The multiplicity of trade agreements and policies in Africa can best be described as a spider’s web, says Daryl Dingley, who heads the Competition, Trade and Investment (CTI) practice at Webber Wentzel. Dingley noted that one of the shortcomings of having numerous regional and institutional bodies is the inability of African countries to identify the parties in their trade policies. Webber Wentzel can advise governments on these, and how to deal with the overlapping nature of the various agreements, he said. Other areas in which they can offer their expertise are inter-regional trade, customs, regimes, procedures, insufficient infrastructure, and the…
Author: NLM writer
By Kester Kenn Klomegah To accelerate large-scale trade and business development, several African countries have been chosen to begin exchanging goods and services under the new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Continental free trade is planned to operate within the African Union Agenda 2063. The AfCFTA makes trade between African countries easier by providing new export opportunities for African countries’ products and services to trade with each other without tariffs or other hindrances, thus driving improved access to the biggest market space and ultimately leading to sustainable economic growth. Now continental trading is about to operate as a platform…
The Uhuru Kenyatta is when the Society made huge strides toward reclaiming its lost glory as a public defender. By Gilbert Muyumbu By the time the Uhuru Kenyatta administration ascended into power, the terrain of organised Society in Kenya was widely variegated, having grown exponentially during the preceding Kibaki era. Although the three earlier traditional vertical accountability players, namely the faith-affiliated groups, the media, and the labour movement, still existed, they had been transformed by internal and external changes. Internally, the three entities had seen further atomisation, which dispersed power further away from them. For instance, the media saw the…
By Prof John Harbeson As Kenyans went to the polls on August 9, in at least one important respect, they appeared to have already issued a verdict on their democracy even before the actual results of the voting had begun to be tallied. The percentage of eligible Kenyan voters who voted appeared to be the second lowest of the seven in the country’s democratic era, possibly no higher than 60 percent when all votes were counted. The Stockholm-based International Institute for Democratic Electoral Assistance (I.D.E.A) maintains a database of election turnout and other measures of democracy among the world’s countries.…
Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission announced on 15 August 2022 that Deputy President William Ruto had won the 2022 presidential election following a close, tense race. The commission gave the count as 50.49% for Ruto against rival Raila Odinga’s 48.85%. This was immediately disputed by Odinga’s campaign and four of the seven electoral commissioners, who described the final tallying process as “opaque”. As he had done in 2013 and 2017, Odinga petitioned the Supreme Court. He alleged several irregularities, including fraud, voter suppression and impunity by the commission’s chair, Wafula Chebukati. He claimed that Chebukati had breached the constitution and acted unilaterally. A unanimous ruling, read out by Chief…
By NLM Writer The August 9 presidential election lived up to expectations by producing probably the most fiercely contested poll in the history of Kenya, with the William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza coalition taking victory. The 2022 presidential election was unlike any other. William Ruto seized the initiative very early into the campaign by defining the contest as one between the haves (dynasties) and the have-nots (hustlers). Kenya’s presidential election is historically contested along the contours of the tribe. Of course, Ruto’s critics have argued that Ruto is a billionaire who duped the gullible voter by presenting himself as an ordinary…
While Kenya faces a dire economic situation, Ruto’s biggest challenge may be overcoming the country’s legacy of ethnic politics. By Chris Kwaja William Ruto’s emergence as Kenya’s fifth president represents a paradigm shift in the country’s politics. Ruto’s campaign comprised a mass movement of workers, the jobless, peasants, and other “hustlers” and sought to distance itself from the dynasties that have long run Kenya’s politics. While Ruto was born in a small rural village in the Rift Valley, his opponent, Raila Odinga, is a former prime minister and the son of the country’s first vice president. Marginalized Kenyans see Ruto…
BY Vamo Sako and Bintu Zahara Zakor On February 24, the world witnessed the full-fledged invasion of Ukraine led by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his forces. Described as one of the most aggressive military acts seen in Europe since World War II, the military invasion of Ukraine has had far more geopolitical consequences than expected. Though it is too early to know how this war will end, it is clear that we are now at a significant crossroads in international politics. As the war continues in Europe, many political leaders in Africa are wondering what the long-term geopolitical implications…
By David Wanjala The August 9, 2022 General Election has come and gone, and Kenyans are still taking stock of many issues regarding the process, the outcome, and the presidential petition in the apex court. Still, the one thing that will stick out, especially as regards the general public, is that we lost out on the integrity front. Chapter Six of the Constitution prescribes leadership, ethics, and integrity standards for persons entrusted with public office. It is a unique innovation targeted at shielding public trust from abuse. It was enacted in the hope that it could reverse the culture of…
Mediators of the Ethiopia-Tigray conflict are expressing frustration at the unpredictable nature of the war, following fresh allegations of Eritrean involvement. Just a few weeks ago, talks on a peaceful solution seemed possible. But this week, US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Mike Hammer, said at media briefing that he is unsure how soon parties will lay down their arms. Mr Hammer said the international community is working with the African Union to pressure Ethiopia to end the war in Tigray. Yet even as he spoke, both sides were raising their war tempo. Eritreans are invading parts of…
