By Anderson Ojwang

The second day of President William Ruto’s tour of Nyanza was a revelation.

In comparative analysis, Saturday’s development tour of Gem constituency in Siaya county compared to Sunday’s tour of Kasipul constituency in Homa Bay county was so telling.

While the Saturday function was laced with political lamentations and apologies over the failure of the area governor James Orengo to attend the function, the Sunday function raised the bar high with the youngest MP Boyd Were articulating issue- and development-based politics.

If anything, the Gen Z Were captured and delivered the constituents’ and the people of Nyanza’s request to the President during his tour.

And when President Ruto spoke, he thanked the people of Kasipul for supporting the broad-based agenda by electing Were as a broad-based candidate to replace his murdered father as the MP of the area.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the constituents of Kasipul because when we lost our brother Charles Ongondo Were, you supported us in the broad base to elect Were.

As the leader of the broad-based administration, I want to thank you people of Kasipul for honoring and giving us this young man as broad-based through ODM to be the MP,” he said.

Ruto told the constituents that they made the right choice by electing Were as the area MP.

“In this young man, we have a leader, a future, and because you elected him, I will mentor him. I have mentored many young people and I see in this young man a future leader.

Boyd, I am going to work with you. I am going to support and mentor you so that you can serve the people of Kasipul and provide leadership to our people in Kenya.”

When Were spoke, he delved on developmental politics by first mentioning projects already undertaken by the national government before making further requests.

He asked the President to support the completion of

“We are in Agoro Sare high school, the pride of Kasipul constituency and Homa Bay county. We inspected the school and you saw the ongoing multipurpose hall. We kindly request for your support,” he said.

Were also requested the construction of hostels for Sikri Polytechnic and Kenya Medical Training College in the area.

“Your excellency, I am the last born in the family of broad-based. You know last born get preferential treatment. Allow me to request for the 16 K road from Lida to join Kasipul with Karachuonyo constituency,” he said.

Treasury Cabinet Minister Secretary John Mbadi supported Were’s request for the tarmacking of the road.

“Your Excellency, the last born has made a request and I know you will not leave him empty-handed. If you give a go-ahead, I will look for money for the project,” he said.

President Ruto responded by granting the request and asking the Roads cabinet secretary and Mbadi to fast-track the request.

“When the last born asks for something, what do you do? You give, because young man, this is your first request, it is granted. I will give Sh 30m to complete the multipurpose hall and for the Sikri-Lida road, cabinet secretaries Davies Chirchir and John Mbadi use your head,” he said.

Interestingly, on Saturday, in Gem, President Ruto was treated to lamentations and apologies from the legislators from the region after Orengo gave the function a wide berth.

Alego MP Sam Atandi said in 2027, Siaya will have a new governor and that Orengo will be thrown into the political dustbin.

“We are not fearing anybody. We want to announce here today that we are going to elect a new governor for Siaya. How many are ready to elect a new governor for Siaya?” he said.

Atandi said Orengo has failed to deliver on his mandate with no development record to show for the residents.

The leaders apologized to the president for the absence of Governor Orengo at the function and promised to take him home in the next year’s general elections.

“Mr. President, we want to apologize. It is sad the governor comes to you for development and you honor the request. But instead he turns around to abuse. We implore you to ignore him going forward,” said Ugenya MP David Ochieng.

Ochieng said Siaya made a mistake by electing Orengo who has perfected the art of politics, miserably failed in development, and failed to work with President Ruto to stir development in the county.

“I, David Ochieng, will be the Siaya Governor in 2027. I will be ready and eager to work with you. We as Luos are supporting your re-election,” he said.

Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo said Orengo was a one-term governor and should be rejected in 2027 elections.

By Erick Otieno

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party has elected its Migori County officials through a consensus process during a meeting held at Sony Green Stadium.

The exercise saw Ochilo Ayacko Migori Governor endorsed as the County Chairman after party leaders agreed to adopt a consultative approach instead of a competitive vote.

Other officials named include Mark Nyamita Uriri MP as Treasurer, Peter Masara Suna West MP as Secretary, and Walter Owino Awendo MP as Organising Secretary. Tom Odege Nyatike MP was picked as Deputy Chairman, while Jesse Ogolla from Rongo Constituency was elected Youth Representative. The position for Persons Living with Disabilities Representative went to Dennitah Ghati former Migori Woman Representative.

Also named were Joseph Mahiri Migori Deputy Governor as Deputy Secretary, Mary Nchagwa as Assistant Treasurer, and Mwita Maroa as Deputy Organising Secretary.

