Why is the state behaving like there was a coup last August?

William Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta.

President William Ruto holds a sword received from former Commander in Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces Uhuru Kenyatta at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on September 13, 2022.


Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

Unofficial policy • Since independence 60 years ago, whenever there has been a change of government, apart from Cabinet ministers, the reshuffle in the civil service has always been gradual to ensure continuity, says Mathews Gitagia. “Secondly, the unofficial policy has been to forgive but not forget. Why are the new leaders behaving as if there was a coup last August?” His contact is [email protected].

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Historical injustices • A campaign to redress historical land injustices is what the country urgently needs, says Gregory Kwemoi Ngeywa, in response to Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition coalition leader Raila Odinga’s call for the settling of disputes. Instead of targeting only a few individuals, Raila, Gregory pleads, should advocate a mechanism for total compensation. His contact is [email protected].

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Predatory practices • Kenya Power “is ripe for a class action lawsuit for predatory business practices”, declares Prof Sam Chege, adding: “When taxes and other charges exceed the value of the token purchased, it’s time for lawyers to sue on behalf of the consumers.” Writing from Kansas, US, Prof Chege proposes that other power distributors should be licensed to break up the monopoly. His contact is [email protected].

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Quality education • The government’s emphasis on cost-cutting has resulted in the inability to provide high-quality education, says Peter Kilonzo. “Without the basic support and infrastructure, it’s difficult for students to succeed. We need to invest more in education and offer appropriate training to teachers. This is how to prepare our students for future challenges.” His contact is [email protected].

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Lousy films • The reason Kenyan films perform so poorly abroad and at home is that the production and script writing is lousy, says gospel musician David Chege Richman. “In Nigerian films, the story flows, with suspense, good acting and sound. Also, most of our TV stations don’t air our films. We should support our own and bench-mark with Nigeria and Ghana.” His contact is [email protected].

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