In a seven-day action plan, the protesters, who have been mobilising on social media, plan to petition the Supreme Court to dissolve Parliament (Nation, August 8, p.3). That’s misleading. The Supreme Court has no such powers. In 2020, Chief Justice David Maraga sent an advisory to President Uhuru Kenyatta to dissolve Parliament because the House was not properly constituted in terms of the two-thirds gender rule. Maraga did not attempt to dissolve Parliament. Media has a duty to educate, not just report.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has confirmed existing claims of his impeachment, even as he associated the rumours with his woes of being undermined by President William Ruto’s aide, whom he did not mention (Standard, August 6, p.4). If the target of a plot “confirmed” its existence, the scheme stops being a rumour, si ndio?
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja ran afoul of traders at Toi market, Nairobi, on Saturday last week. He had gone to access fire damage…(Standard, August 6, p.12). He had gone to “assess” not “access” fire damage.
The withdrawal of Sh8.5 graft charges against former CS Tourism CS Najib Balala and 16 others sparked an unfriendly fight between the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (Nation online, August 6). What’s “an unfriendly fight? Kwani fights zingine zinakuwanga friendly?
Battle rages over control of Asset Recovery Agency (Standard, August 5, p.9). Intro: A constitutional standoff between the Attorney General’s office and [the] Director of Public Prosecutions is looming on who between the two should be in charge of the Asset Recovery Agency. Two errors, one, if a battle “rages” (headline) then it is already going on intensely. But if it is “looming” (intro), it only seems about to happen. And, two, why repeat “between the two” when you have already stated “standoff between”?
The two main teachers’ unions have jointly written to the employer with a raft of demands they want met failing which they will set in motion the process for a nationwide strike starting August 26 when schools reopen for the third term (Nation, August 8, p.5). Wordy. Once you say they have sent demands to the employer you don’t need to write “they want met”. That’s obvious. They will start a strike on August 26, not “set in motion the process of” blah, blah. Trim the fat, write succinctly.
House team dismisses memoranda by Kenyans raising questions on integrity of candidates and gang up to approve 19 Ruto Cabinet picks set to be sworn in at the break of dawn today (People Daily, August 8, p.1). Are we looking at a national newspaper that has no idea official government business like a swearing in ceremony cannot be conducted “at the break of dawn”?
The 2027 calculation in rising stars of Kalonzo and Natembeya in Mt Kenya (Nation headline, August 6, p.7). Maybe Kalonzo’s, but Natembeya’s star rising in Mt Kenya? Intro: Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya could benefit from the uncertainty surrounding Mt Kenya politics amid a growing feeling Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is being isolated from President Ruto’s government. Not a single fact in that intro. If you say Kalonzo and Natembeya’s stars are rising in Mt Kenya, you provide the facts, not “could benefit”. That is opinion. Amid a “growing feeling”? Whose feeling? Daily Nation’s, of course.
