The Kenyan Observer
From Kenya to the World
Embedded Files
Email us: observerkenyan@gmail.com
5 Ways To Manage Political Risk Through Government Communication
A highly politicized environment carries an existential risk for the government; it increases the government's reliance on securing public support to maintain legitimacy and effectiveness. In the absence of public support, the government is at risk of falling. This, in turn, is a national security risk. The remedy for this is strategic government communication that is professional, transparent, and citizen-focused. Read more.
Ruto’s "Shoot Them in the Legs" Order is Unconstitutional AF
There are things a president should never, ever say. “Shoot them in the legs” is one of those things. The Constitution of Kenya 2010 is not a suggestion. It is the supreme law of the land. When the president orders security forces to shoot civilians (whether in the chest, the head, or the legs), he is in breach of the Constitution. Under Kenyan law, the President cannot lawfully order police to shoot Kenyans in the legs. It's unconstitutional AF. Read more.
Being a leader is a journey made up of choices, routines, and the small decisions we make every day; it is not a title or a selfie moment. Hype and glitz, along with the deceit and shallowness that characterise leadership, were left behind at the Ongata Rongai Chapter's 2025 Global Leadership Summit. Instead, the emphasis was on genuine introspection and the straightforward realities that define leaders. Read more.
When The State Is A Criminal Enterprise
Veteran human rights advocate and former legislator Gitobu Imanyara dissects the Lagat affair to expose the full-blown criminal capture of the Kenyan state. From bold-faced lies in Parliament to the brazen protection of the implicated, Imanyara lays bare a chilling portrait of a government that has weaponized institutions, normalized impunity, and dares its people to resist. In this Op Ed he issues a rallying call for citizens to reclaim their republic. Read more.
Relations between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces deteriorated sharply in 2023, culminating in the RSF’s designation as a rebel group. The irony is stark: a force organized, trained, and legitimized by Khartoum to execute its genocidal campaign in Darfur has now turned its weapons against the state that created it. Read more.
Why Musk, the conqueror of Twitter, and Trump, the Colonizer of the Republican Party, Came To Blows
They came from different galaxies. Donald Trump, a Manhattan real estate baron turned political insurgent, thrived on chaos, grievance, and the illusion of past greatness. Elon Musk, born in Pretoria, and raised on tech, projected a future of space travel and AI merging with humans.
Both men were adored by segments of the internet that conflate wealth with wisdom. Both excelled at shaping spectacle. Both rejected traditional authority and positioned themselves as self-made saviors. But their brief alliance, forged in the fires of culture wars and amplified by algorithm, was always destined to disintegrate. Not because of betrayal. But because they were never building toward the same horizon. Read more.
Njamba Nene, Murathi, and Dream Weaver: Celebrating Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
Is Ngũgĩ a saint? Saints are usually declared posthumously. No living human being can be a saint, like the ones I believe are found in the ancestral land beyond.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiongo, Murathi, Njamba Nene, Dream Weaver, Interpreter, I dare not salute you with a mere five ululations.
As a revolutionary son of the African soil, we salute you with twenty-one Ngemi. You have lived a life echoing the Somali proverb: “Wisdom does not come overnight.” Read more.
My Soul Begins To Flower, Poetry by Kingwa Kamencu
This collection has a rhythm, and it is divided into three acts. The first act is a full-body experience in which Kingwa comes out swinging—no warm-up, no hesitation. She blasts you with vivid, raw sexual imagery that reads less like poetry and more like invocation.
Erotica so startling, you will not want to read this book alone or passively. Advisably, you should have a lover nearby. Or on speed dial. Or an implement.
Or your own trembling hands. Read more.
A Taste of Power: The Illiberal Democracy of Riggy G
Rigathi Gachagua’s re-entry into national politics, cloaked in opposition rhetoric, is less about institutional renewal and more a return to authoritarian populism masked as regional mobilisation.
Gachagua’s politics align with what Fareed Zakaria once termed “illiberal democracy”: a system in which elected leaders subvert democratic norms, shrink civic space, and weaponize public institutions, all while claiming popular legitimacy. His leadership style also fits the mould of competitive authoritarianism, a term used by political scientists Levitsky and Way to describe regimes that appear democratic on paper but operate through coercion, co-optation, and systemic manipulation of opponents. Read more.
Trump’s Middle East Tour: Transactional Diplomacy, and That Jet
Trump’s Middle East tour was less a campaign of foreign policy than a demonstration of what political theorist Colin Crouch calls “post-democracy”: a condition where democratic institutions remain, but real decisions are made behind closed doors, often by elites with overlapping business and political interests.
We are witnessing a shift from state-to-state diplomacy to person-to-person patronage, where loyalty, leverage, and legacy-building outweigh the long game of institutional cooperation. Read more.
Why Raila’s Political Deals Are Not A Betrayal
When Kenya’s most enduring political force speaks, even his enemies listen. Raila Odinga’s latest warning to President Ruto is a reminder of who still defines the terms of Kenya’s political conversation. Read more.
