for Oct. 17, 2025 in Nairobi followed by a burial on Oct. 19, 2025. | Mshale Staff Photo by Miriam Mongare
In an interview with Mshale, Minneapolis-based Kenyan American entrepreneur Dr. Siyad Abdullahi praised Odinga as a “statesman and fighter that gave it his all.”
“I first met Raila through a mutual friend in 2006 when he was campaigning for President and I readily agreed to be his main organizer in the US,” Abdullahi said. “After that he became a friend beyond politics, and even after campaigns were over would take time to personally respond to my messages. He really cared about the marginalized communities, women, minorities and people with disabilities and those living in poverty.”
Abdullahi described him as a man that cared deeply about personal relationships that went beyond politics, recalling a surprise call he received from Mr. Odinga in 2024.
“Last year, Raila was giving a talk at Oxford University (London) and found out my daughter Yasmin is doing her masters there. He made time to meet with her and called me right after with very gracious words about how smart and well prepared she was,” Abdullahi said.
In his many visits to the United States, the person responsible for coordinating them was Mr. Robert Nyagudi – before his move to Canada. Nyagudi, who is the director in charge of supply chain for a Canadian firm, was still in shock and unable to express his feelings when Mshale reached him via WhatsApp Thursday morning at his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
By Thursday evening he had recovered sufficiently to respond to our questions seeking comment.
Mr. Nyagudi said when he first heard reports early Wednesday morning about Baba’s death, he searched frantically on the internet for confirmation but was unsuccessful, and recalls feeling suddenly afraid to hear the truth. He made frantic phone calls to Baba’s family including wife Ida but to no avail. Finally, after 25 minutes of what felt like a day, he was able to get through to Baba’s sister Ruth Odinga who told him, “Yes your friend has left us”
“The passing of Jakom is painful and a really dark cloud hangs over my heart and although he was old enough to be my father, he was simply a friend,” Nyagudi said. “In my many interactions with him we talked about personal, family and business matters and conversations about politics were almost secondary and this humanized him for me.”
“I will deeply miss his wisdom, humility, and compassion,” he continued. Nyagudi said one legendary attribute of the late Odinga was his ability to connect with people from all walks of life, which he called a “rare gift.” Adding that even though Odinga had a good sense of humor, he eschewed laziness but had a forgiving spirit.
A state funeral for Mr. Odinga is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, October 17 in Nairobi and he will be buried on Sunday, October 19. His wish was to be buried within 72 hours of his death.
Celebration of Life in Minnesota on Oct. 18
A prior scheduled political event that was to feature Kenyan politician and former presidential aspirant and Roots Party leader, George Wajackoyah, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on Oct.18, 2025 will instead be a celebration of the life of Raila Odinga. Mr. Wajackoyah, a political ally of Odinga, was already in the U.S. for the event but is in the process of flying back to Kenya for the funeral.
The event starts at 4pm at the Church of the Nazarene, 501 73rd Ave. N., Brooklyn Center, MN 55444.
This story was updated to include reaction and a statement from retired Minnesota Fourth Judicial District Court judge, LaJune Thomas Lange that was received after the story had published.
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, right, listens as state Sen. Omar Fateh speaks during a news conference at Sabathani Community Center food shelf on July 10, 2025 to condemn President Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill' that will lead to cuts in healthcare and food shelf support. Rep. Omar on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 endorsed Fateh's candidacy for Mayor of Minneapolis. | Mshale Staff Photo by Tom Gitaa
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar has endorsed Omar Fateh for Minneapolis mayor, becoming the first key backer for the state senator as he seeks to unseat incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey.
At a Monday morning press conference announcing her endorsement, Rep. Omar pointed specifically to Fateh’s work as a state senator, where he fought “tooth and nail” to pass legislation providing raises for Uber and Lyft drivers. Governor Walz ‘s first ever veto in his two terms was against Sen. Fateh’s Uber/Lyft bill. Walz, who has endorsed Frey, eventually signed a different iteration of the bill.
