Beatrice Soy was the overall winner in the inaugural Dr. Peter Ndegwa and Friends Golf tournament, held on Saturday at the prestigious Muthaiga Golf Club. 

Playing off handicap 27, Mrs. Soy, the Muthaiga Golf Club’s Lady Vice-Captain, showcased stellar form and took advantage of the favorable weather to post an impressive 45 Stableford points, outclassing a field of more than 200 golfers. 

Her consistency on the course was evident as she recorded 23 points on the front nine and followed up with another 22 points on the back nine, securing the overall title in a toughly contested tournament.

In addition to her overall victory, Mrs. Soy also clinched the Nearest to the Pin award in the ladies’ category.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Mrs. Soy said : “Today, I am a very happy golfer. This is my first time winning a tournament, and I’m honored it’s the inaugural Dr. Peter Ndegwa and Friends tournament. It means so much to me and inspires me to participate in more competitions."

Adding " I teed off early in the morning, having requested a schedule change due to afternoon engagements, and here I am as the winner! My big thanks to the Safaricom CEO, and I hope this tournament becomes a regular part of our golf calendar.” 

In the ladies’ category, Joan K’anjenjo claimed the top prize with 35 points, narrowly edging out her fellow club member Florence Marangu, who posted 34 points.

The men’s category witnessed a fierce battle, with Benson Theuri outscoring Nawfal Cockar by a single point to win with 41 points.

Young talent was also on display as Ishaan Gidomal, playing off handicap 27, captured the juniors’ title with an impressive 44 points.

The Longest Drive Contest saw Maria Cristina and Mitanshi Thacker emerge victorious, while Safaricom’s Chief Business Development and Strategy Officer, Michael Mutiga, took home the Safaricom Staff Prize.

The Best Nines were awarded to Selest Kilinda (21 points) for the front nine and Tim Chege (22 points) for the back nine.

In the guest category, Millicent Mello of Railways Golf Club and Allan Kirui of Nyanza Golf Club claimed top honors with 37 and 36 points, respectively.

Prior to tee-off, Safaricom CEO Dr. Peter Ndegwa marked the festive season by gifting sheep to the caddies at Muthaiga Golf Club, spreading cheer as part of Safaricom’s ongoing Sambaza Furaha campaign. 

Reflecting on the day, Dr. Ndegwa said: “Earlier today, before I teed off, I had the opportunity to meet representatives of the caddies here at Muthaiga and gifted them a sheep to celebrate the festive season as we continue to Sambaza Furaha to our customers across the country. I am also deeply impressed by the incredible turnout and extend my gratitude to the more than 200 friends who joined us for the Peter and Friends Golf Day tournament."

Adding "It was a wonderful moment of interaction and connection, celebrating 24 years of success as a company. Your unwavering support is the reason we have achieved so much and stand where we are today.” 

The inaugural Dr. Peter Ndegwa and Friends Golf Tournament brought together over 200 golfers from different clubs and entities.

Through this tournament, Safaricom seeks to recognize and thank its partners for their vital contributions, which have been instrumental in shaping Safaricom into the impactful organization it is today

By Adero Joy Achola

If I asked you to go to the Kenyan coast and gather over 60 people on a rainy Tuesday morning to sit in a class and learn you would probably consider it a difficult feat. 

And, it is. But there’s a cheat code. You could promise to teach them about some of the best wine.

This was the premise behind the WOSA Cap Classique event held at the Tamarind Village this December.

This is the fourth iteration of this event and each time it’s a welcome endeavor.  WOSA is an acronym that stands for Wines Of South Africa; a body that educates about and promotes South African wine.

This year, as it has been every year before, was a success.  The event targeted the hospitality and general wine trade industry and had a two-pronged approach.

Part 1

This is a structured sit-down class. The attendees were Waiters, Food and Beverage managers, General managers and other industry professionals. 

This year it was led by Melissa Mwende a certified wine sommelier and wine educator. Through her capable guidance the students of the day were able to learn the difference between still and sparkling wine and most importantly what South African sparkling wine is. This was supported by a Q and A with the WOSA Kenya co-ordinator and fellow sommelier/educator Wanjiru Mureithi alongside sommelier/ Team Wine Kenya Member Adero J. Achola. Mathome Mbatha the WOSA Africa representative was on hand to present the achievement certificates.