Gachagua’s Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) is a classic case of an idea undermined by poor communication, a bunch of linguistic missteps, terribly weak symbolism, and a questionable brand proposition. In Kenya, party names, slogans, colours, logos, and chants matter, but the good people working for Gachagua seem to imagine they are incidental. Politics is about emotion, rhythm, and memory. Gachagua’s new party lacks all three. Read more
Our cartoonist, Bwana Mdogo, casts a cynical, satirical eye on the hiring practices of the Kenya Kwanza administration. Read more.
Bill Gates wants you to know he’s planning to give away almost all his money within the next 20 years. Gates, Warren Buffett, and other oligarchs operate by a simple mantra: evade taxes now, hoard the cash, play savior later.
Meanwhile, some poor kid in rural Texas or sub-Saharan Africa is dead because they couldn't get the life-saving treatment they needed due to inadequate funding of healthcare. For that kid, and millions like them worldwide who are being killed by poverty while billionaires and the corporations they run hoard trillions of dollars they colluded with local politicians not to pay taxes on, the Gates Foundation means nothing. Read more.
Omamo paints a vivid picture of the Kisumu massacre by Jomo Kenyatta’s bodyguards: “The shooting spree continued along the Kisumu-Nairobi road. Even 24 kilometers away at Ahero market, a man was shot dead as he ran empty handed to cheer the passing Presidential motorcade. Poor fellow, he did not know why he was shot, all he knew was that he was dying. No one dared raise any question in Parliament about the Kisumu incident and the excesses that followed. No one dared apply for compensation for families of the innocent dead. No one to this day," Read more.
On June 25th, 2024, Kenya witnessed a historic rupture—one that tore through Parliament, shredded public trust, and left democracy on life support. In this searing account, Gitobu Imanyara calls out the silence, the lies, and the state-sanctioned violence that tried to crush a people’s cry for justice. This is not a tale of riots—it is a record of repression. Read more.
In a disturbing twist that blurs the line between law and authoritarianism, Kenyan satirist Titus Wekesa Sifuna is facing criminal charges—for daring to be funny. This young Kenyan should not be facing a judge or magistrate—he should be facing a Ministry of Education scholarship or the Public Service Commission Committee and offered a job. Because what he has demonstrated is not criminal intent, but critical thinking. Courage. Creativity. And a willingness to speak truth to power using the tools of his generation. Read more.
When feeder roads are paved without county input, it’s not development—it’s constitutional sabotage. National road agencies KURA and KERA are sidelining local governments, undermining Kenya’s devolution dream, and centralizing power by stealth. Governors Anyang’ Nyong’o and James Orengo need our support: if counties don’t fight back, the Second Liberation may be lost under a fresh coat of bitumen. Read more.
There is a quiet revolution taking place in Ethiopia. Away from the noise of political punditry and outside the narrow gaze of western media narratives, Ethiopia is steadily crafting a new future. It is doing so with strategic investments in aviation and infrastructure, an unrelenting commitment to national sovereignty, and a profound societal strength anchored in the beautiful spirit of its women.Read more.
Contributor Nelly Nyangorora reviews Beninese writer Marcus Boni Teiga's book, which reveals how Luos are linked to West Africa, North Africa, and ancient India, and reveals colonialism's conspiracy to erase, distort, and oversimplify African history. Read more.
At Peking University, President William Ruto set out a bold vision for Africa’s role in reimagining global governance, innovation, and diplomacy. It is a manifesto for an Africa that no longer asks for permission to lead — but seizes its place as an architect of the future.Read more.
Kisumu Governor Dismantles Senator Kajwang's Neoliberal Fantasy:
"I don't think Hon. Kajwang's idea will help us. It is a knee-jerk reaction of an accountant mesmerised by the game of easy calculation of figures".Read more.
Ruto is many things, but one thing he is not is a steward of the 2010 Constitution. To the contrary, he is its most persistent saboteur. Every attempt Ruto makes to consolidate power is an assault on the very architecture of the constitution that Raila sacrificed for. Ruto’s fingerprints are on every failed attempt to override, undermine, or buy out the Constitution that bears Raila's legacy. At some point, Baba must walk away from their handshake.Read more.
My friend Fred, in his description of our leaders, pulls no punches: "Our leaders spit on us every morning, insult us at lunchtime and piss on us at night going to bed, but our people still vote for them!! Look at what Raila Odinga has done; a deal with Ruto despite all the atrocious acts that Ruto did, is doing, and will do." Read more.
America spends four times more on its military than it does on education. China spends four times more on education than it does on its military. Kenya—and Africa more broadly—is not even in the same conversation. We don’t just copy colonial education systems—we also photocopy failing ones. We emulate the West’s worst habits while ignoring the strategy behind them Read more.
While Washington and Beijing draw battle lines, Africa stands not as collateral—but as the world’s next card to play. And for once, the dealer’s table has a seat open.
You can live as you wish. You can dress, transition, and identify as your soul requires. But you cannot demand that others surrender their understanding of reality to validate your own. That’s not inclusion—it’s epistemic domination. The more we let identity trump truth, the more we hollow out the very foundations of rights-based justice. Read more.
