Ken Opalo - The Standard

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NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

Digital News

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Ken Opalo

Kenyans are not negative, its anger against rogue elite

Kenyans are furious with a ruling elite that has gone rogue. They are demanding better services and respect from the individuals they put in power.

By Ken Opalo 3 days ago

Kenyans are not negative, its anger against rogue elite

Praise singers doing Ruto more harm than good

Praise singers doing Ruto more harm than good

By Ken Opalo 17 days ago

It's kudos to the brave students of Butere Girls

It's kudos to the brave students of Butere Girls

By Ken Opalo 24 days ago

Cholera outbreaks should be a source of national shame

Cholera outbreaks should be a source of national shame

By Ken Opalo 27 days ago

Ruto looks set to waste his first term on politics

President William Ruto's reshuffles have not been about improving service delivery but expanding the president's elite coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.

By Ken Opalo 1 month ago

Ruto looks set to waste his first term on politics

Why reshuffles breed mediocrity in government

To be blunt, the system is simply not structured to deliver results. And no amount of reshuffles can fix that.

By Ken Opalo 1 month ago

Why reshuffles breed mediocrity in government

Our ruling elites have broken our political market

The political realignments we have witnessed over the last several months are a reminder that the vast majority of Kenyan politicians are really bad at politics.

By Ken Opalo 1 month ago

Our ruling elites have broken our political market

Lax rule of law comes with real cost to economy

There is the Sasra, which after dropping the ball hastily urged Saccos to absorb the costs associated with the alleged theft at Kussco.

By Ken Opalo 1 month ago

Lax rule of law comes with real cost to economy

Why Gachagua should write a book on his political journey

Rigathi Gachagua's statements about his brief period in office would have more weight if backed up by evidence and strong arguments in written form.

By Ken Opalo 2 months ago

Why Gachagua should write a book on his political journey

Kenya's foreign policy must be handled clearly

Ideally, our foreign policy should be predicated on advancing our commercial and security interests.

By Ken Opalo 2 months ago

Kenya's foreign policy must be handled clearly

Let US aid cuts push Africa to self-sufficiency

While at the moment the focus is on American aid cuts, the fact is that all major donors are cutting back their assistance to developing countries.

By Ken Opalo 2 months ago

Let US aid cuts push Africa to self-sufficiency

Somalis deserve citizenship status like other Kenyans

The charge that the recognition of Somalis as full citizens is just politics, deserves an answer.

By Ken Opalo 2 months ago

Somalis deserve citizenship status like other Kenyans

Kenya Kwanza has clearly lost narrative wars

It is now clear that the Kenya Kwanza administration has completely lost the war of narratives about its performance.

By Ken Opalo 3 months ago

Kenya Kwanza has clearly lost narrative wars

The world won't wait for us as we suffer mediocrity

African elites are the very bottom of the global totem pole when it comes to the business of legitimate wealth accumulation.

By Ken Opalo 3 months ago

The world won't wait for us as we suffer mediocrity

Rebuilding public trust will require actions, not words

In Kenya, we are at a point whereby it is hard to tolerate theft in the public sector when nothing works in people's private lives; and when on top of that the government allegedly kidnaps youth.

By Ken Opalo 4 months ago

Rebuilding public trust will require actions, not words

May 2025 be a year of setting better standards

In 2025 ever more Kenyans should commit to staying focused on building a better and fair nation.

By Ken Opalo 4 months ago

May 2025 be a year of setting better standards

Why Ruto's hustler revolution has finally died

With Thursday's Cabinet appointments, President William Ruto effectively concluded his drawn-out surrender to Kenya's establishment, the so-called dynasties.

By Ken Opalo 4 months ago

Why Ruto's hustler revolution has finally died

Yes, the President's word should be our bond at all times

The president should genuinely focus on delivering for Kenyans and resist the temptation to only believe the praise-singers around him.

By Ken Opalo 4 months ago

Yes, the President's word should be our bond at all times

Leaders are not merely reflection of whole society

It is true that leaders often reflect the societies where they come from. However, this is not the full story.

By Ken Opalo 4 months ago

Leaders are not merely reflection of whole society

Kenya Kwanza's only path to restoring legitimacy

No government can sustain its legitimacy on the basis of appearing to do new things or diffusing crises. The only sure currency of legitimacy is doing the boring work of everyday maintenance.

By Ken Opalo 5 months ago

Kenya Kwanza's only path to restoring legitimacy

Why is everything around President Ruto falling apart?

Most of Ruto's senior advisers are little more than recycled failed politicians. The same goes for the hordes of appointments to various state institutions.

By Ken Opalo 5 months ago

Why is everything around President Ruto falling apart?

The government cannot hide from the truth

No amount of statements can make Kenyans forget the failures they see in our schools, hospitals, government offices, and on our roads.

By Ken Opalo 5 months ago

The government cannot hide from the truth

Deputy President Kindiki is about to face a serious political test

During Deputy President Kithure Kindiki's tenure as Interior Cabinet Secretary dozens of Kenyans were reportedly abducted and killed, some allegedly by the state.

