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THE STANDARD -- Of Al Capone and Kenya’s Happy Valley
BY XN IRAKI (FGJ ‘15) -- On a visit to Happy Valley (Wanjohi) in Nyandarua County about five years ago I overheard from Solomon Gitau, the main character in Juliet Barnes’ Ghosts of Happy Valley, that Al Capone, one of the US best-known mobsters, used to live there. Wanjohi hugs the Aberdares about 30km East of Naivasha. READ MORE.
THE STANDARD -- We ignore the global rise of India at our own peril
BY XN IRAKI (FGJ ‘15) -- Indians have been in Kenya for more than a century. Beyond business, trade and manufacturing, they have not extensively socially integrated into Kenyan society. READ MORE.
STANDARD DIGITAL NEWS -- A tribute to Kenya’s forgotten war hero
BY XN IRAKI (FGJ ‘15) -- Why should I distract you from Covid-19 to write about a man you have never heard about? Just wait. Zachary Mburu Mwikonyi was buried on April 22, 2020 in Shamata, Nyandarua County. His national ID showed he was born in 1926. In an interview in 2017, he gave his date of birth as 1922. His eulogy gave the date as 1918. READ MORE.
STANDARD DIGITAL NEWS -- Nigerians are not coming, they’ve already arrived
BY XN IRAKI (FGJ ‘15) -- The sale of Kenya’s Transnational Bank to Access Bank of Nigeria should have been a big headline. Access is not the first Nigerian bank to get a foothold in Kenya; Guaranty Trust (GT) and UBA already have a presence here. The choice of buying an existing bank instead of starting from zero was a good decision. Goodwill and network are key assets for a new bank seeking a foothold in a new market. Why is the buyout so significant to the banking sector and the Kenyan economy? Why didn’t we notice it? Is that the last Nigerian purchase? READ MORE.
STANDARD DIGITAL NEWS -- Covid-19: What’s the end game?
BY XN IRAKI (FGJ ‘15) -- In his famous poem, ‘The Hollow Men’ written in 1925, TS Elliot ends with: “This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper”. READ MORE.
STANDARD DIGITAL NEWS -- Why time is ripe for Kenya to cash in on new export options
BY XN IRAKI (FGJ ‘15) -- The new Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Liberian former President Sirleaf Johnson and other crop of middle-level leaders are among those we “exported” from Kenya. READ MORE.
STANDARD DIGITAL NEWS -- Covid-19: Is the moment of truth finally here?
BY XN IRAKI (FGJ ‘15) -- At the onset of Covid-19 in Kenya, we told Health minister Mutahi Kagwe that we did not know anyone who had died of the disease. I am sure that answer has changed. Many Kenyans, particularly around Nairobi, know someone close or familiar who has succumbed to this virus. Data released daily shows a worrying pattern; the percentage of positive cases from samples taken is going up. It’s a clear indicator of community transmission; it is no longer a disease of the jet-set group or well-travelled Kenyans. READ MORE.
STANDARD DIGITAL NEWS -- Ties that bind Nyandarua and Australia
BY XN IRAKI (FGJ ‘15) -- What do Australia and Nyandarua have in common? Relax and read on. Australia is far, rarely features in our news. It is dubbed Down Under, the land of kangaroos, the Tasmanian devil (an animal) and hosts the Great Barrier Reef, outbacks, wide open plains and serene beaches. From the well-watered South East to the deserts of the north, Australia is endowed with diversity in landscape, flora and fauna. It is a dominion with the Queen of England as the head of state. READ MORE.
