How to give a voice to citizens in evidence-informed policy processes.

Citizens have a vital role in shaping health policies that affect their lives. However, much remains to be done to make policies more responsive to their needs and values. Engaging citizens in evidence-informed policy-making (EIP) greatly contributes to gaining insights into their perspectives, preferences, and

AfCFTA competition protocol: Balancing opportunities and challenges for digital platforms in Africa

The vision of a united Africa is realised through the establishment of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the world’s largest Free Trade Area (FTA), encompassing 55 countries and representing all African Union (AU) member states. The practical implementation of the AfCFTA has the

Keeping Your Finger on the Pulse

The 14-member bipartisan talks committee, co-chaired by Tharaka MP George Murugara and his Rarienda counterpart Otiende Amollo, has met with a bid to jumpstart the stalled talks.  President Ruto appointed Bishop Dr David Oginde as the new Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission chairperson.  President Ruto announced

PAC engagements: Preview the Auditor-General’s report 2020/2021 examination

The National Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is responsible for the examination of the accounts showing the appropriations of the sum voted by the House to meet the public expenditure and of such other accounts laid before the House. It comprises 15 Members of Parliament

Kenya should take action to control declining agricultural production and curb food imports

Kenya recorded a decline in the growth of the agricultural sector last year, on account of unfavourable weather conditions that led to a reduction in both crops and livestock performance. The production of maize in 2022 was 3,204,000 tonnes, which is a drop, compared to

What Joe Biden’s envoy told Raila, Gachagua

Kenya What Joe Biden’s envoy told Raila, Gachagua Opposition leader Raila Odinga stuck to his guns in a meeting with a United States delegation seeking a truce, as it emerged Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua flatly rejected any overtures to have him join the government. While

Safaricom confirms Fawzia Ali as Chief Consumer Business Officer

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa has appointed Fawzia Ali as Chief Consumer Business Officer effective 15th March 2023. Ms Ali has held this role in an acting capacity since July 2022 and has provided exemplary leadership and inspiration to the team during this period. In a

Curbing healthcare brain drain: A look at the proposed migration workforce policy

In a recently leaked Cabinet memo, the Ministry of Health signaled its plans to initiate and put in place restrictions to deter unemployed medics from seeking employment opportunities abroad. The major reason cited by the ministry for this approach is the shortage of health workers

24th February 2023 County Round Up

  LAIKIPIA The Governor of Nyandarua County has appointed various persons to be members of an ad hoc committee to consider and advise on the recommendation for the conferment of municipality status to Nanyuki Town for a period of 1 year, with effect from 6th

24th February 2023 Kenya Gazette

Legislative Supplements, 2023 The National Youth Council (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The Public Order (Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, West Pokot, Samburu and Laikipia Counties) Curfew Order No. 1 of 2023. The Public Order (Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, West Pokot, Samburu and Laikipia Counties) Curfew Order No.

10th February 2023 Kenya Gazette

New Appointments The New Kenya Co-Operative Creameries- David Maina Kamiru (Chairperson) The New Kenya Planters Co-Operative Union- Daniel Chemno (Chairperson) The Kenya Industrial Estates- Lily Ng’ok (Chairperson) Kenyatta National Hospital- Samier Muravvej (Dr .) (Chairperson) The National Housing Corporation- Yusuf Chanzu (Chairperson) Competition Authority- Shaka

Misuse and abuse of controlled substance: Measures for a drug-free future

A controlled substance is generally a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession, or use is regulated by a government, such as illicitly used drugs or prescription medications that are designated by law.  They are tightly controlled by the government because they may be abused or

Taming global warming: Light at the end of the tunnel as Ozone layer recovery on track

A recent report by the UN concluded that the Ozone layer is on track to recovery. This is a plausible milestone that has been made possible by all the sustainability enthusiasts who have been tirelessly spreading the gospel on climate change and the need for

13th January County Round Up

  BOMET The Governor of Bomet County has gazetted the County Pending Bills Ad Hoc Committee, 2022, to verify and audit pending bills, advise and guide the county government on settlement of the said bills and prepare a report. BUSIA The Speaker of Busia County

WHICH WAY THE HUSTLER FUND?

The Kenya Kwanza Government rode to office largely on the hope that millions of enterprising Kenyans within the MSME space will get an opportunity to change their fortunes. The now-christened “Hustler Fund” has been touted by its supporters as the foundational niche to spur economic

The year in review: Highlights of key legislative and policy updates

The year 2022 saw the introduction of several legislative and regulatory updates. Similarly, Kenya launched some notable policies and strategies whose implementation will impact both the private and public sectors. As 2022 draws to a close, we look back at some of the key legislative

Tips for mainstreaming sustainability among employees

To enjoy success, every organisation must ensure that its employees understand, own, and support its sustainability agenda. Companies must, therefore, engage their employees and carry them along the journey as ambassadors and champions of the sustainability agenda. As Doug Conant – former President and CEO

 Assessing progress: A Look at Kenya’s National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is critical for the achievement of the country’s development goals. It provides information on implementation progress of a programme/project and the extent to which an intervention is realising its intended results. M&E thus provides important information in a continuous learning process

Transitioning the Kenya Kwanza Manifesto to Policy Instruments

The Kenya Kwanza coalition will need to develop close to 200 policy instruments to implement its manifesto if it manages to take over the Government.  An analysis of its key interventions by Vellum indicates that the coalition would need to implement 195 policy instruments to

What will cross border transfers on the African continent look like under the AU Data Policy Framework?

