Author: NLM Correspondent

By Brian Omwenga While conducting fieldwork research on innovation in Africa, I found myself in a boardroom in Botswana, with a group of upcoming tech CEOs. One of the CEOs quipped, “Do you know the Land Rover is an African car?” Looking puzzled, I waited for him to offer further explanation. Surely, we all know that the Land Rover is made and most often assembled in the United Kingdom. “…the Land Rover,” he continued, “needed to come to Africa to understand what off-road means.” There are many who have said that “if it works in Africa, it can work anywhere…

Globally, human rights remain under assault, whether by populist movements desperate to gain power or authoritarian governments eager to maintain it. Technology has opened up new frontiers for curbing people’s ability to express and share dissenting ideas. And broad assaults are underway on institutions like the International Criminal Court, which was established not only to offer recourse for the victims of rights violations, but to establish an international human rights benchmark. Instead, it is being replaced by a dangerous intolerance. Around the world, populist authoritarians have built their movements by demonising minorities. In Brazil, for instance, newly elected President Jair…

Both France and the United States have been vocal critics of China’s state-led infrastructure development model in Africa and the accompanying loans for projects extended by Beijing’s policy banks. Fearful that China is using loans to extend political influence along with the fact that some African countries are taking on too much debt, US and French leaders launched high profile Public-Private-Partnership initiatives they claimed would be more economically sustainable and provide a clear alternative to African countries taking on more Chinese debt. But now both the French and US ventures to build even modest infrastructure projects in Kenya are in…

How strong are the links between the Chinese government and Zimbabwe? The ties between China and Zimbabwe go back decades are very important to understanding this relationship today. Many of Zimbabwe’s senior leaders, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga received, were trained in China back in the early 60s. The president was part of something called the “Crocodile Gang”, a group of militant ZANU officials, who studied Marxism and combat training in China. So, the ties run really deep. And it goes both ways. Robert Mugabe was designated with the title “Old Friend” by the Chinese leadership and that…

By Shadrack Muyesu Banks create money, they don’t lend it. When a bank gives out money, it pretends that you have deposited the money…it is to invent liability…this is how the money supply is created – Prof. Richard Werner Like many big corporations, banks thrive on speculation – except that they control the system or at least benefit from insider knowledge, which isn’t speculation after all. In times of tranquility, banks will push money into the system, bringing down the cost of borrowing in the process and inducing borrowers into more loans. Afterwards they will gradually scale interest rates. This…

By Cobus Van Staden The last quarter of 2019 saw the launch of the newest phase of Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR,) connecting the port in Mombasa to the Rift Valley town of Naivasha. The Mombasa-Naivasha section of the SGR cost $1.5 billion. It connects to the initial phase, between Nairobi and Mombasa, which cost $3.2 billion. Both phases were funded by China and built by Chinese construction companies. More than an infrastructure project, the SGR has become symbolic of both the promise and the pitfalls of the China-Africa relationship. Or, more accurately, it has been caught up in competing discourses…

By Dennis Ndiritu The political landscape in the country has undergone a metamorphosis since the March 3, 2018 handshake between President Kenyatta and Raila Odinga. This has forced major political realignments in light of the match anticipated Building Bridges Initiative seen as precursor for a pro-parliamentary system referendum. At the heart of these realignments are two women groups, Inua Mama, allied to Deputy President William Ruto and Embrace, allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and the right honourable Raila Odinga. The two groups have been engaged in cut-throat campaigns that have been mired with gory insults against each other. This has…

By Joel Okwemba Foreign policy has hitherto been a prerogative of the Executive arm of government despite the globalised nature and complex interactions in the 21st Century that demand creative solutions in maintaining peace and stability. The Executive, through Parliamentary bodies and committees, allows the policies to be scrutinised in an effort to create harmony within government agencies. Constitutions in democratic states now demand that the State cannot engage in Wars without the approval of Parliamentary bodies. This remains the foremost engagement on International Relations for most parliaments to date. However, opportunities abound when it comes to: how Parliaments interact…

By Shadrack Muyesu The Buy Kenya-Build Kenya Campaign Strategy was developed in April 2017 following a Presidential directive that a strategy be formulated to drive consumption of locally produced goods and services. The Buy Kenya-Build Kenya initiative is expected to enhance competitiveness of local firms, stimulate local production and promote industrialisation, a key priority area in Vision 2030. In addition, the strategy shall contribute towards mitigating the impacts of the trade deficits. Among the lofty objectives of the policy document are the establishment of a legal and regulatory framework to guide public procurement; the provision of an enabling business environment;…

By Victor Adar Some Kenyans say coming together to vote for one young person to lead the country as president can pay off but it appears there is little to show for it with a majority of young people generally opting to support seasoned politicians. Driven by the need to incorporate the interests of young people and to stimulate economic growth, Miruru Waweru, Chair of Thirdway Alliance, argues that the alternative for Kenya is its “Young Turks”. “Women are not marginalised. Young people too are not marginalised,” says Waweru. “What is needed is active, meaningful representation. Things can be done.…