Author: Alex

Dear Mr. President, You will soon be making a high-profile state visit to the United States, the first of its kind for any African president under President Joe Biden.  It is a great honour to be accorded such a rare privilege. It boosts your profile, as well as that of the country. But Mr. President, that’s where the glory ends and hard work begins.  Having been in the space for a long time, you are well informed of the short supply of altruism in the international system. You are grounded in the importance of national interest as the driving force…

Last week, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) issued the latest periodic statements on the nation’s State.  The statement, ‘Cry of the Oppressed’, voiced concerns on several issues affecting the country. Crucially, the bishops raised doubts about what they viewed as the State’s deliberate move to degrade faith-based organizations’ complementary role in service delivery, especially in healthcare and education.  They singled out some education-related bills that they argue dilute the church’s role in managing the learning institutions it sponsors.  Hardly a day after issuing the statement, President Ruto met with the bishops, reassuring the church of the government’s commitment to…

A few weeks ago, the Senate expressed displeasure against what the National Assembly perceived as a deliberate move to undermine its legislative mandate.  The disquiet followed the National Assembly’s alleged trend of frustrating bills originating from the Senate.  The latest Senate bills to be dropped by the National Assembly at the Second Reading include the Employment (Amendment) Bill, 2022, and the Natural Resources (Benefit Sharing) Bill, 2022.  The most recent fallout reflects a trend that has characterized the relationship between the two Houses of Parliament since 2013. Disagreements have manifested in various ways on different forums and platforms.  A couple…

The Lenten period has just ended for the Christian faithful. It reminds them of Jesus Christ’s suffering to restore their total relationship with God.  His unmerited suffering, culminating in His death on the cross, wiped away humanity’s sins. For its part, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops chose “Integrity for a Just Nation” as its theme for the 2024 Lent. Nation.’  KCCB underscored the value of integrity as a cornerstone of a just country. Their theme’s choice was timely, perhaps informed by the country’s persistent struggle with integrity.  Unsurprisingly, the Lenten period did little, if any, to shake our collective…

The latest report by the Auditor General has predictably revealed persistent accountability issues stalking county governments’ management of public resources.  The report, covering the 2022–2023 audit period, raises concerns over several issues, including procurement irregularities, inflated costs, missing records, and unauthorized expenditures.  Even though the report will be subject to further scrutiny, including by the Senate, the issues raised do little, if any, to disrupt painful familiarities regarding mismanagement of public resources by the devolved units.  If anything, they serve to reinforce and affirm them. The persistence indicates the gaps and inadequacies in the accountability systems to ensure county governments…

At the end of February, Kenya was a beehive of activities, with Nairobi hosting high-profile international visitors, including heads of state and government.  Most visitors were in town to attend the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), which was hosted at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Gigiri.  Not far from Gigiri, the State House was busy. President Ruto hosted several leaders, some of whom were in the country for the UNEA-6.  One leader was particularly accorded special attention and treatment. From being received at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by President Ruto himself…