Author: NLM Correspondent

By Fuad Abdirahman The Constitution protects the right to free speech. This right is, however, not absolute as the same law goes back to prohibit defamation. The question recently has been how, in light of the foregoing, law enforcement should handle teenagers who confessed to engaging in exam malpractice and hurled insults at two cabinet sectaries. What’s their liability? Were their utterances defamatory? General public sentiment is that Government should not have involved itself. I mean, it’s a small matter of teenagers being teenagers. Besides, as already stated the young people have a constitutional right to free speech which, in…

By Antony Mutunga Soon after he was sworn in, in 2013, one of the first moves President Uhuru Kenyatta made was to appoint the Presidential Taskforce on Parastatal Reforms (PTPRs), which he mandated with interrogating policies on the management and governance of parastatals in the country, to identify how best they could contribute towards development and facilitate our nation’s economic transformation. The key finding of the taskforce was that there was a replication of functions amongst some institutions, and between parastatals and county governments. It also noted embedded corruption, and a reduction of the institutions from 263 to 187, through…

By Fuad Abdirahman For the first time, the government of Somalia has admitted that neighbouring Ethiopia violated its independence rights. President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo disclosed that the country has been under “naked direct and indirect interference” from Ethiopia, and revealed that in his first meeting with Hailemariam Desalegn, the former Ethiopian premier, he demanded an end to “their intrusive behaviour” in the internal affairs of Somalia. A buoyant Farmajo in December said he had worked out things with Prime Minister Mohamed Abiy and expressed confidence that “things have significantly improved” and that there would no longer be “meddling” from Ethiopia.…

Currently CEO of the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC), Prof Magoha is the immediate former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi. He is also a one-time President of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa, Chairman of the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board (KMPDB), and Chair of the Kenya Association of Urological Surgeons. He was born in 1952, and attended Starehe Boys Centre and Strathmore College where he completed his A-Levels. He studied Medicine at the University of Lagos in Nigeria and furthered his studies in Surgery and Urology at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, University College Hospital Ibadan, Royal…

HID Global, a worldwide leader in trusted identity solutions, today announced that its HID goID solution has been extended to provide an end-to-end system for deploying and managing a mobile citizen ID program. From issuance through verification, HID goID is backed by the same high security standards for data, communication and privacy protection that are used in today’s physical electronic ID (eID) programs. “This is a major step in delivering the full value of our goID solution, as we extend its capabilities for provisioning, updating and revoking mobile IDs to include the full range of citizen ID program functionality,” said…

When scores of MPs stayed away from Parliament on the day they were supposed to be voting for the Gender Bill on November 28, many interpreted it as open defiance to their party leaders, who had publicly lobbied them to support the Bill. Because the members present did not meet the quorum, Majority leader Aden Duale proposed moving further debate and voting to February 2019. But, as an MP who spoke to the Nairobi Law Monthly reveals, it was all part of a clever scheme to get around the divisive constitutional provision. “There has been talk among members of parliament…

By Kennedy Lumwamu A judicial officer has sued his employer and welfare organisation for impropriety over members’ funds. John Ogutu Kasango, who is based at the High Court registry in Eldoret, says in court papers that since 2013 when the Kenya Judicial Staff Association (KJSA) was formed and registered, the body’s National Executive Council has never held an annual general meeting or even advertised for the same. He says the association’s accounts have never been audited and that the more than 4,000 members who contribute Sh200 each every month have been left in the dark over the association’s activities. He…

Director of the Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has appointed Queen’s Counsel Prof Khawar Qureshi to lead corruption cases against judicial and government officials. In a notice on December 3, Haji said he picked the London-based professor through single-sourcing after failing to find a suitable candidate through advertisement. The appointment conforms to the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, Article 157 (9) of the Constitution and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act. “Taking into account the transnational nature of the offences, the complexity and the special skills required to maintain the integrity of the process, the DPP…

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has announced a new commitment to reach 100,000 learners across Africa over the next three years through HP Foundation’s HP LIFE Program. The Palo Alto, California-based Technology firm kicked off the commitment by opening an HP LIFE Centre in South Africa on Nov. 30, 2018 – a technology-enabled hub to facilitate learning, collaboration and entrepreneurship in a physical, face-to-face setting. The HP LIFE Centre was opened in collaboration with institutions such as the Ekurhuleni West TVET College in Katlehong and its Centre of Entrepreneurship Rapid Incubator. By 2030, Africa will be home to 32 percent of the population…

By Prof John Harbeson South Africa’s government appears to be actively considering amending the Constitution to permit some degree of expropriation of land without compensation to the owners. South Africa’s Constitution states that land may only be expropriated for a public purpose or in the public interest provided that any such expropriation is “subject to compensation,” the amount and the timing of payment for which must be agreed to by the parties involved or by a court. A parliamentary motion approving expropriation without compensation approved in February of this year passed with 75 percent voting in favour. The administration of President…