“His platform calls for raising the minimum wage, stabilizing the skyrocketing cost of housing, standing up to ICE’s violent and un-American crackdowns, and tackling public safety challenges with effective approaches rather than failed “tough on crime” policies and authoritarian National Guard interventions,” Omar said.
Minneapolis uses ranked choice voting to elect its mayor and city council, and the 35-year-old Fateh is in an alliance with the other two leading candidates, Rev. DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton, in a ranked choice voting (RCV) strategy they are calling a “Slate for Progress.” The three have asked their respective supporters to rank them as their first choice – and then rank the other two in order of their preference – but to not rank incumbent Jacob Frey.
Fateh on July 19 received the required 60 percent of delegates at the Minneapolis DFL convention to secure the party’s backing, the first time in 16 years that a candidate was able to garner enough votes to receive the coveted endorsement. However, barely a month after the historic endorsement, the state DFL, acting on a complaint from Jacob Frey, vacated the endorsement citing “substantial failures in the Minneapolis Convention’s voting process.”
While Rep. Omar’s endorsement is the most high-profile for Fateh to date, at least eight of his Senate colleagues have already endorsed him, including a host of Minnesota House representatives. At least half of the ten Minnesota House members that represent Minneapolis at the state Capitol have endorsed his candidacy. Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley who represents South Minneapolis at the county board has also endorsed him as have six of the 13-members on the city council including City Council president Elliott Payne.
“I’m so excited to have my Congresswoman and friend, Ilhan Omar, on board with my candidacy for Mayor! She fights hard for the working people of Minneapolis. As Mayor, I’ll partner with leaders like her, to build an affordable city that’s accountable to us,” Fateh said in a post on X following the endorsement.
The election is on November 4 and early voting is already underway. If you live in Minneapolis, you will be voting for Mayor, City Council, Board of Estimate & Taxation and the Park Board.
It’s the first day of early voting! We are open today until 4:30pm and Monday through Friday 8 a.m. until 4:30p.m. Head to our website for more information! https://t.co/qQaGXqXpgxhttps://t.co/UGfNJ86z3P
Burkina Faso's president Capt. Ibrahim Traore chats with agricultural workers in March 2025. His foreign minister said on Oct. 10, 2025 that his government has refused a proposal from the Trump administration to accept deportees from the United States. Photo: Courtesy of Capt. Ibrahim Traoré X Account
Burkina Faso's president Capt. Ibrahim Traore chats with agricultural workers in March 2025. His foreign minister said on Oct. 10, 2025 that his government has refused a proposal from the Trump administration to accept deportees from the United States. Photo: Courtesy of Capt. Ibrahim Traoré X Account
By Mark Banchereau
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Burkina Faso says it has refused a proposal from the Trump administration to accept deportees from the United States.
The West African country was asked whether it would accept non-citizens expelled by the U.S., in addition to its own nationals, Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré said Thursday on national television.
“Naturally, this proposal, which we deemed indecent at the time, is totally contrary to the value of dignity which is part of the very essence of the vision of Capt. Ibrahim Traoré,” he said, referring to the country’s military ruler.
The remark came only a few hours after the U.S. Embassy in the capital Ouagadougou suspended most visa services for Burkina Faso residents, redirecting applications to its embassy in neighboring Togo. The embassy did not give a reason for the move.
Citing a U.S. diplomatic note accusing Burkinabe nationals of not complying with visa usage rules, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré called the move a possible “pressure tactic” and said, “Burkina Faso is a land of dignity, not deportation.”
The U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou and Department of Homeland Security didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
More than 40 deportees have been sent to Africa since July after the Trump administration struck largely secretive agreements with at least five African nations to take migrants under a new third-country deportation program. Rights groups and others have protested the program.
The U.S. has sent deportees to the small African nation of Eswatini, South Sudan, Rwanda and Ghana. It also has an agreement with Uganda, though no deportations there have been announced.