President William Ruto’s upcoming trip to China isn’t just another diplomatic excursion — it’s a test of whether Africa is ready to think as a bloc, act with strategy, and negotiate without fear. This isn’t about bilateral handshakes and stadium photos. This is about setting a new tone: one where African dignity is not traded for infrastructure, and African vision is not outsourced for aid.
Kenya may be the one at the table, but the meal — and the message — should be continental. Read more.
What happened at Melvin Jones Hall in Nakuru on April 10, 2025, is not just a policy failure but a national disgrace. It is a scar on our democratic conscience and a brutal assault on our children’s right to think, speak, and dream. Even Daniel arap Moi, whose name is synonymous with repression, never went so far as to teargas schoolgirls. This, now, is the grotesque new face of “freedom” under Kenya Kwanza. Read more.
Antonio Gramsci warned that when ruling elites feel threatened by bottom-up pressure, they often don the language of rebellion not to empower the people, but to neutralize real change. As he wrote: “The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters.”
We are witnessing such monsters: tribal apologists disguised as reformers, recycling old grievances in trendy language. They have no real ideology, no plan, no coalition for progress. Just bitterness wrapped in slogans, and a frightening comfort with negative ethnicity. Some openly propose excluding entire regions from a future government—not because of their politics, but because of their ethnic identity. This isn’t revolutionary. It’s reactionary.Read more.
Kenya is not some fragile economy scrambling for scraps. We are the anchor state of East Africa. We boast a vibrant private sector, cutting-edge innovation hubs, and some of the most skilled young professionals on the continent. Yet, in the face of trade aggression from the United States—disguised in polite diplomatic language—we find our Trade CS excusing the slap on our exports as “not the worst". Read more.
African leaders must protect their farmers and industries, demand transparency in trade deals, and stop exporting raw materials only to reimport them as overpriced finished goods. Trump’s tariffs may be a blunt instrument, but they carry an unspoken challenge to developing nations: define your economic interests—or have them defined for you. Read more.
UNHCR and other international bodies must stop treating labor migration as an inevitability and start addressing it as a crisis. The AU cannot remain silent while African citizens are trafficked and brutalized. It must demand accountability from governments that prioritize remittances over human lives. Read more.
Kenya's political system bends to the interests of the elite and the majority tribes. Senator Omtatah's proposal is compelling: a shift toward a system similar to the U.S. electoral college, where the president is elected based on votes from the county level. Read more.
The Maasai rotated grazing lands for centuries, ensuring pastures had time to recover and preventing land degradation. Then came the "experts" who decided that settling in one place was "modern." The result? Overgrazing, desertification, and the slow destruction of a system that had worked perfectly. Now, the same scientists who dismissed Maasai methods are "discovering" the benefits of rotational grazing. Read more.
At the heart of our political delusion is the belief that true leadership is selfless—that a good leader should seek nothing for themselves. This is nonsense. No one ascends to power without some form of personal interest. Read more.
The U.S. and Israel have considered resettling Palestinians in African countries. This idea is not only a blatant disregard for Palestinian rights but also an insult to Africa’s sovereignty and stability. Read more.
The Gen Z activists who initially took to Kenya’s streets with idealism, intelligence, and a demand for systemic change now appear to have lost their way. Read more.
Kenya’s most consequential politician, Raila Odinga, has once again chosen the path of pragmatism over political dogfights. Read more.
The descendants of Africa’s colonizers are working to shape economic and political realities to their advantage.
Without a clear, coordinated effort by Africa, they will find new ways to re-colonize the continent under the guise of business partnerships and aid. Read more.
Kenya’s handling of the Sudan Peace Process has been met with praise and criticism, particularly regarding its engagement with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Sudanese authorities have protested Kenya’s hosting of RSF and its activities within Kenya, raising concerns about potential bias. Read more.
In the age of AI, clear communication and good writing are more important than ever.
The outcome was ultimately shaped by entrenched regional alliances rooted in language, religion, geography, and trade interests—factors far beyond Nairobi’s control. Read more.
End the Suspicion: Kenyan Somalis Deserve Their Full Rights
Let Kenyan Somalis get their IDs without unnecessary obstacles and delays. Read more.
AI will change your life. Here's what you need to know. Read more.
Kenya’s foreign policy is in a profound crisis. It is unwilling to adapt to Africa’s evolving political landscape. Read more.
Francis Gaitho's strategy of threatening senior opposition leaders is a funny way to bring about change. It's also undemocratic and possibly stupid. It's certainly crazy. Definitely not helpful. Read more
Thief makes a bold escape into the bush. Officers hurl insults at the vagabond.
How a presidential letter unleashed the Silicon Savannah
Inside Mutahi Kagwe's battle to build Kenya's first fiber optic cable
Biden visits Africa, but is it too little too late?
What is instructive in Chinese ascendancy in the global economy is not only the obvious consistency and resilience, but also years, if not decades, of a top-notch global strategy that has literally left the West in the dust.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse