Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from May, 2025

LIVING IN MEMORIES PART 2

  Chapter Two: Worlds Apart Six years after the tragedy, the streets of Nairobi buzzed with a rhythm Nyachae had grown used to—but not entirely comfortable with. The matatus roared like untamed beasts, weaving through traffic with reckless pride. At Globe Roundabout, hawkers shouted over each other, peddling everything from sugarcane to pirated movies. Nairobi was many things: loud, hungry, relentless. And it was also home, at least for now. Nyachae rented a bedsitter in Pangani. Not far from town, yet far enough to afford some silence when he needed it. The peeling walls of his apartment were plastered with sticky notes, clippings from the Daily Nation , and a small corkboard holding black-and-white photographs of his family—one in particular always drew his eye: a picture of their parents holding hands outside Kisii High School, the very place they’d met as young teachers. He often stared at it late into the night, trying to reconstruct the moment it captured. Their smiles lo...

LIVING IN MEMORIES

  Chapter One: The Silence of Kisii The morning mist drifted lazily over the ridges of Kisii like an old woman’s shawl, thick and damp. The hills undulated gently, their emerald folds hiding villages whose names were known only to their inhabitants. In the heart of this lush highland lay the quiet village of Nyakoe, where the Ogoti family had lived for generations. Theirs was not a grand homestead, but it stood with a quiet dignity, surrounded by banana groves and avocado trees that had witnessed decades of life and labour. The silence of the compound was unsettling. Not the peaceful kind of silence that welcomes the dawn, but a heavy, echoing one that fills spaces once animated by laughter and song. Since the sudden death of Nyaboke and Ogeto—respected teachers and parents of two—the compound had aged overnight. The grass grew longer, the once-white walls had taken on a sad, grey hue, and the windows seemed to look out with grief. The manner of their death still sparked whispers a...

THE AFFORDABLE KENYA

  President Ruto Hands Over 1,080 Homes in Mukuru, Launches Vision for 13,000 More Nairobi, Kenya – May 21, 2025 President William Ruto has officially handed over 1,080 newly constructed housing units to residents of Mukuru Kwa Njenga in Nairobi, marking a significant milestone in Kenya's Affordable Housing Programme. The event, held on May 20, 2025, is part of the government's broader initiative to provide affordable housing to low-income earners under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). A Transformative Milestone The Mukuru Kwa Njenga project spans 56 acres and is set to deliver a total of 13,248 housing units upon completion. The development includes: 5,616 bedsitters across 26 blocks 3,024 one-bedroom apartments in 14 blocks 4,608 two-bedroom units in 48 blocks These units are offered under a rent-to-own scheme, with monthly payments ranging from Ksh3,900 for bedsitters to Ksh5,000 for two-bedroom apartments. Water and electricity are bil...

When the Drum Beats Loudly, the Village Must Listen: Kenya’s Stories of Struggle, Strength, and Strides

  " Even the Mighty Elephant Must Bow to the Storm" : Kenya's Bold Stand in Haiti Kenya's leadership in the UN-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti faces significant challenges. Despite deploying approximately 1,000 personnel—about 75% of whom are Kenyan—the mission struggles to contain rampant gang violence due to inadequate resources. On May 12, 2025, the foreign ministers of the Dominican Republic and Kenya jointly appealed for increased international funding and logistical support to bolster the mission's effectiveness. 🌾 "From Thorns to Harvest" : Ex-Gang Members Cultivate Hope in Mathare In Nairobi's Mathare slum, former gang members have transformed a garbage dump into a thriving hydroponic farm. Led by Joseph Kariaga, the youth-led group Vision Bearerz combats crime and food insecurity through urban farming. With support from Growth4Change, they grow vegetables, raise pigs, and farm tilapia, providing free wee...

Reform, Resolve, Results

  Mwaura: No Room for Hate Politics as Gov’t Rolls Out Mukuru Housing Gov’t Spokesman Mwaura Dispels Rumors, Champions Peace, and Unveils Housing Milestone By Evans Munene Muguna Monday, May 19, 2025 | Nairobi In a decisive media briefing held Monday morning at Harambee Sacco House, Government Spokesman Dr. Isaac Mwaura tackled a series of pressing national concerns — from peace and political accountability ahead of the 2027 elections to progress under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), including the unveiling of the Mukuru Affordable Housing Project. Gov’t Warns Against Election Incitement: “We Shall Not Return to 2007” Dr. Mwaura sounded the alarm over emerging political rhetoric that, he said, is aimed at stirring unrest ahead of the 2027 general elections. While not naming specific leaders, he called for restraint and reminded politicians of Kenya’s dark history of post-election violence. “We shall not go back to the 2007–2008 violence, but we strive to b...