By Ndung’u Wainaina Water is a critical resource. Water stress is now a global and systemic challenge. No government can afford to treat this water stress and scarcity as a temporary crisis. Water and sanitation are preconditions to life. It is critical for sustainable development, eradication of poverty and hunger, industrial and agricultural production, and human health and well-being. Water-related challenges include limited access to safe water and sanitation, increasing pressure on water resources and ecosystems, and changing climatic conditions exacerbating scarcity. Water is at the heart of recent milestone agreements such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the…
Author: Guest Writer
By Prof John Harbeson Sub-Saharan Africa is composed of 49 nation-states. Western Sahara and Somaliland have long waited in the wings, and the Maghreb states of North Africa, are conventionally, albeit debatably, regarded as looking more toward the Middle East than south across the Sahara. Everyone recognises that describing these 49 countries as nation-states Is so remote from reality as to verge on indulging in euphemism. With the possible exception of Eswatini, they are states of not one but many nations. More fundamentally, the extent to which the majority have existentially qualified as states in practice has proven problematic and…
The Conversation Eager to escape perceived western domination, several countries – mostly in the global south – are looking to join the Brics bloc. The five-country bloc (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is also looking to grow its global partnerships. What began in 2001 as an acronym for four of the fastest growing states, BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China), is projected to account for 45% of global GDP in purchasing power parity terms by 2030. It has evolved into a political formation as well. Crucial to this was these countries’ decision to form their own club in 2009, instead of joining an expanded G7 as…
Public-interest litigator, Okiya Omtatah, brought a challenge related to a government decision exempting the instruments used in a major merger from the Stamp Duty Act. Justice Lawrence Mugambi says the reasons should have been provided and has ordered the government to do so. By Carmel Rickard Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has bagged yet another public-interest litigation victory against the government, in a matter heard before Justice Lawrence Mugambi. Omtatah filed his petition against both the cabinet secretary (CS), ministry of lands and physical planning, and the attorney general, saying he wanted to assert his right to certain information held by…
Challenges, cautions and alarming statistics from new report By Carmel Rickard Tanzania and Mozambique are estimated to have more than 10 million child brides. These and other alarming statistics emerge from a new report by Equality Now. The report examines the prevailing situation of child marriage in eastern and southern Africa, including the legal frameworks and potential gaps in legislation. Some of its conclusions are particularly important to note for judges and lawyers who may be faced with cases of intended or concluded child marriage. The minimum age for marriage, according to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights…
…And why Ruto must find a way of growing the national cake, rather than attempting to grow the Treasury’s share of that cake. By Peter Wanyonyi “Icontend,” quipped Sir Winston Churchill once, “that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.” The Old Lion was not exactly an economist, but his instinct for getting things right – and summing them in a pithy quote – was unequalled. Churchill’s acerbic wit is largely unknown in Kenya today, which is a pity because…
By Professor John Harbeson Conflict and the most serious and flagrant abuses of fundamental human rights have continued to roil Ethiopia notwithstanding a cessation of hostilities pact signed in November 2022 by the forces of the principal combatants, the forces of the government of prime minister Abiy Ahmed (ENDF) and those (TDF) of the Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) based in the north of the country adjacent to Eritrea. The pact ended a two-year war in which between 700,000 and 800,000 have perished, although Eritrea, whose forces entered the war on the side of the ENDF, has not been a…
By Faith Mutheu The famous ‘mama mboga’ and ‘boda boda guy’, who were once the face of the Kenya Kwanza regime, have, in recent times, been reduced to nothing but whispers – reflections of an unfed eagerness and lost hope in a Kenya for all classes. The skillfully crafted narratives of plentiful employment through the bottom-up economic pyramid have proved elusive. A haunting reality shrouds the nation of Kenya. The nightmare of poverty looms large, casting a dark shadow upon the dreams and aspirations of millions of individuals. Current statistics paint a grim picture, revealing the depths of the crisis.…
Maputo Protocol requires member states to end violence against women and girls, improve access to and control of finances, land, education, health, information, services, sciences and technology, and decision-making in political governance and business enterprises By Ndung’u Wainaina The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, also known as the Maputo Protocol on Women’s Rights, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The Protocol provides comprehensive rights for African women and girls. The Protocol guarantees extensive rights to women, including the right to participate in the political processes, social and political equality…
We must be deliberate about positively transforming the youth dividend into a resource and supporting them to be at the centre of political governance and sustainable development. By Ndung’u Wainaina Democracy is one of the foundational principles under the Constitution of Kenya (2010, and a political pillar of Kenya Vision 2030. It aims to create a cohesive, equitable, and just society based on democratic principles and issue-based politics. This political policy goal is buttressed by a robust Bill of Rights, devolution of state power, and constructional principles of equitable sharing of resources and public expenditure that guarantee equitable development of…
