What has fewer points than a South African samoosa? For the record, a South African samoosa has three points. Answer: The U.S. Rugby team in its match with South Africa. Lost 64-0. Yesterday’s qualifying match for the Rugby World Cup followed America’s loss to Samoa. Not getting any points in a World Cup qualifying match…Continue reading
Wonderful news out of Africa to end your week: #matatukindness. Matatus are private taxi/limos in East Africa’s big cities. They are so much cheaper than a regular taxi and so much more dependable than public transport that by one account they handle more than 90% of Nairobi city’s passenger transport. Some like me have argued…Continue reading
Obama’s end-of-July one-day visit to Kenya is causing as much controversy as Bruce Jenner’s to the New York Gym. Why? People leaning left like Robert Rotberg writing in Politico have a litany of reasons topped by a presumption it’s too dangerous. To me that proves many on the left are as dangerously myopic as they…Continue reading
Civil violence in Baltimore, Beijing, Nairobi, Cairo and Johannesburg reflects societies coming apart. One thing is certain: “We will bring order. We will bring calm. We will bring peace,” the (black) Baltimore mayor vowed last night as national guard troops entered her city. Then, one of two things happens afterwards: a more democratic Tunisia, South…Continue reading
President Kenyatta’s legacy like his plane last night is heading in the wrong direction. The President of Kenya was headed last night to Los Angeles to learn the “American Way.” His teacher? The Joker with a makeover. But his plane had to turn back because of fighting in Yemen. As of this writing it’s not…Continue reading
The President of Kenya is not quite a wholly free man, but a war criminal is no longer charged, and iniquity has trumped justice. The dropping of charges against the President of Kenyatta is my # 4 Story for Africa in 2014. [For the summary of all Top Ten Stories in 2014 click here.] Early…Continue reading
Justice, fairness, equality – “legally” lost today around the world. Uhuru Kenyatta, Darren Wilson and Daniel Pantaleo are today uncharged, and they should not be. What’s wrong? Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of Kenya, was indicted for crimes against humanity by the World Court more than a year ago. Today the chief prosecutor dropped all charges….Continue reading
Imagine Ray Rice walking into court followed by Eli and Peyton, Adrian Peterson, a few veterans like Mike Ditka and then a couple hundred high rolling NFL fans. He’d be saying, “Some people think I did something wrong. Maybe I did. But I had to,” or maybe not ‘I had to’, rather “They understand why…Continue reading
Kenyan politics has infected the World Court. There’s little chance, now, that Kenya’s president will be tried as accused for crimes against humanity. The trial against the vice president remains on track, for now, and the possibility that one will proceed and the other not opens up a whole new can of worms in Kenya….Continue reading
While the trial of Kenya’s Vice President in The Hague continues it’s increasingly difficult to believe that Kenya’s President will actually show up for his trial on November 9. The future of the International Criminal Court hangs in the balance, and it’s a bum wrap for a good global institution based on noble ideas. But…Continue reading
The opening day in the trial of Kenya’s Deputy President, William Ruto, lifted the curtains from a gruesome, planned ethnic genocide that he allegedly orchestrated with the precision of an all-out war, including purchases of weapons from Uganda and The Sudan. Accused of “enlisting political collaborators, former military friends, elders and media allies to commit…Continue reading
If you were riveted by the O.J. Simpson trial, you’ll want to adjust your cable contract to get NTV-Kenya: “Tomorrow! Live! The World Trial of Kenya’s sitting President and Vice President for Crimes Against Humanity!” This doesn’t sound real. Neither Steven Spielberg or William Shakespeare could have concocted this one. This isn’t like a revolutionary…Continue reading
The bizarre story of the world trials of Kenya’s leaders grew ever the more bizarre yesterday and when bundled with incidents like Trayvon Martin shows just how fluid, uncertain and perhaps even meaningless justice is. Whatever else you concluded about the George Zimmerman trial, you must agree that its outcome was based as much on…Continue reading
In Arusha today rumors abound that President Obama will cancel his visit to Tanzania next week, because of Nelson Mandela’s failing health and the Snowden Affair. Africa thrives on rumors like nowhere else, but my experience is this is so because they’re often true. Put another way, the NSA wouldn’t want to put a station…Continue reading
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…Continue reading