The A to Z of 2022: From 'amici curiae to zoea hiyo sauti'

In the 12 months of 2022, we can create numerous permutations of events, in alphabetical order, for each month. However, for only 26 letters of the alphabet, an event for each, here are some of the most standout moments of the year: A for Amicus- Amici curiae, who were not friendly to one another and neither did they show any willingness to befriend the court, were the order of the day in 2022. Courtroom lingo dominated, from the BBI hearings to the Supreme Court determination of the presidential election petition, to the end-of-year senate committee impeachment hearing of Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza. It has been a year of hearings, and legal jargon, as our democracy takes yet another stride. B for Bomas of Kenya- In the tense afternoon of August 15, in the Bomas of Kenya, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati announced Dr William Ruto as winner of the August 9 General Elections and declared him President of The Republic Of Kenya. The relentless Bomas choir will remain etched in the memories of many as all cameras pointed to the building for an entire week, with an anxious nation waiting. The last day was full of lawlessness, including hurling of seats by, and at, lawmakers. C for Cop27- In the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh, between November 6 and 18, world leaders and climate change activists made deliberations on establishment and operationalization of a loss and damage fund as a means to curb runaway climate change. With an aim of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, they agreed to invest between $2 and $4 trillion each year in renewable energy, especially in technology and infrastructure. Meanwhile, vegans still have beef with the meat-eating world. A woman walks to a watering point in Modogashe, Garissa County. Residents in the region are battling prolonged drought. [Denish Ochieng, Standard] D for Droughts- And as that climate debate raged on, droughts gripped a good number of countries as incessant heatwaves led to damage in vegetation in others, such as Australia. Europe recorded the worst drought in 500 years, factories shut down in China due to decrease of water levels in the Yangtze river basin and here in Kenya, over 4.5 million people faced starvation and over 2.5 million livestock worth Sh1.8 billion died due to drought. E for Eight billion- Mathematics won another one as multiplication, and filling of the earth, went one further. Human beings struck the 8 billion mark on November 15, 2022. The human race reached a billion individuals in 1803. Baby Shark, the children's YouTube rhyme by Pinkfong, has 12 billion views, though. TWELVE billion. F for FIFA lifts ban- The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) got a reprieve of a lifetime when, on November 25, world football governing association FIFA lifted an indefinite ban it had slapped on the FKF in November when the then Cabinet Secretary for Sports Amina Mohamed ordered for an audit of FKF accounts, as per Goal.com. Kenya had been prevented from participating in international tournaments. That, however, was not the reason we did not win The World Cup. G for Genetically Modified Organisms- In 2012, President Mwai Kibaki imposed a ban on GMOs. French molecular biologist Gilles-Eric Seralini had published a research paper claiming that GMO maize caused cancer in rats and several governments reacted. The paper was soon retracted. After years of lobbying, protagonists of GMOs had their way in October 2022 when President Ruto's government lifted the ban, partly in a bid to contain the cost of living by allowing for importation of cheap GMOs, and to curb hunger. Debate continues on the suitability of GMOs. H for Hot air- Chief Justice Martha Koome, the first ever woman to occupy that position in Kenya, led The Supreme Court in quashing the election petition and upholding the election of Dr Ruto as president. But what caused excitement- and furore- was the terms she used while reading the judgment. She said that the court had been taken on a wild goose chase and that one of the petitioners' lawyers presented nothing but hot air. This angered the petition's support, but it was the icing on the cake for the supporters of Dr Ruto. Chief Justice Martha Koome. [Samson Wire, Standard] I for Inflation- Inflation was a global phenomenon, or better put, disaster. Supply chains were hurt by Covid-19's successive strains before Russia's attack on Ukraine impacted on energy production and supply, among other logistics, even further. Shortages hit economies, demand-pull inflation affecting nearly every country. Food inflation in Kenya exceeded 15 per cent. J for Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe- ...who