Tanzanian blogger goes into hiding

A Tanzanian blogger faces jail after publishing manipulated photographic images depicting President Jakaya Kikwete engaging in lewd sex acts.
Tanzanians have expressed outrage over the images, terming them an abuse of the freedom of press.
According to Habari Leo, a Tanzanian newspaper, the country’s police are seeking help from Interpol in tracing the owners and publishers of [...]

Kenyan rights activist found dead

A Kenyan human rights activist has been found dead outside his house in the capital city, Nairobi.
According to the Standard newspaper, Bantu Mwaura’s body was found outside his gate at Sunlight estate in Nairobi’s Lang’ata area, on Monday morning. He had been missing since last Friday.
It is still not clear how he died but there [...]

Mungiki: Truth and fiction

As we drove along the highway up and down the ridges of Central Kenya, discussion inevitably veered towards the Mungiki, the Kikuyu and Kenyan politics.
Those in our group and who were not Kikuyu wanted the police to wipe out the group from the surface of the earth. They accused human rights organizations of frustrating the [...]

Kenya to lose US aid as leaders fight for posts

by Scott A Morgan
Since the 20th of January of this year, there have been plenty of articles highlighting how the Obama Administration has been reviewing US policy towards several nations.
In the media, Zimbabwe and Somalia are still popular topics of discussion. But there is one country that has not garnered a lot of interest in [...]

ODM – PNU political circus continues

The tragic political circus of Kenya’s giant coalition continues while hundreds of people die from famine, criminal gangs, road accidents and a rogue police force.
The country’s politics are so polarized that decisions cannot be made without a rabble-rousing furore that only worsens the moribund governance in the country.
Take for example the events of this [...]

Uganda Army a hardened battle force

Under estimating the enemy is the biggest mistake in war. As Kenyans push their failed government into retaking Migingo island from Uganda’s military, it is important to reflect on the strengths of the enemy.
Kenyans still believe that today’s Ugandan military is the same rag-tag guerrilla force defeated by Administration Police in Western Kenya back in [...]

Most unpopular president on earth

Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki probably ranks as the most unpopular head of state on earth. A popularity rating of only 9% means that Kibaki is faring worse than some of the world’s dictators.
However, his main rival Prime Minister Raila Odinga isn’t doing much better. Raila has an approval rating of just 19%. For someone selling [...]

Obama’s dilemma in Kenya politics

US President Barack Obama must be in a dilemma when it comes to preventing an explosive situation in Kenya.
It is obvious that Obama would rather concentrate on rebuilding the American economy than associating himself with the Kenyan political soap opera. However, the fact that Obama’s father was Kenyan means that any repeat of the 2008 [...]

Census should be postponed as political schemes rage

Having forgotten the near civil war they caused in 2008, Kenyan politicians are scheming to manipulate this year’s national population census leading to calls for its postponement.
The national census is scheduled for August 24 and the government has already allocated personnel and finances for the exercise. With politics in Kenya assuming an ethnic dimension, there [...]

Parents scramble for school lunch as famine bites in Pokot

By Kephas Ayiecha (Weekly Citizen)
Trapped between life and death, parents in famine-stricken West Pokot District have invaded local schools scavenging for food.
 
The situation has triggered tension in most schools as the parents scramble for food with pupils.
In Chepkobe Boarding Primary School, the effects of hunger are evident as pupils search for wild leaves and fruits [...]