Part 2

An industry cocktail event that allows the attendees to sample the available Cap Classique in the market. To say that this is a cocktail event to delight in, is an understatement. From old favourites like Jourdan to new stars like IL Geco, Cap Classique flowed freely!

Now, I cannot provide the second, experience but I can most definitely give you a rundown of part 1. Ensuring that you too can enjoy Cap Classique like a pro! This lesson will be much more fun with a Cap Classique to accompany it, so you are free to run out and get one. We’ll wait.

Cap Classique is the term for sparkling wine that is produced in South Africa using the classic traditional method (methode Champenoise- Champagne style method). What does that mean? Well, it means that the most arduous and painstaking steps were taken to produce the bubbles in your glass. Those sparkly, pearlescent beads of joy are actually created in the bottle from which you are pouring!

Made in the beautiful Western Cape of South Africa, Cap Classique can be made using a variety of grapes; any grape actually. This particular fact means that Cap Classique can be as complex as the winemaker’s imagination allows. Following a dedicated hand harvested crop of grapes, the winemakers gently press the grapes for the purest juice possible.

This juice is then fermented into a still wine. How now do the bubbles happen? Well, the winemaker puts the still wine into a bottle ( Yes, THAT EXACT BOTTLE that you are holding). They then add what we call liquer de tirage into the bottle as well and seal it with a crown top. This is a combination of yeast and sugar.

A secondary fermentation occurs but because the bottle is sealed, the carbon dioxide that is a natural by-product of fermentation, is infused into the wine! When that fermentation is done, we’re left with the delicious bubbly that we enjoy. We are also left with dead yeast though.

This dead yeast has flavours that can be imparted on the wine and for this reason, the wine maker lets the wine sit with this it for a minimum of 12 months by South African Law. Most winemaker let it sit longer. This is called – fancy wine term alert- ‘resting on the lees’.

They do this with the bottle upside down. Once the winemaker is satisfied with the lees aging the neck of the bottle is frozen and the crown taken off. The pressure in the bottle pushes the yeast plug out. Of course we lose a little bit of the good stuff in the process, so the bottle ( Yes, still that bottle you have), is topped up with more wine and sealed immediately.

Cap Classique ranges from bone dry to succulently sweet, so you know there is something for every palate.

What is the best occasion to enjoy Cap Classique? Anytime! You do not need a special event to enjoy Cap Classique. Whether it’s a brunch affair, a pre-dinner drink or just a pleasurable reward after a long day, Cap Classique is always a plus. How should you serve it? Well chilled and happily.

I encourage everyone and you in particular to try the different Cap Classiques available in the market and find a favourite or five!

Skyward Express has inaugurated its new flight route between Mombasa's Moi International airport and Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport.

The route connects Mombasa to Dar es Salaam, a bustling hub known for its business opportunities, cultural richness, and diverse attractions.

This comes just a month after the airline launched the Nairobi - Daresalaam route.

Speaking during the launch, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamd Nassir hailed the move saying it will open up Mombasa to more other destinations.

"This is not a small achievement, you have been able to make us proud, this is truly joyous occasion , alocal airline is now going international" said Nassir.

Adding " This is going to be an interesting time for those who want to travel to Daresalaam for business or leisure the travel cost has been cut drastically with this flight. You will now be in Daresalaam in 25 minutes."

"Having more flights to Mombasa means opening up the county, and the benefeciaries will not only be Mombasa but also other neighbouring counties."

On his part Skyward Express Mohammed Abdi advocated for promotion of local airlines.

" Stakeholders in the tourism industry have been advocating for open sky policy, it is not a bad idea but let us also make sure that we build capacity for our local airlines " argued Abdi.

Adding " Let us build our local airlines to compete with the international and major airlines".

His sentiments were backed with Governor Nassir.

"As much as one among our agendas is the open sky policy but let's not do it at the expensive of the local airlines, let's not kill the local industry, there have to be incentives to boost our local airlines, incentives like tax incentives" said Nassir

Stakeholders in the transport industry in Mombasa have raised concern over the rising cases of crimes being commit by boda boda delivery riders.

