Why courts are the last line of defence for our environment

Strong environmental laws must be protected from safeguard weakening amendments. Our courts are our last line of environmental defence, and they must not fail us.

By Irungu Houghton 1 month ago

When will abductions and police brutality come to an end?

Kenyan courts have repeatedly found the state liable for using excessive force against protesters, arbitrary arrests, pre-trial detention, and denying suspects access to lawyers.

By Irungu Houghton 1 month ago

Mothers drive policy reform by speaking out against brutality

Mothers from the farthest ends of the country have refused for their sons to be profiled, abducted and forcefully disappeared.

By Irungu Houghton 1 month ago

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Hope and doubt in state compensation plan

Kenya's reparations plan is welcomed but raises questions on fairness, funding, and whether justice for state violence victims will truly be achieved.

By Irungu Houghton 1 month ago

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Maraga, environmentalists' arrest raise key queries on Nairobi park

Arrest of activists protesting Nairobi National Park development has intensified scrutiny of a contested Bomas expansion project now heading to court.

By Irungu Houghton 2 months ago

Rescue capital city from greedy, reckless and unqualified officers

We must also focus on deeper, systemic and relational failures that enabled him thrive at City Hall.

By Irungu Houghton 2 months ago

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What would it take to keep all Kenyan women and girls safe?

With 16 Utumishi Girls Academy students dead and 74 injured, the nation reels from another horrific, tragic incident.

By Irungu Houghton 2 months ago

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OCS arrest for freeing protesters betrays political hand in the NPS

The midnight home arrest of Police OCS Dishon Angoya during another week of protests, perhaps not wholly surprising, was still unsettling.

By Irungu Houghton 2 months ago

UDA owes Kenyans an apology over remarks made in the Senate

How do last week's Senate exchange, a youth poll, and this week's byelection connect, and why do all parties in power need to pay attention?

By Irungu Houghton 3 months ago

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Suluhu's threat of violence to the youth takes East Africa backward

President Samia Suluhu's comments at the business conference this week were hard-faced, honest, and habitual.

By Irungu Houghton 3 months ago

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Registration of 2.6m new voters is an indicator of political awareness

The 2.6 million new voters bring the register to 24.7 million. It marks one of the fastest expansions in Kenya's history.

By Irungu Houghton 3 months ago

We must speak truth to power for just and responsive states

Eight years ago, the United Nations proclaimed the International Day to affirm that peace, human rights, and sustainable development were best achieved

By Irungu Houghton 3 months ago

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How Uganda's new bill could backfire on its economy

The Ugandan state now risks further repelling USD 2.2 billion in annual inflows at a time when health funding has fallen by 49 per cent.

By Irungu Houghton 3 months ago

Political violence signals troubled road to the 2027 General Election

The assault of Senator Osotsi is not just an attack on an individual. It is an attack on Kenya's democratic space.

By Irungu Houghton 4 months ago

Integrity, good economy and freedoms crucial for a 'happy' nation

Active and vigilant citizens must continue to monitor and expose the unfinished health centres, extravagant prestige buildings, trips abroad and allowances for loyalists.

By Irungu Houghton 4 months ago

Protest policing must now change after judgment on police brutality

Investigations into the culpability of specific officers and commanders must be concluded.

By Irungu Houghton 4 months ago

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What Mudavadi must seek while in Moscow for trapped Kenyans

As CS Musalia Mudavadi heads to Moscow, he faces the urgent task of addressing the trafficking of Kenyan recruits to fight in Ukraine and protecting citizens abroad.

By Irungu Houghton 5 months ago

Kenya does not lack resources, it lacks a prudent spending culture

A quick read suggests that while the government does not lack money, it lacks consequences for intentionally deepening debt and impunity in our name.

By Irungu Houghton 5 months ago

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How the Cybercrime Act is being used to stifle political opponents

Recent court cases involving activist Mwabili Mwagodi and student David Oaga Mokaya have renewed scrutiny over alleged misuse of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act to suppress political dissent.

