Open democracy or people’s convention: World must start thinking about options
In the run up to the 2020 elections in the US, ProCon.org reminded the electorate of the role of politic parties in deciding who should lead them. The organisation reminded voters that “political parties are groups of individuals organised for the purpose of electing candidates to public office.” Notably, the...
Choices and consequences: Has democracy lost allure, replaced by jungle law?
Voter apathy to political parties – and be extension elections – is approaching universal status with quite a number of countries that were once regarded as bastions of democracy hardly able to hold out a candle to those still in the formative stages of competitive politics. In Kenya, political organisations...
How Kenya helped terrorism thrive in East Africa through illicit ivory exports – report
Pummelled on multiple fronts around the world, terrorist organisations and insurgent groups in eastern Africa have been finding it difficult to keep alive their militia activities. After the funding taps running dry, the groups resorted tapping natural resources to fund insurgencies, says Earth League International, a conservation organisation, in a...
First billion Covid jabs reached, but Blacks account for only a small fraction
The world has reached the milestone of administering one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines, just four months after the World Health Organization (WHO) approved the first vaccine for emergency use, and roll-outs began in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. The speed at which they have...
Clean sport: New body needed to address doping, bribery, racism and harassment
The world of sport is replete with rhetoric involving the word ‘clean’. Whether in the mission statements of organisations such as UK Anti-Doping or in the names of groups such as the US non-profit organisation the Partnership for Clean Competition, clean is used as a label of integrity, authenticity and...
Cybersecurity: No time for Africa to bury head in sand or pay for skilled foreigners
The cybersecurity skills shortage is worsening in Africa. This is the definitive view of the ESG report ‘The Life and Times of Cybersecurity Professionals 2020′ and that of multiple other surveys, reports and industry analyses. Organisations are facing an unprecedented threat. Cyber-attacks, fraud, phishing, breaches, hacks have increased in sophistication,...
African countries secure $17 billion facility to double food production by 2030
A coalition of multilateral development banks and development partners pledged over $17 billion in financing to improve food security in Africa. These funds were pledged on the final day of a two-day high-level dialogue with the theme ‘Feeding Africa: Leadership to Scale up Successful Innovations’. The event was hosted by...
Choice of Koome to head judiciary renews ethnic concerns in Kenya’s public service
The independence and integrity of the Kenyan judiciary is once again under intense scrutiny following the nomination of the Court of Appeal Judge Martha Koome to replace David Maraga, who retired at the beginning of this year as chief justice and president of the Supreme Court. To gender activists, the...
Fully vaccinated Americans can venture outdoors minus masks – Biden’s adviser
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has unveiled updated guidelines detailing activities that vaccinated people can safely resume, including attending small outdoor gatherings without the need to wear a mask. The new “interim public health recommendations” released early in the week detail a variety of situations in which...
‘India’s Covid death may be far above 200,000 as rural cases are unregistered’
India has reached the devastating figure of 200,000 coronavirus deaths, with the pressure on many hospitals showing no sign of abating amid a surging second wave. The real number of fatalities is thought to be far greater, with many not being officially recorded. Oxygen supplies remain critically low across the...