Despite their popularity as an affordable and convenient mode of delivery within Mombasa, there have been numerous cases of innocent residents being robbed by the riders.

Speaking during the launch of a road safety campaign, Mombasa county bodaboda chairman Samuel Ogutu emphasized on the need to regulate the bodaboda sector described as the last mile in the transportation sector.

https://ommydalla.co.ke/people/item/3973-mombasa-county-ntsa-launch-road-safety-campaign

Ogutu said the sector has now been infiltrated by rogue and criminal elements.

"If you look properly those who steal phones are the boda boda riders who do delivery. Alot of cases have been reported, they are now spoiling our name." said Ogutu.

Adding "They normally ride their motorbikes on high speed that when they still from you , you cannot catch them. They have also instilled funny exhausts and horns in their motorbikes that makes alot of noise."

Ogutu now wants the government to start regulating the delivery sector.

"We had a meeting with the traffic department at the headquarters in Mombasa and we asked them to at least come up with a proper regulation where all delivery companies in the company will be known so that when a crime is committed by a delivery person we know which company to approach. As boda boda sector we are ready to partner with the the police to bring sanity and ensure we fight these crimes."

Ogutu was responding to a concern raised by the Coast region traffic police boss George Kashmiri.

Mama Doing Good and the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on a landmark initiative to plant 500 million trees by 2032.

This ambitious project supports the national goal of increasing Kenya’s tree cover from 12.13% to 30% and aligns with the First Lady’s Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy that aim to grow 500 million trees by 2032.

The partnership leverages KNUT’s extensive network of over 400,000 teachers and 18 million students across nearly 34,000 public schools. KNUT will play a crucial role in mobilizing teachers, students, non-teaching staff, and school communities to participate in the tree-planting initiative and promote environmental awareness.

Mama Doing Good will provide resources and support for the project, including the promotion of the First Lady’s Mazingira Awards (FLAMA), a national environment and climate change challenge for learners.

“This partnership marks a significant step towards achieving our shared vision of a greener Kenya,” said Mrs. Elizabeth Koskei, Chief Executive Officer of Mama Doing Good. “By working together, we can empower the next generation of environmental stewards and make a lasting impact on our country’s landscape.”

Mr. Collins Oyuu, Secretary General of KNUT, added, “KNUT is proud to partner with Mama Doing Good on this vital initiative. Our teachers and students are eager to contribute to this important national goal, and we believe this collaboration will have a transformative effect on environmental conservation in Kenya.”

“This partnership between Mama Doing Good and KNUT is a testament to the transformative power of collaboration,” said Mr. Arnold Kipchumba, Director, Environment and Climate Action, Mama Doing Good.

Adding “By unlocking the immense potential of teachers and learners, we are not only driving environmental restoration but also contributing to food security and economic resilience for schools and local communities. Together, we are equipping our students to become champions of sustainability while fostering greener schools and communities that support the well-being of generations to come.”

The MOU outlines a three-year plan with clear roles and responsibilities for both organizations, including monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure the project’s success.

The collaboration also includes initiatives to enhance the financial literacy of teachers through Mama Doing Good’s Joyful Women Organisation table banking model.

The Mombasa County Government, in collaboration with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the National Police Service (NPS), has today launched the mass media campaign, Slow Down, Speeding Ruins Lives.

This campaign highlights the dangers of speeding and the importance of adhering to safe speed limits to protect and save lives.

The campaign was developed with technical support from global public health organization Vital Strategies, an implementing partner of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS).

The campaign, which targets drivers and the general public, emphasizes on the need to observe safe speed limits, particularly during the festive season, when many Kenyans travel for celebrations.

The campaign was informed by extensive message testing conducted across four counties, in collaboration with USIU-Africa. PSAs with different approaches were tested to identify which would most effectively resonate with the public. The results showed that real, personal stories had the strongest emotional impact, leading to the decision to feature the testimonials of Mary Wanja and Ruth Machocho.

The campaign materials will be disseminated through on TV, radio, and digital platforms in five languages, and supported by digital billboards across Mombasa. Police-led outreach at key traffic points will engage drivers, encouraging them to sign pledges for safer driving. Social media amplification by NTSA, local leaders, and community partners will further extend the campaign’s reach.

