Kenya in the News

A quick tour of Kenya via the newspapers.

Party Politics

Good news for Kenya's leading opposition party, Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya. The Liberal Democratic Party, which is a corporate member of ODM-Kenya, has decided to scale down its party activities in support of ODM-Kenya activities. Though, the article suggests that Presidential candidate Raila Oginga Odinga is throwing his lot with ODM-Kenya, while his fellow presidential contender Kalonzo Musyoka wants LDP to maintain robust activities.

Is this a sign that Musyoka wants the option of using LDP as a vehicle for his presidential campaign if he loses the ODM-Kenya nomination? Would LDP withdraw from ODM-Kenya and leave Raila for Musyoka? Seems hard to believe....

In other news, ODM-Kenya has embraced the ruling party's macro-economic program. ODM-Kenya certainly made a stink about various privatization measures that the government was enacting, but argued the problem was that the privatized companies were being bought up by governmental cronies.

At any rate, they seemed to come out anti-business and pro-"equality." Now they claim that they are more pro-business than Narc-Kenya. Both parties are actually pretty new and it's hard for anyone to be certain about their true political and economic philosophies.

Business

The article also notes the Economist Intelligence Unit forecasts a slight drop in economic growth over the next two years due to "constrained capacity." I don't have the $200 that the Economist Intelligence Unit charges to find out just exactly what they mean by that, though I'm guessing it refers to poor physical infrastructure and the strength of financial institutions.

Capacity is also hampering oil flow in the country, leading to fuel shortages in some areas.

The roads have reached such a point that Kenyans are clammoring to pay tolls to improve them!

NYTimes Columnist Thomas Friedman has taken his World is Flat argument to Kenya. (Articles one, two, and three via Free Democracy.)

Certainly he'll be cheered by the news that the government is trying to connect schools to the internet, establishing ICT hubs in every constituency across the country, and the state-owned Telekom talks of setting up WiFi networks.

And globalization marches on as coffee houses begin to swamp Nairobi, as Sasini, the tea manufacturer now looks to become a major competitor. (Most Kenyans prefer tea to coffee; Sasini thinks it has an advantage here. But I don't know anyone who buys Sasini tea. I also don't like their commercials.)

Tribalism

Okech Kendo argues that presidential elections by runoff (50% + 1 is needed to stay in office) is the cure for tribalism. Kenya has a history (1992 and 1997) of an unpopular president who is able to stay in power through manipulation by spliting the opposition. This isn't a bad idea at all.

The pro-government forces are now advocating for the same to be true for members of Parliament, which will be more difficult for the opposition to swallow.

But I think they should consider the value of another condition that already exists. Currently, to win the presidency, you have to win at least 25% of the vote in five out of eight provinces. This too is a deterrent to tribalism. It wouldn't be hard to imagine a presidential contender that appeals heavily to the Kikuyu population and another large tribe, they could muster up the 50% and ignore other parts of Kenya.

Balancing regional interests, are, after all, what led to the creation of the Electoral College in America.

Other News

Kenya's Anti-Corruption Agency seems to be doing its work, though the Attorney General's office hasn't exactly impressed anybody with its willingness to take action.

Tanzanians are worried about Kenya, afraid that closer economic integration proposed in the East African Community will result in money, labor and capital flowing out of Tanzania and into Kenya.

My old stomping grounds of Malindi make the paper for the district hospital being disconnected from the water supply and the inevitable end of tourist season that prompts the closing of an estimated 1,200 villas and hotels, and laying off 4,000 workers.

Sadly, a deaf man gets mauled to death by lions on the eve of his wedding.