New IEBC chiefs unlikely to live up to public expectations

Pandemonium is defined variously as ‘wild uproar or unrestrained disorder; tumult or chaos’ It’s a word that comes very close to describing the build up to the upcoming General Election.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

We need political will to prosecute hatemongers

The plan by the government to sponsor a Bill to bar hatemongers from contesting elections is yet another gem from the same place where the President’s request to the clergy to declare corruption a sin came from.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

Yes, journalists should state their political affiliation

A columnist of note, whom shall not be named here, stated rather bashfully that in order to objective, he had chosen not to register as a voter. In his view, this enabled him to maintain the detached “observer at a distance” status. He could therefore, in good faith criticise or praise both sides of the political divide without feeling that he was being biased.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

Polls shouldn't be a matter of shock and awe tactics

The words ‘illusion’ ‘deception’ ‘trickery’ come to mind in reference to the popular art form known as stage magic. When skillfully executed, good stage magic can leave naïve observers with the impression that the performer possesses supernatural powers. In truth, a conjurer of tricks uses sleight of hand and misdirection to achieve apparently impossible outcomes.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

Endless murders show we have an inept leadership

Suppose a host on a live children’s programme suddenly whipped out a hitherto concealed machete and decapitated several children before he or she could be stopped? What doubt about such a person’s guilt could possibly exist?

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

Regulation desirable when customers are exploited

Kenyans eat a lot of maize. Which is why, despite the fact that the National Cereals and Produce Board continues to make heavy losses, it is maintained afloat by taxpayer money to guarantee availability of the staple food. In fact, it is apparently cheaper to import maize than to grow it in Kenya. Which is why the government slaps taxes on any imported maize.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

Brushing aside IEBC violations not the way to go

Whenever there are two possible explanations for an occurrence, the simpler one is usually better. Another way of saying it is the more assumptions you have to make, the more unlikely that explanation is.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

Nkaissery has no authority to stop demonstrations

The thing about the Constitution is that it is the supreme law of the land and cannot be set aside at the discretion of a Cabinet Secretary.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

Seal gaps where exams are set and kept

We live in a digital age where information flows easily. While this is excellent most of the time, it has posed challenges in certain areas.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

Jubilee selective in upholding rule of law

The authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people. The government should pay close attention when so many people demand a particular action.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

Why IEBC’s position is simply untenable

Many of the most successful countries in the world operate under a democratic form of government.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

Can Kenyan courts handle witness tampering competently?

History teaches us that we do not learn from history. Kenyan courts, according to President Uhuru Kenyatta, are suddenly sufficient to handle all matters Kenyan.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

Who in Coalition for Reforms and Democracy(CORD) will sacrifice presidential ambitions?

The world around us works by cause and effect. Though not always obvious, any event we perceive is always brought about by one or several preceding occurrences.

By Sam Amani 9 years ago

President’s address missed out on key issues

The Constitution under Article 132 requires that once a year, the President presents a report on all the measures taken and the progress achieved in the realisation of the national values referred to in Article 10 of the Constitution.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

CORD underestimated resistance to referendum

I do not like making excuses so off the bat, as one of those involved in the Okoa Kenya initiative to amend the Constitution, I must apologise.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Support for anti-establishment aspirants grows

Donald Trump, a property and showbiz mogul, has much to the bewilderment and incredulity of the Republican Party establishment taken a commanding lead of the presidential nomination race.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Tunoi tribunal issue grossly mishandled

The straightforward matter of appointing a tribunal to investigate the conduct of Justice Phillip Tunoi has been astonishingly converted into a tragi-comedy by Jubilee’s incompetence.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

IEBC must rethink BVR kit distribution formula

When you label an exercise “Mass Voter Registration” one naturally expects you to go for the masses, unless you are the IEBC.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Compel beneficiaries of public funds to pay up

Once in a while, we are treated to a working system, albeit not within our own borders.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Leadership should drive nation’s renewal