was assassinated on July 8 in a street in a country where assassinations are extremely rare, and by a handmade gun. While campaigning for his Liberal Democratic Party frontrunner, Mr Abe was shot from close range by a 41-year-old lone gunman. Mr Abe was airlifted to hospital but succumbed to the gun wounds. He had been the country's longest-serving prime minister during his tenure, which expired in 2020. K for Kenya Airways- 2022 was another topsy-turvy year for the national carrier. It cut losses to Sh9.89 billion for the half year to June (from Sh11.49 over a similar period in 2021) but had other problems brewing in its pot. Kenya Airline Pilots Association (KALPA) announced a pilots' strike which, after failed deliberations, lasted four days and cost the airline over $12 million in loss. Later in the year, President Ruto sought the sale of a controlling stake in KQ in his visit to Washington, United States. L for Largesse- 93-year-old Kenyan philanthropist Manu Chandaria was in August awarded the 2022 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, which is awarded once every two years to some of the world's biggest philanthropists. He became only the first African and third Indian to receive the award. Since its inception in 2001, the only Indian recipients before him have been Tata Family, in 2007, and Azim Premji, in 2017. Visiting Kenya, billionaire software mogul Bill Gates promised to spend Sh850 billion in Africa for the next four years. The givers continued to give and got gifted for giving. M for Mwai Kibaki death- On April 21, Kenya's third president Emilio Mwai Kibaki passed on at the age of 90. The politician, who led the country between 2002 and 2013, had served the country in different political capacities, including as a vice president to Daniel Arap Moi, who was his predecessor as president. Mr Kibaki ascended to power to end Mr Moi's 24-year reign and rejuvenated an economy which was largely in the doldrums. His reign was blotted by the 2007/08 post-election violence in which protests following his disputed reelection cost over 1, 000 their lives and saw nearly half a million displaced. He oversaw the promulgation of the new constitution in 2010 and handed over power to President Kenyatta in 2013. Casket bearing the remains of Mwai Kibaki during his funeral service in Othaya, Nyeri County on April 30, 2022. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] N for Null and void- After the (in)famous handshake between President Kenyatta and his nemesis Raila Odinga on the steps of Harambee House on March 9, 2018, the two co-formulated the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). Seen by opponents as an effort to mutilate the constitution, the reforms were objected to in courts of law and the High Court and the Court of Appeal declared the BBI push null and void. The Supreme Court drove the last nail on the coffin in March 2022, preventing sweeping constitutional changes from taking effect. O for Odinga's unsuccessful fifth stab- The presidential frontrunners in 2022 were Dr William Ruto and Mr Raila Odinga. For Dr Ruto, who was until then Deputy President, it was going to be his first attempt at the top seat. For his competitor, though, it was a fifth trial. He first gunned for the position in 1997, coming third. In 2007, he lost to incumbent Mwai Kibaki. He lost to Mr Kenyatta in both 2013 and 2017, including in a repeat poll which he asked supporters to boycott. The loss to Dr Ruto was his fifth, and probably the biggest blow in his long political career if this turns out to be his last stab. P for Pele- Brazilian Edson Arantes do Nascimento, famously and mononymously known as Pele, died on December 29, 2022. He was a former footballer who many argue is the greatest of all time. An outpouring of tributes showed that he transcended the sport and was a true global icon. Pele took home a record three World Cup trophies with Brazil. He was named Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee in 1999 and appeared in the Time list of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. Pele died aged 82. Q for Queen Elizabeth II- Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms for 70 years and 214 days prior to her death in 2022. She ascended to the throne aged 25 when her father King George VI died in 1952. At the time, Elizabeth was in Kenya at The Treetops hotel with her spouse Prince Phillip ahead of their Commonwealth visit to Australia and New Zealand. She died on September 8, 2022 aged 96. R for Russia invades Ukraine- On February 24, after months of speculation, Russia escalated tensions by invading neighbouring Ukraine. The Russo-Ukrainian war, which started in 2014, suddenly reached new heights, with over 15 million people being displaced