Ugly tribalism forging strange alliances

In spite of 1,500 ethnic-related killings early this year, Kenyan politicians continue to devise ethnic strategies in the bid for power if a forthcoming by election is any indicator.

Former speaker of the Kenyan parliament, Francis ole Kaparo. Once a respected political leader, Kaparo is now a tribal mathematician plotting how the Maasai will retain the [...]

Safaricom IPO oversubscribed by 236 billion

Posted on May 30, 2008 by kenyanobserver
After shares of the Safaricom IPO last month were were over-subscribed by 532 percent, Kenya’s Finance Minister, Amos Kimunya, has announced that the bulk of the money will be refunded.
He noted that a positive side to this was that it had opened up Kenya’s capital markets to the international [...]

Kenyans taxed in police crackdown

The Kenyan government has been criticized for using traffic crackdowns on commuter transport to collect hundreds of millions in the form of road fines.
According to public transport drivers, traffic police are arresting and fining them for such things as dusty windshields, faded bodywork and even frayed shirt collars!
The Kenya Police is in the midst of [...]

New Zealand journalist murdered in Nairobi

Posted on May 30, 2008 by kenyanobserver
New Zealand journalist, Trent Keegan, 33, was found murdered and left in a ditch along a Nairobi street on Wednesday.
Now, the government of New Zealand is calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances behind his murder after details came out this morning that his head was bashed, had [...]

Mungiki funerals blocked by police

Weeks after they were killed, three prominent Mungiki members are yet to be buried as their families decry constant police harassment.
And yesterday, hundreds of heavily armed police raided the Kitengela home of Mungiki’s jailed leader, apparently to block relatives from preparing the funeral of his murdered wife.
Virginia Nyakio, wife to Mungiki leader, Maina Njenga, and [...]

Winter in Nairobi

The dark clouds in the picture look like rain clouds, right? These are not rain clouds, they are cold weather clouds, marking the arrival of winter in Nairobi.
Nairobi experiences its equivalent of winter each year between June and August as cold winds bring the chill from the South Pole. During this time, the sun has [...]

Land debate in Kenya marred by politics

Debate over a new land policy for Kenya is mired in controversy, fuelled by civil society activists and reflective of the country’s political divide.

A recreational park in Kiambu, just north of Nairobi. The privately-owned park was once a coffee farm.
A new national land policy proposes a ceiling on individual land ownership to ensure no single [...]

Panic erupts in national blackout

A power failure plunged the entire country into darkness Sunday evening sparking off panic in a population scarred by political instability.
The power failure started at about 5:30 in the evening, when many people were either relaxing at home or with friends in pubs. Flights to Kenya’s major airports in Nairobi and Mombasa were affected because [...]

Missouri Kenyan charged with injuring own child

Posted on May 24, 2008 by kenyanobserver
Brian Kariuki, 20, of Creighton, MO, has been arrested and is in the Cass county jail in Harrisonville, MO accused of causing serious injury to a 3-month old infant. The infant was taken to Childrens’ Mercy Hospital by the grand-mother after she noticed symptoms of what she thought were [...]

Amnesty debate splits giant cabinet

Kenya’s giant cabinet is split between prosecuting or forgiving perpetrators of ethnic and political violence that left 1,500 dead early this year.
Cabinet ministers and members of parliament allied to President Mwai Kibaki want the perpetrators, planners and financiers of the violence prosecuted and jailed for the violence that left 350,000 dead. On the other hand, [...]