At Pumwani Martenity hospital mothers leave with their children when Nairobi county nurses on day two of Nurses strike. They are asking for harmonization of salaries by the county. ON 08/09/15.[FILE/Standard] A man in India is suing his parents for giving birth to him. He argues that he had no say in the decision to be born. He believes he owes his parents nothing for his existence and, instead, believes he should be compensated for it. /* Container styling */ .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute; top: -80px; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 60px; z-index: 1; background: linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0), rgba(255, 255,…
Author: By Faith Wekesa
Nakuru county DCP party interim officials and aspirants led by County women leader Grace Wanjiku Momanyi addressing members in Nakuru town where they warned the government against harassing former deputy president and DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] The past week has been brutal for women globally and right here at home. In the tough fight for equality, dignity, and respect, patriarchy and misogyny have been our common enemies. But what happens when the sabotage comes from within? Coldplayed: The act of being publicly caught cheating, usually during major events. Thanks to a woman’s missteps, we just got a new verb. And yes,…
MPs led by Rangwe MP Dr. Lilian Gogo addressing the media at Parliament on December 5, 2023. They staged a walk out over NG-CDF and NGAF funds disbursement delay at Parliament on December 5, 2023. [FILE/Standard] The other day, Members of the National Assembly closed ranks and, in one accord, pushed through a constitutional amendment Bill to entrench the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) in law. The legality of this fund has been as controversial as its many names. Still, they found a way to try to legitimise it. Our hope now lies with the Senate to demonstrate that they indeed are the upper house…
Protestors along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway at Free Area during the nationwide Saba Saba demonstrations on July 7, 2025. [Kipsang Joseph/Standard] I love cross border travel. One of my frequent destinations is Rwanda. Kigali, that beautiful, serene city cradled by hills is my Mecca. A visit to the genocide memorial site is always the highlight. It is my grounding place. The place for reflection where I set my heart and priorities right. Underneath the serenity of that beautiful city lies a remainder of how far down a people can fall when ideals, feelings and convictions are left unchecked. Fast forward to…
Protestors along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway at Free Area during the nationwide Saba Saba demonstrations on July 7, 2025. [Kipsang Joseph/Standard] I love cross border travel. One of my frequent destinations is Rwanda. Kigali, that beautiful, serene city cradled by hills is my Mecca. A visit to the genocide memorial site is always the highlight. It is my grounding place. The place for reflection where I set my heart and priorities right. Underneath the serenity of that beautiful city lies a remainder of how far down a people can fall when ideals, feelings and convictions are left unchecked. Fast forward to…
President Wlliam Ruto with the Former President of the United States of America Barack Obama at Blair House, Washington, D.C. in the USA. [PCS] I recently came across a clip of former US President Barack Obama casually walking out of a restaurant. As he made his way out, diners broke into spontaneous applause. There was no grand announcement. Just a man leaving a restaurant. That is the Obama effect. Years after leaving office, he continues to evokes awe, admiration and great respect across political divides and national borders. It speaks volumes about the kind of leader Obama was, and still is. That…
Activists and friends of Albert Ojwang’ engage a police officer protesting outside the Nairobi Funeral home at the Mbagathi way- Ngong road round-about demanding justice following Albert Ojwang’s death while in police custody. June 9, 2025. [Jonah Onyango, Standard] Malala Yousafzai once said, “let us pick our books and our pens, they are the most powerful weapons.” In my beloved country, however, it is increasingly becoming illegal to embrace books and pens and to allow them to refine and guide our thinking. .fade-out-overlay{position:absolute;top:-80px;left:0;width:100%;height:60px;z-index:1;background:linear-gradient(to bottom,rgba(255,255,255,0),rgba(255,255,255,1))}.paywall-container{position:relative;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto;padding:25px;border:1px solid #e0e0e0;border-radius:8px;box-shadow:0 2px 10px rgba(0,0,0,.1);background-color:#fff}.paywall-container h2{text-align:center}.paywall-container