Trained in the British colonial culture of strict discipline, obedience to leadership and commitment to work, Simeon Nyachae knew no other way (Star, February 12, p.4). Such effusive praise for British colonialism sanitises an irredeemably evil system; a crime against humanity. Nyachae (or any African “savages” for that matter) could only learn “strict discipline, obedience to leadership and commitment to work” and similar values from the colonial masters. None of that existed in Nyachae’s Abagusii culture. A Kenyan national newspaper publishes this in 2021? Shame!
Governors Hassan Joho, Amoson Kingi and Daadho Godhana arriving at Governor Granton Samboja’s residential home in Mwakishimba (Video caption, Standard Digital, February 10). So, what’s the news?
Apart from water treatment, Mr Mwarua said a consultant would be brought on board to help with recycling the waste through the production of briquettes and methane gas (Nation, February 9, p.23). Save words. Hired (one word) instead of “brought on board” (three). To produce (two words) instead of (“through the production of” (four words). Fewer words are neater and clearer in writing.
The two had to leave the podium as giggles and claps rented the air (Star online, February 8). How much rent was paid? Nope. Giggles and claps “rent” the air, past tense of “rend”, which means tear violently.
“Is he fainting? Is he fainting?” The question rent in the air at Kahawa Law Courts as magistrate Diana Mochache surged from her seat and quickly gazed at former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko as he slumped in the dock (The Standard, February 10, p.2). Rent the air, not “rent in the air”.
A man has gone to court to stop her sister from making a road on [over] six graves, including that of their parents (Standard, February 10, p.3). The possessive pronoun of man is “his”, ala!
Headline: Why government is shifting away from 35-year-old 8-4-4 curriculum (People Daily, February 10, p.5). Intro: President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday explained why the government is changing the education curriculum. Not good. The intro tells the reader nothing of substance. Go straight to the “why”, which is prioritised in the headline but appears in paragraph three in the story.
