Mwai Kibaki
Stop enabling Kenya's kleptocrats
IPN Opinion article
Michela Wrong's new book on Kenyan corruption-buster John Githongo has been an immediate hit, serialised in Kenya's Daily Nation and selling fast everywhere. This characteristically outspoken review by Sir Edward Clay explains why.
Sir Edward was British High Commissioner in Nairobi at the time of the Githongo saga and was reprimanded by his own masters and the Kenyan government for his comments on corruption. He has a strong message for aid donors whose largesse supports ruling cliques in Africa.
An Open Letter to the People of Kenya:Isolate Extremists, Protest Peacefully, and Save Our Country
IPN Opinion article
People are dying. The economy is faltering. If we wait for much longer, what started as political discontent will assume its own life and there will be no country to govern. Above all, we must safeguard democracy and lives of our fellow Kenyans.
In Africa, it's death by leadership
IPN Opinion article
Kibaki and Odinga are being hailed as great leaders for the political settlement in Kenya and there is even talk of a similar settlement in Zimbabwe - but leadership is part of our problem: Africa suffers from strong leaders and weak institutions.
Lessons from Kenya's stolen election
IPN Opinion article
Amid the reams of reporting and speculation about the Kenyan elections, this Zimbabwean opposition figure shows how his party's experience can be used in a practical way to avoid violence and to shame and pressure governments which have manipulated elections. Outsiders and even Africans are often prone to despair about Africa's future, but David Coltart points to progress in peaceful regime change in a number of countries.
Kenya: One Man Faces Much Corruption
IPN Opinion article
A new, democratically elected president will mean little if Mwai Kibaki does not follow through on his pledge to reduce corruption. This also means he must protect property rights, promote the rule of law and encourage free markets. These institutions promote economic activity that leads to growth and development, since people can own and exchange goods without fear of arbitrary expropriation, either by bandits or by the state.
Kenyan leader must target corruption
IPN Opinion article
While the Financial Times is correct to note the need for serious systemic reform in Kenya, restarting the flow of aid should not be the priority for the new president (\"Kenya\'s chance for a new beginning\", December 30).
Rather, Mwai Kibaki must target corruption at every level, from the highest government official to the low-level bureaucrats who routinely accept bribes for the most commonplace of tasks, such as paying utility bills or proving ownership.
However, he will also need to protect formal property rights, promote the rule of law and encourage free markets.
