This archive report was first published on 30 October 2019.
As Nairobi's Eastlands area undergoes a massive development project, Ken Butiko sees it as an opportunity for the government to plan and deliver decent and affordable housing. The Eastlands urban renewal plan aims to transform 3,000 acres of old estates into a modern housing project, incorporating essential social amenities such as schools, dispensaries, playing fields, and social halls.
Published on October 30, 2019, this development project is expected to dramatically change the face of Nairobi's populous Eastlands area. Butiko emphasizes the importance of ensuring that land for social amenities is not grabbed, as it was in the past.
Meanwhile, the country is facing an economic meltdown of monumental proportions, warns Chris Kiriba. He sees parallels with the Great Depression of the 1920s and '30s in the US, where many people lost their jobs and lived in squalor. Kiriba urges the government to take practical and pragmatic steps to address the situation, similar to the 'New Deal' implemented in the US.
The idyllic coastal port town of Mombasa is a thriving commercial centre, says Alnashir Walji. Its Swahili heritage is evident in its fine and durable architecture and the people's mode of dress. However, an uneasy calm prevails as the residents go about their daily business with the spectre of terrorism hovering over the town.
Kenyans are deeply resilient in the face of adversity, remarks Njeri Njuguna. However, she fears that this strength of character is beginning to work against them and not for them. Njuguna expresses concern over the vetting of police officers for corruption, which she believes has become an exercise in futility.
By underfunding the Judiciary, Geoffrey Sendeu warns, the country will be effectively slamming the brakes on the gallant fight being waged by Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti and the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji against the ills that afflict the country.
Who better to wish the KCPE and KCSE candidates success as they tackle the tests than university don X.N. Iraki? He advises them to 'treat exams as a rite of passage, a transition to maturity and an opportunity to prove yourself to the world.'
