Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu. [File, Standard] Kenya is facing a brutal cost-of-living crisis, strained public services, ballooning debt and an education system where hundreds of thousands of Grade One learners are unable to report to school because their parents cannot raise basic school fees. Yet, in the middle of this hardship, national and county governments continue to haemorrhage billions of shillings on so-called “retreats” and “benchmarking trips” that deliver little to no value to the taxpayer. Over the last decade, government audit reports and parliamentary briefings have repeatedly flagged excessive spending on travel, accommodation, conferencing and per diems. Conservative estimates from…
Author: By Thomas Musau
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka during a past political rally in Makueni. [File, Standard] Kenya’s opposition politics has reached a defining moment. With the 2027 General Election steadily approaching, the idea of a “united opposition” can no longer remain a rhetorical comfort or a last-minute electoral tactic. History has repeatedly shown that alliances hurriedly stitched together on the eve of elections are fragile, incoherent and ultimately self-defeating. If the opposition is serious about presenting a credible alternative to President William Ruto, then the most urgent and strategic decision it must make is to choose its presidential candidate now — not later. .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute; top: -80px; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 60px;…
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka during a past political rally in Makueni. [File, Standard] Kenya’s opposition politics has reached a defining moment. With the 2027 General Election steadily approaching, the idea of a “united opposition” can no longer remain a rhetorical comfort or a last-minute electoral tactic. History has repeatedly shown that alliances hurriedly stitched together on the eve of elections are fragile, incoherent and ultimately self-defeating. If the opposition is serious about presenting a credible alternative to President William Ruto, then the most urgent and strategic decision it must make is to choose its presidential candidate now — not later. Bold Reporting Takes Time, Courage and Investment. Stand With Us. Continue Reading…
Dear Honourable Musalia Mudavadi, I write this open letter in strong support of your recent call for a constitutional review and a cost-effective referendum to be held alongside the 2027 polls. Your intervention comes at a decisive moment in Kenya’s constitutional journey — one marked not by political convenience, but by a looming legal and constitutional crisis that threatens the very legitimacy of the next election. Follow The Standard channel on WhatsApp Now, as the country approaches what you have aptly described as a Referendum Moment, there is a glaring political omission that must be confronted head-on, the continued exclusion of Kenyans in the Diaspora.…
Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka view the body of the Former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga during the State Funeral Service at the Nyayo National Stadium on October 17, 2025. Raila passed on in India while on a treatment.[Boniface Okendo, Standard] Politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum. And for close to two years now, Kenya has lived with a glaring opposition vacuum, created after the 2022 elections and deepened by what many Kenyans view as the political compromise of Raila Odinga by President William Ruto’s regime. That vacuum, however, is beginning to close. Recent events, particularly former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka’s televised interview…
Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka view the body of the Former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga during the State Funeral Service at the Nyayo National Stadium on October 17, 2025. Raila passed on in India while on a treatment.[Boniface Okendo, Standard] Politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum. And for close to two years now, Kenya has lived with a glaring opposition vacuum, created after the 2022 elections and deepened by what many Kenyans view as the political compromise of Raila Odinga by President William Ruto’s regime. That vacuum, however, is beginning to close. Recent events, particularly former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka’s televised interview…
The late Rt. Raila Odinga met experts in the Broadbased coalition together with Parliamentary Leadership to consult on national and emerging issues.[Emmanuel Wanson,Standard] The so-called “broad-based government” born out of the ODM–UDA political handshake was always a fragile construction—an arrangement stitched together in haste, lacking ideological coherence, structural clarity, and, most crucially, a succession blueprint. It was marketed as a stabilising mechanism during a national political transition, but in truth, it exposed the deep contradictions embedded within both formations. Today, with Raila Odinga’s passing and the reverberations still unsettling the political landscape, the pact stands exposed: shaky and on the verge of…
Wiper Patriotic Front Leader Kalonzo Musyoka arrives at the compound of the Late Raila Odinga in Bondo, as he condoles with the family. [Dennis Kavisu, Standard] In Kenya’s political theatre, symbolism often speaks louder than extolled manifestos. Last Thursday’s visit of Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka to the historic Opoda farm in Bondo, hosted by Siaya Governor James Orengo, has ignited speculation and excitement across the country. Beneath the warm handshakes and photographs lies a deeper political undercurrent—one that could redefine the 2027 succession race and the very fabric of the Opposition. .fade-out-overlay { position: absolute; top: -80px; left: 0;…
United opposition led by Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka during a press briefing in Nairobi on 31st July 2025. [File, Standard] As Kenyans in the diaspora prepare to host Wiper party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka in the United Kingdom, mid this month, there are growing voices back home urging him to change into a more combative leader. That he should shout louder and trade insults with political rivals to appear “strong” enough for the presidency. But such calls are misguided. They misunderstand who Dr Musyoka is and the kind of leadership Kenya truly needs. Dr Musyoka is fine the way he is.…
Security officers keep vigil at Mvita tallying centre, Mombasa. [File, Standard] A recent gazette notice by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), has deeply unsettled Kenyans living abroad. The notice announced continuous voter registration across the 290 constituencies, but went on to state that: “The Commission shall issue a notice for the commencement of registration of citizens as voters and the regular revision of the voters’ roll for citizens residing outside the country and prisoners.” This phrasing effectively lumps Kenyans in the diaspora with prisoners, placing them in the same category of restricted or exceptional citizens. For millions of…
Former President Mwai Kibaki signs the new constitution into law at a public function witnessed by the nation at Uhuru Park, Nairobi. [Courtesy] Fifteen years since the 2010 Constitution was promulgated, the document remains a powerful symbol of national renewal and democratic aspiration. Yet, as the Kenya Diaspora Technical Working Group (DTWG) rightly observes in its statement on Katiba @15, for the millions of Kenyans abroad, this promise remains incomplete. The Constitution was meant to transcend borders and unite all citizens under one framework of dignity, equity and participation. However, for the diaspora, its implementation has been partial at best,…