Talk time is over, let’s now engage our youth
Jun. 17 | BY MACHEL WAIKENDA A week ago the Standard on Saturday carried a very informative article, “The time bomb that is millions of jobless youth”. The article indicated that about half of the Kenyan youth aged 18 to 34 years — millions of them are currently jobless. The writer laid bare the youth unemployment problem in Kenya. Let’s take it up from there and begin to address the challenges. We need to be candid with ourselves when asking where did the rain start beating us youth? What didn’t we do right? Who was responsible? Was the failure deliberate and did anyone try to deal with it? If so, how far did they get and why? One statement that may have passed unnoticed and which was attributed to a Kenyatta University professor was that “it takes the average college graduate five years to get a job”. Five years is the average, meaning...
Why the key to ASAL community aspirations is devolution
Jun. 16 | NAISULA LESUUDA Since 2009, I have been part of The Peace Caravan, an initiative that has relentlessly championed the cause of peace in Kenya’s Arid and Semiarid Lands (ASALs), which are predominantly inhabited by pastoralists. Notable Peace Caravan veterans comprise professionals from pastoral communities, among them Principal Secretary (PS) nominees Richard Lesiyampe and James Teko Lopoyatum. The central message of The Peace Caravan urges all ASAL communities to embrace development and abandon cattle rustling and the killing of fellow humankind in a cultural practice that is clearly overtaken by time. That two key drivers of The Peace Caravan have been as much as identified as material for PS nominees in the current government is in itself great motivation to many more amongst our communities. These nominations should be resounding testimony...
Why we need liberalisation of power distribution in Kenya
Jun. 15 | DANN MWANGI Kenya Power is a monopoly in distribution of power in Kenya. With this monopoly, they have a heavy burden to provide uninterrupted and efficient power to Kenya as failure to do so, Kenyans, Nairobians included, are left under the mercy of candles and non-productivity. Except a few industries which can run on the expensive and unsustainable diesel energy when there is no power, many residents of Nairobi are suffering as there are frequent power outages in Nairobi County. These power outages are common in other 46 counties too. However, there is a ray of hope if Marakwet East MP David Bowen fulfills his promise of bringing a Bill in Parliament that will liberalise power distribution in Kenya and consequently break the monopoly that Kenya Power has enjoyed for many years. Monopoly of power distribution by this company must be broken...
Google has not given US government access to servers
Jun. 14 | Dear Google users - You may be aware of press reports alleging that Internet companies have joined a secret US government program called PRISM to give the National Security Agency direct access to our servers. As Google’s CEO and Chief Legal Officer, we wanted you to have the facts. First, we have not joined any program that would give the US government – or any other government – direct access to our servers. Indeed, the US government does not have direct access or a “back door” to the information stored in our data centers. We had not heard of a program called PRISM until yesterday. Second, we provide user data to governments only in accordance with the law. Our legal team reviews each and every request, and frequently pushes back when requests are overly broad or don’t follow the correct process. Press reports that...
The financial aspects of Devolution
Jun. 13 | BY DANIEL KAMANDE The March 2013 General Elections saw Kenyans elect the Governors, Senators and County Representatives. This made the establishment of devolved Government a reality as envisioned in the new Constitution. With devolution, Kenya is administratively divided into 47 Counties. Equally, power is transferred from the National Government to County Governments. The new Constitution recognizes one of the main objectives and principles of a devolved Government as the right of communities to manage their own affairs and further their development. It is expected that this will give the people a sense of identity and self-empowerment. They will feel recognized in their contribution to the growth of their own county. However, there is a lot that still needs to be done so that the gains envisioned in the constitution and more so the devolution...
Is Kenya heading back to 1964?
Jun. 12 | BY GIBSON KAMAU KURIA When Senator Murkomen stated that there is a conspiracy to cripple the Senate and have it wound up, he probably used an understatement. Probably, there is a plan to return Kenya to the constitutional order which obtained between 1960s and 1991. J. H. Proctor Jr., in an article titled ‘The Role of Senate in the Kenyan Political System’ observed that ‘a little more than a month after the meeting of the Senate on 7th June, 1963, an Opposition Member of Parliament voiced the suspicion that some Ministers had a negative attitude towards that House and that there was a rumour circulating that the Senate might be washed out’. He further says that in 1964, the Leader of Government Business acknowledged that there had been wide speculation as to whether the Senate should be scrapped. One hopes that what Senator Murkomen...
Limited options in financing ambitious 2013-14 budget
Jun. 11 | BY DAVID WANYOIKE The 2013-14 budget is expected to be an inspirational one largely moulded to conform to the new government’s ambitious development agenda. According to estimates presented to the National Assembly by the Treasury, the total budget for the fiscal year 2013-14 is anticipated to be over Sh1.6 trillion. The projected increased spending was expected based on immense funding requirements both at the national and county levels. However, in spite of the expected ambitious spending plan by the government, the budget is likely to offer plenty of troubling questions. The budget financing prospects remain a major concern. Majority of Kenyans are hoping for a comprehensive budget statement that could tackle the widening deficit and offer stability on policy volatility. The big question is what are the financing options available...
