Kenya Airways' wide-body return shows crisis can create opportunity

The return of Kenya Airways' (KQ) Boeing 777-300ER, after a decade on lease to Turkish Airlines, has generated considerable interest.

By Leonard Khafafa 1 month ago

Populism trumped reason during Finance Bill deliberations

The scale of the abstentions suggests that considerations other than the merits of the legislation were at play.

By Leonard Khafafa 1 month ago

National budget mirrors every family's tough tradeoffs

Of the government's Sh4.82 trillion budget, roughly Sh1.5 trillion is earmarked for the Consolidated Fund.

By Leonard Khafafa 1 month ago

16 per cent VAT will hurt aviation sector's growth

Imposing VAT at 16 per cent would raise the cost of acquiring aircraft and modernising fleets, while increasing maintenance expenses across the industry.

By Leonard Khafafa 2 months ago

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Transport sector strike has exposed deeper fuel crisis lessons

The fuel strike highlighted Kenya's fragile transport system, rising energy pressures and the urgent need for mass transit and fuel reserves.

By Leonard Khafafa 2 months ago

Why fuel strike is unlikely to achieve desired results

Kenya finds itself embroiled in yet another dispute that yields little more than a Pyrrhic victory

By Leonard Khafafa 2 months ago

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Kenya's debt burden to blame for painful tax measures

The government's determination to widen the tax base reflects an attempt to curb excessive borrowing and restore fiscal stability.

By Leonard Khafafa 3 months ago

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Rising fuel costs threaten fragile global aviation recovery efforts

Fuel cost surge from Middle East conflict strains aviation recovery, hits airlines, trade routes amid rising jet fuel prices

By Leonard Khafafa 3 months ago

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Kenya not a failed State by any stretch of the imagination

A failed State is one in which the machinery of government no longer performs its elementary duties.

By Leonard Khafafa 3 months ago

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Leaders out to extract political capital from fuel crisis

Calls for street protests risk appearing less as principled civic action than opportunistic attempts to extract political capital from an international crisis.

By Leonard Khafafa 3 months ago

Mbadi's openness on Treasury's actions laudable

A notable gain of Kenya's 2010 Constitution is the enactment of the Access to Information Act, which operationalises the rights set out in Article 35.

By Leonard Khafafa 3 months ago

2027 General Election and the return of ethnic nationalism

Kenya's pronounced ethnic diversity, encompassing more than 44 recognised communities, has long demanded a careful legal balance between pluralism and unity.

By Leonard Khafafa 4 months ago

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Public demonstrations should not be a power grab through extralegal means

Those urging public demonstrations, even amid a palpable risk of violence, are motivated less by civic concern than by the preservation of elite interests.

By Leonard Khafafa 4 months ago

It would have been wrong for Ruto to ignore Nairobi Hospital woes

The Nairobi Hospital has been beset by persistent governance failings, an accusation corroborated by seasoned medical professionals with extensive tenure.

By Leonard Khafafa 4 months ago

Gulf war underscores need to strengthen Kenya Airways

Middle East airspace disruptions highlight global aviation vulnerabilities and the need to strengthen Kenya Airways against geopolitical shocks.

By Leonard Khafafa 5 months ago

Lessons Kenya can learn from current war in the Gulf

There is little doubt that the world has entered an unusually fraught moment.

By Leonard Khafafa 5 months ago

Uhuru should stay silent like Moi and Kibaki after their retirement

In Kenya, the comportment of former heads of state is not left to custom alone but is codified in statute.

By Leonard Khafafa 5 months ago

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Sifuna: Next political liberator or just a one-hit wonder?

Edwin Sifuna, has emerged as the most conspicuous standard-bearer of a renewed wave of protest, having survived an attempt to unseat him from his party post,

By Leonard Khafafa 5 months ago

Decisive action needed to end chaos in public transport sector

Kenya's public transport sector appears to be retracing a path first worn decades ago. As then, the culprit is political expediency masquerading as policy.

By Leonard Khafafa 6 months ago

Lessons for Sifuna and others from firebrands who became statesmen

Firebrand politics can mobilise, but its utility is finite and should be abandoned once its purpose is met.

