Kenya should emulate South Africa’s robust democracy
In his book titled “Until We Have Won Our Liberty (South Africa after Apartheid),” Evan Lieberman contends that South Africa
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Author: Kithinji Nturibi
Ruto’s sword remarks and the fraying rule of law
As an independent republic, Kenya is propelled by the guiding force of democracy. The rule of law constitutes the heart
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The issues Ruto did not talk about in his Jamhuri Day speech
We celebrated our country’s 60th Jamhuri Day on the 12th of December. This year’s Jamhuri Day marks six decades since
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Forceful eviction of the Ogiek on Tree Planting Day strangles the care for nature
Kenyans embarked on a tree-planting initiative to commemorate National Tree Planting Day, led by President William Ruto and other government
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Violent forced eviction is both traumatic and inhumane to the affected families
Land evictions evokes emotions of powerlessness, humiliation, and despair. Evictions are widespread in Kenya and in cases where the purported grabbers are issued with notice. The government or the bona fide owners of the land in question usually ignore court orders. The uncertainty around land ownership in Kenya is shrouded with corruption where powerful and well-connected individuals colluding with cartels who have vested interest in the land. This is what pains many citizens who feel the land saga was supposed to have been the first to be addressed after independence. Land remains an emotive issue in Kenya and the successive regimes have failed to plan
Read MoreMedia freedom under threat in Kenya Kwanza’s first year in office
A free, objective and skilled media is essential to any democratic society. Freedom of the media plays a crucial role in shaping an open society and expanding the civic space. Time and again, the apex courts around the world, including Kenya, have defended this freedom as the bedrock of democracy. However, media players in Kenya have continued to operate in a more challenging environment, ranging from verbal and physical attacks, harassments, arrests and destruction of their equipment in the first year of Kenya Kwanza’s administration. Media attacks As Kenya Kwanza marks one year anniversary in office, the media marks one year of suffocation and humiliation.
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The Rise of Coups in Africa is a threat to democracy
Africa has become the home of military coups as it has experienced more coups than any other continent, and no wonder it is said that when a country has one coup, then that often a harbinger of more coups. Coups are notorious in West and Central Africa, and in some parts of Horn of Africa. Sudan has had the highest share of military coups In Africa followed by Burkina Faso and Burundi. African presidents have the habit of manipulating the constitution to eliminate term limits to extend their stay in power and this is what we call Constitutional Coup that more often give birth to
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Guarantee formal property rights to the poor and foster local investment
In his lively and astute book, The Shackled Continent (Africa’s Past, Present and Future), Robert Guest opines that in most African countries informal economy is far larger than the formal one. The poor have assets – plenty of them. The failure to extend formal property rights to the bulk of the population is not a uniquely African problem. It is a feature of all poor countries like Kenya. The president, Dr William Ruto, wanders rich-country capitals, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund begging for aid, investments, and loans. All the while, he fails to notice a much larger source of potential wealth at home.
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China’s TikTok faces ban in Kenya after live protest coverage
The government of Kenya supposedly through a proxy is planning to block the access of a popular platform TikTok in the Country. A petitioner, Bob Ndolo, presented the motion to Parliament arguing that the content being shared on video sharing app TikTok is inappropriate. He is contending that it is promoting violence, explicit sexual content, hate speech, vulgar language, and offensive behavior, and continues to state that it is a serious threat to the cultural and religious values in Kenya. The state has not just woken to the popular video streaming application that launched over five years ago. Rather it has become more aware of
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Kenya’s Justice System has Criminalized Poverty
If you lose your job or shut your business today and fall into the low cadre of the Kenyan society, you are likely to experience police harassments, oppressive laws and unfair courts, a reality that is the everyday lives of Kenya’s poor. In Kenya, the criminal justice system is a major driver of poverty because it mainly focuses on punishing the marginalized and the economically disadvantaged in favour of the rich and the elite. The justice system is skewed in that sentencing for similar offences is based on an individual’s socioeconomic status. Unfortunately, those who cannot afford legal representation in most cases end up receiving
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