President William Ruto received by a mammoth crowd in Rongo town, Rongo Sub-County, Migori County on May 5, 2025. The president hit out at the opposition for driving ethnic politics. [Photo by Anne Atieno] The Constitution mandates that general elections take place every five years on the second Tuesday of August. That means the next national election is due in August 2027 –exactly two years from now. Politics dominates public life in Kenya, so election talk is already heating up, especially around who will challenge incumbent President William Ruto. Dr Ruto, currently in his first term, has announced he will seek re-election.…
Author: By Leonard Khafafa
Basic Education PS Julius Bitok receives eight classrooms and three ablution blocks at the Kwa Njenga Primary School in Nairobi from the US ambassador Marc Dillard on April 2, 2025. The Sh83.9 million project was done by the US Department of Defence. [Jenipher Wachie/Standard] Kenya’s education sector is facing a crisis that calls for honesty and accountability from those in power. Treasury Cabinet Secretary (CS) John Mbadi recently sparked controversy when he made comments at a public gathering. The CS said, “The government is no longer able to sustain free education due to the huge national debt obligations the country is expected…
Gen-Z protesters along Kenyatta Avenue as they remembered 60 young people who died in last year’s finance bill demonstrations on June 25, 2025. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard] The Gen Z-led protests that erupted in Kenya in June 2024, sparked by opposition to the Finance Bill, were driven more by emotion than by a full understanding of the country’s economic realities. While the protests were framed as a stand against punitive tax measures and an effort to shield parents from financial pressure, they overlooked the complex fiscal context Kenya is navigating. To many in Gen Z, tax revenue seems directly tied to the…
Anti-riot police keep vigil during Saba Saba protests in Kitengela. [Collins Oduor, Standard] A young Gen Z woman recently appeared on national television to express her opposition to the now-enacted 2025 Finance Bill. Her performance left many shocked-not because of her arguments, but the lack thereof. She showed no basic understanding of the Bill’s provisions, offering no substantive critique, and instead delivered well-spoken but misleading claims. Many of these have since been debunked by the Treasury Cabinet Secretary. /* 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,…
Anti-riot police keep vigil during Saba Saba protests in Kitengela. [Collins Oduor, Standard] A young Gen Z woman recently appeared on national television to express her opposition to the now-enacted 2025 Finance Bill. Her performance left many shocked-not because of her arguments, but the lack thereof. She showed no basic understanding of the Bill’s provisions, offering no substantive critique, and instead delivered well-spoken but misleading claims. Many of these have since been debunked by the Treasury Cabinet Secretary. She is not alone. A significant number of young protesters often rely on popular but inaccurate talking points. This problem goes beyond…
Nairobi Gen protester in action during June 25th protest anniversary. [Collins Oduor, Standard] In Zambia, 10,000 villagers were once under the watch of a single police officer. When a government official arrived in the region, the villagers were asked to walk 10 kilometres to meet the official. The instructions were passed through the policeman. At his word, all 10,000 thousand villagers obeyed-walking the distance,listening to the address and returning home without incident. No chaos, no disorder. This account illustrates the power of authority-exousia. A fundamental duty of any State is to provide security through its institutions with the police maintaining order, preventing crime and…
Protesters at Kitengela, town Kajiado county protestors trying to barricade the Nairobi Namanga road. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard] Generation Z’s greatest strength lies in their ability to access information in real time, bypassing traditional media in favour of digital platforms. Social media, blogs, podcasts and video content have become the primary tools for civic engagement. These tools are empowering also a potential Achilles heel. Unlike traditional media, where information is vetted and outlets are held accountable for inaccuracies, digital media often spreads unchecked misinformation. The result is a post-truth environment in which emotion frequently outweighs evidence. Take, for instance, the ongoing…
Protesters face police officers along Harambee Avenue next to vigilant house along Harambee avenue demanding justice for the late Albert Ojwang who died while in police custody as budget reading was ongoing in parliament. June 12, 2025. [Jonah Onyango, Standard] Much has been said about the tragic death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang. My deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends. No one should ever lose their life, least of all, at the hands of those sworn to uphold the law. While numerous theories continue to swirl, some bordering on the fantastical, I trust that the truth…
