Author: NLM Correspondent

BY Shadrack Muyesu The Constitution of Kenya 2010 is hailed as progressive on several accounts. The first is its Liberal Democratic nature. Inter alia, the demand for free, fair and regular elections allows the majority to rule while protecting the minority voice. The second is an elaborate human rights framework which, far from perpetuating a certain public culture and morality, accepts our differences and protects those who would otherwise have no place in this society. Thirdly the Constitution is anchored on the Diceian Rule of Law and separation of powers. In toto, it demands that no man shall be condemned…

By Jonathan Powell, Christopher Faulkner & Joshua Lambert Private military and security companies have been regular fixtures in conflicts across the globe. For Africa, these corporations became increasingly visible with their role in civil wars in Angola and Sierra Leone. More recently, reports in 2015 indicated the Nigerian government contracted a number of companies to aid in counterinsurgency efforts targeting Boko Haram. And a Russian contractor, the Wagner Group, has been actively involved in Sudan and the Central African Republic. Its involvement has included signing contracts that grant it access to potential diamond and gold deposits. Such agreements have been typical of private military and security…

By Tioko Ekiru Emmanuel The extractives sector has the capacity to transform lives and reduce poverty. Africa, for instance, is the only continent in the world with regular and constant discoveries of new oil fields and other industrial minerals. But, despite its wealth, the continent continues to remains underdeveloped. This scenario has given rise to the phrase “resource curse.” Where Sierra Leone, Nigeria, the Central Africa Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan lead in the famous resource curse phenomenon, Norway, Canada, Ghana and Botswana stand out as hubs of good governance in managing natural resources. Kenya’s growing extractives…

By Wafula Wakoko I recently had the misfortune of being in a forum where participants thought the Judiciary had too many activists – that it is a bane for law practice. In a different setting on legal reforms, constant reference to the principles of equality and non-discrimination was dubbed as populist and time-wasting activism. While the Oxford Dictionary defines an activist as a person who campaigns to bring about political or social change, the Urban Dictionary has a wealthier assortment of definitions – not a fair contrast given the modalities of assigning meanings by the two. In 2004, Urban Dictionary…

By Kevin Motaroki Fred Matiang’i is something of an enigma in executive apparel, but there is never ambiguity to his method. He is the most consequential minister in Uhuru Kenyatta’s government. His ascendancy to the echelons of power has been as a result of a schism in a burgeoning nation’s certainties, within a dicey political scenario, which required the ruling Jubilee Party to want to be able to predict, with an appreciable degree of assurance, that certain core foundational and developmental functions, at a time of raised passions, would be adjudicated by a rational, liberal mind. Since his appointment in…

The first-ever Russia-Africa summit was held from October 23-24 in Sochi, Russia, marking the culminating point of the return of Russia to Africa, with more than 50 African leaders and 3,000 delegates attending. That convening was only another illustration of the recent increase in economic, security, and political-diplomatic engagements to foster Russia-Africa relations. Over the last decade there has been a proliferation of Russia-Africa bilateral committees, economic forums, and conferences for economic coordination. In 2011, the Russian Agency on Insurance of Export Credit Investments (EXIAR) was created in order to facilitate Russian companies’ activities and the protection of investments. More recently, the…

BY Shadrack Muyesu It’s almost a decade since we ushered in the new constitutional order and its perhaps time we examined whether the Republic is better served by this system of government we chose for ourselves. How do we score in terms of minimum conflict, sustainable development, the rule of law, market liberalization, equality and equity; have we fed off these fruits of Liberal Democracy or have we regressed? It’s an important question that everyone seems to ignore. Government is the foundation of socio-economic development. It goes beyond the minor problem of whether a country should have a presidential…

Sudan’s transitional government and various opposition groups under the Sudan Revolutionary Front umbrella on Monday signed the political roadmap and Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) agreements seen as a major breakthrough in the ongoing peace negotiations to end decades of conflict. President Salva Kiir who has been mediating the peace process since October 14, lauded both parties for reaching the agreement and disclosed peace and stability in Sudan also translates into stability of Juba which is seeking recovery from five years of conflict. “I want to thank the new leaders of Sudan for their straightforwardness that they would want to solve…

A new UN study has found that a lack of opportunity is the main motivation for many African migrants trying to reach Europe. “Scaling Fences” gathers the accounts of men and women who make the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean, which some in Europe believe is driven by extreme deprivation. “The perceived wisdom is that people come to Europe because of extreme deprivation,” explains Mohamed Yahya, the lead author of the report by the United Nations Development Programme. “Our data shows that many of them had jobs before they left, so the perceived wisdom of basic deprivation is not there.…

By Calvine Oredi The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) seems to have woken up from slumber and flexed its muscle in hotly pursuing tax evaders. The obvious trigger is the dry coffers at Treasury, compounded by the need to implement the Big 4 Development Agenda, as well as burgeoning public debt. The Government has faced questions on its huge appetite for heavy borrowing which has been an easy but less-than-ideal route to meet the big budget deficit and meet its obligations as outlined in its current budget. Already ministry’s, departments and agencies (MDAs) are reeling from the effects of the 50…