Author: NLM Correspondent

Africa summit with EU an opportunity to assert that the relationship is mutually beneficial only if Africa produces what it consumes By Kako Nubukpo Africa’s summit meeting with the European Union (EU) in 2021 is a critical opportunity to assert that the relationship is mutually beneficial only if Africa produces what it consumes. Europe should in turn practice the solidarity it preaches in principle, by supporting capacity building in Africa for self-sufficiency. Africa needs to stand firm, with a clear, long-term vision, in order to forge with the EU a common and equitable path to prosperity. The COVID-19 pandemic and the climate…

By Elisabeth King, Dana Burde, Daphna Harel and Jennifer Hill Reflecting on the divisions and conflict that arose during Kenya’s contested 2017 elections, President Uhuru Kenyatta recently said that he and his main opponent in that election, Raila Odinga, closed ranks after the contest with a symbolic handshake and a pledge to reform the political landscape. And so was born the Building Bridges Initiative and a taskforce charged with examining the key challenges facing Kenya. Just recently released, the taskforce’s recommendations for constitutional change are being hotly debated. Among the issues somewhat buried in the 204-page report is a section on “inclusivity”. It…

By Antony Mutunga “Taxes are how we pool our money for public health and safety, infrastructure, research, and services–from the development of vaccines and the Internet to public schools and universities, transportation, courts, police, parks, and safe drinking water” – Holly Skylar Ideally, taxes are meant to be used to offer services to citizens. And in some countries, especially developed ones, this is the case. In many developing countries, governments often fail to utilize the taxes they collect to better the lives and economies of the citizens. Corruption and mismanagement have seen huge margins of public revenue squandered. In general,…

Why is there a lack of parliamentary participation in African double taxation agreements? By Everlyn Muendo and Leonard Wanyama The recent nullification of Double Taxation Agreements (DTAs) by several African governments has been a ground-breaking moment in tax justice advocacy, revenue debates and pursuits of economic justice in general. DTAs are pacts which divide taxing rights between two or more states on cross border income and are sometimes interchangeably referred to as Double Taxation Treaties (DTTs). Kenya, Senegal and Zambia each cancelled their respective DTAs with Mauritius. This was based on the realization that in one way or another their…

What CJ Maraga lacks in color he more than makes up for in mental fortitude and a great sense of leadership By Shadrack Muyesu It is, frankly, not true – or fair – to say that David Kenani Maraga was a judge without a philosophy as has often been said about him. Throughout his two decades as a superior court judge, and more so in his last years of service at the Supreme Court, the good judge has distinguished himself as a naturalist to the core, in moral terms, a conservative, and, most importantly, in constitutional context, an activist –…

By Austin Ekea David Kenani Maraga, post-independent Kenya’s 14th Chief Justice will, in all probability, go down as the most controversial CJ Kenya has had. His judgments on serious constitutional matters have been as polarizing as they have been groundbreaking, with serious political ramifications. In perhaps his most famous judgment, Maraga’s Court made history in Kenya and Africa as the first to nullify a Presidential election when it set aside President Uhuru Kenyatta’s win in 2017. In declaring the president invalidly elected, Maraga made the now-famous declaration, “The greatness of a nation relies on its fidelity to the constitution and adherence to…

Collaboration between Africa and Europe can speed up progress on energy transformation By Professor Emanuela Colombo Africa is running fast towards its history, but the marathon is always a long-haul challenge, in which the way in which energy is mastered can make a difference between success and failure. Energy is the lifeblood of society, but the energy-climate-development requires a good balance between over-exploitation of resources and their use for human activity. That is why Africa needs a sustainable energy system providing reliable, affordable and clean energy for boosting local socio-economic development to comply with the aspiration of the African Union’s…

By Mohamed Sheikh Nor As the year 2020 comes to a close, people across the world are breathing a sigh of relief anticipating a better 2021. But for Somalia, a country transitioning from chaos to statehood, the worst of 2020 seems far from over. Somalia finds itself once again at a crossroad due to the ever-recurring political disagreements over electoral processes. The current contentious issues plaguing the country are: the composition of electoral and dispute resolution commissions and election procedures for Somaliland and Gedo regions, all of which continue to delay each round of elections. There are those who view this…

By Nic Cheeseman As the recent election campaign in Tanzania reached a climax, opposition supporters began to notice something strange. Some of their text messages were not being delivered. They knew that it wasn’t a general issue with the network, because most of their messages were getting through. It was possible to contact your parents, your loved one and your boss – but as soon as you tried to send a message including the name of the main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, the network failed.  This was something more sophisticated than the kinds of blanket Internet shutdowns that have done so much damage…

The biggest problem with BBI is that it is a product of an informal process – there is no provision for it under the country’s Constitution By Dr Westen Shilaho Kenya’s Building Bridges Initiative, which seeks sweeping amendments to the 2010 Constitution, is driven by a pact between President Uhuru Kenyatta and a seasoned opposition stalwart turned government ally, Raila Odinga. The proposed amendments target at least 13 of the 18 chapters in the Constitution. The pact, sealed with a handshake in March 2018, followed shortly after yet another acrimonious presidential election which had pitted the two against each other. Previous elite pacts have never enhanced Kenya’s democracy.…