President William Ruto launches construction of the 12km Kinamba-Murinduku road, Kuresoi North, Nakuru County, on October 27, 2025. [PCS] In recent years, public discourse around government spending and infrastructure development has often been a contentious topic. A clown once claimed, “we don’t eat roads,” implying that investments in roads and infrastructure are a waste of money. Such sentiments overlook the fact that, indeed, we do “eat roads” — they sustain our economies, connect communities, and drive national progress. Roads are the arteries of any nation, and their significance cannot be overstated. When government officials talk about infrastructural projects, they are…
Author: By Mutahi Mureithi
Treasury CS John Mbadi before the National Assembly’s Education committee. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] I usually don’t have many good things to say about the government, but this once, I will break my fast and say something out of kilter. If—and it’s a big if—the government pulls through with the proposed e-procurement programme, and it works as it should, this will be the biggest achievement this government has made today, and it will deserve praise. .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)); }…
Anyone who believes that climate change is not real needs a reality check. It is undoubtedly one of the most pressing global challenges today, with impacts felt across every continent and every facet of life. Here in Kenya, a nation celebrated for its rich biodiversity, lush landscapes, and vibrant communities, the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident. The story of the Nairobi River exemplifies just how real and urgent this crisis is. Historically, the Nairobi River was a vital artery for the region, supplying clean water for domestic use, irrigation, and agriculture. It was known for its strength,…
I recently visited Kampala, the land of many hills and I was struck by the sheer mayhem boda boda riders wreak all over. There are millions of half-crazed boda riders who have no respect for all known and unknown laws. Traffic lights have no meaning to them. I stood at a traffic intersection and the mayhem I witnessed is incomparable to anything. You have to see it to believe it. To visit Kampala is to experience a city with a heartbeat all its own. Follow The Standard channel on WhatsApp For the first-time visitor, the initial encounter is nothing short of sensory whiplash.…
President William Ruto, is joined AIPCA Presiding Archbishop and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja during the Holy Oil Celebrations of the Church at, Makadara, Nairobi. [File, PCS] Being a Sunday, I shall touch on something religious. I was driving from Nakuru to Ol Kalou – 30km at most – and as a passenger, I decided to count the number of churches along the way. That stretch had 26 church billboards. The ones I managed to count. That’s a lot of churches. At the same time, I counted four schools. And not a single public hospital. Not anywhere on the road. There were…
President William Ruto plans to transform Kenya into the ‘new Singapore.’ [File, Standard] Of late, we have heard Singapore mentioned numerous times by no less than President William Ruto, ostensibly as a beacon that we should aim at as we crawl on all fours towards some far off light known as development. First things first: we are not even crawling in the right direction: Methinks we have been making huge efforts in engaging the reverse gear. We first need to disengage the reverse gear, stop the vehicle called Kenya, and then decide where we want to go. Because I don’t…
Farmers are exploited by middlemen who buy the produce at throwaway price. [File, Standard] Farmers in Kenya do all the hard work while all the money goes to undeserving brokers and middlemen. Theirs is a tragic case of exploitation and loss rather than prosperity. The challenges farmers encounter when dealing with commodity brokers, paints a picture that would be comical in its absurdity were it not so tragic. A friend, after performing what he describes as “serious math” — using a napkin to tally figures, multiply here, deduct costs there — decided that farming was a profitable venture. Convinced that…
A traffic officer controls vehicles on Kenyatta Avenue during drainage works. [Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard] The other day, I decided to conduct a small social experiment — one that required no more than a half-hour of my time, a keen eye and willingness to simply observe. I chose the bus stage near Garden City. A stern-faced police officer diligently managing traffic was the focus of my experiment. What I witnessed in those 30 minutes painted a telling picture of our culture and, more broadly, the gap between our aspirations and our current reality. The police officer in question looked as though…
Medical Services PS Ouma Oluga and Social Health Authority CEO Mercy Mwangangi address a press conference in Nairobi, on June 3, 2025. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard] Kenya’s health sector has always stood at the centre of public debate, and for good reason. Recently, it’s become the talk of town, with SHA becoming an acronym for corruption. It’s a conduit for siphoning money from public coffers into private hands. We have heard of hospitals the size of a mama mboga kiosk getting hundreds of millions from the fund. We heard of huge sums paid to nabobs running SHA while patients cannot access…
National Assembly Chambers during a previous session. [File, Standard] Recently, tensions within the halls of Parliament have reached a boiling point, with MPs vociferously responding to a pointed accusation from the President that they regularly dip their fingers in the jar containing our collective wealth. The President accused some MPs of accepting bribes to pass legislation, a charge that has ignited a storm of controversy and fiery exchanges. We knew these things happen but it’s always good to hear it from the very top. The situation escalated when an individual MP, seemingly annoyed by the President’s remarks and possibly seeking to defend his honour (if there…
President William Ruto and Citizen Services PS Prof. Julius Bitok at the first anniversary of the e-Citizen Directorate, KICC Nairobi. [PHOTO | EDWARD ALUSA | 28/11/2024] If there was a Nobel Prize for fighting corruption, Auditor General Nancy Gathungu should have it proudly on her shelf. She has become a one-woman anti-graft army, tirelessly exposing the ills of this country with the relentlessness of someone who actually believes accountability is possible. Unfortunately, that makes her a rare and lonely figure. Instead of being celebrated, she is insulted, harassed, and belittled by politicians whose only consistent talent is avoiding responsibility. Many treat…