The speeding campaign will be rolled out together with the National Police Service (NPS) in Mombasa who have been training on safe speed implementation and best practices through the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP). Enforcement will be done through the use of speed cameras that will be able to capture drivers exceeding speed limits.

NPS will actively engage drivers in areas where speed cameras are deployed to curb speeding on major roads within Mombasa. Drivers found exceeding speed limits will be issued fines or traffic tickets, and in severe cases, may be required to appear in court.

According to a 2023 report by the NTSA, over 4,000 lives are lost annually on Kenyan roads,

With speeding identified as one of the leading risk factors. This highlights the urgent need for enhanced road safety measures to reduce injuries and fatalities.

The campaign features the true stories of Mary Wanja and Ruth Machocho.

Mary Wanja , 35, a resident of Likoni, Mombasa, shares her harrowing experience of a road crash several months ago as result of a speeding Matatu which left her husband, John, paralyzed.

“It was just a normal day. I was traveling with my husband in a matatu that was speeding. Suddenly, there was a loud bang. When we got to the hospital, the doctor told us my husband would never walk again. I was devastated and didn’t know where to start.” she recounted

“Now, I am left as the breadwinner of my family while also taking care of my paralyzed husband. Speeding may seem thrilling, but your life can change in an instant,” Mary recounted.

Similarly, Ruth Machocho, 28, lost her leg in a crash caused by a speeding truck along the old Malindi Road in Nyali, Mombasa. Now using a prosthetic limb, she shares how the crash transformed her life and expressed hope that no one else has to endure such trauma.

Speaking at the campaign launch Mombasa County Transport CEC Dan Manyala, praised the initiative for its potential to save lives and its unique approach of addressing speeding as a major risk factor.

“We continue to lose far too many lives on our roads due to speeding. I urge all drivers and road users within Mombasa and across the country, as we approach the festive season and celebrate with our families, to observe the set speed limits. Drive safe to arrive safe,” said Manyala.

Adding “As a county in partnership with other stakeholders we have been able to come up with several programs and initiatives towards road safety and we will continue to support all stakeholders in this”

On his part NTSA Director of registration and licensing Cosmas Ngeso reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to collaborating with the (NPS in preventing road traffic crashes during the festive season.

“Speeding has claimed far too many lives. Observing safe speed limits is not just about following traffic laws; it’s about saving lives,” Mr. Njao said. The Authority will enhance its collaboration with NPS and other stakeholders to sensitize, educate, and enforce safe speed limits during this festive season.

BIGRS Initiative Coordinator, Mr. Vipul Patel, highlighted the global challenge of speed management and the need for a sustained, multidisciplinary response.

“Effective speed management is critical in ensuring road safety,” he said.

Adding “Speeding is a major key risk factor in road safety. It increases the risk of a crash, and the severity of the injuries sustained when a crash occurs.”

” Everyone deserves safe streets. Yet, an estimated 1.19 million lives are lost on the world’s roads each year, with speeding a leading cause of these preventable tragedies,” said Tsion Kiros, Communication Manager for Kenya at Vital Strategies.

Radio salaam reporter Yusuf Abubakar and Lulu fm's Janet Mumbi are among the winners of the Association of Grassroot Journalists of Kenya (AGJK)community journalism awards 2024.

Abubakar emerged the winner in the Children reporting category while Mumbi winning the Governance and Advocacy reporting award.

Milly Sabwani of North Rift Radio emerged the overall Journalist of the year winner.

Other winners included Otieno Oluoch (Gender reporting), Kamadi Amatta (Humanitarian reporting), Isaac Waihenya (Health reporting), Johnrai Wekesa (Investigative reporting), Samuel Mkare (Sports, Art and culture reporting.

Radio ASHE from Maralal town, Samburu county scooped the Radio station of the year award.

The winners were awarded during the Association of Grassroot Journalists of Kenya (AGJK) media conference 2024 held in Mombasa, the event was graced by Mombasa Senator Mohammed Faki.

The awards recognises outstanding journalists working in the community media landscape for their exemplary contributions to grassroots storytelling and impactful journalism.

Girl Effect, a global non-profit dedicated to empowering girls and young women, has launched its transformative youth campaign, dubbed  Tukisonga.

