Author: NLM Correspondent

Britain has promised to abolish travel advisories that it has been imposing on Kenya over the years. A dispatch from State House said the promise was made last month by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson when he met with President Uhuru Kenyatta in London. President Kenyatta and the British PM, the statement added, also discussed the effects of travel advisories when the PM assured that they would be abolished as they have a negative effect on the economy. “What happens when these travel advisories are issued is that there are job losses especially in the tourism sector presenting an opportunity…

The private sector is calling on Kenya Revenue Authority to fasten steps towards refunds on Value Added Tax, VAT. Kenya Association of Manufacturers Chief Executive Phyllis Wakiaga says the delays have been affecting businesses, including exporters outside the country. Wakiaga said timely refunds would ease cash flow problems for struggling businesses amid a persistent credit crunch to the private sector. “We are urging KRA to speed up and improve liquidity and payment of suppliers,” said Wakiaga. According to the CEO, some businesses have waited for years for the refunds, which has, in turn, affected their liquidity. The taxman has over…

The Standard Chartered SDG Investment Map reveals a $197 billion opportunity for private-sector investors in five high-growth markets in Africa to help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with improving digital access making up $74.5 billion of that total. The study highlights opportunities for investors to contribute to three infrastructure-focused goals between now and 2030: SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure across emerging markets. Across all the world’s emerging markets, Oportunity2030 identifies a $10 trillion opportunity for private sector investors. This represents around 40 per cent…

Around the world, and especially in Africa, rapid digitisation and the spread of new technologies are ushering in a new era of economic disruption. This trend has ignited a global debate about the implications for labour markets and the future of work. So far, the future of work discussion has focused mainly on advanced economies and on industrial jobs, which raises questions about its relevance for low-income countries in general and Africa in particular. The rapid spread of digital technologies is disrupting production and trade, generating both opportunities and challenges for sustainable development. Based on a set of guiding questions…

By BRENDA VIOLA There he was, one knee on the ground, hope emanating from his eyes as his lips moved, spilling sweet nothings for me, and perhaps the crowd. At the moment, I knew not how to smile, for I was too disconcerted. The man who knelt before me would be my happily ever after, a new beginning to the other chapter of my life. Was I supposed to be excited? Naturally, yes! I mean, how many times does a woman get proposed to? Several times for the lucky ones and only ones for some. Another batch of women don’t…

By Cynthia Wairimu We are fast approaching the festive season and this is also a source of stress if you might believe that. There is such a thing as too much of anything being poisonous. So, what is likely going to stress you out during this time? One of them is simply expectation. You hold such expectations from either yourself or others for this season which can be overwhelming depending on where you stand at the moment. Are you financially able to handle the demands of the festivities? Are you mentally equipped for the activities and the emotions, feelings around…

By Nita Bhalla Disabled women around the world are being denied basic health services from family planning advice to pap smears because they are seen as asexual, disability rights campaigners have said. Women with disabilities are often ignored, shunned or mocked when seeking help from medical practitioners or even friends or family, victims said on the side-lines global summit on sexual and reproductive health in Nairobi. “Women with a disability are viewed as asexual – that we are not human and do not have needs or sexual desires,” said Mildred Omino, a campaigner with Kenyan charity Women and Realities of…

By Nicholas Kristof In the Bible, St Paul declares, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.” Scholars suspect that this was actually written by some grump other than St Paul, but such sexist passages are sometimes used by conservative Christians to justify the subjugation of women — and by secular liberals to portray the Bible as outdated and misogynistic. Or take militant passages from the Quran like this one: “Kill them wherever you encounter them.” Early Muslims considered this obsolete because it applied narrowly to enemies in a…

Twenty-four years ago, environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed by the Nigerian state. His death brought international attention to the rapacious behaviour of oil companies like Shell — and their complicity in the most violent forms of repression. Born in 1941, Ken Saro-Wiwa came of age as Nigeria gained independence and became a lifelong advocate for the importance of minority rights within a unified national identity. A member of the Ogoni ethnic group, who at only half a million hold little sway in a country of two hundred million, Saro-Wiwa was central to mobilising a popular movement that demanded accountability…

By NYT “Billionaires should not exist,” Senator Bernie Sanders said in September 2019. And, at a Democratic presidential debate in October, he said that the wealth disparity in America is “a moral and economic outrage.” “Senator Sanders is right,” said Tom Steyer, a businessman from California who happened to be the only billionaire onstage that night (as far as we know). “No one on this stage wants to protect billionaires — not even the billionaire wants to protect billionaires,” noted Senator Amy Klobuchar. It’s an idea that’s going around. Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder who is worth close to $70…