William Ruto's State of the Nation address should be honest and reflective
The writer says the State of The Nation Address is more about self-reflection and introspection than it is about self-praise and congratulation.
By Dennis Kabaara 2 months ago
William Ruto's State of the Nation address should be honest and reflective
Why Gachagua's impeachment debate is a diversion
For the avoidance of doubt, the ongoing process to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is a terrible diversion.
By Dennis Kabaara 3 months ago
Why Gachagua's impeachment debate is a diversion
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How Kenya Kwanza errors are making Kenya better country
Kenya Kwanza is an unpopular government, and it doesn't need rich people to fund poor people to say this.
By Dennis Kabaara 3 months ago
How Kenya Kwanza errors are making Kenya better country
Ruto's missteps are making Kenya a better place
Public participation on the impeachment motion against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has suddenly, and unsurprisingly, mutated into a referendum on on Ruto's presidency.
By Dennis Kabaara 3 months ago
Ruto's missteps are making Kenya a better place
How Kenya Kwanza turned a perfect storm into a crisis in two years
DP impeachment is a cacophonous sideshow. The reality is likely about real transparency and accountability in our fiscus before we are called for taxation.
By Dennis Kabaara 3 months ago
How Kenya Kwanza turned a perfect storm into a crisis in two years
The marking scheme has changed: Today's reality is not that of 2022
In this "business unusual" space, the focus is the destination of our journey, not their vehicle to take us there. Because, here and everywhere, the government is not the economy.
By Dennis Kabaara 4 months ago
The marking scheme has changed: Today's reality is not that of 2022
Why Mbadi's budget review is all about lowering expectations
The first call is embedded in our budget calendar for 2025/26, the penultimate fiscal year to our 2027 election because the 2027/28 budget two years later will be transitional
By Dennis Kabaara 4 months ago
Why Mbadi's budget review is all about lowering expectations
How can government improve our pockets without overtaxing?
How do we improve the lot of Kenyans without imposing new taxes and overborrowing while offering government services?
By Dennis Kabaara 4 months ago
How can government improve our pockets without overtaxing?
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What downgrade by credit rating firms means for Kenya's economy
S&P lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating for Kenya from "B" to "B-". Like the legend of Nero's Rome, our leadership fiddles as Kenya burns.
By Dennis Kabaara 5 months ago
What downgrade by credit rating firms means for Kenya's economy
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Who takes blame if broad based government fails, Ruto or Raila?
The broad-based government reboots President Ruto's economic turnaround agenda that has so far been mostly mixed, moving in fits and starts.
By Dennis Kabaara 5 months ago
Who takes blame if broad based government fails, Ruto or Raila?
Ruto's government has spending problem, income is way too much
It is fair to speculate that President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza administration might turn out to be our most disappointing since independence.
By Dennis Kabaara 5 months ago
Ruto's government has spending problem, income is way too much
'Hybrid' government birthed by protests, but point clearly missed
After a month of Gen Z-led pro-good governance, not anti-government, protests, we are back to default settings.
By Dennis Kabaara 5 months ago
'Hybrid' government birthed by protests, but point clearly missed
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Firing an entire cabinet in a presidential system is akin to firing yourself
In our presidential system of government of technical, not elected, ministers, firing your entire Cabinet sounds like you just fired yourself. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.
By Dennis Kabaara 6 months ago
Firing an entire cabinet in a presidential system is akin to firing yourself
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The hard task ahead for Kenya Kwanza after tax bill collapse
A second week of anti-tax protests meant the 2024 Finance Bill was not signed into law, but this was really an accountability moment for Kenya's leaders.
By Dennis Kabaara 6 months ago
The hard task ahead for Kenya Kwanza after tax bill collapse
The task before MPs: Time to drop vacuity and attempt augustness
The House on the Hill is increasingly being an acronym for Hubris, Incompetence, Lies and Looting.
By Dennis Kabaara 7 months ago
The task before MPs: Time to drop vacuity and attempt augustness
Budget maths not adding up and why it's in order to blame our MPs
It is becoming increasingly difficult to link this administration's fine words with its fancy (and correct) ideas - six objectives, five pillars, five clusters, nine value chains etc
By Dennis Kabaara 7 months ago
Budget maths not adding up and why it's in order to blame our MPs
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From secrets to statements, and why Kibaki's budgets hit home
The public narrative is Kibaki unlocked our potential with simplicity; Ruto is killing it with complexity.
By Dennis Kabaara 7 months ago
From secrets to statements, and why Kibaki's budgets hit home
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Budget 2024: The big picture and the IMF hand
While Finance Bill 2024 is widely unpopular across businesses and among the people, it is a necessary condition for continued IMF support to Kenya.
By Dennis Kabaara 7 months ago
Budget 2024: The big picture and the IMF hand
One man, one-shilling talk could be diversion trick from real issues
It is not beyond the wit of man to suspect that the timing of this debate is not a coincidence with reactions to it being just as noisy as the proposition.
By Dennis Kabaara 7 months ago
One man, one-shilling talk could be diversion trick from real issues
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Is government on 'fuliza' mode?
KRA average monthly tax take this year has been Sh171 billion against a target of Sh208 billion.
By Dennis Kabaara 8 months ago
Is government on 'fuliza' mode?
Kenya Kwanza's approach to the wage bill crisis could be better
In true fat cat fashion we heard nothing this week about two important issues: pay inequity and multiple allowances.
