By NLM Writer It is a simple equation: farmers invest in their land, planting supplies, and labor and expect to produce enough to eat and sell. By every estimation, food production should be a profitable venture: everybody eats, and many economic sectors depend on agricultural products and agribusiness. Yet market systems often work against farmers. Formal food markets offer the best returns, but they are best suited to farmers with good proximity to markets and those who can consolidate their produce into quantities that allow them bargaining power. To help farmers with less land and who live far from such…
Author: NLM writer
By Silas Apollo When the government came up with the idea of setting up parastatals and state corporations soon after independence in 1963, the goal was driven by a national desire to create institutions to help the country achieve social and economic growth. Central to this plan was a need by the government to have institutions that would, among other things: play important roles in accelerating economic and social development across the country, redress regional economic imbalances, increase citizen participation in the economy, and promote local and foreign investments. Against this backdrop, key institutions, which were mostly run and even…
By NLM writers Over the last week, I spent the better part of my time in the volatile regions of Turkana and West Pokot counties, specifically in areas around Kainuk, Lokichar, Lorokon, Kakongu, and Lokapel. In these areas, guns are commonplace. Children as young as 10 years are armed with AK-47 or G3 assault rifles. Going about my assignment I encountered the first group at Lokapel, one of the most remote areas near the border of Turkana and West Pokot counties. Eight heavily armed men stopped our vehicle as we headed to Kalemunyang, a distance of about 180 km, which…
By Silas Apollo All private agencies responsible for recruiting Kenyan workers to Saudi Arabia will now be subjected to fresh vetting to ensure compliance with the law. The Senate Standing Committee on Labour and Social Welfare said that the move is aimed at protecting Kenyan workers moving to the Middle East following complaints of mistreatment and harassment by their employers. The committee, chaired by West Pokot senator Julius Murgor Recha said that the move is also aimed at ensuring that the agencies comply with new rules and regulations set to be ratified by the government to protect workers. The decision…
By Silas Apollo At the onset of his administration, former President Uhuru Kenyatta announced an ambitious plan to set up an irrigation project that he hoped would secure the country’s food and cushion Kenyans from the devastating effects of drought. The 10,000-acre project – located at the Coast- was set to transform farming and agriculture in general and set the pace for similar projects across the country. Through the Galana-Kulalu irrigation project located within the Kilifi and Tana River counties, Mr Kenyatta argued that if successful, the project would pave the way for an additional one million acres of land…
Here’s a puzzle: how can the state be ever-present in our lives while its true meaning may yet remain elusive? As central as the state is to political life and the academic discipline of political science, it has long seemed to me that the study of the state has struggled to establish its legitimate contemporary meaning. We may argue about what the government should or should not do, even as we may rarely stop to ponder our place in the polity we call the state. The study of African politics has, however, exposed the elusiveness of the meaning of the…
When Auditor General Nancy Gathungu this month exhorted looters of public money to, at the very least, invest the stolen funds in the country instead of stashing them away abroad, she was borrowing from the popular quote from Mokokoma Mokhonoana who said, “Stolen oranges also have Vitamin C. Likewise, a stolen salmon, too, has omega-3 fatty acids.” “Perhaps we should start a campaign that says if you steal it and you can get away with it, invest it in the country where it is stolen. If you steal it from Kenyans, invest it in Kenya. It sounds very strange, but…
By Mumbi Mutoko House Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa, on Wednesday, February 15, moved a motion to amend the Constitution and asked Parliament to consider creating the official Office of the Opposition Leader. The proposal was, among four others, sent as a memorandum from President William Ruto to Parliament. While making his submissions, Ichung’wa stated that his party, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), wants to create a legally-backed office for the Opposition Leader at the precincts of Parliament. “There are Kenyans who imagine this is another way of appeasing particular leaders, but this proposal is not a way of creating a…
By David Wanjala The digital disruption in the media space worldwide, particularly in Kenya in the last 15 or so years, is unforgiving. Today’s industry landscape, with the ever evolving technology, is unpredictable. Change is forever looming with its opportunities and challenges, and only versatile proprietors and practitioners are thriving. There was a time through the 90s and early 2000 when the industry had struck its equilibrium, and all production factors were foreseeable. Only radio and TV, for instance, had the enviable advantage of breaking news. The print media did follow ups the following day with in-depth reporting and analysis…
By Mumbi Mutoko Startups are critical for economic growth, innovation, and job creation in any economy. They represent the spine of entrepreneurship and offer a unique source of creativity, experimentation, and determination to succeed. In Kenya, the start-up ecosystem has seen incredible growth in the last decade, with many entrepreneurs embarking on new and innovative enterprises. Nevertheless, despite their prospect, many start-ups need help to stay afloat due to common investment missteps that lead to their collapse. In this article, we will explore some common investment blunders that contribute to the failure of promising startups, particularly in Kenya, and offer…