THE LAST WORD

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 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 The decision on whether Kagame stays or retires may be in the hands of international organisations The fortunes of a nation, especially a poor one, are determined not only by its leaders and people but also by the interests and whims of powerful nations. This fact …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why the president must be happy with the current debate between him and his leading critic I have been following with keen interest the debate in the press between President Yoweri Museveni and opposition leader and activist, Dr. Kizza Besigye. From the standpoint of a democratic …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Rugasira’s book shows the gulf between rhetoric about value addition and the outcomes of the actual policy process All too often, most of the literature on doing business in Africa is by non Africans mainly from the Western world whose lenses are colored by their institutional …

By Andrew M. Mwenda An examination of the growing power and tyranny of international human rights organisations International human rights groups largely founded and financed by the West have increasingly become powerful voices shaping politics in Africa. Their voice is respected by governments and mass media in the West. Given …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why the opposition needs to transcend their biases about Museveni if they are to ever have a chance to defeat him In early 2010, my friend Prof. Jeremy Weinstein from Stanford University (then working at the White House) sent me results of an opinion poll on …

The arguments that Rwanda is in Congo to exploit that country’s mineral wealth are misinformed Since the current crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo flared up, most international media coverage has focused on Rwanda’s alleged support for M23, one of over 40 rebel groups fighting Kinshasa. Eastern Congo is …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How the NRM has created an unstable equilibrium in Uganda’s politics that has allowed impunity to be tolerated In 399 BC, the popular assembly in Athens sentenced the world’s most famous philosopher, Socrates, to death. His most famous student and spokesman, Plato, was advised by friends …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Recently, the Daily Telegraph published a story quoting David Himbara saying that aid to Rwanda goes to Kagame. Really? A visitor driving from Kanombe airport to downtown Kigali would be struck by the way post genocide Rwanda is shaping herself. The road is smooth to a …