Top news items in Kenyan media outlets

The following are news highlights in Kenyan media outlets on Thursday.

-- Opposition leaders on Wednesday unveiled a super alliance and vowed to stick together with the aim of removing ruling party Jubilee from power in the August election.

The four leaders signed a memorandum to seal the unity pact at a ceremony in Nairobi witnessed by more than 5,000 aspirants. The leaders also used the meeting to rally their supporters to register in large numbers when the final voter registration drive commences on Monday. (Daily Nation)

-- Kenya has secured a 99 million U.S. dollars loan from India to improve agricultural productivity. President Uhuru Kenyatta who is in India for the Gujarat Global Summit held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which a number of agreements were signed. (The Standard)

-- The U.S. has strengthened its position as Kenya's third-largest export destination, making it Nairobi's most valuable economic partner outside East Africa. (Business Daily)

-- Government expected to unveil a plan to hire at least 188 doctors from Cuba and India to alleviate the suffering of patients following doctors' strike that is on its 40th day. An ultimatum issued to the doctors to return to work expired Wednesday. (The Star)

-- Passenger and freight services on the Standard Gauge Railway will be rolled out from Mombasa to Nairobi on June 1. The government said the first phase of the project is ahead of schedule and the contractor is currently on the finishing touches and testing as it received the first batch of six locomotives from China on Wednesday. (People Daily) Endit