Author: NLM writer

“A drowning man will clutch at a straw” – Thomas More By Newton Arori On July 15, the Supreme Court upheld former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko’s impeachment by the Nairobi County Assembly. The apex court’s decision effectively ends Sonko’s political career – the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) subsequently revoked its decision to clear Sonko to run for the Mombasa Governor’s seat. In fact, Sonko may never hold any other state or public office based on the prevailing interpretation of Chapter 6 of the Constitution on integrity and leadership. Sonko’s woes began in 2020 when the Member of County…

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In a stinging criticism, the court castigated the country’s prosecution services for how slow it was in bringing a murder suspect to trial. By Carmel Rickard Eswatini’s highest court has strongly criticised that country’s prosecution service for how long it took to bring a murder case to trial. Writing a review judgment in that case, the court called the 13 years it took to begin the trial ‘a form of torture’ for the accused in the matter, adding that the delays were unconstitutional. A full bench of the supreme court confirmed the revised 23-year sentence imposed on appeal, adding that…

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The Court has, however, suspended the effect of its declaration for three years for parliament to make the necessary amendments to the Marriage Act. Couples wanting to marry in Kenya have some decisions to make: there are no fewer than five forms of marriage from which to choose. It might be a different story for some if they want an early divorce, however. That’s because those opting for a civil marriage must wait a minimum of three years before they may start divorce proceedings. Claiming this provision is unconstitutional, a Kenyan advocate has brought legal action to test the three-year…

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‘Impeachment is not a remedy for private wrongs; it is a method of removing someone whose continued presence in office would cause grave danger to the nation’ – Charles Ruff By Ekesa Austin The media has been awash with narratives and counter-narratives about who should not run in the upcoming August election. Civil society organizations, religious groups, and opinion leaders, including the Chief Justice and the Director of Public Prosecutions, have led the charge to have impeached politicians barred. The DPP, in fact, believes that “impeached persons are morally barred from contesting.” Impeachment is a constitutional remedy for serious violations…

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The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is expected to be a crucial instrument in Africa’s development; it is expected to drive the continents’ economic integration. By connecting over 1.3 billion people across 55 African countries, the African economy is committed to streamlining its trade policies, ensure free movement and expand its business opportunities. As it nears full implementation, organizations have already moved to ensuring that Africans are making the most of the agreement. For instance, the partnership between Afreximbank and the International Trade Centre (ITC), has been in place since 2020 and it has focussed on training small-business owners…

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By Greg Mills & Marie-Noelle Nwokolo In the late 1990s, South Africa’s then-Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin likened the country’s trade strategy to a “butterfly,” according to which the thorax ran north-south to Europe and North America, while the “wings” oriented west-east were to link Africa with Latin America and Asia. Erwin’s concept promised much then, as now, for a diversification effort, but so far has delivered less. Still, there is much to gain from closer regional ties, in at least two respects. The first of these is underscored by the growth and nature of economic relations. While trade…

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By Antony Mutunga The Covid pandemic presented a clear picture of how Africa’s healthcare system continues to lag behind. During an electioneering year, healthcare ought to be among the top agenda for those looking to form government. The Jubilee government made lofty promises for health in 2013 and again in 2017 but not much has changed. The private sector continues to pick up the slack as different organizations integrate technology in the sector. An example of these organizations is AfyaRekod, a Kenyan bashed healthcare technology company. The company has launched a fully automated universal patient portal that looks to transform…

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With such vast quantities of oil and gas available, African governments need to increase our production accordingly and use those resources to benefit Africans. By NJ Ayuk After the dramatic post-COVID slowdown in 2020-21, 2022 is turning out to be a banner year for the African oil and gas industry. The industry is set to boom in the second half of this year. Increasing oil and gas activity and a record number of new discoveries have set the stage for significant industry growth in the second half of 2022. In Namibia alone, for example, two breakthrough discoveries, Shell’s Graff and Total Energies’ Venus-1X, have opened frontier oil play onshore. Industry experts estimate that Venus-1X may hold…

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By Seth Onyango ACX will develop the carbon exchange platform as part of innovative financing to shore up environmental projects, including reforestation and land restoration, according to the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). The Singaporean firm securitizes carbon credits into tradable carbon asset classes, thereafter carbon credits held by the exchange are held in a trust. For every credit deposited into the trust, a corresponding one-tonne token resides on the exchange. A green portfolio at the NSE will create an investment value chain across Kenya’s overall financial ecosystem to support climate change mitigating projects. “The NSE is today signing a collaboration…

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By Conrad Onyango Global prices of wheat, vegetable oil and sugar have seen month-on-month drops since March, signalling an easing in the cost of living in many African countries. Vegetable oil showed the clearest drop of the three commodities over the review period. The latest United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food price index showing edible oil prices fell by 15.9 percent from March to an average of 211.8 points in June, on rising production and supply volumes. “World palm oil prices declined on seasonally rising output of major producing countries and prospects of increasing supplies from Indonesia,” according…

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