By Dennis Kabaara 9 months ago
Kenya Kwanza's approach to the wage bill crisis could be better
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Bane of Kenya Kwanza's Big Five agenda as regime enters second 18-month phase
Today's tragedy is we miss tomorrow's promise in Ruto's transformation agenda which, on paper, is rather clever in framing and structuring.
By Dennis Kabaara 9 months ago
Bane of Kenya Kwanza's Big Five agenda as regime enters second 18-month phase
Kenya Kwanza agenda lacks public buy-in
The trouble with this administration is they spent their first year telling us Jubilee was the existential threat, when it was our actual debt.
By Dennis Kabaara 11 months ago
Kenya Kwanza agenda lacks public buy-in
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Kenya in 2023: A case of being in motion without any movement
If 2023 was the year of "finyaa!" and pain for Kenyans, doesn't 2024 already feel like it might be "finyaa squared"?
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Kenya in 2023: A case of being in motion without any movement
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Forget dialogue, cost of living not about to come down any time soon
From KNBS, inflation came in at 6.6 per cent in December, a fall from 6.8 per cent the previous month and far lower than the 9.2 per cent when the Kenya Kwanza administration assumed office.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Forget dialogue, cost of living not about to come down any time soon
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Began as national dialogue, ended up an incomplete elite settlement
It is difficult to understand what Parliament is expected to do with the recommendations on electoral reform, multiparty democracy, new political positions or fresh politically-inspired funds.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Began as national dialogue, ended up an incomplete elite settlement
Leaders' words unhelpful if they do not address citizens' worries
Endless naysaying is one thing, but offering a different picture requires real work, and our politics is all about playful sound and fury.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Leaders' words unhelpful if they do not address citizens' worries
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Forget the norm, this is what we expect President to address today
State of Nation Address should be different from budget, economic policy or an inspiring national day speech. Reporting must speak to the status of who and where we are as a nation.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Forget the norm, this is what we expect President to address today
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Why Ruto's 'tax everything that moves' approach is bound to fail
The everyday Kenyan is fed up watching YouTube and TikTok clips of large motorcades and frequent flyer pictures of leaders escaping a country where many struggle to get home.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Why Ruto's 'tax everything that moves' approach is bound to fail
Cut cost of government, cost of doing business to lower cost of living
Fix the cost of doing business. Fix the cost of government. This begins to fix cost of living. Period.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Cut cost of government, cost of doing business to lower cost of living
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What tax collections say about Ruto's management of economy so far
We can argue all day long about tax rates, the tax base and the tax menu, but, at what point do we begin to accept that our tax/revenue/debt distress starts with our spending habits?
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
What tax collections say about Ruto's management of economy so far
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Ruto's shifting goalposts, fragile economy and other short stories
Kenya Kwanza's has disregarded the big promises that gave them victory. Ruto's second year in office does not inspire confidence as the economy worsens.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Ruto's shifting goalposts, fragile economy and other short stories
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Kenya Kwanza's ever-changing narratives bad for economy, livelihoods
Millions of beleaguered Kenyans are struggling with an unmanageable cost of living in a country where more jobs are lost than created while politicians talk and live large.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Kenya Kwanza's ever-changing narratives bad for economy, livelihoods
Tax summit a great idea, but this is what it should focus on
There's need to look at tax policy and tax strategy, as well as tax administration. The government should move from debt-inspired to growth-friendly taxation regime.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Tax summit a great idea, but this is what it should focus on
How much will it cost Kenya's economy to end rising poverty?
A different question could then be - is the size of attendance a proxy for the prevalence of poverty; larger crowds where it is more, and smaller where it is less?
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
How much will it cost Kenya's economy to end rising poverty?
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What Kenya needs is not 'nusu mkate' but permanent political settlement
Peaceful protest and demonstration does not equal violence and looting, neither does democratic policing and law enforcement equal beating and shooting.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
What Kenya needs is not 'nusu mkate' but permanent political settlement
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With tyranny of numbers, Kenya Kwanza can only offer painful menu
In betting on the budget against the economy, Kenya Kwanza's tyranny of numbers sounds like it's business as usual mode while promising economic transformation.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
With tyranny of numbers, Kenya Kwanza can only offer painful menu
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Budget 2023: When rubber meets the road
Fresh cost of living pain will visit Kenyans soon. This could fan public discontent in a way that favours an opposition struggling to keep up with Kenya Kwanza's highly disciplined populism.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Budget 2023: When rubber meets the road
Budget 2023: Rubber meets the road as fresh pain visits Kenyans
There could be public discontent in a way that favours an opposition struggling to keep up with Kenya Kwanza's highly disciplined populism
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
Budget 2023: Rubber meets the road as fresh pain visits Kenyans
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The Sh210b back story largely ignored in this year's budget
The Budget 2023 has run for 217 days, or 31 weeks, since the process was launched by the Treasury CS on Thursday, November 10, 2022.
By Dennis Kabaara 1 year ago
The Sh210b back story largely ignored in this year's budget
100 women, girls killed in last six months
National
By Okumu Modachi
5 hrs ago
Jane Nduta: The mysterious woman inside Wanjiru's bedroom
National
By Nancy Gitonga
5 hrs ago
Is the opposition coalition turning into a sinking ship?
National
By Irene Githinji
5 hrs ago