By Ken Opalo 6 months ago

Deputy President Kindiki is about to face a serious political test

William Ruto risks falling into the trap of not getting the truth

If these trends continue, the biggest loser will be President Ruto. In political science, we have a concept called "the dictator's information problem."

By Ken Opalo 6 months ago

William Ruto risks falling into the trap of not getting the truth

Gachagua was failed mostly by those close to him

Unfortunately for the Deputy President, this epiphany came a little late in the game. Why did he not hire competent political strategists and advisers before he took office?

By Ken Opalo 6 months ago

Gachagua was failed mostly by those close to him

Gachagua ouster raises important legal questions

This week's impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua in the National Assembly was a lesson in Kenyan political elites' complete lack of seriousness.

By Ken Opalo 6 months ago

Gachagua ouster raises important legal questions

SHIF migration fiasco shows no regard for quality

In other words, the shift from NHIF to SHIF was about optimising revenue generation and not improving the quality of public health services.

By Ken Opalo 7 months ago

SHIF migration fiasco shows no regard for quality

Yes, community is everything when one is grieving

Experiencing tragedy, such as the loss of a loved one, is painful beyond belief. However, tragedy also enables us to experience community at its best.

By Ken Opalo 7 months ago

Yes, community is everything when one is grieving

Why new farm regulations are recipe for disaster

The government's planned "food safety" regulations that target vegetable farmers will be a disaster for more than three million farmers.

By Ken Opalo 7 months ago

Why new farm regulations are recipe for disaster

Public officials must take blame for fire deaths

It is astonishing that no public resignations or sackings followed the fire accident that killed dozens of students at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County.

By Ken Opalo 7 months ago

Public officials must take blame for fire deaths

Can Kuria and Owalo reform service delivery?

Kuria and Owalo have the background to potentially force a reorientation in how we run the Public Service, with specific attention to boring day-to-day work.

By Ken Opalo 8 months ago

Can Kuria and Owalo reform service delivery?

Homa Bay has let down devolution in factory saga

The unseriousness of the Homa Bay County leadership is a betrayal of the spirit of devolution. And it is betrayal far too common among our leaders.

By Ken Opalo 8 months ago

Homa Bay has let down devolution in factory saga

How Eldoret's statue mirrors mediocrity in our leadership

Exactly how much money was spent on this effort? How can we cycle out of this culture of mediocrity among our governing elites?

By Ken Opalo 8 months ago

How Eldoret's statue mirrors mediocrity in our leadership

President Ruto needs a coherent growth strategy

The only thing the president has focused on since taking office is avoiding default, mostly through highly erratic tax hikes.

By Ken Opalo 8 months ago

President Ruto needs a coherent growth strategy

The new Cabinet falls far short of our expectations

The overarching mental model of how the Cabinet is supposed to work and the expectations from Parliament have not changed.

By Ken Opalo 9 months ago

The new Cabinet falls far short of our expectations

Somalis are as Kenyan as it gets, stop whispering

Somalis are Kenyan. They have no apology to make for being Kenyan. And have the right to live and work anywhere in the Republic and to occupy any public office.

By Ken Opalo 9 months ago

Somalis are as Kenyan as it gets, stop whispering

Here's Ruto's huge chance to improve governance quality

Anti-corruption and service delivery reforms targeting counties would also provide important lessons that could inform similar efforts at the national level.

By Ken Opalo 9 months ago

Here's Ruto's huge chance to improve governance quality

The political class has panicked about ongoing protests

President Ruto must understand that now is not the time to try old tricks.

By Ken Opalo 9 months ago

The political class has panicked about ongoing protests

President should know good leaders don't waste crises

President Ruto must change course. He must reconstitute his Cabinet and senior levels of the Public Service to bring in competent people. He must prioritise service delivery.

By Ken Opalo 10 months ago

President should know good leaders don't waste crises

All compromised politicians should remain locked away in social jail

Thieves and murderous should not be celebrated.

By Ken Opalo 10 months ago

All compromised politicians should remain locked away in social jail

Anti-tax protests pose legitimacy test to Kenya Kwanza

Rex Masai's murder presents a clear moral test to the government. First, his family and the general public deserve a swift investigation and punishment of those responsible.

By Ken Opalo 10 months ago

Anti-tax protests pose legitimacy test to Kenya Kwanza

The state exists to protect the most vulnerable

The state exists not to provide public goods and services and take care of the vulnerable, but to pamper the political class.

By Ken Opalo 10 months ago

The state exists to protect the most vulnerable

UDA battles must not distract us from the Finance Bill

The ongoing wrangles within UDA are a reminder of this legacy of Potemkin parties.

By Ken Opalo 11 months ago

UDA battles must not distract us from the Finance Bill

Taxes and more firefighting will not grow Kenya

It is good that the administration was willing to experiment on policy to stem the shilling's slide. These are commendable efforts.

By Ken Opalo 11 months ago

Taxes and more firefighting will not grow Kenya

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