Six deportees are still detained in an unspecified facility in South Sudan, while Rwanda hasn’t said where it is holding seven deportees. Eleven of the 14 deportees sent to Ghana last month sued the government there for holding them in what they described as terrible conditions at a military camp on the outskirts of the capital, Accra.
Human Rights Watch said last month the Trump administration offered financial incentives to some African countries to accept deportees. The rights group said it reviewed written agreements showing Eswatini will receive $5.1 million in U.S. funding for migration and border management while Rwanda will receive $7.5 million.
Mark Banchereau is based in Dakar, Senegal and writes for the Associated Press of which Mshale is a member.
Travelers at the departure area check in and prepare for screening at JFK Airport on June 28, 2023, in New York City. The airport is one of three U.S. airports that travelers on visitors' visas from seven African countries must enter and exit through in a U.S. visa bond pilot program that runs through August 2026. | Photo: Bebeto Matthews/
Travelers at the departure area check in and prepare for screening at JFK Airport on June 28, 2023, in New York City. The airport is one of three U.S. airports that travelers on visitors' visas from seven African countries must enter and exit through in a U.S. visa bond pilot program that runs through August 2026. | Photo: Bebeto Matthews/
The Trump administration has launched a pilot program that seeks to address visa overstays by charging bonds of up to $15,000 for citizens from seven African countries seeking to obtain visitors visas.
The State Department in a final ruling it published on Thursday, said by October 23, 2025 there will be a total of seven African countries on the pilot program; Mali, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tanzania, The Gambia, Malawi and Zambia.
In addition to the hefty bond, travelers that post the required bond must enter and exit the United States through three designated ports of entry:
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
The pilot program is scheduled to run through August 2026. If the pilot is successful in reducing visa overstays, it might be introduced beyond African nations.
While $15,000 is the highest bond that can be posted, consular officers have the discretion to charge either $5,000 or $10,000. Bonds must be paid using the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration Bond Form I-352 and payment completed on pay.gov.
The bond is separate from the normal visa application fee of $185, plus an extra $250 “visa integrity fee” which went into effect recently as part of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” That brings the actual visa application fee to $435, which will apply to everyone seeking a nonimmigrant visa to the U.S.
The State Department also cautioned that posting a bond is not a guarantee that a visa will be issued. Applicants should only pay the bond once the consular officer has directed them to do so. “If someone pays fees without a consular officer’s direction, this person will not get that money back,” the advisory read.
If a visa is issued after a bond has been posted, it would be automatically refunded once the visa holder complies with all entry and exit requirements.
When the visa bond pilot program gathered steam in the summer and was nearing implementation, the state department published in the Federal Register that “This Pilot Program responds to Executive Order 14159, “Protecting The American People Against Invasion,” which directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, to “establish a system to facilitate the administration of all bonds” under the provisions of the INA (Immigration and Nationality Act).”
How to avoid losing your bond: enter and depart at the designated three airports and do so within the specified date on your visa. If you depart the U.S. on time but do so at the wrong airport, you will lose your bond.
Zar Electrik, the Franco-Moroccan trio from the south of France as they kicked off their North American tour on Sept. 24, 2025 at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Photo: Susan Budig/Mshale
Zar Electrik, the Franco-Moroccan trio from the south of France as they kicked off their North American tour on Sept. 24, 2025 at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. Photo: Susan Budig/Mshale
September 24th in Minneapolis and the weather was spectacular. Zar Electrik, a band out of the south of France and more deeply from Morocco and the Horn of Africa, still managed to entice a hundred people into the the darkened space of The Cedar Cultural Center.
Their show performed in low lights with a backdrop of colorful geometric images held our attention and moved most of the audience to gyrate and jump about the dance floor. We clapped and sang along and shouted our appreciation.
Zar Electrik’s setlist included numbers from both albums, Hawa (2023) and KOTO (2025). Their music is as unique and varied as the instruments they played.
Anass Zine, vocalist, guitarist, and krakeb player, opened the 7:30 pm show with a moody, reflective piece that shifted into a driving rhythm with vocals taken over by Arthur Peneau who delivered magic via his electric kora.
