So on May 3, World Press Freedom Day, Freedom House got us to wake up and smell the coffee about the state of media freedom. It released a report revealing that press freedom has fallen to its lowest level in over a decade globally, and only one in six people live in countries with a free press […]
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A Farewell: Kenya’s Kibaki, And The Making Of An African ‘Minimalist Presidency’
Whether or not a clear winner emerges from Monday’s March 4 Kenya election, thus avoiding a second-round run-off in April, one thing is for sure: In State House, President Mwai Kibaki will be packing his last suitcases, preparing to clear out. A lot has been said about what Kibaki’s legacy will be; how the disputed […]
Why Male Golfers Hate Women, And That Little Matter Of The Castration Complex : Outrage At Kenya’s Limuru Country Club
Why do male golfers hate women? A few days ago, Kenya’s Limuru Country Club expelled three female golfers for opposing a new a rule denying women a voice and a vote in the general assembly – and then speaking about it to the media! It doesn’t matter what the status of the three women are, […]
As Kenya Elections Near, Some Struggle To Find Their Place In The Homeland – It’s A Story Well Told
Kenya’s first presidential debate aired on Monday February 11. Reports say it was easily the most watched local TV event of recent years in Kenya. I guess it would not have been a genuine Kenyan debate if, as it did, it didn’t linger a little long on the question of ethnicity/tribalism. But maybe that also […]
Why East Africa – And The World – Can Chill A Little As Kenya Leaders Cook Up Political Deals
There was a dramatic rush in the Kenyan capital Nairobi last Tuesday (December 4, 2012) to beat the deadline for registering coalitions for the March 4, 2013 General Election.When the dust settled, the rest of East Africa, which had been worrying itself to death about Kenya having another violent election as it did in 2007/2008 thus […]
Goree Slave Trade Island: A Tragic History, Beggars In The Water, And The Shame Of Africa
Goree Island, Senegal: The former slave outpost of Goree Island is a troubling place. From here, over one million slaves were shipped to the Americas over a period of nearly 200 years. The slave trade itself lasted longer, nearly 350 years, during which time it’s estimated that nearly 25 million slaves were shipped from Africa. […]
Meles Zenawi; Encounters With The Good, Bad, And Ugly Faces Of African Power
When Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died on August 20, he took with him not just a secret about himself, but also about other strongmen-cum-reformist African leaders. That secret – or rather mystery – is why they resort to pulling fingernails and become intolerant of dissident – when they don’t have to and could do […]