Hilton slums near Gioto dumpsite in London Ward, Nakuru County, on June 18, 2025. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] Last week, I accompanied a friend and his family on one of their philanthropic visits to a school tucked deep in Rhoda slum, Nakuru. What I witnessed was not just poverty—it was a heartbreaking culture of deprivation embedded in every crevice of that community. Poverty there does not hide. It walks openly, confidently—almost as if it has taken permanent residence. The Gilani family, well-known for their quiet but impactful acts of kindness, has for years been donating school uniforms to needy children. On…
An helicopter keeping surveillance during Saba Saba protest in Kitengela on July 7th 2025. (Collins Oduor, Standard) Have you noticed there are perhaps more helicopters plying our skies than 2NK matatus to Nanyuki? The preferred mode of transport today – by our politicians especially – is up in the sky, where they do not have to interact with hoi polloi, who will still wake up at the crack of dawn to vote for them. Helicopters, once reserved for emergency evacuations and military operations are now the preferred toys of the political elite. It’s no longer surprising to spot a chopper or two landing…
Police Officers engage protestors in Kisii town on 25/6/2025 during the 1st anniversary of Gen Z killings. (Sammy Omingo, Standard) There’s a certain group I am a member of that in the recent past, had the misfortune of having at least five of us break a limb from various accidents. One, an avid biker, was involved in an accident on the highway; two in a freak accident at home; one while playing tennis and the last one, a car accident. For a small group, the numbers are statistically significant. Yet, we expect these numbers to go up in coming months…
Street families are a common sight in many cities and towns in Kenya. You will find them in dark alleys rummaging for food and scrap in bins all over the place. Nakuru City is no different and their numbers are high but the puzzling thing is the families here generally look generally healthy. I was seated somewhere the other day when a young rascal walked in with his bottle of glue stuck up his nose. But what caught my eye were his unusually rosy cheeks. He looks like he has not missed a meal in the recent past. On inquiring, I was told that…
Protestors in the streets of Nairobi after fierce confrontation with the police during the June 25 protests. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard] In the fog of war, it is easy to lose sight of the repercussions of one of the oldest ways of settling real or imagined scores. The actual suffering is not that of the people in power nor even the actual combatants – after all, the latter signed up for it. It is the so-called common people, those who have nothing to do with the war and who would rather live in peace. That is why when I saw what…
Mr Erastus Ethekon when he appeared before the selection panel in Nairobi on March 25, 2025. [Collins Oduor, Standard] Some things can only happen in Kenya. And even when they do, the initial reaction is usually one of disbelief: this cannot be happening, you tell yourself. It can’t be real. But as surely as the sun rises, your bad dreams turn into an inescapable reality that you must live with. I was watching a clip of the gentleman nominated as the IEBC chairman during his parliamentary confirmation proceedings (for that’s what they are), and I couldn’t help but admire the brazen…
Solar Panels seen on rooftop at Two Rivers Mall. January 24, 2023. [File, Standard] I have a soft spot for the environment. Nothing beats a walk in the forest where the only sounds are those of birds, crickets and the occasional wild animal, though this last sound usually makes my adrenaline kick in ready for instant flight. With a love of environment comes the love of nature. And that’s why matters climate change means a lot to me and indeed should for everyone who cares about the future. Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. With rising global temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and frequent…
President William Ruto (center) Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (right) and Opposition Leader Raila Odinga flanked by several leaders from kenya kwanza and Azimio after the signing of IEBC Bill that was developed from NADCO report into law on July 9 2024. [File, Standard] For the record, I have nothing against politicians. There are a few good ones – really few, perhaps three or four in Kenya – but the average politician is nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing and in most instances, they don’t even bother to hide their identity. I have been studying the current political realignments and the swiftness with which allegiances change. One day, this particular politician is on…
US President Donald Trump. [AFP] We live in a truly global village. What happens in some remote part of the world will impact on a whole swathe of land on the other side. It is the so-called butterfly effect. It is said when a butterfly flaps its wings somewhere in a remote pacific island, the effect might mutate into a tsunami on some other shores on the west coast of America. Or put in another way, when America – or more recently China – sneezes, the world catches pneumonia. I look at what’s happening at the global stage and there…
President William Ruto arrived in Rome, Italy, and received by Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula to join other world leaders and Catholic faithful in the funeral of Pope Francis. [Picture By PSCU] There is this gentleman from Vietnam who’s caused quite a ruckus online with his assessment of Africa and Kenya in particular. In a short write up titled “Why Asia builds and Africa waits” he lays out what is essentially the problem with Africa: governance, lack of vision and self-interest. Following a meeting he had with President William Ruto and CS Musalia Mudavadi, this gentleman called Doanh…
President William Ruto, Energy CS Opiyo Wandayi (left) and the PS Alex Wachira look at mini grid presentation ahead of the contract signing for Improved Access to Electricity through Mini-Grid and Stand-Alone Solar Systems under the Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project in Nairobi County. [PCS] I have been musing about government contracts and need for accountability on providing key details about them. We need a clear report of the contract amounts, bidding process, criteria for choosing the winner and a detailed footnote on how much government functionaries have been given under the table. That is true accountability and is the only way…
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua,during an interview with KTN at his Karen Residence on April 7, 2025. [Benard Orwongo,Standard] When a Chinese intones ‘may you live in interesting times’, they are not wishing you a future full of happiness, success and jollity: it is actually a curse. Here in Kenya, we are indeed living in interesting times, the Chinese version that is. The last couple of weeks have been nothing short of drama at the national and international stage, both literally and figuratively. A friend reckoned that the things happening here can only take place, well, here in Kenya, though the good ol’ United States of America is giving us competition,…