Kenya heads to elections with serious integrity concerns hanging over polls agency, technology reliability
Leading candidates in next month’s presidential election in Kenya, Raila Odinga and William Ruto have expressed reservations about the country’s polls agency’s capacity to deliver free, fair and credible election. They fear the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is unprepared for the upcoming polls, raising alarm bells that the...
How long running and bitter standoff between Kenya president and deputy will impact August 9 polls results
Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto had a falling out with President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018, ending a decade-old partnership dubbed “Uhuruto.” Ruto presents himself as an “insurgent candidate,” deriding the Odinga ticket as a continuation of the dynastic politics of the Odinga and Kenyatta families that have loomed large over...
Kenya’s August 9 elections a test of its bumpy road to democracy in politically volatile continent
Kenya’s competitive presidential elections reflect hard-earned progress in establishing independent constitutional and judicial guardrails, although a history of electoral violence demands all sides show restraint. Kenyans will vote on August 9 in their fifth presidential election since the re-introduction of multiparty politics in 1991. The competitiveness of the elections, and...
From Covid stress, to downtime and recovery: How health workers are coping with post-pandemic ‘emptiness’
There’s job stress, and then there’s the crushing pressure paramedics went through during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The uncertainty, the dread, the constantly changing protocols, the shortages of personal protective equipment, the multiple calls to the same nursing home – it was almost too much for Kate...
How Canadian anti-terror law is impacting on humanitarian support in Afghanistan a year after Taliban takeover
As Afghanistan recovers from an earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people, and amidst an already dire humanitarian situation, Canadian aid organisations say their hands are tied by a restrictive anti-terrorism law that has effectively banned their work since the August 2021 Taliban takeover. Because the Taliban is listed as...
In DR Congo, the challenge of supporting rebels willing to lay down weapons is a big obstacle to peace – expert
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) M23 rebel’s foreign links – and abuses its fighters committed a decade ago – help explain the media attention and public criticism it has received. But many other armed groups also pose a serious threat to civilians in the east. To address that threat,...
Kuje prison break is stark possibility that Nigeria is out of security options and criminal gangs run the show
On July 5, the Boko Haram breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) led a successful attack on a well-secured prison in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. The group shot its way into the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre after overpowering security guards in a well-coordinated assault. The government said 879...
Revived M23 rebellion has worsened security in DR Congo as agencies fear further serious humanitarian crisis
More than 170,000 people have escaped their homes in the past four months in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo amid an offensive by a previously dormant armed group that has reignited regional tensions between Great Lakes states. For several months, the M23 rebel group has fought Congolese troops in North...
When democracy is in short supply humans like animals ignore commands, slow down…fight and abscond
There was once an orangutan named Ken Allen at the San Diego Zoo who was notorious for carrying out complex escape plans. He found every nut and bolt in his cage and unscrewed them; in his open enclosure he threw rocks and faeces at visitors. On one occasion, he constructed...
Pre-season: How manager and player decisions sometimes clash and adversely affect relations in the club
Plenty of Premier League clubs are currently jetting off on pre-season tours. After fights, fatherhood and fannying about, this lot were flying back earlier than anyone expected. Preseason is not always about sporting skills. It is also a test individual character. Some players and coaches have in the past fared...
