This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
Kenya is a nation that is always politicking, with the next elections seemingly just around the corner, despite being several years away. This is according to Stephen Kathurima, who notes that the current unofficial political duel between Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga is dominating national debate, even though the latter has not yet declared his interest in running for president in the 2022 General Election.
As a result, the major challenges affecting citizens have been pushed to the back burner, with Kathurima calling for a law to ban politics in churches and funerals to be enacted. He believes that this would help to focus attention on the real issues facing the country.
Meanwhile, in Lamu County, residents are eagerly awaiting the construction of a second major port, which they hope will bring benefits to all citizens, rather than being a curse. However, Jidale Abubakar is disappointed that the management of Lapsset and local politicians appear unwilling to promote equality, justice, and transparency in the project. He claims that jobs are being given to local politicians to buy their support ahead of the launch.
Renewal of a passport at the Immigration Department in Nyayo House, Nairobi, is supposed to take about two weeks, but Ameyo Wereh has been waiting for three months and counting. He believes that this is just another example of the delivery of shoddy services in the public sector, which badly inconveniences applicants and sometimes throws their plans into disarray.
Finally, John T. Mukui has a humorous take on the crime industry, which he summarizes as having four main ways of getting money: earning, begging, borrowing, and stealing. He notes that the crime industry requires that 'Thou shalt not be found out' and its corollary, 'If found out, deny, deny, deny'.