Air Francelaunch of ”Elegance is a journey a cultural exhibition. [David Gichuru,Standard] The aviation industry often reflects the broader state of the global economy. As such, it can serve as a bellwether; signaling either an impending upswing or forewarning of economic headwinds. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the industry experienced a robust recovery, with international travel rebounding sharply. According to International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Willie Walsh, “strong employment and easing inflation are expected to push airline revenues up to 1.3 per cent compared to last year”. However, despite this optimistic outlook, there are significant challenges that could temper the…
A demonstrator holds a Kenyan flag as he kneels in front of a group of Kenyan anti riot police officers during a protest in Nairobi on July 2, 2024. [AFP] This year’s Finance Bill risks becoming yet another flashpoint in the increasingly fractious relationship between the government and sections of the public. For many, opposing the Bill has become a symbolic rejection of perceived bad governance. But this conflation is both dangerous and misguided. According to Oxford Languages, a Finance bill is “a legislative bill proposing changes to taxes, duties, etc.” More broadly, it refers to legislative proposals introduced annually…
Youth during Gen Z protests in Nairobi. [File, Standard] The Gen Z rebellion of last year was characterised by a torrent of criticism aimed at the older generation. Parents were castigated for having “dropped the ball”. The message was loud and clear: Gen Z would no longer tolerate the failures of their elders. Yet recent events in the region underscore the strength of Kenya’s democratic fabric. Fundamental rights and liberties are enshrined in the Constitution, and where these are violated, Kenyans have meaningful recourse through independent courts — courts that routinely push back against Executive overreach, a rarity in the…
International Air Transport Association (IATA) Country Manager East Africa Agnes Mucuha, Ethiopian Airlines Area Manager for Kenya Soble Azene and South African Airways Finance Manager Mohammed Hussein when they appeared before the National Assembly Finance Committee during the public participation on the Finance bill, 2024 at Hilton Garden Hotel, Mombasa road on June 3, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] Last week, Kenya hosted the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Ground Handling Conference (IGHC). This conference was the first of its kind on the continent. The event brought together 850 participants from 87 countries, providing a global platform to not only discuss pressing aviation issues but…
Wiper Democratic Movement Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Fred Matiang’i, Martha Karua, Rigathi Gachagua,Eugene Wamalwa,Mukhisa Kituyi, Justine Muturi, Mithika Linturi during a meeting in Nairobi today 29th April 2025. (Denish Ochieng) The Court of Appeal has quashed Deputy Chief Justice’s October 18, 2024 orders. These orders assigned three petitions, challenging the ouster of Rigathi Gachagua as deputy president (DP), to three judges. Interpretation of what this means is obviously beyond the ken of laymen. Even seasoned legal practitioners are divided. Some opine that this is a major win for Kenya’s second DP. Others say the victory is pyrrhic and may not change…
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 29, 2019. [AFP] Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ policies are a tacit acknowledgement of the erosion of American exceptionalism. It is obvious to the perspicacious that the USA is in the throes of a decline in numerous aspects, including ascendancy in trade. Trump, making good on his pre-election promise to put “America First,” seeks to reverse this state of affairs. Trump has instituted reciprocal tariffs with America’s trading partners. Starting with a baseline of 10 per cent, he has levied taxes on all goods coming into the US from foreign…
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 29, 2019. [AFP] Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ policies are a tacit acknowledgement of the erosion of American exceptionalism. It is obvious to the perspicacious that the USA is in the throes of a decline in numerous aspects, including ascendancy in trade. Trump, making good on his pre-election promise to put “America First,” seeks to reverse this state of affairs. Trump has instituted reciprocal tariffs with America’s trading partners. Starting with a baseline of 10 per cent, he has levied taxes on all goods coming into the US from foreign…
Kenya Airways has turned a net profit for the first time in more than a decade. [File, Standard] Kenya Airways’ 2024 results are remarkable in two ways. The first is that Kenya’s national carrier has turned a net profit for the first time in more than a decade. At Sh5.4 billion, it is an improvement over the previous year’s results by 124 per cent. The second is that they are polar opposites of both Tanzania and Uganda’s national carriers. A report published in The East African says, “Air Tanzania’s losses have mounted, defying nearly a decade of continued effort to…
President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on March 31, 2025 in Washington, DC. [AFP] US President Donald Trump rocked the world with his recent “declaration of economic independence.” He announced a raft of reciprocal tariffs on goods imported into the US, including a 10 per cent baseline tariff. The entire world reacted. A headline in the New York Times read, ‘Trump trade war risks forfeiting America’s economic primacy’. The article that followed it declared, “The US has steered an economic order for 80 years based on trade and trust, making the…