COLUMNISTS

By Andrew M. Mwenda How the electoral process in Kenya produces powerful political families that use identity to wield power Many factors may have influenced the 2013 election in Kenya. But three of these stand out. The first is the influence of political families who have held sway over Kenya’s …

By Ellady Muyambi Those who enjoy local chicken and other traditional African dishes should be saying bye-bye to them The government passed the National biotechnology and Biosafety Policy in 2008 and is now in advanced stages of passing the Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill, 2012 commonly known as the GMO law …

By Marino Xanthos Current usage patterns of so-called `petroleum-based commodity thermoplastics’ are not sustainable Plastics are everywhere. Whether used to store leftovers, keep hospital equipment sterile, or insulate a home, plastics are unmatched for their adaptability, durability, and low cost. Given their seemingly boundless benefits, it is unsurprising that plastics …

By Kavuma-Kaggwa With his military background assured, it is only the democratic political plan missing for him to climb to the top Since the meteoric rise to the military rank of Brigadier General in Uganda’s National Army, the son of President Yoweri Museveni, Brig. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, is now the topic …

By Cissy Kagaba The national ID scandal is one of those things that depict how deep corruption has become entrenched in our system. It exposes the levels to which our leaders will go to take the citizenry for granted.  The ID scandal had been on-going for some time without government …

By Naomi Wolf Redressing women’s underrepresentation in land ownership and politics requires individualised leadership and skills training Is it always offensive to advise women to change something about themselves in order to ensure that they can achieve their goals? To suggest the need for any self-scrutiny on women’s part is …

By Harold Brown The US is reducing defense spending and will likely avoid commitments of military forces in Africa The European Union already faces considerable risks concerning its structure, uncertain economic recovery, north-south imbalances, and British ambivalence about membership. Exposure to bad outcomes in Africa, with its myriad security problems, …

By Charles Onyango-Obbo The normal, the unusual, and very strange things about Kenya election Kenya went to the polls on March 4. It was the first election under the new and quite liberal constitution that was adopted in August 2010. For Ugandans seeking to understand how the election played out, …

By Andrew M. Mwenda In his willingness to change his mind in the face of new facts, he embodied the finest traits of intellectual self-confidence I spent most of Saturday March 2 night staring at my computer at home trying to write an obituary of the First Deputy Prime Minister …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Becoming the 1st revolutionary leader to leave voluntarily On February 8, 2012, Rwanda’s ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) held a meeting attended by over 2,000 delegates. At that conference, President Paul Kagame introduced two subjects: the challenges facing the country from the international community’s …