I’d never seen a krakeb before. It looked like two pair of brass castanets welded together with a metal rod, the sound bright and clanging. I’d also never heard an electric kora with no calabash, the iconic gourd used to make many north African instruments including shekere, kora, calabash drums, and berimbau as well as many others.
Alongside these traditional African instruments, Didier Simione from Marseille, France, commanded the electronics. Somehow this mishmash of cultures, time periods, and ethnicities all melded into a unified sound.
Anass Zine told us between songs that this was the band’s first time in Minneapolis and it was kicking off their North American tour.
In the audience sat people from all over the world. Some were already fans of Zar Electrik. Others had never heard of them, but were feeling adventurous and taking in new music. The end result of Zar Electrik’s show was an ephemeral community, but with lasting memories of the music and the message of the band.
Midway through the performance, Anass Zine said in describing the next song, Munda Mio,
“We can forget to speak about all this situation, leadership gone crazy in lots of countries, something’s wrong and we are afraid. [With this] song, we want to speak about oppressed people.
We are so rich, all this culture, and we have to mix and make something with it.”
The band liked to look into one another’s eyes. They’d smile and share a word or two while playing. They clearly enjoyed making music and making it with one another. Their exuberance was contagious. We felt their collective energy and joy. We soaked in the warmth as if inoculating ourselves against the social turmoil our political landscape has become.
Their last song, Babord from their latest album KOTO, was dedicated to “all the men, women, and children coming from Africa to Europe.” Babord means boat. We floated into the night as we made our way home.
Lyna Nyamwaya speaks during a panel at a professional development conference in Brooklyn Park on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Lyna Nyamwaya speaks during a panel at a professional development conference in Brooklyn Park on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
A registered nurse and adjunct professor at St. Catherine University in St. Paul is the first to launch a campaign to succeed Rep. Cedrick Frazier in the Minnesota House of Representatives to represent District 43A.
Lyna Nyamwaya, 49, of New Hope, believes her years of experience in nursing and entrepreneurship have equipped her with the wisdom and compassion needed to serve the residents of the district, which includes all of New Hope and most of Crystal.
Rep. Frazier announced in August that he will not be seeking a fourth term but will instead run to succeed Mary Moriarty as Hennepin County Attorney. He easily won reelection in November in the heavily Democratic district, receiving over 66 percent of the vote.
Nyamwaya worked as a nurse for 15 years at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale – one of four Level 1 trauma centers in the state – and while there developed experience in starting and nurturing nursing programs and educational opportunities for nurses. She founded The African Nurses Network in 2016 to provide advocacy and networking opportunities for those in the profession.
Lately, her time has been devoted to teaching nursing students at St. Catherine University and running her corporate consulting and leadership training company, The Bold Impact Group.
Nyamwaya, a first-time candidate whose political experience has so far been as a canvasser and financial supporter for others, including Frazier, said she’s running to fight for working families who are facing an uncertain economic future.
“For over 20 years, New Hope and Crystal have been my home, the place where Jerry (husband) and I are raising our two children. This community has given me support, opportunities, and safety,” Nyamwaya told Mshale. “Now, as an educator, nurse, and small business owner, I see families facing challenges in healthcare, education, taxes, and the economy that I know we can address together.”
She told Mshale her candidacy has the support of Rep. Frazier but that “the person who has really encouraged me to run is (state) Sen. Ann Rest.” Rest announced in September she will retire when her term ends in 2026, after 40 years in the Legislature.
Nyamwaya said she plans to seek the DFL endorsement.
She said her campaign message centers on being a leader that can bring meaningful change for the district’s residents because of her lived experience, citing education as an example. The Kenyan-born Nyamwaya first came to the U.S. to attend college, an experience she describes as being transformative in her life “which is why I want to ensure students receive a quality education and are workforce-ready for an AI-driven economy.”
