John S. Khabamba

Days after EPRA announced new fuel prices, sparking outrage, President Ruto has come out to defend the historic hike while dismissing comparisons with equivalent prices in neighboring countries. Photo:President Ruto Speaking at African Gospel Church in Karen, Nairobi  Photo credit :Standard Group The Head of State has pointed out that Kenya, being the most developed in the region, ought to have high prices. “Kenya is a middle-income country; our neighbours are less developed. There is a big difference. If you want to compare Kenya fairly with others, compare Kenya with other middle-income countries. That is where you will get the figures right. Middle-income countries like Kenya possibly have higher fuel prices than Kenya, or the same,” he said. He further added, “Our country has double the stretch of tarmac of our closest neighboring economy, so it’s unfair to compare us with our immediate neighbors.” “Our prices are commensurate with our economic standards,” he concluded. Th...

Anxiety has gripped over 44,000 intern teachers after the Court of Appeal ruled that the internship program is illegal. While the commission still has a legal rebuttal window, the probability of those interns being sacked is almost zero, even in the absence of that litigation window. And here is why: Photo: A collage of Acting TSC Ceo and TSC offices.  Credit :TSC Internship is a gateway to employment...  The internship program, in its original form, is supposed to impart practical skills to future employees across different sectors of the government. The Public Service Commission has been running this internship program since time immemorial. However, the internship program at the Teacher Service Commission is one of a kind. It is not a normal internship program where people gain skills and are then released from the system after their period has elapsed. In TSC, the internship program is a gateway to permanent employment by the commission. So anyone employed under the intern...

Despite his meteoric rise in Kenya’s hardline opposition politics, Edwin Sifuna now stands at a defining political moment. His recent removal as Secretary-General of Orange Democratic Movement was not just an internal party adjustment. It signaled how quickly institutions can move against a leader who appears to be growing beyond comfortable limits. Photo: Embattled ODM Secretary General Addressing a political Gathering in Kitengela during Linda Mwananchi Rally  Credit: Courtesy  Though he has legally challenged the decision and managed, for now, to slow down the process, the real issue is bigger than a party title. It is about long-term survival. Sifuna has mastered the art of political messaging. The “Mimi ndio Sifuna” wave captured imagination, especially among urban youth. It portrayed confidence, defiance, and self-belief. Social media amplified him. The hashtags trended. The brand grew. But hashtags do not vote. Hashtags do not negotiate coalitions. And hashtags do not s...

 As the Grade 10 transition to senior schools nears completion, it has become evident that no fully boarding senior school has admitted day scholars. This is contrary to expectations arising from the government’s much-touted policy shift in grade 10 transition under the Competency-Based Education.  In a bid to enhance accessibility to quality education, the Ministry of Education had indicated that purely boarding senior schools would be abolished. All senior schools, regardless of their clustering, were expected to allocate at least 10 per cent of their admissions to day scholars through the establishment of day wings. However, the policy appears to have remained more theoretical than practical. To date, the government has not released any data showing boarding senior schools that have implemented day wings or admitted day scholars. A quick spot check further reveals that the placement process did not accommodate day scholars at all. Official admission letters from major senio...

The Ministry of Education has moved to avert the Grade 10 placement crisis. In its latest press release, the Cabinet Secretary, Julius Ogamba, announced that parents will be able to seek transfers to new senior schools of their choice once the second revision window opens from 6th to 9th January. Ministry of Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba during the release of KJSEA Results on 11th December, 2025 Credit: Courtesy  " The revision will provide parents, guardians and learners an opportunity to provide legitimate and verifiable grounds of reconsideration of the initial or revised placement... " stated the press statement in part.  This move is intended to resolve the many rejected and pending requests that parents submitted after the release of placement results. Parents will be allowed to revise placements by seeking assistance from the target senior schools, a move aimed at easing pressure after widespread complaints about the rigidity of the automated system, which ...