As lawyers prepare to elect the successor of Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President, Faith Odhiambo, they will need to cross-examine their consciences to identify the important issues that they will need to address as a fraternity. This introspection will be important for several reasons: First, the person who will take over the mantle will still be at the helm in 2027 when Kenya will go to the polls. As such, a strong leader will be needed in the event that there will be a dispute with regards to the outcome of the presidential election, as there is likely to…
Author: Mbugua Ng’ang’a
News organisations from Western allies of Kenya and other East African nations once held sway over the information flows in and out of East Africa. Now it is China that occupies that role in the region, and more broadly across Africa. Xinhua, China’s largest and State-run Chinese media and broadcasting organisation, currently boasts 37 Africa-based news bureaus across the continent. The BBC and The Washington Post have only two apiece, with a range of smaller offices. Can organisations such as the China Global Television Network (CGTN), or Xinhua, which are so overtly coupled to the foreign policy of the Chinese…
Although popular wisdom in Kenya has it that the rich, powerful and controversial public figures do not die — they are always killed — there is a sense in which this aphorism is not too far from the truth. The death of politician Cyrus Jirongo in a 3am traffic crash on the Nairobi-Naivasha highway is a case in point. For a start, the statement attributed to the bus driver, one Tiras Kamau, raises too many questions. On what basis, for instance, did he decide that it was safer for Jirongo’s car to ram into the bus than for him, the…
Now that the examinations period is officially over, it is important to cast an eye back and review the high and low points with a view to making improvements in the handling of exams in future. First, of course, is to commend the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC), its officers, teachers, police and other personnel who undertook one of the most complex logistical exercises outside the supply of drugs to public hospitals. Indeed, even where there were shortcomings, the overall performance evidenced efficiency and commitment that should not go unremarked. That said, and whereas the examinations for Grades Six and…
Over two million learners are this week sitting for two important examinations: The Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) for Grade Six, and the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment (KJSEA) for Grade Nine. These are milestones in the education journey of every young Kenyan and even as we wish each of them success, we know that there are some who will perform better than others for various reasons. One is that not all schools are equally prepared. If anything, there are one too many public schools that are poorly equipped to give learners the best classroom experience possible, and their…
Have you listened to a song rendered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) but derived from the sound, beat and philosophy of musical greats like Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, to name a few? So good are some of the renditions that it is difficult for the untrained ear to decipher that they are all made using AI. What is more, they sound way better than the real thing. Think about it. AI has become a major transformative force, especially in the creative industry. It is now possible, say, to write an article like this in five minutes…
Raila Odinga, independent Kenya’s second Prime Minister and the son of Kenya’s founding Vice-President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, has died while undergoing treatment in India. Odinga, who died at the age of 80, will be remembered as an astute politician and statesman, having served as an MP and Cabinet Minister. President William Ruto is expected to address the nation following the death of Odinga, who was also the Party Leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Dr Ruto is currently chairing an extraordinary National Security Council meeting at State House, Nairobi. The President has also summoned a special Cabinet meeting to…
Kenya’s property market has been growing by leaps and bounds over the last two decades, making housing one of the most stable forms of investment. And as demand for homes grows — driven in part by the increased cash flow in counties — more landowners are feeling the pressure to convert agricultural land into commercial and residential real estate. As Kenya’s economy modernises, there has been an increase in the demand for development of commercial and residential properties, not just in the big cities, but also in county headquarters and adjoining townships. Everywhere one looks, from Murang’a to Eldoret, Kericho…
The knowledge industry is the foundation of modern society. Without it, life would be poor, nasty, brutish, short, and savage to paraphrase Thomas Hobbes, one of the philosophers who spent considerable time grappling with the question of how humanity can harness the power of knowledge to improve the quality of life for all. The industry has two pillars: The software — also technically known as pedagogy — and the hardware — the books, learning and teaching materials. The first is what teachers do for a living. The second is what publishers supply to facilitate meaningful teaching and learning. And whereas…
Because of the uneven field that characterises politics in Kenya, it is difficult for women aspirants to seek elective positions meaningfully and consistently. The net effect of the bottlenecks they face is that there are fewer women in political positions than there ought to be. However, this is not a curse that must hang around the neck of Kenyans forever. Political parties, if they chose to, can deliberately mainstream women and encourage them to vie at various levels. This is not only good for women but also for democracy because it increases diversity and engenders inclusion. One of the big…
