Political and ideological polarization stand in the way of constitutional amendments By Silas Apollo Any administration, upon gaining power, must come up with a new set of rules to help drive its campaign promises, and help it deliver on its mandate; the Kenya Kwanza administration is currently in the phase of crystallizing these rules. Over the last couple of months, President William Ruto has already called for Constitutional amendments, a move he says will enrich the country’s democratic process and improve service delivery. The President, in his proposal, wants the creation of the office of the official leader of opposition,…
Author: NLM writer
By Silas Apollo Opposition outfit the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition could be staring at a bleak future following plans by its chairman and former President Uhuru Kenyatta to quit its leadership. The former Head of State has been facing increasing pressure from leaders and politicians allied with President William Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza administration to quit active politics after losing last year’s Presidential election. Mr. Kenyatta is also, by law, expected to relinquish any leadership position that he holds in a political party to enjoy his retirement benefits, meaning that he can longer serve as the chairman…
Kenyans are protesting the increase in cooking gas prices across the country. Early this month, social media users started expressing disappointment in the rise of LPG by Sh500. Reports show that the price of cooking gas, the primary energy source in millions of homes, has gone up by up to 30 percent. Local LPG suppliers are reportedly selling a 6kg cylinder at Sh2,600. It was previously retailing at Sh1,800. Kenyans are decrying the increase in cooking gas prices, with most lamenting that a 13kg cylinder they bought at Sh2,600 in December has risen to Sh3,100. Local suppliers are blaming a…
South Sudan has accused Kenya of grabbing its land, setting the stage for a boundary row that risks derailing trade between the two nations. Juba says Kenya has “illegally” taken 42 points of its borderline at Nadapal, a settlement on a key crossing point and trade route between the two countries. South Sudan’s Deputy Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister, Deng Dau Deng, said Kenya and Uganda are claiming part of the South Sudan borderline, pointing out that Juba will not cede an inch of the territory. The settlement appears inside Sudan on UN maps. The surrounding territory has a…
The National Transport and Safety Authority may have lost close to Sh395.6 million it paid to a local bank for the supply, delivery, installation and the maintenance of smart card-based driving licenses. A report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu on the NTSA’s finances for the year ending June 2021, shows that the Authority did not get value for the money it paid to the bank for the driving licenses. According to the report, NTSA had in March 2017, entered into a three-year contract with a local bank for the supply, delivery, installation and maintenance of second-generation smart card-based driving licenses and associated services. …
By Prof John Harbeson A “Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement,” negotiated in Pretoria on November 2, 2022 appears to have ended a nearly two-year civil war between the Federal Democratic Republic Government of Ethiopia (FDRE) and Tigre regional state forces of the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Subsequently, with the assistance of the Africa Union (AU), senior commanders of the two sides met to initiate implementation of the Agreement, and the AU established a monitoring, verification, and compliance mission in the Tigrean capital, Mekelle, on December 29 to support the process. The Agreement has committed the FDRE to urgent relief of…
Kenya’s quest for prosecutorial reform could be said to have peaked in 2010 when the promulgation of the Constitution took away the duty of prosecution – then domiciled at the State Law office and prefected by the Attorney-General (AG), a presidential appointee – and transferred it to the independent office of the director of public prosecutions (ODPP). Pre-2010, the AG ‘s office was infamous for bringing flimsy charges against political opponents of the ruling regime and as quickly invoked the privilege of nolle prosequi any time a friend of the government found themselves on the wrong side of the law. …
The Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome has categorically denied police involvement in a raid at the home of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i. In a statement on Thursday morning, February 9, the IG maintained that the National Police Service did not send a group of elite officers to arrest Dr Matiang’i. However, the IG did not mention whether they are investigating who the individuals purported to have raided the Matiang’i family home in Karen. People dressed as police officers surrounded the former Interior CS’s house on Wednesday night at around 9:45 pm. His clarification follows a similar statement…
By Antony Mutunga Violent extremist groups have continued to wreak havoc in Africa as they increase their activities and grow in number due to instability and conflict in the continent. With unemployment a primary concern in Africa, even though the population is still increasing, many youths have been forced to find other ways of earning a living. According to a report launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), many have been driven to join fast-growing violent extremist groups. The Journey to Extremism in Africa: Pathways to Recruitment and Disengagement report indicates that employment opportunities lead to individuals joining violent…
Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is at the center of a spiraling disaster, and the country is mired in a protracted self-inflicted crisis. The army is disintegrating, the economy is in disarray, and public trust in the government is eroding. Mohamud came to power by running one of the most unconventional campaigns, rife with hate and a threat to violence. He tweeted a few weeks before the election, “If those who lead our country refuse to listen and accommodate the voices of reason, soon they will deal with those of unreasonable voices equipped with violence.” It’s fair to say Mohamud…
