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Africa's
untouchables: THE PYGMIES & THE MAASAIS |
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Roving
investigative Journalist Wanjohi Kabukuru
and our Contributing Editor has been on
a year long investigative assignment funded
by the US based Fund for Investigative Journalism
(FIJ) into the continents two unique indigenous
communities, the Maasai and the Batwa (Pygmies).
.more» |
| Poverty,
politics, science and conservation |
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It all started with the ‘7th Wonder
of the World’, the Maasai Mara.
Both the Narok and the Trans Mara County
Councils are considered blue-chip civic
authorities who can only be marched by
the country’s metropolis’ notably
Nairobi, and the municipalities of Nakuru,
Kisumu, Eldoret and Mombasa.
Now it’s the Amboseli. .more»
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Malaria
debate: ddt conspiracy |
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Million
children per year. The deaths of children
alone make this the most heinous act of
technological genocide the world has ever
known...”
Just how did the DDT hoax come about?
It all started with a tiny book called “Silent
Spring”.
"Silent Spring",
a book by Rachel Carson is the one that
started it all. For all intents and purposes,
the book demonized and even criminalized
DDT in the worst terms possible. It painted
Malaria's only answer as an emblem of horror
and an environmental disaster..more»
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| Kenya
ict policy: Acritical analysis |
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The
formulation of the Kenya National Information
and Communications Technology (ICT) Policy
is currently underway. Scores of stakeholders
have been deeply involved in this process.
So far, civil society groups, industry
players in the ICT sector and government
mandarins appear to be the main players.
The media, who are actually a major component
in ICTs are nowhere to be seen. If anything
they appear to be Johnny-come-latelies.
This is indeed a dangerous trend as whatever
will be spelt out in the final policy
will definitely have spill-over effects
on the media industry players.more»
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Decimation
of forests abets drought |
In
March 2006, 3000 residents in Kipkurere/Ng’atimkong
forests along Uasin Gishu/Nandi Districts
being evicted to pave way for forests reclamation.
As usual opposition politicians and human
rights civil society organizations (CSO)
jumped the gun and saw political capital
and mileage to be gained from such an action.
George Khroda, a senior Kenyan government
civil servant, came out strongly to water
down the media blitz that politicians had
created. .more»
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Food
security and pastoralists |
“The
State Parties to the present covenant,
recognizing the fundamental right of everyone
to be free from hunger, shall take, individually
and through international cooperation,
the measures, including specific programmes,
which are needed: (a) To improve methods
of production, conservation and distribution
of food by making full use of technical
and scientific knowledge, by disseminating
knowledge of the principles of nutrition
and by developing or reforming agrarian
systems in such a way as to achieve the
most efficient development and utilization
of natural resources; (b) Taking into
account the problems of both food-importing
and food-exporting countries, to ensure
an equitable distribution of world food
supplies in relation to need.”.more» |
| ICT:
Infrastruture needed to reap benefits |
The
issue of infrastructure is the single most
important issue when it comes to Information,
Communication Technologies (ICT) matters.The
reason for this is pretty obvious. Without
adequate infrastructure there is no access
to these all-important information services,
which are proving to becoming ‘basic needs’
rather than ‘wants’. On infrastructure
again the twin roles of private and public
sector come into play as both must complement
each other when it comes to financing the
roll-out of communications so as to enhance
connectivity in the rural backwaters.more»
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| ICT
policy: No need for a conclave? |
For
sometime now Kenyans have been discussing
the contents of the National ICT Policy.
Apparently this facet is unknown to many
Kenyans.How this has happened is due to
poor publicity by the concerned ministry,
public perceptions on ICTs and exclusivity
of the process. The second reason of public
perceptions on ICTs can be allowed to pass.
However the latter two remaining reasons
cannot be wished away. The Ministry of Information
and Communications under which the media
and the ICT policy falls has failed miserably
in utilizing its own media channels in championing
for an all-inclusive and broader presentation
in the ICTs issues.more»
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| Rethinking
energy to power icts |
A
third of the world’s population – two
billion people – who live in the third
world have no access to electricity. This
is the sad news about energy. According
to the Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO) fuel wood and other agricultural residues
are the main forms of energy in much of
the third world’s rural homes, with the
bulk being found in Africa. For industrialization
to take place, which is the main agenda
of many African countries, energy is a key
component. It is for this reason that Africa
must rethink its energy priorities. And,
Kenya is no exception.more»
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