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…
Author: NLM writer
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…
by Antony Mutunga ‘Africa must take full advantage of the digital revolution to empower its citizens and enhance transparency in government and the private sector’ – Rwanda President Paul Kagame during the high-level African Union (AU) Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) event on digital identity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in November 2018. And Africa has indeed started taking advantage of the digital revolution, from increasing access to the internet for the ever-growing population to more businesses and institutions incorporating digital technologies into their practices. However beneficial, this has come with challenges as African countries have yet to invest as much…
State-owned enterprises have been the major losers at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) for a few years. This has resulted from mismanagement, personal interests, and corruption which have seen investors, who have backed organisations where the government has a stake or influence, lose billions at the bourse over the past five years. The investors have recorded a loss of Sh164.1 billion from seven companies, including Kenya Power, Uchumi Supermarkets, East African Portland Cement Company (EAPCC), Kenya Re, Kenya Airways, Mumias Sugar, and KenGen. As of 2017, the companies’ combined market capitalization stood at Sh214.4 billion. As of the first week…
By Antony Mutunga Since President William Ruto took office last year, his administration has been on a mission to cut expenditure while finding ways to increase revenue. One of the government’s agenda was to reduce its spending by Sh300 billion. However, this has proved difficult, as according to its first Supplementary Budget for Financial Year 2022/23; the government has only managed to reduce its total spending for June 2023 by only Sh13.31 billion. With a mission to achieve a recurrent budget surplus in the next three years, the National Treasury has moved to reduce its expenditure. According to the supplementary…
By Silas Apollo As farmers continue to bear the effects of the harsh drought ravaging the country, they have increasingly turned to dry feed to feed their livestock even as the drought and the skyrocketing prices of food and other commodities continue to burden many businesses and residents in the area. Many farmers say that they are now worried that with the current crisis, the drought may reverse gains made in the agricultural sector, which is the economic mainstay for most residents in the region. The government estimates that about 3.5 million Kenyans are currently facing hunger which has been…
By David Wanjala Mid-last year, at the height of the campaigns for the General Election that took place in August, President Uhuru Kenyatta, now retired, was bullied into rescinding a decision he had made in January of the same year banning trade in scrap metal. Coming in the wake of increased vandalism, mainly on power lines across the country, the President had issued a moratorium on the export or the buying or selling of any scrap material until there were proper guidelines in place to ensure that the scrap metal was not coming from “the hard-won investments that the Kenyan…