She earned her bachelors of science degree in nursing from Metropolitan State University in St. Paul. She has two graduate degrees, an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, also in St. Paul and a master’s of education in leadership from Concordia University in Nebraska.
Minnesota’s African community started to affectionately refer to her as Dr. Lyna, after she completed her doctoral studies at Spalding University last year, and received a Doctor of Education in organizational leadership.
She said her educational journey and entrepreneurial experience as an immigrant have shaped some of the priorities she wants to focus on, which in addition to education, include affordable healthcare, supporting labor unions, living wages, the environment and making sure that small businesses can thrive.
As a homeowner, she says she wants to ensure that those in her district have access to affordable housing and achieve the American dream like her.
“New Hope welcomed me over two decades ago as a young immigrant, where neighbors quickly became friends and even extended family. This community gave me my first experience with home ownership,” she said. “These relationships have not only shaped my journey but also deepened my roots in this community and now it is my time to give back.”
House members in the part time Minnesota Legislature earn a salary of $51,750 and a per diem of $86 per day when in session.
65% of District 43A residents are white, while Blacks constitute 20% and Hispanics 7 percent, according to Census data.
The American Community Survey, which is part of the U.S. Census Bureau, puts the median household income in the district at just over $82,000 compared to the state average of $87,000, and per capita income close to $43,000, compared to the state average of $47,000. 10% of the district’s residents live below the poverty line.
With a median age of 40, it is a relatively young population that lives in the district. 27% of those living in the district have a bachelor’s degree or higher while 34% have some college education. Just over 94% have completed high school.
Less than half of its population (47%) is married and census data puts the median value of owner-occupied homes just over $290,000 – with 63% of the 17,783 housing units in the district classified as owner-occupied.
The election will be in November 3, 2026 when the entire Minnesota Legislature (both Senate and House), and all four constitutional offices (Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor and Attorney General) will be on the ballot. The election to replace U.S. Senator Tina Smith will also be on the same ballot.
Before she can get to the November 3, 2026 election however, Nyamwaya will have to get through the state primary on August 11, if another DFL contender emerges.
An earlier version of this story misspelled Rep. Frazier’s first name. We regret the error.
Mayor Jacob Frey listens as state Sen. Omar Fateh speaks during a Minneapolis mayoral debate hosted by the Citizens League at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Mayor Jacob Frey listens as state Sen. Omar Fateh speaks during a Minneapolis mayoral debate hosted by the Citizens League at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey asked voters on Friday to elect him in November for a third and final term to continue what he said was the revival of the city.
In a forum hosted by Citizen’s League at the West Minister Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, the mayor said that he wanted to continue the revival of the city by improving infrastructure and prioritizing safety.
Frey, who has had backing from many new donor contributions, said that he wanted a third term to finish the work of reviving the city and leave it fully restored to its old glory. The mayor had amassed over half a million dollars for his campaign in the first half of the year alone outraising his opponents.
The opening question on Friday’s forum revolved around revitalizing downtown Minneapolis. Frey said that part of the area’s declining population was due to companies offering remote opportunities for their employees. That was inevitable, he said, but it was expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic. The mayor also said that to revive traffic in downtown Minneapolis the city is already undertaking strategies to repopulate the area which include transitioning vacant commercial space into residential areas and expanding pedestrian walkways.
Minneapolis mayoral candidates Rev. DeWayne Davis, state Sen. Omar Fateh, Mayor Jacob Frey, Jazz Hampton and Brenda Short participate in a debated hosted by the Citizens League at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. Mshale Staff Photo by Richard Ooga
“It will be those that embrace change that will ultimately be successful,” Frey said.
Sen. Omar Fateh, who represents District 62 in the state senate, immediately disputed Frey’s statements, accusing him of allowing the city of Minneapolis to reach its current state.
“The downtown that Mayor Frey inherited in 2017 is a dream compared to what we have right now,” Fateh said. “He can blame it on COVID-19 or the aftermath of the Geroge Floyd murder, but the reality is that this is all happening under his watch.”