A friend bemoaned the skyrocketing land rates in his county saying he was paying three times what he used to pay for his parcel of commercial land.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

By clearing Wetang’ula, IEBC merely complied with law

The primary role of the IEBC is not striking people’s names from the register but delivering free, credible and fair elections.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

IEBC not well appraised of huge task ahead of 2017

On Monday, CORD MPs demanded suspension of the mass voter registration set for next month citing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) lack of adequate registration materials.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Do not be blinded by handouts doled out ahead of polls

Who is Suleiman Shahbal? This is the Mombasa businessman with gubernatorial ambitions who let the cat out of the bag on the ruling coalition’s plans viz 2017 right in front of the Deputy President.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Come clean on Eurobond and clear nagging questions

Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

On leadership, we can’t help but envy Tanzania

Since coming to power in October, Tanzanian President John Magufuli has been nicknamed “The Bulldozer” for his no-nonsense leadership style.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Cabinet reshuffle unlikely to inspire much confidence

Turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than cement the status quo. In other words the more things change the more they remain the same.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Talk less, take more resolute action to tackle corruption

Not so long ago, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission was sternly directed to bring pressure to bear on some 174 or so “suspects” within 60 days.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

LSK has turned a blind eye to excesses of the Executive

The outgoing Law Society of Kenya (LSK) leadership was at it again this week, unveiling a glistening 35-member committee “for the protection and ideal implementation of the Constitution of Kenya.”

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Reports on Wetang’ula’s candidacy in 2017 misleading

There is obvious journalistic laziness in reporting on the fate awaiting Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Mudavadi doesn’t have the backbone to become president

Musalia Mudavadi, who has spent significant moments of his career serving as number two to Kenya’s political kingpins, is at it again.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Petition shines spotlight on discord in Supreme Court

The judgment of the Supreme Court in Petition 23 of 2014 delivered on Monday has elicited serious debate in legal circles.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

State demonstrated insensitivity in handling strike

In a discussion forum this week, I was reminded of the Latin Maxim Fiat justitia ruat Caelum, which translates to “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Reaction to admission of theft at NYS most perplexing

In June this year, the ever sprightly Devolution CS Anne Waiguru confidently assured Kenyans that her hawk eyes had spotted malfeasance in the making and promptly stopped it.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Don’t put much stock in self-serving prayer rallies

Jesus Christ was crystal clear on the matter of prayer. He not only taught us what to pray for vide the Lord’s Prayer but also how to pray. He emphasised discretion.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Government must obey the law and pay teachers

The standoff between teachers and the Government over a pay rise awarded by our courts has triggered debate on whether we are a society governed by rule of law in its truest sense or just a Hobbesian jungle where everything goes.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Executive undermining the Constitution at every turn

This week marked five years since promulgation of the Constitution. At birth it was hailed as a forward looking law and we genuinely believed we had crossed the Rubicon and were destined for the proverbial Promised Land.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Jubilee shouldn't blame others when it has erred

In normal parlance, to eat your words means to admit that a statement you made earlier was wrong. In Jubilee parlance, it means, apparently, to substitute an earlier statement with another in direct conflict with it, but also maintain that this is what you have been saying all along. This in essence is to take people for fools.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Numbers in Kenya's trade deal with Uganda do not add up

First it giveth, and then it taketh away. These are the only words that can aptly describe the recent deal reportedly cut by the government on importation of sugar from Uganda.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Church bid to scuttle vaccination is dangerous

The Catholic Church is a major player in Kenya’s health system, with an extensive network of health facilities that include 58 hospitals, 83 health centres, 311 dispensaries and 17 medical training institutions. For this reason it cannot be ignored in matters health.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago

Raila should work with genuine patrons of the struggle

It is infamously frustrating to be a supporter of opposition leader Raila Odinga. Many in his base wish to crown his long and valiant struggle with a successful run in 2017, but are disheartened at every turn.

By Sam Amani 10 years ago