Kenya Archive
Weather Grounds Drones
Predictions about African security linked to global warming have proved frighteningly correct. Does weather trump drones? As the stubborn, not-too bright bully on the block, America has shifted to accepting global warming as human caused, but it took a few Katrinas and Sandys to tip the balance. And experts still spend inordinate amounts of time [...]
The Right Can Do No Wrong
Posted by jimheck in Global Relations, Kenya, Politics on May 9, 2013
The tenacity of Rightists that so inhibits U.S. progress is becoming true worldwide, and no better example than the imminent diplomatic earthquake over Kenyan leaders’ indictment by the World Court. The phrase is not mine, but Richard Dowden’s, one of the world’s most respected African analysts, Director of Britain’s Royal African Society. Dowden’s brilliant summary [...]
Justice Becalmed, Justice Bedeviled
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Kenya, Politics on April 30, 2013
Today’s final detailed explanation by Kenya’s Supreme Court of its decision to affirm the March presidential election makes me doubly angry with Bush vs. Gore. The clear consensus by much more scholarly analysts who have rushed out their initial impressions is pretty negative, that the detailed decision is “disappointing.” But quite to the contrary, it [...]
The Impoverished Kenyans
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Kenya, Politics on April 15, 2013
Poor Kenya. The world waits to see if the new president and vice-president will travel next month to The Hague to stand trial for crimes against humanity. Kenyans elected these men free and fairly. They chose alleged murders to lead them. As a businessman in tourism I wait for more signs. As a devoted student [...]
By All Means Peace
Posted by jimheck in Corruption, Kenya on April 1, 2013
Only a couple violent incidents following Saturday’s court decision upholding Kenya’s election. Peace is predicted, specifically because the architects and instigators of the deadly violence following the 2007/2008 elections are now the country’s president and vice-president. Uhuru Kenyatta is the country’s new president. William Ruto is vice president. The two are indicted for crimes against [...]
All Hail The Chief
Kenya’s future is in the hands of a man little known outside Kenya: Willy Mutunga. The 65-year old Chief Justice will render his High Court’s decision on the recent election Saturday morning. The country’s tension is building, its currency is falling, and protests are being prepared not just to follow the court’s decision, but right [...]
Storm Clouds over Kenya
Storm clouds are forming over Kenya. The thunder and lightning and destruction has not yet started, and all of us who love Kenya hope it will not, but the anger is palpable and as a safari broker I must advise all considering Kenya for the moment to stay clear. My blog yesterday about the election [...]
Kenyan Nightmare Continues
Kenya is peaceful but disturbed. A famous national analyst Saturday said the country is “on the brink of implosion.” The loser in the presidential election is challenging the results in court, but if he loses the president and vice-president of Kenya will be international criminals indicted for crimes against humanity. This is not acceptable. “An [...]
On Safari: Kenya’s Election
There were 44 observers from the Carter Center watching the Kenyan election last night but all they observed was joy and glory! As I write this in East Africa the winners are not yet known, although Uhuru Kenyatta has a significant lead for president. But so far only 5 million on an estimated 10 or [...]
The Great Debate in Africa
It took them longer to get the babies and kissing spouses onto the stage, but the first ever, quite spectacular Kenyan presidential debate ended very much like most of America’s primary debates: The crazies looked crazier, the ones who quoted scripture couldn’t quote GDP numbers, every pot called every kettle black, the smart drowned in [...]
Vested Interest
With one month to go, President Obama admonished Kenyans to hold a peaceful election. Obama wasn’t just preaching the word. Critical U.S. policy is predicated on a successful Kenyan election outcome. There was nothing surprising in Obama’s one-month-to-go pep talk. But as I listened to it, I realized it was powered by the deep behind-the-scenes [...]
Jump Start
In a much saner way than America, Kenya’s presidential campaign got underway yesterday. Saner, because it will be done and over six weeks after beginning! This is, of course, the big one folks. Not only will it choose the first truly democratically elected leader of Kenya, under its new and fabulous constitution, as the country’s [...]
David? Debby?
Posted by jimheck in Environment, Kenya, Poaching, War on January 25, 2013
Yesterday’s prickly article in Science that there aren’t as many species going extinct as you thought might be because we’re using drones to nuke rhino poachers. The journal Science is no teenage blog. The rigors of getting published in magazines of this caliber are legend, and the author, Dr. Nigel Stork, comes well credentialed. He’s [...]
Konza of Kajiado
Posted by jimheck in "Modern" Africa, Economy, Kenya, Politics on January 24, 2013
Ground breaking my eye, what happened 35 miles from Nairobi yesterday was nothing less than the Big Bang. “Kenya’s Silicon Valley” they call it: 37,000 luxury homes and apartments, 70 acres of high-tech complexes, highways and public tennis and golf courts, several universities, high speed rail to Nairobi, 4-lane superhighways, buried electricity and fibre optics. [...]
Waiting for March 4
The starting bell will ring and ring and ring madly throughout Kenya Thursday for the start of the awesome 2013 elections. And then deathly silence follows for 6 terrifying weeks. The economy has already stopped. Donors and outside investors alike have literally stopped all financial transactions. Schools will close so their buildings can be used [...]