a{text-decoration:none!important}.paywall-header{font-size:24px;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:15px;color:#333;text-align:center}.price-highlight{font-size:20px;font-weight:bold;color:#d40511;margin:15px 0;text-align:center}.price-highlight .original-price{text-decoration:line-through;color:#777;margin-right:0}.divider{border-top:1px solid #e0e0e0;margin:20px 0}.subscribe-button{display:block;width:100%;padding:12px;background-color:#d40511;color:#fff;border:none;border-radius:4px;font-size:25px;font-weight:bold;cursor:pointer;margin-bottom:20px;transition:background-color .3s;text-decoration:none}.subscribe-button:hover{background-color:#b0030e;text-decoration:none}.features-list{margin:20px 0;padding-left:20px;list-style:none}.features-list li{margin-bottom:10px;list-style-type:none;position:relative;padding-left:25px;list-style-type:none!important}.features-list li:before{content:”✓”;color:#d40511;position:absolute;left:0;font-weight:bold}.existing-subscriber{text-align:center;color:#555;font-size:14px}.existing-subscriber a{color:#d40511;text-decoration:none}.existing-subscriber a:hover{text-decoration:underline} Get…
A person holds a cell phone featuring the Tik Tok logo, with the same logo displayed on a computer screen in the background, on February 10, 2025, in Edmonton, Canada. [AFP] The recent shutdown of X in Tanzania following the deportation and detentions of Kenyan activists stirred up the conversation around social media management and regulation not just in the region but in the country too. Proponents of this discussion believe it is time for Kenya to take serious measures to bring the digital space to order by revising or enforcing existing laws. Critics, however, feel this is akin to curtailing the…
From left activist Boniface Mwangi and Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid along Koinange Street during demonstrations in memory of the lives lost during the Gen-Z demonstrations on July 25, 2024. [Kanyiri Wahito] “Go home and love your children.” Two things came to mind listening to Senior Principal Magistrate Samson Temu admonish activist Boniface Mwangi. On the one hand, I could resonate. The other part of me though, was hugely disappointed. I was taken aback by his offhand remark that police are “trained to kill humans not animals”. Who exactly are the police trained to kill? Under what circumstances? Was he, in actual sense,…
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt watches as US President Donald Trump takes questions from the press on the South Lawn, upon returning to the White House in Washington, DC, on May 4, 2025. [AFP] When White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stood at the podium and confidently defended tariffs as a win for the American people, it was believed she was echoing the administration’s line until President Trump contradicted her in a separate interview shortly after. He has gone on to change positions countless times since then. Some blamed her then. Others think she is inexperienced. But such is…
Practically speaking, majority of Kenya’s working class today is poor. Employment is no longer a badge of stability. We are no longer living from paycheck to paycheck. Ours is a precarious balancing act of juggling salary advances, digital loans and side hustles to survive the month. At the beginning of this year, determined to get a grip on my finances, I joined a savings group on social media with one goal: Save my way to financial freedom. To kick things off, the lead shared the 50-30-20 budgeting model where 50 per cent of one’s income goes to needs, 30 per cent…
Hanna Wendot Cheptumo Nominee for Cabinet Secretary, Gender, Culture, The Arts and Heritage during her vetting process before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments at County Hall, Nairobi on April 14, 2025. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] We may need to rethink our approach to appointments to the public service and especially in critical dockets such as Gender if we are to make progress as a country. Being a woman should not be enough. Academic qualifications may not be enough. Passion, empathy and a deep understanding of the thematic areas in the docket is what will count because it is their words and perception…
Activists during the 16-day anti-femicide campaign in Nairobi. [File, Standard] I do not claim to speak for men, but did we start a gender war with affirmative action? The National Policy on Gender and Development (2019) provides for equal opportunities for men and women, leveling the playing field that for long disadvantaged girls and women. Affirmative action was intended to correct historical injustices against women and girls, providing a tool for equity. And there is no denying it, there has been massive results! The number of girls in school has soared, while opportunities for economic growth and leadership for women…