By Silas Apollo The National Assembly’s decision to adopt a bi-partisan approach towards addressing the two-thirds gender principle is the latest attempt by legislators to address the elusive gender parity in government. The National Assembly, under the leadership of the Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wa, said that it would use a collaborative method from both sides of the House to enact gender representation. According to Mr Ichung’wa, the decision follows a meeting with female legislators and leaders across the country over the failed implementation of the constitutional threshold in leadership, especially in Parliament and other government positions. “Parliament is ready…
Author: NLM writer
By David Wanjala The Constitution established the Senate strictly to entrench Devolution. According to Art. 96 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the Senate represents the counties and serves to protect the interests of the counties and their governments; it participates in the law-making function of Parliament by considering, debating, and approving Bills concerning counties and, lastly; it determines the allocation of national revenue among counties, and exercises oversight over national revenue allocated to the county governments. Save for Sub Sec. 4 of Art. 96 that apportions the Senate’s role of overseeing State officers by considering and determining any resolution…
Political games, silly supremacy wars and a tattered record in our attempt at decentralising revenue and governance herald a possible repetition of dark history that Kenya’s must not allow By Ndung’u Wainaina In the last month, the Linda Katiba Movement has been running a campaign dubbed ‘Ugatuzi Kamili; Masha Bora’ (Our Devolution; A better life). This campaign is set to go to the counties as part of broader public education on the centrality of the devolution in the 2010 Constitution and changing of lives, local economies, and services nature of the devolution. Kenyans will get a chance to learn why…
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in May signed into law a controversial anti-gay bill, his office and the country’s parliament said, introducing draconian measures against homosexuality that have been described as among the world’s harshest. Museveni “has assented to the Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023. It now becomes the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023,” a statement posted on the presidency’s official Twitter account said. Uganda’s parliament on Twitter said Museveni had assented a new draft of the legislation approved by lawmakers earlier this month. The president had called on MPs to rework the bill, though most of the hardline provisions that caused outcry in the…
President William Ruto has called upon African leaders to embrace a pan-African payments system for facilitating trade within the continent. Speaking at a forum on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Nairobi, the President noted that this would be a significant move aimed at reducing reliance on the US dollar. He urged his fellow African heads of state to rally their central and commercial banks to join the Pan-African Payments and Settlement System (PAPSS), which was launched in January 2022. President Ruto highlighted the reliance on the US dollar as a hindrance to intra-African trade and stressed the…
The South Sudan government has asked President William Ruto to end the monopoly of a firm associated with the family of former Mombasa governor Ali Hassan Joho for handling cargo destined for the neighbouring country. South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir instead wants Dr Ruto to allow goods to and from his country to be cleared at the port of Mombasa and not at the Nairobi Freight Terminal (NFT). Joho’s family, through the Autoport Freight Terminals Limited, has been handling almost all of South Sudan imports at the NFT. The goods have been leaving the port of Mombasa through the railway…
The government through the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (Kura) has announced plans to install new traffic cameras and traffic signals in major highways and roads in Nairobi. Kura, in a tender notice published on its website, said that they will begin the installation of the Intelligent Transport System (ITS), after it received USD 61 million (Sh8.4 billion) loan to facilitate the process. The authority says that it also intends to install signal controllers, vehicle enforcement systems, vehicle detection systems and variable message signs with the funds. “The government of Kenya has received a loan from the Export-Import Bank of Korea…
Will a post-pandemic recovery herald greener skies for Africa’s fleet? bird story agency In a post-pandemic rebound, African airlines are increasing their fleet size and routes. A push for fuel efficiency is opening new opportunities for more environmentally friendly airlines – and for aircraft manufacturers. Kenya Airways recently became the first African airline to use Sustainable Aviation Fuel in a commercial long-haul flight between Nairobi and Amsterdam. The national carrier participated in the Sustainable Flight Challenge – a competition among global airlines to test their ability to fly sustainably. According to Allan Kilavuka, the CEO of Kenya Airways, the pilot…
A potato processing company founded by a dissatisfied banker is disrupting the potato processing value chain in Kenya. Anne Ndungu, bird story agency In June 2007, Humphrey Mburu was excited to begin work at a local bank. The excitement didn’t last, however. Just weeks into the job, he realised banking was not for him. “I felt I was not cut out for the corporate world. I was not maximising my potential, and I wanted to experience some freedom that comes with self-employment, both socially and financially,” he said. While the regular pay meant he needed to stay on the job,…
Advertorial Building a savings culture – financial tips with Kingdom Bank In the current economic times, encouraging one to save may seem contradictory, considering how the cost of living has skyrocketed. However, the reality is that if you can, do your best to set money aside for the future, be it for investment or to sort out an urgent financial need. From one’s personal experiences or that of others, you are likely to realize that building savings requires discipline and some level of sacrifice to ensure that you achieve your financial goals. If this is the year you are looking…
