Author: NLM Correspondent

By Alexander Opicho The US has chosen to punish Rwanda by suspending the AGOA pact for duty-free access to Rwanda’s textile imports on the premise that the tiny nation has refused to lower trade tariffs and barriers for American-made clothing and shoes. This punitive suspension applies to all AGOA-eligible clothing products from Rwanda. America is doing this under a raft of new policies executed by the USTR (United States Trade Representative). The USTR, under the hegemony of Trump, last year began an out-of-cycle review to determine the submissive eligibility of the East African countries to keep their trade benefits under…

By KENYATTA OTIENO A good man died in Kigali on 31 May 1994, two months into the Rwandan genocide as the world looked the other way. Two weeks before he was scheduled to go back home to Senegal, Captain Mbaye Diagne was killed at a road block in his UN truck. He was driving alone back to the U.N. base in Kigali from one of his many trips around Rwanda when a shell landed behind his truck. Shrapnel cut through the back window and hit him in the back of the head; he died instantly. On April 6, 1994, the plane…

By Kenyatta Otieno In the 2013 General Election, several counties went for guided democracy. In Mandera, lawyer Abdikadir Mohammed did not defend his parliamentary seat because elders had worked out how to share the posts between clans. Sospeter Ojaamong’ from minority Teso won the Busia governor’s seat. In Migori, the minority Kuria were given the Senate and Woman Representative seats, as a bargain for presidential votes for Raila Odinga, who is a Luo – they are the majority in the county. The Luo kept their side of the deal while Kuria’s gave Uhuru Kenyatta more votes than Raila Odinga. In…

His Twitter handle has an auxiliary verb in it; it had to be an auxiliary because a doing verb would be too politically incorrect and controversial, especially because the surname he bears is his fathers. It helps remind him he has to do what he says. He hopes to own a media house one day. The way to go about it, he reckons, is to build his credibility on social media, where he has a big following. Cyprian, Is Nyakundi spoke with TNLM’s Kevin Motaroki about his activism online, and why he isn’t afraid of stirring up controversy, as long…

Saudia to open up to the world, a movie at a time Saudi Arabia is set to open its first public cinema in 35 years with the Hollywood Blockbuster Black Panther in line to be screened first at an AMC entertainment theatre in Riyadh. AMC, America’s biggest movie theatre chain has signed a deal with Saudi Arabia’s Information ministry; together they plan to open 40 cinemas in 15 cities over the next 5 years. In return, Saudi Arabia is sponsoring a stand at the Cannes film festival to showcase short Saudi films. This is all a part of the Kingdom’s…

The Commonwealth University, London, recently awarded Justice Dr Smokin Wanjala an Honorary Doctorate degree in recognition of his service to humanity. An associate justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Wanjala was actively involved in the struggle for constitutional reform, during his time in civil society in the 1990s. Together with others including Prof. Kivutha Kibwana, and the late Prof. Kichamu Akivaga, he founded the Centre for Law and Research International (CLARION) that accelerated civic education activities in the country at the height of the Kanu regime’s ruthless crackdown on dissent. Justice Wanjala holds a Bachelor of Law from the University…

When the Libyan crisis began in 2011, the African Union wanted to use a political strategy to facilitate a transition of power, and by any means necessary, avoid war. Yet that policy approach was overridden by Western powers by way of the United Nations Security Council, leading to a military intervention, the overthrow and demise of Muammar Gaddafi, and the eventual conflagration of Libya. Cognizant of that watershed moment and others, African decision-makers last month gathered in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia for the high-level Tana Forum on security in Africa. The theme this year is about how the AU could better…

Rwanda’s government closed thousands of churches and dozens of mosques last month as it sought to assert more control over a vibrant religious community whose sometimes makeshift operations, the country’s administration says, are often a threat to the lives of followers. President Paul Kagame, alarmed at the number of churches in the capital alone (as many as 700), did not hide his disdain at the revelation: “700 churches in Kigali?” he posed. “Are these boreholes that give people water? I don’t think we have as many boreholes. Do we even have as many factories?” His move, although criticised by most…

After Raila ‘s much-publicised visit to retired President Moi last month, his erstwhile deputy, Kalonzo Musyoka, made spirited attempts to secure a similar trip to no avail. Those in the know say Moi is a man who knows what he wants, which happens to be Raila at this point, and what he doesn’t need, which happens to be Kalonzo Musyoka. The Wiper leader was reportedly told in no uncertain terms that the former President was not looking to offer him any mileage, let alone blessing for any aspirations he may have, and that he best spend his energies elsewhere. It…

After the expose by The Nation on the rot at City Hall, it is understood that snitches within the newsroom and some actual spies from intelligence agencies have been deployed at the county leadership’s behest to find out those responsible for the exposé. An editor who spoke with The Nairobi Law Monthly explained that despite doing brisk business with the Nation Media Group’s broadcast division, it had been decided that the print segment, and particularly Sunday Nation, would expose the rot in Nairobi county, both as a form of the bold journalism it is famed for, and partly so that…