The campaign isdesigned to inspire and equip young Kenyans, particularly young women, with the knowledge and tools to navigate critical aspects of their lives such as health, economic empowerment, and personal development.

The name, derived from the Swahili phrase ‘Tukisonga’, which translates to ‘as we move’, symbolizes the resilience and perseverance of Kenyan youth as they forge ahead to create change in their lives and communities.

“Tukisonga is more than just a campaign; it’s a call to action and a reminder that no matter the challenges, young Kenyans can move together to create the future they combine entertainment with practical insights to inspire young people to make informed decisions about their health, education, and economic opportunities,” mentioned Nancy.

The Tuki series is aimed at breaking the barriers that prevent adolescent girls and young women from accessing reproductive health services and economic opportunities. In addition to the TV series, the campaign will include a podcast I want to see,” said Nancy Njoki, Girl Effect, Country Director Kenya.

“This campaign is rooted in connection, support, and empowerment. It represents a community of changemakers determined to make positive decisions and build a fair, inclusive, and open future,” added Nancy.

As part of the campaign, Girl Effect has also launched Tuki, a TV drama series that will air on NTV and K24 every Friday at 7:30 pm.

“Premiering on  6th December,2024, the drama follows relatable characters as they navigate challenges related to sexual and reproductive health, economic empowerment, and societal expectations.

The series hosted by Girl Effect youth creators, radio campaigns, community-based screenings in Nairobi and Migori counties, and digital engagement on online platforms.

“We are excited to bring this drama series to Kenyan audiences,” said Ray Mwihaki, Production Manager at Girl Effect Kenya.

“Through Tuki, we aim to spark conversations around critical issues, providing a space where youth can learn, share experiences, and be inspired by stories of resilience and change.”

Tukisonga and its multimedia initiatives are part of Girl Effect's continued commitment to reaching and empowering Kenyan youth.

With WAZZII, their digital platform that provides sexual and reproductive health information, Girl Effect has already impacted over 1 million youth in Kenya and is now scaling its efforts through innovative campaigns like Tukisonga.

Mzalendo Trust, a Kenyan Parliamentary Monitoring Organisation, has raised concerns about the level of Parliament’s responsiveness to issues relating to public interests. 

In the 2024 Parliamentary Scorecard, released today, Mzalendo noted the high number of instances of members’ absenteeism from the House, the passage of bills that disregard citizen inputs, voting patterns that do not represent the wishes of citizens and attempts to weaken constitutional provisions through introductions of Bills and amendments to existing legislations. 

In a year that has seen Kenyans persistently voice their aspirations and concerns, especially in the legislative process, demanding accountability from Parliament and other arms of government, the failure by Parliament to address these needs should be of concern to the citizens.

Despite this awakening, citizens’ voices remain muted in legislative priorities, Parliament has incessantly failed to align its work with electorates’ needs and aspirations, even sidelining citizens’ views in key legislations as was witnessed in the Finance Bill, 2024.

The report notes that public participation remains a challenge, due to the lack of a clear framework on what constitutes meaningful participation.  

For example, the reports notes discrepancies between the period provided for citizen inputs for different bills, ranging between three days and twenty days in the National Assembly, and three days and twenty-four days in the Senate, depending on the bill in question and the responsible committees. 

Worryingly, the bills that have elicited high citizen interest seem to attract the lowest participation timelines. The Digital Health Bill, for example, had a public participation window of three days in the Senate, and the Social Health Insurance Bill had a public participation window of seven days in the National Assembly. 

“Public Participation, which is often rendered perfunctory by Parliament, continues to be a point of contestation between Parliamentarians and Wananchi. Notably, the Courts’ pronouncements on the need for robust and meaningful public participation, have been met with hostility by some MPs, reflecting a concerning trend where elected leaders disregard the rule of law and voices of the people in favour of expedience,” Mzalendo’s Executive Director, Ms. Caroline Gaita, explains. 

Whilst there has been an increase in legislative output this year in the form of Bills, Kenyans' sentiments and needs continue to be pushed to the periphery, especially in key legislations, even when their sentiments on such legislations are clear.

In the period under review, one Private Member’s Bill in the National Assembly and two in the Senate received presidential assent, and  20 government-sponsored Bills in the National Assembly and two in the Senate.