Speaking during the event, Junet Mohamed Suna East MP, who also serves as ODM National Director of Elections, defended the consensus model, saying it is anchored in the party constitution.

“The ODM constitution allows for consensus as a legitimate method of electing leaders. What we are witnessing today is a demonstration of unity and maturity within the party,” said Junet.

He urged leaders across Migori County to remain united and prioritize peace to foster development and strengthen the party ahead of future political engagements.

In his acceptance remarks, Governor Ayacko called for unity among leaders and residents, noting that leadership positions are limited and should not divide the party.

“Elective and party positions can only be held by one person at a time. We must therefore unite behind ODM as we engage with other like-minded parties, including UDA, ahead of the 2027 General Election,” Ayacko said.

The meeting brought together ODM delegates from across Migori County, who endorsed the consensus approach. Among leaders present were Fatuma Mohammed Migori Woman Representative, Eddy Oketch Migori Senator, and several Members of the County Assembly.

By Edris Omondi (Advocate)

At what point did playground banter become acceptable language in high office?

In recent days, Kenyans have witnessed political leaders in high office exchange words laced with ridicule and body-shaming, language strikingly similar to what is commonly heard in schoolyards.

What would ordinarily pass as childhood humor has now found space in national discourse, raising uncomfortable questions about the standards of leadership and the values we project as a society.

In Kenyan schools, ‘mchongwano’, the art of trading witty insults, is a familiar social ritual.

Among children, it often draws laughter and fosters bonding. But it also carries a hidden cost. What begins as humor can quickly slide into humiliation, bullying, and, at times, physical confrontation.

The concern today is not the existence of mchongwano, but its migration into spaces where restraint, dignity, and example are expected. When such language is echoed by leaders, it raises a deeper question: are we witnessing the long-term effects of normalized ridicule in our upbringing?

Psychology offers a compelling explanation.

Albert Bandura, through his social learning theory, demonstrated that behavior is acquired through observation and imitation. A child exposed to environments where insult-based humor is rewarded learns not only the language of ridicule, but also its social value. When similar conduct is later modeled by authority figures, it is reinforced rather than corrected.

In this sense, mchongwano is not merely play, it is training.

Yet imitation alone does not explain its persistence. Sigmund Freud argued that humor often serves as a socially acceptable outlet for suppressed aggression. Ridicule disguised as wit allows individuals to express hostility without accountability, while laughter provides validation. The result is a cycle where harm is masked as entertainment.

In both the playground and the political arena, the pattern remains consistent: aggression delivered under the cover of humor.

Leadership, however, demands a departure from such impulses. According to Lawrence Kohlberg, moral growth involves moving from behavior driven by reward and approval to conduct guided by ethical principles. At its highest level, individuals act not for applause, but for what is right.

When leaders resort to ridicule, they signal a regression to a lower level of moral reasoning, where crowd reaction outweighs responsibility. This is not merely a personal lapse; it shapes the tone of national discourse.

The implications are far-reaching.

First, it legitimizes bullying. Children who already engage in mchongwano may feel affirmed in crossing the line from humor to harm. Second, it lowers the standard of public debate, shifting focus from ideas to personalities. Third, it erodes empathy, gradually desensitizing society to the dignity of others.

This does not mean Kenya is defined by such behavior. Our social fabric remains deeply rooted in respect, community, and shared responsibility. But moments like these expose a gap between our values and our practice.

From a crime prevention perspective, this gap is significant. Verbal aggression is often the starting point in a continuum that can escalate into more serious forms of conflict. When normalized, it lowers empathy thresholds and increases tolerance for harm.

For institutions such as the Crime Prevention Initiative Trust (CPIT), this underscores an important reality: prevention must extend beyond policing and enforcement. It must engage with culture, language, and everyday behavior.

So, what must be done?

At the education level, emotional intelligence and respectful communication should be deliberately integrated into learning environments. Mchongwano can be redirected into structured debate, creative expression, and humor that does not demean.

Leadership must also rise to its responsibility. Public office holders should model issue-based engagement, demonstrating that disagreement need not descend into insult.

Parents and communities must actively challenge harmful forms of humor while reinforcing empathy and respect. At the same time, the media should resist amplifying toxic exchanges for entertainment value, and instead elevate discourse that reflects dignity and substance.

Ultimately, a broader national conversation is needed: one that reaffirms respect as a foundational value in both private and public life.

