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…
Author: NLM writer
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…
By Bertrand Bertie There is a human tendency to consider that everything is the same as before. It is a classic reflex to go from the known to the unknown, and to think that what we are facing is similar to what we have known before. Yet several fundamental breaks have been consistently overlooked, hence the flaw in foreign policies. The first rupture is decolonisation. It has not been sufficiently taken into account even though it has profoundly modified the international system. The arrival of new states and therefore new and specific histories, societies and economies has upset an international…
By Jacob Oketch U HURU KENYATTA, Promises Broken by Joe Khamisi is an offering that focuses on the personality of retired president Uhuru Kenyatta. The book is partly biographical because the author examines the president’s life from birth to when he exits the presidency. However, the author does not delve deep into Uhuru’s private life. Instead, he focuses on aspects directly related to his role as a public servant and how it impacted the millions of Kenyans across the country. The book’s title presupposes that the author will not paint a rosy picture of President Kenyatta’s reign. The book’s opening…
By Irene Ndirangu The question is often asked of how one can recognize integrity. Several responses suffice, including choosing to do the right thing at all times, choosing honesty in all things, manifesting humility which means being proud of one’s achievements but differentiating between confidence and arrogance, showing respect to everybody, showing regular dependability, and even admitting when wrong. Oprah Winfrey interpreted integrity as doing the right thing, knowing that nobody will know whether you did it or not. It goes without saying that when you live with integrity, you always aim to do the right thing in every situation. You…
By Dr Tom Odhiambo As Kenya emerges from another hotly contested general election, in a manner of speaking, media commentators are wont to claim that the country is split right in the middle. They will write in acres of newsprint and go on and on endlessly on radio and television that Kenyans who voted were shared equally between the competing political groups. They will, of course, conveniently forget that another third of Kenyans – were we to believe the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) – either did not bother to go and vote or were somehow ‘repressed’ so as…
Employees must be afforded the right to cross-examine during disciplinary hearings By Cedric Kadima Employers are required to have formal disciplinary procedures at the workplace. Even though the Employment Act of 2007 has not made it explicit that a formal hearing should be conducted during disciplinary procedures, employers may outline rigorous hearings procedures. Still, they should adhere to the minimum statutory standards. Such disciplinary procedures must not only conform to strict procedural fairness guidelines but also are significant. Cross-examination during disciplinary hearings The foregoing tolerates the consequence that during disciplinary hearings, where an employer decides to call a witness(es) during…