Key Bills such as the Finance Bill 2024, the Affordable Housing Bill 2024 and other fiscal Bills, were fast-tracked in the legislative process without taking into account citizens’ needs. 

“We have also observed an influx in Bills that threaten to undermine Constitutional provisions, especially the Bill of Rights, the national values and principles as elucidated under Article 10 of our Constitution, and edicts of Chapter six of the Constitution. These Bills do not in any way proffer the needs, aspirations and interests of Kenyans,” Ms. Gaita noted. 

Notable Bills that upset provisions of the Constitution of Kenya that have been tabled in the House in this period under review include, The Land Laws (Amendment) (No.2) Bill of 2023, The Assembly & Demonstrations Bill of 2024, the Anti-Corruption & Economic Crimes (Amendment) Bill No. 40 of 2023 and the Anti-Corruption & Economic Crimes (Amendment) Bill No. 30 of 2023.

The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2024 which sought to among other things, increase the term limits of the President, Governors, MPs and MCAs, also received a lot of rebuffs from Kenyans.

"These bills have been tabled in a period where Kenyans continue to grapple with the high cost of living and a harsh business environment, unemployment, a healthcare crisis with doctors’ strikes, medication shortages and a dysfunctional SHIF, Human Rights violations including abductions, arbitrary arrests and unexplained murders, poor disaster management (particularly flooding) leaving thousands of Kenyans vulnerable, alarming cases of femicide among other pressing needs. This shows the growing disconnect between the House of Representatives and their Representatives,” she further notes.  

On individual performance during the period under review, the most active MPs in the National Assembly are identified as Hon. Wilberforce Oundo Ojiambo (Funyula), Hon Beatrice Elachi (Dagoretti North), Hon. James Nyikal Wambura (Seme), Hon. Makali Mulu (Kitui Central) and Hon. Adan Wehliye (Eldas). The Scorecard this year has gone further and detailed their contributions on the floor of the House and how they voted on critical issues, including impeachment motions.

In contrast, the number of MPs who have not spoken this year is slightly higher compared to last year's Scorecard, from 19 MPs to 20 MPs with more a half of the House having spoken less than ten times.

Among the perennial non-speakers include the Kapseret MP, Hon. Oscar Sudi (Kapseret) and Makadara MP, George Aladwa, whose silence on the floor has become emblematic of a lack of substantive engagement by some elected representatives. Despite their silence, many of these members voted on critical Bills, including those affecting health, housing, taxation, and impeachment motions. 

The most active female MPs are Hon Beatrice Elachi (Dagoretti North) Hon. Zamzam Chimba Mohammed, (Mombasa County Women Rep.) Hon. Catherine Omanyo Nakhabi, (Busia County Women Rep.) Hon. Dorothy Ikiara, (Nominated) Hon. Jane Njeri Maina, (Kirinyaga County Women Rep.). Hon. Jane Njeri Maina, (Kirinyaga County Women Rep.) Hon. Cynthia Muge, (Nandi County Woman Rep), Hon. Gitonga Mukunji (Manyatta), Hon. Robert Mbui, (Yatta) and Hon. Charles Nguna (Mwingi West) lead the list of most active young MPs. 

In the Senate, the most active Senators are, Senators Samson Cheragei (Nandi), Senator Eddy Gichuru (Migori), Senator Tabitha Mutinda (nominated), Senator Erick Mogeni (Nyamira) and Senator Gloria Orwoba (nominated). 

The least active senators are Senators Issa Boy Juma (Kwale), Senator Betty Batuli (nominated), and Senator Shakilla Mohamed (nominated). All these three Senators were absent in the voting of five key Bills in the House that were voted on by division voting.

These Bills include the Affordable Housing Bill, the Primary Healthcare Bill, the Social Health Insurance Bill, the Sugar Bill and the IEBC (Amendment) Bill. 

Senator Crystal Asige and Senator Samson Cheragei, lead with the highest number of Bills sponsored in the Senate – six and five respectively.

In the National Assembly, on the other hand, Hon. Didmus Barasa and Hon. Peter Masara lead with four Bills and three Bills respectively.

