Author: NLM Correspondent

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga recently pointed out that the biggest enemies to Kenya’s war against graft, bad governance and tribalism were her “elites.” To the extent that these “elites” and our current crop of political leaders or opinion makers are synonyms, he couldn’t be more correct. It is the Chief Justice’s “elites” that either perpetrate the continued thriving of the negative choice factors discussed in the first instalment to this article appearing in last month’s issue or, worse, condemn the application of ancient jurisprudence in developing an entirely new yet thoroughly needed “African” jurisprudence. That democracy is currently the best…

A few years ago, I responded to an advert in the media for a political leadership mentorship programme that was sponsored by a country in the region of the world we like to refer to as “the West”. I cannot remember all the questions in the application form but there was one on democracy. My take was that the African culture does not support democracy which is the reason why it is taking ages for democracy to take root in the continent. My solution was to build democracy onto a communal (tribal) based governance system. I missed out on the…

There is a new sheriff in the United Republic of Tanzania and his name is Dr John Pombe Magufuli. The bespectacled 56- year old former Chemistry teacher defied the political undercurrents in the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), to rise to the highest office in the land, succeeding Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. Through his election, Magufulli, who has been nicknamed the “Bulldozer” owing to his zeal in building roads during his stint at the ministry of Works, clearly has his work cut- out. CCM, the ruling party, came into existence after the Tanzania African National Union (TANU), the party that…

Pope Francis called on world leaders last month to agree to a historic agreement to fight climate change and poverty at a Paris meet, facing the stark choice to either “improve or destroy the environment. Francis chose his first visit to the world’s poorest continent to issue a clarion call for the success of the two-week summit, known as COP21, that started on November 28 in the French capital still reeling from the November 13 attacks by Islamic State militants that killed 130 people. In a long address in Spanish at the United Nations regional office, Francis said it would…

Kenya said last month it was ready to quit the International Criminal Court if it did not get assurances about the handling of the trial of its vice president, hardening a rift between African powers and the tribunal. Vice President William Ruto is facing charges of crimes against humanity including murder, deportation and persecution linked to an outburst of ethnic killings after the 2007 presidential election. Two senior Kenyan government lawyers told Reuters that Nairobi wanted promises that a new rule allowing the court to use testimony from witnesses who had since decided to withdraw could not be applied retrospectively…

According to a 2014 study by Michael Ng’alu and Dr Emily Bommett titled “The Role of CDF in Provision of Secondary School Education”, CDF has given hope to the children of Kilome constituency. In the she semi-arid constituency, through CDF, poor but deserving secondary students have been able to receive bursaries, and infrastructure such as classrooms and laboratories built. In Laikipia West District, CDF has had a positive effect in secondary education. In the 2007/8 financial year, for instance, the education sector received 6.6 million from CDF, with most of it going to employ non-teaching and teaching staff in highly…

After almost five years, I returned to Kenya for a whirlwind two-week visit in late October and early November. My visit coincided with the fiftieth anniversary of my first visit to Kenya for two years in 1965, less than two years after independence, when I was a research fellow at the Institute for Development Studies at the University of Nairobi. My overarching sense is that Kenya’s democratisation momentum may have reached a plateau. Democracy is firmly rooted in important ways that one can easily overlook in the maelstrom of controversies, many very serious, that swirl continually. But I did not…

Two days after Anne Waiguru retired as Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary, President Uhuru presented a passionate speech about the state of corruption in the country, in which he gave ten broad action points which he intends to pursue to end graft. Several theories have been proposed as to the motivation of that speech, and the reshuffling of Cabinet that followed a day later, not least that it was driven by Waiguru’s retirement – arguably his most powerful and trusted CS. Others have attributed to the Pope’s visit last month – he did give a similarly charged address to the…

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has published a list of candidates seeking various positions in its upcoming elections. The lawyers are scheduled to elect a President, Vice President, Council and a female representative in the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). Other positions include representatives in the Disciplinary Tribunal, Chairperson and Council of the newly established Nairobi branch. Among those seeking the President’s post are James Aggrey Mwamu, Allen Waiyaki Gichuhi and Okero Isaac Edwin Nicholas. Jennifer Mary Shamalla and Faith Waguthi Waigwa are contending for the position of Vice President. Candidates for the position of JSC Representative are Abuodha Jane Awuor, Deche Mercy…

BY David Wanjala “The moment the words ‘sentenced to death’ are pronounced in court on your judgment day, life changes forever. It is total confusion and despair. Between choosing to believe the reality of what you’ve just heard and resisting it hoping the nightmare will soon end paving way for normalcy, you are whisked away as the devastated family members present give up hope on you. The world ends there,” says Antony Ongulu Deba, a death row inmate at the Kamiti Maximum Prison. The father of three was sentenced to hang in February 2012 on charges of murder. The Court…