Youth activism beyond borders Odongo wekesa Africa is a youthful population, statistics show that the population of youth and children in Africa is rising. African youth are also among the most disadvantaged in the world. This ranges from economic refugees in Europe all in a bid to try and survive , to communities ravaged by the negative impacts of HIV and Aids to countries getting destroyed by election related conflicts. Conflict which increasing in the continent also affects young people more than any other age bracket. Additionally, In Sub-Saharan Africa, 3 in 5 of the total unemployed are youth (ILO 2006) and on average 72 percent of the youth population live with less than US$2 a day. Africa is also home to between seven to eight million illegal immigrants in the European Union. The contradiction   that is glaring is also that the continent has the highest deposit of natural resources, then why are African youth suffering? In a bid to create lasting change i...

Expanding access to justice through community paralegals Leonida Odongo oct 14, 2019 For many communities access to justice represents a near impossibility because of cost, distance, lack of knowledge and the fear of reprisal.  Paralegals utilise rapport and trust to increase access to justice for their clients. Despite possessing knowledge and expertise in the legal field they engage in diverse responsibilities in their communities. They advise elders and community leaders, assist individuals find lodging in cases of domestic abuse and conduct fact finding for remedies to rights violations.  Participants in this conversation sought a clearer picture of: Who is a paralegal? How to motivate them and ensure they are effective advocates? How they build trust within the communities they serve? How they solve disputes with power imbalances? How to seed their practices in other human rights sectors? Additional Resource Practition...

    The handshake between Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga on Friday 9 March 2018 shocked and surprised their respective supporters. What has left many dumbfounded is the fact that the other major key political players of both Jubilee and National Super Alliance were not privy to this meeting of the two hitherto political nemeses. Is it the beginning of a true national reconciliation process?  Introduction The first rule in politics is that “there are neither permanent friends nor permanent enemies.”  This political maxim was just proved beyond reasonable doubt when Kenya’s sworn political enemies Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga met on Friday 9 March 2018, and had a historical handshake that shocked and surprised their respective supporters.  The media is awash with speculation as to what this surprise move could portend.  What has left many dumbfounded is the fact that the other major key political players of both Jubilee a...

We have three arms of government in Kenya: 1) The Executive 2) The Legislature 3) The Judiciary       These three arms of government are supposed to be independent, complementing each other in the functions of state.The Executive is normally an elevation of members of the Legislature to new roles. You are voted in as a member of the house, get appointed to the cabinet, then join the president in the executive wing of government.Those in the Executive are meant to execute the wishes of the Legislature. In Kenya, the Executive in most cases overrides the Legislature and oftentimes operates as if it is above the law.In Kenya, the Executive governs by giving instant justice. The president directs that such and such is to be done, and like the days of Jesus, it is done. In most cases the Executive does not give a damn about the law. We have many cases where the Executive has gone against the law with impunity, such as when giving out title deeds against a court order. ...

Kiongozi wa chama cha Amani National Congress Musalia Mudavadi amesisitiza kwamba atawania kiti cha urais katika uchaguzi mkuu 2022. Mudavadi amesema amekuwa kwenye mashindano awali na atapambana hadi ashinde kiti hicho. “Ningependa kuwahakishia wafuasi wangu kwamba nipo uwanjani na nitapambana hadi mwaka 2022. Nitakuwa debeni na sina shaka kuhusu hilo,” Musalia alisema. Alisema hayo Alhamisi katika chuo kikuu cha Masinde Muliro kwenye halfa ya matanga ya Adelaide Khalwale ambaye alikuwa mkewe Boni Khalwale. Musalia alikuwa akijibu Khalwale ambaye alimsihi aungane na viongozi kutoka maeneo mengine ili kuunda serikali katika uchaguzi wa 2022.  Khalwale alisema kwamba ni vigumu sana kwa Mudavadi kufikia kileleni bila kuungwa mkono na viongozi kutoka maeneo mengine huku akisema kwamba kuwa rais katika taifa hili inagharimu sana. “Kwa sababu mimi ni kiongozi anayeheshimiwa katika jamii yangu, nimechukua hatua ya kwanza kwa kufanya urafiki na wanaziaza maarufu kutoka maene...

Help the girl child unleash her power Securing her from violence and discrimination is the first step towards securing her future. Each week at least five cases of rape and defilement are reported, while many more go unreported. How safe is the girl? It is difficult for a girl who has gone through rape, discrimination or violence to recover. And this becomes a great hindrance to her success. Participants during past celebrations to mark a past International Day of the Girl Child in Kisii county. Image:   FILE The 20th Century came with many revolutions that have brought a lot of changes and made the world a better place.  One revolution has remained constant, the rights of the girl child. Many countries, NGOs, unions and corporates have joined the battle to help  the girl win her rights.  For years, the girl was denied her basic rights, such as education.  She was expected to do house chores as the boy attended scho...

 Uhuru clueless about PS reshuffle list? Who is doing what and where and to whom in the world of politics • Was President Uhuru Kenyatta kept in the dark on how the list of the Principal Secretaries he reshuffled in September? •The troubles of a lawmaker, who is teetering on the edge after his party threatened to unseat him, are far from over. President Uhuru Kenyatta./FILE Was  President  Uhuru Kenyatta  kept in the dark on compilation of the list of Principal Secretaries he reshuffled in September? Corridors overheard two senior government officials at a famous city club, discussing in low tones how two powerful individuals with huge influence on the President’s decisions were the ones who generated the list of the PSs. The PSs were moved to what were seen to be less lucrative posts. Then the two officials asked the head of state to approve the list before the changes were communicated to the public. At the club, the offi...

Luhya evictions: Don't set foot in Western, MPs warn Ruto Osotsi said they will not tolerate the inhumane manner the eviction has been carried out. • The leaders appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene saying a number of students sitting this years national examination risks missing the all important exams. • Ruto has been a frequent visitor in Western region and is expected to attend burial of former Kakamega senator Boni Khalwale first wife in Ikolomani on Saturday. Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala,ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna,Saboti MP Caleb Hamisi and Nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi during a press briefing on October 10,2019/DOUGLAS OKIDDY Six MPs from Western have warned DP William Ruto not to set foot in the region after the eviction of members of Luhya community in Nandi. Led by Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala, the six said Ruto is unwelcomed in Western so long as the evicted Luhyas are not given back their land. Close to 1,500 fa...