If mchongwano is a stage of social growth, then leadership is the test of whether we have outgrown it. When it appears at the highest office, the concern is not that it exists, but that it endured.

Edris Omondi is a lawyer and a crime prevention practitioner and the Executive Director of the Crime Prevention Initiative Trust (CPIT), Kisumu. He works on behavioral approaches to crime prevention, governance, and social policy.

By Billy Mijungu

Africa’s aviation sector stands at a defining crossroads. While the vision of a connected continent has long been championed through initiatives like the Single African Air Transport Market SAATM, progress has remained slow, constrained by protectionist policies and fragmented national interests.

Yet amid these challenges, has emerged as a bold trailblazer, offering a practical model that could redefine intra African air travel.

The Ethiopian Airlines strategy is both simple and revolutionary: partnership over competition. Through joint ventures and strategic equity stakes, the airline has embedded itself across the continent. A prime example is , a collaboration that allows local branding, utilization of domestic infrastructure, and shared revenues.

This model minimizes operational costs such as high landing fees and unlocks value through local market integration. In essence, Ethiopian Airlines builds African airlines that feel local but operate with global efficiency.

For , this presents a compelling blueprint. Rather than pursuing expansion in isolation, Kenya Airways could adopt a similar partnership driven approach, leveraging regional alliances to deepen its footprint. However, before embarking on such a strategy, there is a pressing need to stabilize and strengthen its current position. A potential collaboration or merger with another carrier navigating financial headwinds could provide the scale and resilience required to compete effectively.

The broader issue remains Africa’s delayed realization of open skies. It is both ironic and frustrating that traveling between African countries often requires transit through Europe or the Gulf. Routes that should take a few hours become unnecessarily long and expensive, undermining trade, tourism, and integration.

Airlines like and have capitalized on this gap, efficiently connecting African cities through their hubs while African carriers struggle with regulatory and infrastructural barriers.

Ethiopian Airlines has demonstrated that commercial innovation can bypass policy inertia. By aligning incentives, reducing operational friction, and embracing shared growth, it has quietly built the closest thing to a truly Pan African airline.

Kenya Airways and indeed other African carriers must now decide whether to compete in isolation or collaborate for continental dominance.

The dream of a connected Africa is still alive. What remains is the courage to implement it.

Follow on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn @BillyMijungu

Forward #TusongeMbele

By Hon.Sam Weya

Many of us own or have access to land in Siaya and across Nyanza that is currently lying idle or underutilized.

At the same time, Kenya is facing a huge shortage of cassava for industrial use especially for:
• Starch (food, textile, paper industries)
• Ethanol (fuel, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing)

This gap is worth billions of shillings annually.

What is the opportunity?

We are mobilising farmers and landowners to participate in a structured cassava program focused on:
• Contract farming (guaranteed market)
• Mechanised land preparation & planting
• Access to certified planting materials
• Aggregation & industrial processing

Why Cassava?
• Thrives in Siaya climate

•   Low risk compared to many crops
•   High demand locally and regionally
•   Potential returns: KES 50,000 – 100,000 per acre

The Vision
To position Siaya & Nyanza as the cassava industrial hub of East Africa

This means:
• Jobs for youth
• Income for families
• Value addition within the region

Who should be interested?
• Landowners (1 acre and above)
• Farmers
• Professionals with idle land back home
• Youth groups & cooperatives

home + land + identity)
• Gives clear financial incentive
• Shows structure (not guesswork farming)
• Creates call to action immediately

The writer is a former MP for Alego and a farmer

By Reporter

A member of the public in Kericho have allegedly  discovered s a suspected mass grave with multiple bodies others mutilated.

In a report  Occurrence Book  (OB) ref: no. 37/21/03/2026 at 4.20pm read “ It was reported by a member of the public that there was a suspected mass grave with multiple bodies within Makaburini area.”

According to the police OB said the  scene was visited by the DCI  Kericho, scenes of crime personnel, and police officers from Kericho police station at makaburini area, map ref no 549598, approximately 1.5 km north east of the station.

“ It was established that there was a fresh grave at the said public cemetery. A report was received from two street boys namely b  k  a  l/m/a aged 26 years, and o w, a k/m/a aged 23 years, both residents of Makaburini area. their casual jobs include digging graves and burying bodies for monetary gain.