Fateh, who is Frey’s strongest opponent, shocked the city when he won an endorsement from the Minneapolis chapter of the Democratic Farmers Labor (DFL) Party in July. The Minnesota DFL later revoked the endorsement, citing issues with the electronic voting system. The Minneapolis DFL has since unsuccessfully appealed the decision.
“As mayor, you have to do the hard work in leading,” Frey rebutted. “Our city is coming back in fine form. We are seeing real results.”
Fateh said that he would increase traffic to Minneapolis by introducing tax legislation that incentivizes business to open store fronts by introducing vacancy taxes.
The second question was about public safety in Minneapolis. During the past eight years that Frey has served as mayor, Minneapolis has gone through historic moments including the murder of George Floyd by a police officer, in May 2020, which led to destructive riots in the city. That was followed in 2021 by near-record homicide rates. The recorded number of homicides in 2021 was 94, compared to the 97 homicide cases recorded in 1995. The city also continues to struggle with a housing crisis that has left many without homes. And recently, in August, a shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis killed two children and wounded more than a dozen others.
Minneapolis mayoral candidates speak during a debate Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. From left, Rev. DeWayne Davis, state Sen. Omar Fateh, Mayor Jacob Frey, Jazz Hampton and Brenda Short. It was hosted by the Citizens League at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Mshale Staff Photos by Richard Ooga
Frey said that he wanted to expand the police force and pointed out that violent crime rates particularly in north Minneapolis have decreased in recent years.
Fateh, whose campaign office has been vandalized, said he supported police officers getting more help by endorsing legislator that expands resources in response to emergency calls which then frees up police officers to tackle violent crime. The senator evaded questions insinuating that he wants to defund the police. He pointed out that there was a charter committee that has established a set number of police officers that the city of Minneapolis needs. The Minneapolis City Charter has established that the city needs a minimum of 730 police officers, 125 more cops than it currently has.
Another mayoral candidate, Brenda Short, called Fateh’s previous statements on police defunding and Frey’s position on public safety disrespectful. She said that Frey made the wrong choice of instating Brian O’Hara of New Jersey as Minneapolis police chief, who she accused of not serving all the residents of Minneapolis well. When asked if she would let O’Hara keep his position, she said she would not.
“I believe, to bring our city safe we need our community and our officers to work together,” Short said. “I would replace Chief O’Hara. He has made no attempts to protect everyone.”
Frey and another opponent, Jazz Hampton, disagreed. Hampton said that if elected mayor, he would keep O’Hara as the chief of police, and that he wanted a more collaborative approach for accountability and reconciliation.
“I am absolutely open to keeping Chief O’Hara and what I expect is to hold him accountable to the level that I and this city believe is necessary,” Hampton said. “Some things I’ve seen have been troubling to me in the last several months, but it doesn’t mean that the relationship is beyond repair.”
On the topic of safety, in recent months, President Donald Trump has attempted to deploy the National Guard to cities across the United States for what he alleges would be to maintain law and order. The entire panel of candidates unanimously agreed that they would not support the deployment of National Guard troops to Minneapolis.
The approach to affordable housing and homeless encampments was met with various responses, with Fateh directly criticizing Frey’s response to encampments, which included using force. Frey stated that the response was needed to address a crisis in human trafficking and public health.
Short, who has previously experienced homelessness, said that a vacant nursing home in south Minneapolis could be used to safely house 300 people. She also stated that the city needed to try repairing abandoned homes to make them fit for rental housing.
The candidates remained divided on ways that the city could increase private business, and if the city should collaborate with the Minnesota Timberwolves for a new arena. In their closing remarks candidates described their leadership approach and the vision they have for Minneapolis.
Frey, who described himself as a passionate and honest leader, said that he wanted to lead Minneapolis for a third term to complete the work of current ongoing projects to enhance the city’s overall wellbeing.
“As mayor, you make difficult decisions during some of the most trying circumstances and over the past five years, we as a city have confronted adversity together,” Frey said. “Our city is coming back.”