For digital trade to occur, data has to be moved across borders. While data accumulation can be a safe and secure way to manage data, hoarding data without means to use, exchange, or repurpose in a safe manner can create underutilisation risks, which may decrease

What August 9th General Election means to the East African Community

Kenya’s electioneering season is now in its final stretch. On August 9, voters will head to polling stations across the country and in the diaspora to cast their votes. A peaceful General Election in Kenya will strengthen regional stability. The country needs a leader who

Towards net-zero: The shift to electric mobility in Kenya is gaining momentum

The announcement by Kenya Power to start building charging ports for electric vehicles has renewed the conversation on e-mobility in Kenya. Beginning next month, Kenya Power is set to commence the construction of electric charging systems for homes, businesses, and the public across the country.

Creating Tax Certainty: A look at the Kenya Draft National Tax Policy

The only feasible way to get money to pay for government expenditure on the products and services that most of us need is through taxes. However, establishing an effective and fair tax system is far from easy, especially for developing nations that seek to integrate

Dispatch from Cabinet: Executed Policy Action Points

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday, May 12, 2022, chaired a session of the nation’s apex policy organ ‐ Cabinet ‐ at State House, Nairobi. The Cabinet considered the state of the economy within the context of the 2022 Economic Survey.  In 2021, the Kenyan economy

A look at the Critical Infrastructure Protection Policy

Critical infrastructure assets are designated assets or facilities, whether owned by private or public entities which are designated as essential to the provision of vital services to Kenyans for their social and economic wellbeing. These assets, if destroyed, degraded or rendered unavailable, would impact on

Kenya’s Cybersecurity Priorities in a Post-Covid World

Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) with the support of UK’s Digital Access Programme convened a round table meeting to deliberate on Kenya’s common cybersecurity priorities in a post Covid-19 world and to consolidate the various stakeholder priorities to inform the country’s cybersecurity strategies. Currently, Kenya

The Government should have Grain Growers in mind and stand up for Kenya’s interests in Global Alcoholic Policy debate

By: Anthony Kioko The World Health Organization (WHO) is in the midst of developing a Global Alcohol Action Plan (GAAP) with the goal of reducing the harmful use of alcohol across the world. On Friday October 8, 2021, member states will be reviewing the 2nd

The Four R’s of COVID-19: ‘Relief; Repair; Reboot and Revolutionism’

By Jason Braganza The global Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented shock hopefully many of us will not be alive to see another as disruptive and pervasive as this one. A health crisis that shut down the entire global economic and trading ecosystem for close to

Highlights of Kenya’s proposed National Addressing Law and Policy

The National Communications Secretariat is currently collecting views on the draft National Addressing Policy and the draft National Addressing Bill, 2021. These two instruments will enable the creation of a National Addressing Framework. This is a framework that will provide for the naming, numbering and

What’s up WhatsApp? The truth behind the new privacy policy

Introduction WhatsApp is a free, multiplatform messaging app that lets you make video and voice calls, send text messages, and more with just a Wi-Fi connection. It is owned by Facebook (Facebook acquired it in 2014 for US$19.3 billion)  and currently has over 12 million

BBI at a glance: Uniting Kenya through legal and policy reforms

The Steering Committee on the implementation of the Building Bridges Initiative made recommendations on the implementation of the Report, which are structured in the following thematic areas: Constitutional; Legislative; Policy; and Administrative. Proposed Constitutional Reforms Chapter Two on formative aspects of the Republic. This chapter

Highlights of policy reforms proposed in the BBI report

The Steering Committee made Policy Reforms proposals to effectively implement the recommendations in the BBI report. The Committee was not able to develop the multiple policies, so they developed a set of doctrines as well as policy intervention guides for each identified priority policy area.

The Inclusive Africa Virtual Conference 2020.

inABLE hosted the first-ever virtual Inclusive Africa Conference on the 8th and 9th of October, 2020. The two-day conference brought together global and local experts from different sectors to showcase inclusive design, mobile accessibility, and digital accessibility in primary and high school education, higher education, financial services, social media, employment and more.

Big wins for SMEs

Banking on technological advances in standards
application, KEBS has also committed to supporting
MSMEs to adopt ICT and adapt to the digital
revolution by exploiting tech opportunities such as
cloud computing and data analytics, among others.

Should children and adolescents have access to reproductive health care services?

Kenya has a National Policy on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) developed in 2003 and reviewed in 2015. It is said that the Policy laid the foundation for development of related policies, strategies and guidelines on ASRH as well as enhanced partnerships between government, private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and civil society organizations (CSOs).

KQ forecast: Cloudy with a chance of administration

Kenya Airways(KQ) has suffered a turbulent ride in the recent past with the COVID-19 pandemic only sinking the airline further into distress. As a result of the global pandemic the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has forecasted a 29-billion dollar loss from passenger revenues and somewhere in this statistical figure must lie the approximation of 400 -500 million dollars that KQ likely to lose according to the CEO Allan Kilavuka.

Digital Economy Strategy highlights

The Ministry of ICT (MoICT) has released the draft Digital Economy Strategy which focuses on six pillars

Part 2: The Reproductive Healthcare Bill, 2019

The question of right to terminate a pregnancy: Is it time to recognize a woman’s freedom to choose? As highlighted in last week’s feature, a pertinent issue that has come up in the debate of the proposed Reproductive Health Bill, 2019 is whether or not