The Scorecard has also revealed a worrying trend in Parliament, where both Houses were muddled with challenges of being inquorate, even on days when the Order paper had critical issues that affected Kenyans.  

In the National Assembly, since August 2023, 40 sittings out of a total of 158 sittings over the period were adjourned due to lack of quorum, which translates to 25% of the total sittings. 

Further, 2 sittings didn’t kick off at all, one of them being the morning after a vote on the impeachment of the former Deputy President took place.

Noteworthy, some of the instances where there was a lack of quorum were on days when critical issues such as when there was a debate on the Employment (Amendment) Bill, an adjournment motion on rising femicide cases in Kenya and an adjournment motion regarding measures towards sustainable living.

The Senate was no different, as 26 sittings out of a total of 177 sittings were adjourned due to lack of quorum, translating to 15% of the total sittings. Of the 26, six failed to kick off for failure to achieve attendance of at least 15 Senators. Also in the Senate, as it was in the National Assembly, critical issues had been scheduled on the order paper in the instances where quorum could not be achieved.

Some of these instances include when the Senate was debating a motion on the adoption of a report on the inquiry into the high cost of electricity in the country, an adjournment motion on prevailing heavy rains and flooding in parts of the country and a motion on the approval of the county government equitable share cash disbursement schedule for FY 2023/2024. 

The Parliamentary Scorecard 2024 offers insights into the role of Parliament and assesses its hits and misses whilst proffering a platform for reflection on the areas of improvement.

This year’s scorecard also marks ten years since the first release in 2014 and unlike the past focus on individual performance, the report also broadens its scope to include the legislative input, house attendance and voting patterns.  

Rwanda’s leading Afropop singer and performer, Bruce Melodie, has  released a new single and music video for “Niki Minaji” featuring South African chart-topping duo Blaq Diamond renowned for their “Summer Yomuthi” hit record.

The irresistible blend of Amapiano beats and captivating Afropop showcases Bruce’s signature R&B/Afropop sound with Blaq Diamond’s infectious style. 

The new single is not specifically about Nicki Minaj the person, but more about what she represents as a symbol of beauty, confidence and allure.

The message of the song is that his love for his partner is so deep, even someone as iconic as Nicki Minaj—or any other bold, sexy woman—feels irrelevant when compared to her. "I wanted to show that when you're truly in love, no other person, no matter how stunning, sexy or bold they are, can compare to this one girl I adore," Bruce Melodie shared regarding the new video shot in Kigali and directed by Jean Chretien Munezero. 

At the same time, Bruce Melodie has announced his forthcoming first full-length album ‘Colorful Generation’ scheduled for release in early 2025.

The project features collaborations with African heavyweights like Joeboy on the lead track “Not A Lie” , Kenyan star Bien on “Iyo Foto” and international reggae /dancehall star Shaggy on “When She’s Around (Funga Macho)” a bonus track, as well as solo records that amplify Bruce’s golden voice and standalone talent. 

Bruce Melodie’s upcoming album celebrates the diversity of African music with modern and traditional sounds while marking a new chapter in his career. Just like the album title suggests, Bruce Melodie aims to highlight the richness of African music, while pushing boundaries with his own sound.

Known for his captivating performances and global appeal, Bruce has rapidly become an influential figure in the East African music scene.

His recent single, “Iyo Foto” featuring Bien, achieved remarkable success with over 100 million TikTok views and topped the charts across East Africa, holding #1 on Soundcity Africa’s East Africa chart and trending on Shazam in Kenya.

Bruce Melodie will be touring the continent in promotion of the latest singles and upcoming album, with stops already planned for South Africa (December 15-20), West Africa and East Africa, where he will host fun pop ups and listening parties to engage with industry stakeholders, fans and media.

Since July, Bruce Melodie has amassed 150 million streams worldwide, further solidifying his position as one of Africa’s most prominent musical exports. Following his recent win as Best Rwandan Artist at the TRACE Awards, Bruce’s upcoming release adds to an impressive year that saw his single “When She’s Around (Funga Macho)” with Shaggy hit Billboard’s World Digital Songs Chart and the U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart.

“Niki Mijaj” collaboration with Blaq Diamond is a unique fusion of East and Southern African musical influences set to cross over the continent, further cementing Bruce’s growing influence as an African star to watch in 2025.