and fleeing their country within nine months of the invasion. Thousands of civilians and tens of thousands of soldiers from either divide were killed as the west continued to offer missile support to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Recruits carry ammunition during military training at a firing range in the Rostov-on-Don region in southern Russia, October 4, 2022. [AP Photo] S for Safari Rally, Kenya- Between June 23 and 26 2022, the sixth round of the 2022 World Rally Championships (WRC) 1, 2 and 3 was held in Kenya. Over 19 stages totalling 363.44 km, rally drivers raced, with Kenyan Maxine Wahome emerging the WRC-3 winner. The Safari Rally excitement had well and truly returned. T for Twitter takeover by Musk- He said he was buying it, negotiated and then nearly backed out of the deal. Elon Musk, the world's richest man famed for a business acumen that is second to none, finally went into the deal after court battles and bought Twitter for $44 billion on October 27. He promised free speech and a crackdown on racial slur alongside the elimination of bots on the social media platform. Musk, 51, also owns Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company, Starlink and Neuralink. U for Uhuru Kenyatta post presidency- After campaigning for losing candidate Mr Odinga, Mr Kenyatta quietly withdrew from the national scene. However, he has been involved in peacekeeping missions around the region and played a key part in the signing of Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement on November 2 between the Ethiopian Government and Tigray People 's Liberation Front to end a war that started in 2020. V for Voodoo- Magic here, magic there, magic everywhere. When Senegal's best player, and Ballon d'Or 2022 runner up, Sadio Mane got injured days to the start of the World Cup, witchdoctors from his country went all out in trying to heal him within an impractically short time. It did not work. Still, when Argentina won the World Cup, reports emerged that an army of witches had used their powers to propel their team to victory. Lionel Messi, the team's talisman, is a proven magician on the field of play, though. W for World Cup- For the first time ever, this global tournament, whose total attendance topped 3 million, was held towards the end of the year. It was held in Qatar and was the last in which 32 teams would be participating (the next one, in North America, will have 48 participants). Criticisms over human rights in the country, alongside conservative views not shared by many fans, marred the preparations for the tournament. However, it ended up being one of the best of all time, according to many pundits, with 172 goals scored (a new record) and Lionel Messi's Argentina winning the tournament and pocketing $42 million. Many believed that Messi had cemented his place as the best player of all time. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, left, and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani leave the stage before the 2022 soccer World Cup draw at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha, Qatar, Friday, April 1, 2022. [AP Photo] X for Xpressway- It should be the Expressway alright, but you get the point. The Nairobi Expressway is a 27-kilometre road connecting the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport with Westlands. It was designated in 2019 and was completed, and opened, in 2022. It is a tolled road and is managed by contractors China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). It was initially expected to be built at a cost of around Sh65b, but the cost has nearly hit Sh100b on throughout the construction. Y for Ye- Kanye Omari West, now famously known as Ye, is a rapper who is never too far away from controversy. He has been accused of making anti-semitic comments and late in the year, he appeared in an interview with journalist Piers Morgan in which, alongside in other instances around the interview, he made comments that angered many. Many of his collaborations, partnerships and sponsorships were terminated, including with Vogue, Balenciaga, Gap and Adidas. He had praised Adolf Hitler and denied the Holocaust, even having his Twitter account deactivated. Z for Zoea hiyo sauti- Cotu boss Francis Atwoli was, before the August 9 elections, a steadfast supporter of Mr Odinga's presidential bid. One of his famous phrases was "Zoea hiyo sauti", referring to Mr Odinga's voice. This became a common statement in the country, but he had to change tune when Dr Ruto won the presidency instead and to zoea the new voice. 2022 has been quite a year but 2023 does not promise any major differences politically, economically and maybe even socially, so zoea hiyo sauti!

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