Category: Politics
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Sellebrity: Fame Versus Electability
The celebrity as a politician is officially a thing (preceded by the bizarre the-politician-as-a-celebrity epoch of bling bling hookah smoking honourables). And so many are abandoning the mic as they seek to blur the line between showbiz and the once-upon-a-time hallowed halls of power, with most riding solely on name recognition more than anything else.
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Kenya’s Leaking Debt Ceiling
According to the treasury, the increase in public debt is attributable to external loan disbursements, exchange rate fluctuations, and an uptake of domestic debt. And although the increasing debt has raised alarm, instead of triggering triage from the government side, the response has been to borrow some more.
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On Voter Apathy. Is Anyone Listening?
There’s certainly a plethora of reasons why this particular section of Kenyans is indifferent to electoral politics, one of them (if not key among them) being the unassailable view that the outcome of a Kenyan election (especially at the presidential level, which has resulted in post-election violence before) isn’t decided by the number of votes…
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Watt Happened?
Kenya has been plunged into a couple of power outages in the past, the most recent one being on 11 January 2022. Kenya Power said the power outage was as a result of collapse of the towers that support a high voltage power line connecting Nairobi to the Kiambere hydroelectric dam. Kenya Power, which has…
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The Man Kenya Needs to Know
You know that game where you’re asked if you were to have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would you pick? I know you may already have your favorites, but the next time you’re asked that question, say Reuben Kigame, whether it’s a game you’re playing or you mean it. You’ll thank me…
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Man In A Hurry
For two general elections, Moses Masika Wetangula has been one of four principals in the main opposition coalition, and is now a principal a third time, hoping his coalition will ascend to state power. To Wetangula, being a principal is good political arithmetics, since whoever becomes president is only a first among equals, and he…
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Slow But Sure, Safe and Steady
You’ll catch a glimpse of them if you went to watch a game of rugby at the Kenya Rugby Union grounds on Ngong Road. They’re usually in their 50s or 60s, well built (some with a belly, the sloshing takes a toll) and maintaining a gentlemanly mien, always spotting a fedora. They keep to themselves…
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The People’s Governor
There is no better way to describe Prof. Kivutha Kibwana other than by looking at two men from India, Mohandas Gandhi and Bhimrao Ramji Ambedka. Gandhi, a man from an upper caste, became world renowned for his meekness, activism and controversies, while Ambedka, a man from the lowest caste, wasn’t necessarily a global celebrity but…
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Military Coup in Sudan
Sudan experienced a military coup on October 25th. This kind of unrest is not new to Sudan. In April 2019, Omar Al-Bashir, who was wanted by the international criminal court over war crime charges, was ousted. His removal from the presidency came after months of unending protests against his regime.
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The Quintessential Principal
For two general elections, Moses Masika Wetangula has been one of four principals in the main opposition coalition, and is now a principal a third time, hoping his coalition will ascend to state power. To Wetangula, being a principal is good political arithmetics, since whoever becomes president is only a first among equals, and he…