By Carmel Rickard A prominent Kenyan lawyer has been ordered personally to pay Kshs10 million to the country’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). In a decision handed down in November, High Court Judge Esther Maina said Joseph Owino Kojwando had acted to conceal the source of funds and that he was not entitled to keep any part of the money as ‘instruction fees’, since this would unjustly benefit him. The case dealt with land acquired by the then city council of Nairobi to use as a cemetery, in a deal that has since been held by several high court judges…
Author: Guest Writer
As the UNHCR marked another year in November of working towards a world where every person has a nationality and all the rights that go along with it, important results have been reported during 2023 so far. Here we take a look at three of the top achievements in Africa, as listed by the UN’s refugee agency. The agency is behind a 10 year programme, aimed at ending statelessness in every part of the world. Many might be puzzled about how statelessness can happen. What is it that causes individuals and groups to have no identification, no documentation, no proof…
By NLM Writer At a gathering of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya in October in Bondo, Siaya County, his home and political base, Opposition chief described Raila Odinga described his lieutenant and Ukambani kingpin Kalonzo Musyoka as a trustworthy leader. Although Raila later sought to downplay the significance of his words – perhaps to indicate that the idea of Azimio’s next presidential candidate is not his sole prerogative – there are several reasons why this is a big deal. Raila has spent most of his adult life a politician, garnering countrywide support often bordering on the fanatical. In recent times,…
Jaramogi aligned himself with Russia and China, prompting the West to push for his isolation to keep him from succeeding Kenyatta. This is what turned Jaramogi and his supporters into outsiders and what also keeps Raila from ‘winning’. By Kenyatta Otieno Success has many fathers, which makes failure an orphan. I have listened to and read many posts by people blaming Raila Odinga for his inability to clinch the presidency in his five attempts. It would be simplistic of me to blame Raila for losing elections. My only axe for him is that he did not realise in good time,…
As Namibia breaks ground on what is set to be Africa’s first green steel plant, a number of other African countries have advanced plans for carbon-free steel. By Conrad Onyango Africa is breaking away from emission-intensive steel production with a number of countries already on the path to operationalising green steel manufacturing plants. Namibia is racing to host the continent’s first exclusive green steel plant, having publicly announced that its flagship project is scheduled to begin operations in the last quarter of 2024. Earlier in November, Namibia broke ground at its HyIron Oshivela Project which will feature production based on…
By Ouma Ojango The emerging shaky relationship between President William Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, in their Kenya Kwanza Government ignites a feeling of déjà vu. It is a copy-and-paste template from the last term of the previous regime, where President Ruto served as Deputy to President Uhuru Kenyatta. Should their relationship, however, degenerate to a complete fallout like that of Ruto and his former boss, Uhuru Kenyatta, in the last government, does Gachagua have the political mettle to survive it and still retain his relevance to the end of the term? Is Mr Gachagua’s position in the present-day…
An increasing number of law firms are questioning whether senior associates and partners are the best people to train associates on foundational skills. When Abdi Shayesteh arrived at King & Spalding as a New York corporate associate in 2007, he had a scary realization: Law school didn’t teach any of the tasks he was being asked to complete. “Your success depended on luck,” Shayesteh recalled, noting that he was lucky enough to have a senior lawyer down the hall to show him the ropes. “But not everyone has that same access,” he said. “I had this fantasy of a place…
By Carmel Rickard Zambia’s top court has strongly urged the government to make support for mental health a priority. In a case brought by disability activists, testing whether the country’s legal regime for people with mental illness was constitutional, the judges found that though the provisions of Zambia’s legislation challenged in the case were constitutional, other aspects weren’t adequate. The judges said the government should provide the same care and treatment to patients with mental illness as it does in relation to people suffering from other kinds of sickness. But this was not the case, and Zambia’s public mental health…
The Kenyan state has a dark history of cracking down on every piece of literature it considers a threat to the interests of the ruling class By Davis Thuranira Satirical memes act as the de facto symbol of national unity in Kenya. Even the most unobservant passers-by will appreciate this reality as long as they have a smartphone with active social media applications. They will also not hesitate to appreciate that Kenyan memes are not merely memes but artistically crafted expressions of humour, twisted with political satire and stoicism. Having this sphere remain untouched is the apparent wish of many…
By Mohamud M. Abdi The late President JF Kennedy, the 35th president of the USA and the youngest to be elected in office, epitomised a man of great courage and vision. He came into office amid enormous turmoil and challenges: the Cold War, nuclear war tensions with the Soviets and low economic growth. He used his position to navigate through all that and made Americans the most optimistic and active citizens of that time. In his memorable peace speech in June 1963, he called upon the world powers to peacefully resolve conflicts. He particularly beseeched America to change their attitudes,…