They alleged that on 19/03/2026 during the morning hours, a motor vehicle arrived with three occupants who held a lengthy discussion with one Ezekiel, a caretaker at the public cemetery on 20/03/2026 at about 0600 hrs, the same three persons, including the driver, returned aboard a white land cruiser.

The reportees were engaged to dig a mass grave wherein approximately 14 bodies, some mutilated and all in body bags, were dumped into a single grave,” read the police report.

The police said they have launched investigations and a request for exhumation of the said bodies will be sought on 23/03/2026.

By Reporter

Former Cabinet Minister Raphael Tuju has reportedly  gone missing as his phones were switched off last night..

Sources say  Tuju’s phones  have been switched  off since  last night , and his car was found abandoned  on Miotoni lane in Karen, Nairobi.

More to follow

By OPCS Press Service

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has reassured Kenyans that Karura Forest remains protected, amid concerns over the ongoing construction of National Youth Service (NYS) barracks within the forest.

The concerns arose after images circulated online showing felled trees and ongoing works inside Karura, leading some members of the public to allege plans to encroach on or privatise parts of the forest.

“Karura Forest is going nowhere. Karura Forest will remain safeguarded and protected, and what is there is a 3-acre tree seedling centre that has been there since 1997, and nobody is going to touch Karura Forest.” said Mudavadi.

The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has since clarified that the works are part of a nationwide initiative to expand tree nurseries and strengthen forest restoration efforts.

Mudavadi was speaking at Maragoli Hills Forest during the celebrations of this year’s International Day of Forests.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment, through the national tree-growing programme, to increase the country’s tree cover to at least 30 percent in the next six years.

“We shall restore degraded landscapes and protect our country’s fragile forest ecosystems, thus strengthening Kenya’s climate resilience and creating new opportunities for green jobs and community livelihoods.” he said.

“I encourage all Kenyans across all counties to actively participate in tree growing and environmental conservation efforts. Protecting forests is not only about safeguarding the environment, but more importantly, securing Kenya’s economic future and the well-being of future generations.” added Mudavadi.

Mudavadi said achieving these ambitious goals requires a Whole-of-Government, Whole-of-Society approach that involves collaboration among national and county governments, development partners, the private sector, civil society, and local communities.

He said community participation, particularly through community forest associations and youth groups, remains critical to the success of forest restoration initiatives.

“Forest resources also support livelihoods through beekeeping, eco-tourism, sustainable timber production, tree nursery enterprises and other activities. Furthermore, wood fuel and charcoal remain a major source of energy for many households, highlighting the continued importance of sustainable forest management.” said Mudavadi.

He urged the residents of Vihiga to join hands in the restoration and re-afforestation of Maragoli Hills Forest, saying the ecosystem of that region largely depends on proper forest cover.

“I encourage us to plant fruit trees; this will double as both conservation efforts and also as sources of fruits that the community will eat.” Mudavadi said.

“Globally, over 1.6 billion people derive their livelihoods, jobs and incomes from forest activities including timber production, ecotourism, agriculture and renewable energy. Consequently, forests are not just environmental resources but are also natural capital that support economic growth and social well-being.” he added.

The Prime CS said the restoration efforts are in line with ongoing infrastructure development, including the launch of the Naivasha-Kisumu-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway line that will link Kenya and Uganda and the rest of the East African region.

“Thursday tulizindua kutoka Narok kule Suswa kukuja Kisumu na leo Rais Ruto na mwenzake Yoweri Museveni wa Uganda, wame zindua hii ya kutoka Kisumu kuelekea Malaba. Na Museveni anataka kuendeleza kutoka Uganda kuelekea kwa mpaka wa DRC. Na kule kwingine tunataka tukuwe na branch ya kuelekea South Sudan. Hii ni kuonyesha ya kwamba tunataka integration ya kiuchumi, katika bara la Afrika.” said Mudavadi.

“Umuhimu wa reli ni kuhakikisha kwamba inabeba bidhaa na mazao, na nafasi nzuri inakuja ambayo tunataka wakulima wa eneo la Western Kenya, watumie fursa hii kubadilisha uchumi wa eneo hili na hii reli itakuwa ikibeba 4,000 tonnes za cargo kila trip, na hizo tonnes haziwezi jaa kama hatutakuwa na ukulima maarufu.” Mudavadi noted.

Mudavadi said Maragoli Forest will also play a major role in timber manufacturing, urging residents to rally together and ensure that the forest is conserved.

He said today’s exercise was a key contribution to the restoration of the degraded ecosystem and also part of the national commitment to grow 15 billion trees by 2032.