Author: NLM Correspondent

By Shadrack MuyesuB An external audit is “a periodic or specific purpose (ad hoc) audit conducted by external (independent) qualified accountant(s). Its objective is to determine, among other things, whether (1) the accounting records are accurate and complete, (2) prepared in accordance with the provisions of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and (3) the statements prepared from the accounts present fairly the organisation’s financial position, and the results of its financial operations.” At a time when the mandate of auditors has increasingly come under scrutiny, this definition of an external audit given by the Business Dictionary makes it very difficult…

By Jaafar S Abdulkadir As Islamic Finance gets mainstreamed into the global financial system, there are bound to be many factors that shall influence its uptake in different regions. The need to enhance financial inclusion and also create an enabling environment to attract capital investments informs many government policy interventions designed to overcome the barriers to the growth of Islamic Finance. Customers of the Islamic finance products are primarily Muslims who are driven by the desire to distance themselves from the conventional finance industry that is characterised by the existence of the provision of interest, uncertainty, excessive risking taking as…

Dr Tom Odhiambo So, what do Kenyans do today after 4.30 pm? Or, say, after 5.00 pm? Well, gossip? Get stuck in the long jam on the way home? Meet friends for some nyama choma and a beer whilst trying to ensure that they don’t drink too much to fall foul of the traffic policemen and their Alcoblow? David Maillu was in some way made famous by this question of what Kenyans do after signing off from work. It is the question he tries to answer in the book of poems or prose/poem After 4.30, first published in 1974 by…

By David Matende The ads are simply bad. In one, a young man jerks his waist  in simulation of the sex act as a group of girls admire him. In another, a guy pulls the sleeves of his shirt  to reveal a muscular, tattooed arm (deliberately designed to resemble the male organ) as a woman driving past ogles. In yet another, a stud complains about his day job and expresses joy at retiring in the evening to his passion – a night job at “the decks”. These are commercials that advertise the various brands of condoms. Invariably running during the…

By Phoebe Nadupoi Media has time and again been ranked top in various surveys as the most trusted institution. A study by the BBC Media Action (2013) attributed this trend to the role media play in holding government to account. The findings of the report show that media provide a platform to question government officials, and opportunities for the public to get explanations on the decisions and actions of their leaders. Another major finding of that study is that media exert considerable influence during election times, although the impact is limited as decision makers shy away from engaging with the…

The Law Society of Kenya has called for an independent High Court Division to exclusively deal with crimes against humanity. LSK President Isaac Okero said that the country must have mechanisms to protect citizens from recurrence of political violence and criminality after General Elections. He said that the country has a responsibility to establish and maintain institutions that deliver substantial justice. “The establishment of a functioning and independent High Court Division dealing with crimes against humanity is a step that would give despairing Kenyans hope,” Okero said. He said that people responsible for tampering with witnesses and political interference of…

By Otieno Kenyatta The saddest thing about negative ethnicity in Kenya is that it has infiltrated and reared its ugly head deep in the church. The naïve assumption is that the church will always rise above tribalism, but the reality is the same people who spew hate in the streets are the same ones who worship in the churches. This comes against the general uncomfortable reality of a church that will go to any lengths to water down any tribal talk within its ranks just to keep the boat afloat. An Anglican friend of mine once joked that you will…

The just-concluded voter registration was characterised by mass voter transfers, with close to 500,000 voters reported to have transferred to new polling stations. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) described this as largely suspicious and indicated they were conducting an analysis to ascertain the reasons for the many transfers. The electoral body speculated the transfers could have been “motivated by change of residence” but we cannot also rule out the possibility of political mobilisation. There have been allegations of voter importation and zoning in a number of places. Two ethnic communities, for instance, accused each other of mobilising voters…

DR Tom Odhiambo Even though corruption has existed for as long as some men – and women – created institutions to rule over others, it has become excessive in this globalised era. It seems as if wherever one looks, there are individuals and groups who are perpetually conniving to steal from the public purse. It is as if these fraudsters, thieves, or as we uncritically call them here, the corrupt, tend to believe that what belongs to the public is actually theirs, to take and keep for themselves, their children, relatives, friends or communities. Kenya’s list of public scandals often…

By David Matende Last month, one of Africa’s most celebrated cartoonists, Godfrey Mwampembwa (Gado), was formally fired by his employer, Nation Media Group. The humourist had been in the cold since last year after his bosses forced him to take a sabbatical. His mistake? Lampooning East African leaders, particularly the flip-flopping President Uhuru Kenyatta. While the sacking of Gado is yet another sign that press freedom in Kenya is under threat, it at the same time a recognition of the potent power of political cartoonists in particular and of satire in general. The cartoonist has had a field day since…