Family, friends, former students, and dignitaries gathered at Nairobi’s Goan Gymkhana over the weekend to celebrate the launch of A Life of Service, the memoir of pioneering educator and missionary John Gomes, whose work in Kenya has transformed lives for over three decades. The memoir chronicles Gomes’s inspiring journey from his humble beginnings in Goa, India, to his decades-long mission in Kenya, where he served as a teacher, school principal, and community builder under the Diocese of Nyeri. Through vivid personal stories, Gomes shares the values, challenges, and triumphs that shaped his life and the lives of thousands he mentored…
Author: NBM CORRESPONDENT
A groundbreaking Sh18 billion education deal between the University of Nairobi and the French government, once hailed as a turning point for Kenya’s science and technology sector, is now entangled in delays, political wrangles, and leadership changes that have cast uncertainty over its future. In 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the University of Nairobi and announced a strategic partnership to establish a world-class science and engineering centre. The vision: to replicate a facility similar to Harvard’s Science Complex, right at UoN’s Chiromo Campus. The proposed 30,000-square-metre hub was to include precision engineering labs, innovation centres, postgraduate hostels, and a…
The National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) has approved the government’s ambitious Sh4.24 trillion spending plan for the 2025/26 financial year. However, the approval comes with significant concerns over revenue targets, unsustainable debt levels, and critical underfunding in key economic sectors. The committee, after reviewing submissions from other parliamentary committees and the public, formally approved the budget estimates on Wednesday. While endorsing the overall expenditure framework, the BAC report tabled in Parliament delivered a stark critique of the National Treasury’s approach. One of the key concerns highlighted was the underfunding of critical sectors. The BAC found that the Treasury…
Caesarean section (C-section) delivery rates have steadily and significantly increased in Kenya over the last five years, reflecting changing dynamics in maternal healthcare choices and accessibility. The nation’s C-section rate rose gradually year on year, from 16.08 per cent in 2020 to 16.21 per cent in 2021, 16.91 per cent in 2022, and 17.55 per cent in 2023. Most recently, the rate increased to 18.25 per cent in 2024. This upward trend in surgical deliveries results from both improved access to healthcare and widening socioeconomic disparities. While C-sections are necessary and often life-saving when complications arise during childbirth, the rising…
Kenya’s Parliament faces another high-stakes clash over devolved funds after the Senate approved a Sh405 billion allocation to counties, directly challenging the National Assembly’s earlier decision for the same amount in the upcoming 2023/26 financial year. While the figures appear identical, a critical dispute over what constitutes the equitable share of national revenue threatens vital services in the 47 counties. The core disagreement: The National Assembly, led by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, insists its approved Sh405 billion represents 25.8% of the audited national revenue from 2020/21. Wetang’ula defended this allocation, citing Article 217 of the Constitution and the need for fiscal…
Kenya’s contentious Finance Bill 2025 entered a critical phase on Tuesday as the National Assembly’s Finance and National Planning Committee launched nationwide public hearings. Following a week of stakeholder consultations in Nairobi, the committee is now taking its deliberations directly to citizens—starting with sessions in Busia and Migori counties today and moving to Trans Nzoia and Nandi on Wednesday. Plans include hearings in at least 10 counties overall. Committee Vice Chairman Benjamin Langat underscored the vital role of public input. “This is not an exercise in futility; it’s a very important exercise,” Langat stated. “This Finance Bill is a proposal,…
Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA) is poised to dramatically reshape the leadership and oversight of the country’s largest listed companies and financial market intermediaries. The new Capital Markets (Corporate Governance) Regulations, 2025, finalized after recent stakeholder consultations, target significant weaknesses in corporate governance, aiming to boost market integrity and restore investor confidence. The regulations introduce sweeping changes designed to curb misconduct and enforce accountability: 1. Separation of Powers: A core rule mandates the complete separation of the chairman and the executive officer roles. No individual can hold both top positions, forcing a clear division between board oversight and executive management.…
Excessive borrowing is making tutors poorer, raising need for better, sustainable alternatives.
A major traffic gridlock was reported this morning along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway near the Jet Inn area, between Emali and Masimba, along a stretch of the highway spanning a railway bridge. Reports indicate that the fatal accident, which occurred on Friday morning, resulted in one confirmed death and left another individual with serious injuries. Emergency response teams were dispatched to provide medical assistance and manage the situation. “Three trailers were involved in a collision early this morning on the railway bridge section of the highway, resulting in one confirmed fatality and serious injuries to one driver,” said Police Spokesperson Muchiri…
In its latest national survey on a range of economic and political issues released on Wednesday, 28 May, TIFA reveals that 54 per cent of Kenyans do not support broad-based government. Despite entering a political deal with the Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga that was hailed as a democratic milestone expected to bear fruit through broad-based government, the survey paints a gloomy picture of the Kenya Kwanza administration. According to TIFA, it is quickly becoming apparent that Odinga will return to the opposition and run for president in 2027. The report shows that 54 per cent of Kenyans oppose…