Author: NLM Correspondent

By Bephine Ogutu It is Tuesday, 5 p.m. A screeching sound is heard immediately followed by a loud bang. Screams fill the air in short order. Curious and confused, people rush to the scene. In minutes, a huge crowd has gathered. People shake their heads in disbelief. The Southern Bypass, along the Kibera stretch, has claimed another life, the third in the space of one month. Jakindu, a male in his late thirties, was attempting to cross the bypass oblivious of the fact that this was his last day. The excitement the bypass brought upon its completion has now turned…

Alfred Mosoti In as much the vice of tribalism and negative ethnicity cuts across all tribes in Kenya and is, by extension, universal, nevertheless, anti-Kikuyuism has been a most conspicuous narrative in Kenya’s socio-political history. The bone of contention is the misconception, among other Kenyan tribes, that that single community has hogged national political leadership, thereby denying them political opportunities. Subscribers to this school of thought have accused the Kikuyu of domineering other ethnic groups with respect to political leadership, particularly the presidency. Among their mega grievances is the “crime” of fronting presidential candidates in each successive general election and…

By Vincent Chahale The exposé done by the Nation Media Group on the collapse of the sugar industry in Western Kenya Sugar Belt caught my attention. Ordinarily, a story on agriculture and farming would not arouse any curiosity or interest on my part, but this one did. I watched the farmers express their plight and what has bedevilled their once-lucrative source of livelihood. I easily identified with their quandary, having once benefitted from the thriving sugar industry and been a witness to the reality that the sugar belt was once a rich man’s paradise. Over two decades ago, I was…

By Jean Mutua The families of President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, his fierce rival and immediate former Deputy President in South Sudan, lead opulent lives in Kenya and Uganda as millions of South Sudanese nationals suffer from the consequences of a brutal civil war and stare at starvation in the face. According to a 65-page report, “War Crimes Shouldn’t Pay”, published by The Sentry, a watchdog group, the two leaders and military generals are reaping big from the bloodshed of innocent South Sudanese. It is a tale that paints the grim picture of how politicians have destroyed Africa to…

By Kenyatta Otieno On the 2nd of this month, Rwanda and the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front will mark 26 years since Fred Rwigema, aka Alfred Gisa, died. The world knows of Paul Kagame but very few people know of the man who inspired Kagame and the Tutsis; his comrades proudly called him ‘Afande’. Gen Rwigema’s death was kept as a secret for one month so as not to demoralise the Rwanda Patriotic Army (now Rwanda Patriotic Front) inkotanyi (tough warriors), until Rwanda government radio in Kigali broke the news a month later. Meanwhile, Yoweri Museveni, the incubator of all this,…

By Jane Wachira “An Anticorruption Plea in Kenya: ‘Please, Just Steal a Little’” – Jeffrey Gettleman, The New York Times Kenya, (in)famously known as East Africa’s powerhouse, is on the verge of collapsing due to extensive and institutionalised corruption. The corruption situation is so desperate it had the international community begging that if Kenyan political moguls must steal, they should just steal a little. Corruption is so deeply rooted in the Kenyan legal system it would have an oblivious onlooker think it is etched somewhere in the constitution; it is so extensive that the Kenyan citizenry would not be surprised…

By Nadrat Mazrui I’m sure you’ve heard the expression that everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. Perhaps you’ve said it to yourself to begin an argument or to take one to a close. The problem with this statement is that it is used to shelter beliefs that should have been long abandoned. Is this a bit too harsh? Perhaps. The expression has been now too commonly interchanged for “I can say whatever I like”. Most of the time, we are quick to yell “I’m entitled to my opinion” or that we have a right to an opinion. This…

By Leonard Wanyama Flattery is like cologne in water – to be smelt, not to be swallowed. A recent profile on Ambassador Amina Mohammed by Nicholas Asego and Ted Malanda in The Standard of July 22, 2016 aptly sums up the essence of the preceding statement. Obviously, credit must be given where it is due; the Foreign Affairs cabinet secretary has done very well in hosting various events and dignitaries. Yet, one would be hard pressed to quite follow whether the point of the article was comedy or a literal review of the Cabinet Secretary, in light of Kenya’s hosting…

By Alexander Opicho The major political parties in Kenya recently re-organised themselves for electoral competition next year. This is so given that next year will be one of change in political leaderships in Kenya through a general election. Candidates and flag-bearers for different parties and regions as well as communities have been identified. The two main political parties are, for all intents, in a shape for a fierce competition for State House. They have already identified presidential candidates and their running mates. Unfortunately, all the candidates are men. No women have shown interest of participating in the election as presidential…

By David Matende In a normal society, people like Gatunda MP Moses Kuria and his Kabete counterpart Ferdinand Waititu would either be doing time in Kamiti or having sessions with the shrinks of Mathare. Their counterpart, Ababu Namwamba, would probably be a dim figure in shirtsleeves struggling to address the concerns of his poor voters down in Budalang’i. But in Kenya, these people are superstars that strut the national stage like peacocks, thanks to the thoughtlessness of our news media, which have turned them into household names. In a country whose media is obsessed with hoisting politicians to heights above…