Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s election commission announced Tuesday that there would be five million new voters taking part in August polls, raising the stakes for incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta and his longtime rival Raila Odinga. After the first-ever audit of the voter’s register — often seen as a key …
Read More »RAILA ODINGA: Memo to the President
Nairobi, Kenya | RAILA ODINGA| On 7th June, we asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to immediately fly to Ethiopia and ask his counterpart to sell maize to Kenyans. We also asked the President to fire the CS and PS of Agriculture and the CS of Devolution and Planning for deliberately misleading Kenyans on …
Read More »Four ways the Kenyan elections could be rigged – and how to stop it
Birmingham, UK | NIC CHEESEMAN | Unrigging Kenyan election The race for State House in Kenya is heating up. After a long period during which President Uhuru Kenyatta looked a shoo-in for re-election, the presidential race is looking increasingly competitive. Although the most reliable polls still give the incumbent a strong lead …
Read More »KENYA: It is Odinga versus Kenyatta again
Eight candidates in the running for Kenya presidency Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya’s electoral commission on Monday approved eight candidates to take part in the presidential election in August, including incumbent leader Uhuru Kenyatta and his historic rival Raila Odinga. The vetting process left several candidates disappointed, including one …
Read More »ANALYSIS: The Kenyan election
Will technology deliver a free and fair election this time? By John Walubengo Elections present a milestone beyond which countries either strengthen their democratic credentials or become failed states. Often states fail when there are either perceived or blatant election malpractices. This in turn can lead to prolonged civil unrest. …
Read More »Who is Raila Odinga?
Raila Odinga: Kenya’s tenacious, veteran politician Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | At an age when most would be retired, Raila Odinga, Kenya’s veteran opposition leader and one-time prime minister, is to run again for president — his fourth bid to become head of state. The 72-year-old has been a mainstay of …
Read More »Kenya’s Super Alliance names Odinga for president
Kenya opposition names ex-PM Odinga as presidential candidate Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Veteran political leader and former prime minister Raila Odinga was Thursday named Kenya’s opposition presidential candidate for elections in August, at a large rally in the capital Nairobi. The public announcement was made by senior leaders of …
Read More »Spat over Kenyan electronic vote tender goes to court
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Six Kenyans urged a court Wednesday to suspend a controversial decision by election officials to scrap a tender process and directly procure an electronic voting system for the August polls. The petition is the umpteenth disruption to already chaotic election preparations, a sensitive process in …
Read More »THE LAST WORD: On Museveni-Besigye talks
How the opposition leader has blundered on the chance to promote his political project – if he has any By Andrew M. Mwenda Media reports have recently indicated there are attempts to organise talks between the government and the opposition. For such talks to be meaningful, they have to involve …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Fishing in the dark on Lake Victoria
Without a survey of the actual fish stock, fisheries managers focus on what they get out to ensure sustainability For some time now, fish catchers, processors, traders and government officials involved in Uganda’s fish sector have been saying that fish stocks in Lake Victoria are declining. The problem appears to …
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