Q&A: In Kisii, Kenya, "Food Shortages, Because People Are Afraid To Buy Supplies"

A few days ago, IPS East Africa Correspondent Kwamboka Oyaro was obliged to travel to Kisii in western Kenya on urgent family business. Coming just after the Dec. 27 general elections, the timing of the trip was unfortunate; but, we said to ourselves, she'd be back in Nairobi shortly afterwards.

/UPDATE/POLITICS-KENYA: Mediation to Address Election Crisis Planned

Opposition officials have postponed a gathering that was supposed to take place Thursday in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, this after police clashed with demonstrators as they tried to make their way to Uhuru Park for the rally.

SUDAN: “Contractors Have the Freedom To Do What They Want”

An oil-fuelled construction boom is giving Sudan's capital, Khartoum, an ever shinier veneer. However, some fear that this building spree is taking place at environmental cost.

POLITICS-KENYA: Voters Reaffirm Democracy; Now It&#39s the Politicians&#39 Turn

Kenya's presidential, parliamentary and local council polls on Thursday were far from perfect. The main opposition candidate for the presidency and favourite to win the election could not locate his name in the voters' register in a constituency he has represented for the past 15 years.

POLITICS-KENYA: For Women, Elections May Be the Milestone That Wasn&#39t

General elections are underway in Kenya, marking the end of a titanic struggle between incumbent President Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga, heading the Party of National Unity and the Orange Democratic Movement, respectively.

POLITICS-KENYA: NGOs Bolster Women Candidates&#39 Media and Voter Savvy

A number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have come to the assistance of female candidates ahead of Kenya's general elections, scheduled for Thursday, in the hope of giving them a fair shot at the polls - this in a country where lack of funds, resistance to women in leadership positions and various other factors tend to undermine women's electoral performance.

Q&A: "For Me, Money Has Been the Real Issue"

As IPS reported earlier this year, the financial cost of campaigning has weighed heavily on certain women candidates in Kenya's general elections, set to take place Dec. 27. With just hours remaining before the polls, we caught up with one of these candidates - Pamela Mburia - to find out how she'd managed to press ahead with her bid for office in the face of such difficulties.

KENYA: Women Parliamentary Candidates on the Ballot, But Not in the Race?

At first glance, it seems like a good news story. When Kenya goes to the polls next week for general elections, it will do so with record numbers of women on the ballot.

POLITICS-KENYA: A Call to Arm Women Candidates With More Than Speeches

Last Friday, Margaret Wanjiru - a parliamentary candidate in Kenya's Dec. 27 general elections - was reportedly attacked while campaigning in her Starehe constituency in the capital, Nairobi. While she escaped injury, her supporters are said to have been hurt and her campaign van extensively damaged by stoning...Still, those targeted in this incident were probably luckier than Martha Kibwana.

CHALLENGES 2007-2008: Peacekeepers for Darfur an Ongoing Source of Conflict

The hope for a lasting peace in Darfur is pinned on the deployment of 26,000 peacekeeping troops to the troubled region. However, squabbling between the many rebel factions, the Sudanese government and the international community still threatens to derail the process.

ENVIRONMENT-KENYA: Turning Trash Into Cash

From carrier bags, to takeaway cutlery, to containers lining the aisles of grocery stores, plastic is found virtually everywhere in Kenya's capital, Nairobi: for better and for worse. The widget that is useful in the first instance is likely to become a polluting eyesore after it gets tossed away, as the city struggles to come to grips with recycling its plastic.

ENERGY-SOUTH AFRICA: Food Security Hobbles Biofuel Strategy

Worried that it may be seen as insensitive to the food needs of Africa, the South African government, which is facing a general election in 2009, has chosen food security in framing a biofuel policy.

Q&A: "Slash the Salaries of the President, Ministers and Members of Parliament"

The sole female presidential candidate in Kenya's Dec. 27 general elections will launch her party's manifesto on Sunday. Nazlin Umar, one of nine contenders, is running on the ticket of the Workers Congress Party under the slogan "President wa mtaa" ("Street President", in Swahili), as part of a campaign to convince voters that she is able to address everyday concerns.

AFRICA: Money, Media and Tradition Complicate Women&#39s Political Aspirations

The challenges confronting women politicians in Africa were given an airing recently during a press conference in South Africa's commercial hub, Johannesburg.

DEVELOPMENT-TANZANIA: Tackling Corruption Through Song

Wailing into the microphone and feigning an exaggerated limp, singer Tominem pleaded with corruption-weary Tanzanians in the audience to assert their rights when fighting graft.

TANZANIA: Balancing Refugee Camp Closure and Voluntary Repatriation

Tens of thousands of Burundian refugees staying in Tanzania returned home this year; however, the Tanzanian government will miss its target to empty all camps by mid-2008, the United Nations said Friday.

MEDIA-KENYA: For a Woman Candidate, It&#39s Good To Be a Man

As with political candidates everywhere, women running in this month's general elections in Kenya are doubtless keeping a close eye on the media to see how they are being portrayed by news outlets. Then again, these women may simply be concerned about whether they are portrayed at all.

WORLD AIDS DAY-KENYA: Many Firms Still Ignoring the Bottom Line on HIV

HIV/AIDS cuts workers down in their prime, taking to the grave a wealth of training and experience that companies can ill afford to lose. Lower productivity, absenteeism from work and increased medical bills exact a further toll on the private sector - all of which begs the question: are employers being sufficiently active in helping to fight AIDS?

HELSINKI PROCESS: Farewell to a Unique Forum for Dialogue

The Helsinki Process on Globalisation and Democracy was launched five years ago by Finland and Tanzania with the aim of addressing international divisions, to achieve an inclusive globalisation process based on human and environmental security.

HELSINKI PROCESS: Pushing For Progress in the Great Lakes Region

Continued strife in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has dealt a blow to those hoping for peace in Central Africa. However, Liberata Mulamula, executive director of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), remains optimistic about the future of this part of the continent.

HELSINKI PROCESS: Democracy as an Antidote to Extremism

The director of Panorama - the Palestinian Center for the Dissemination of Democracy and Community Development - has condemned those who carry out terrorist acts in the name of Islam, saying they are not representative of the global Muslim community.