By Irungu Houghton 5 months ago

Greedy developers and corrupt county leaders killing our cities

This week's Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman) ruling in the case of Coldstone Investment Ltd Vs Khaleej Towers Ltd created a buzz in my home

By Irungu Houghton 6 months ago

Why the Cabinet must fast track Baraza team's proposals on GBV

Gender based violence currently costs Kenya Sh46 billion annually in health expenses, legal processes and productivity losses.

By Irungu Houghton 6 months ago

Public trust in data governance crucial to Kenya's digital future

Kenyans can be proud that the six-year-old Data Protection Act remains far superior to any legislation in Africa or those in older digital economies like the United States.

By Irungu Houghton 6 months ago

US broke the law by abducting, charging Maduro

The US violated the UN Charter's prohibition on the use of force.

By Irungu Houghton 6 months ago

We need fair and clear system of paying victims of State injustices

Government toxicology reports demonstrate that the blood of villagers contained 420 micro grams of lead, 800 times what is considered safe for human beings.

By Irungu Houghton 6 months ago

How Nick Rambo told stories of the unheard through bold films

Unlike many, Nick filmed not only to explain our world but to offer the silenced a voice and to protect the truth.

By Irungu Houghton 7 months ago

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Arrest of Turkish citizen has put Kenya under the microscope again

Diplomacy must not cloak transnational repression, and extradition must never become a tool to hunt those fleeing political persecution.

By Irungu Houghton 7 months ago

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Human rights violations happen when citizens choose to be silent

Once again, human rights violations scarred many lives and tested our national conscience over 2025.

By Irungu Houghton 7 months ago

New ruling on safe abortion paves way to lower maternal deaths

The ruling stems back to a ban arbitrarily placed on reproductive health care services provided by Marie Stopes International Kenya.

By Irungu Houghton 7 months ago

How latest ruling on safe abortion will help address maternal deaths

A High Court ruling this week declaring safe abortion a constitutional right has massive implications for hundreds of thousands of women and girls with unintended pregnancies.

By Irungu Houghton 7 months ago

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There's no shame for an abused man to seek justice and healing

The 16 days of activism against gender-based violence ended on Wednesday, which was also International Human Rights Day.

By Irungu Houghton 8 months ago

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Let KNCHR lead compensation bid for police brutality victims

After months of a court stay, the President's Panel of Experts to compensate victims of state violence during public protests has been struck down.

By Irungu Houghton 8 months ago

Kenya Kwanza must review the tax regime for hustlers to thrive

Oxfam's report goes beyond criticism. It offers practical policy solutions that could rescue Kenya Kwanza's vision if implemented.

By Irungu Houghton 8 months ago

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Unchecked State surveillance curtails freedom of expression

The release of two investigative reports into technology-enabled state surveillance and violence against critics of the state reminds us of a disturbing reality.

By Irungu Houghton 8 months ago

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Upcoming by-elections offer big test for stakeholders in 2027 race

The 27th November by-elections have all the signs of a mini general election.

By Irungu Houghton 9 months ago

Tanzania's political instability risks spreading in the region

The escalation of repression by Tanzania against the public, journalists and human rights defenders sadly seems to be extending even to those without a voice or a vote.

By Irungu Houghton 9 months ago

To honour Raila, we must defend human rights, uphold rule of law

Described by his old friend Prof Anyang' Nyong'o as "the return of the lion to the mountain," Raila Amolo Odinga's death has left Kenya transfixed and in deep reflection.

By Irungu Houghton 9 months ago

Why Pheroze Nowrojee deserves a Nairobi road named after him

Nairobi South Ward MCA Waithera Chege's reading of a motion this week to commemorate the life of late Pheroze Nowrojee.

By Irungu Houghton 10 months ago

Let a new generation of honest leaders emerge ahead of 2027

With the resumption of continuous voter registration on September 29, seven by-elections set for November 27, the scramble for the next generation of honest leaders is on.

By Irungu Houghton 10 months ago

Police brutality victims and their families deserve justice

The real public interest question is whether Kenya's justice institutions will hold those responsible to account with or without the Panel of Experts.

By Irungu Houghton 10 months ago

Shun companies profiting from the genocide happening in Gaza

In another act of complete disregard for the international community, Israeli forces have escalated their assault on Gaza, killing at least 79 people this week.

By Irungu Houghton 10 months ago