By Leonard Khafafa 6 months ago

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Gachagua is repeating mistakes that led to his impeachment

Gachagua is, in large measure, the author of his own downfall. His impeachment bears the hallmarks of a profound rupture with Dr Ruto, the man who once elevated him.

By Leonard Khafafa 6 months ago

Education is not an ethnic trophy stop politicising schools

The belief that national schools should be the exclusive preserve of the communities in which they are located betrays a provincial mindset.

By Leonard Khafafa 7 months ago

Wamuchomba's negative sentiment should not undermine aviation sector

Wamuchomba allegedly claimed that KQ had grounded 11 aircraft for more than five years and alleged that taxpayers had been forced to shoulder lease payment for the planes that were not flying.

By Leonard Khafafa 7 months ago

Let 2026 be year of zero stereotypes and liberated minds

In Kenya, stereotypes tend to follow ethnic contours on leadership, athletics, national development and athletic success.

By Leonard Khafafa 7 months ago

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Four travel hacks that may keep you safe this Christmas

Few roads are as vital to the economic fortunes of Kenya and its hinterland. In its current state, however, the highway is an ordeal.

By Leonard Khafafa 7 months ago

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Government's new funding model is just what Kenya needs

Taxing citizens in fulfillment of their civic obligations or by borrowing when revenues fall short, most often, to pay for big-ticket infrastructure projects.

By Leonard Khafafa 7 months ago

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Clerical calls to action should not be incitement to anarchy

Kenyan churches were once venerated institutions presumed to embody the country's moral and ethical compass.

By Leonard Khafafa 8 months ago

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Salutary lessons for Kenyans from last week's mini polls

Depending on one's political sympathies, last week's by-elections were either a model of orderly democracy or an exercise doomed from the start.

By Leonard Khafafa 8 months ago

Working together is East Africa's pathway to success

The repercussions of Tanzania's post-election violence extended into Kenya. Commercial activity was disrupted, compelling shops to close.

By Leonard Khafafa 8 months ago

Ruto's government is taking the right steps to improve economy

The repercussions of a sovereign debt default are seldom acknowledged. There are hardships endured by nations that have defaulted.

By Leonard Khafafa 8 months ago

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Four pressing realities Suluhu must confront as she starts her second term

Tanzania's presidential election has brought an unceremonious end to its reputation for calm.

By Leonard Khafafa 9 months ago

Government criticism over Rironi-Mau Summit road project insincere

The Rironi-Mau Summit road project was recently approved by the Public-Private Partnership Committee which designated a consortium comprising the CRBC and the NSSF to undertake the expansion.

By Leonard Khafafa 9 months ago

Why Ida is best-placed to unite emerging ODM factions

The late Raila Amolo Odinga was an imposing figure in Kenyan politics, dominating the landscape with a presence that few could rival.

By Leonard Khafafa 9 months ago

African airlines should join forces to meet new fuel requirement

President William Ruto is entirely justified in asserting that "Africa's strength lies in its openness and unity." As the newly appointed chairman of COMESA.

By Leonard Khafafa 10 months ago

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History might repeat itself as many candidates line up for 2027 contest

It is observed that history unfolds in cycles with past events recurring in familiar patterns. History appears poised to repeat itself in 2027 as Kenya once again approaches a general election.

By Leonard Khafafa 10 months ago

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Why Uhuru has no moral authority to lecture Ruto

Uhuru has criticised Ruto's administration, denouncing its performance across several key domains of governance.

By Leonard Khafafa 10 months ago

Wantam: Is William Ruto different from Malawi's Chakwera?

Ruto is a shrewd political strategist with a strong grasp of statecraft, and he has also formed an alliance with his main opponent in the 2022 polls under a "broad-based government."

By Leonard Khafafa 10 months ago

Slain activist's critics failed to interrogate what he stood for

Much has been said about Charlie Kirk. To some, he was a polarising and even bigoted figure.

By Leonard Khafafa 10 months ago

Stop criticising public borrowing without explaining its purpose

Kenya is far from being a failed state. While fiscal hurdles remain, portraying the country as being on the brink is inaccurate and unhelpful.

By Leonard Khafafa 11 months ago

Five misconceptions about Kenya's acclaimed Constitution

Last week marked the 15th anniversary of the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 - a landmark framework that ushered in a new era of governance.

By Leonard Khafafa 11 months ago