Author: Champe

By Samuel Owino.

Kenyans gathered at Uhuru gardens, Nairobi on Tuesday 12 December to celebrate Jamhuri Day that marks 60 years of Kenya’s independence.

The Jamhuri day celebrations, themed, Youth, Creative and Sports, was presided over by President William Ruto. This is the second Jamhuri day celebration that he has presided over since he assumed office in 2022.

In attendance was the deputy president Rigathi Gachagua with his spouse  pastor Dorcas Rigathi, Prime cabinet secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, the governor of Nairobi, Johnson Sakaja, and others.

Foreign dignitaries such as the president of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde, Zanzibar’s president, Hussein Mwinyi, Burundi’s president, Prosper Bazombanza also graced the occasion.

Other notable figures include, Zanzibar’s First Lady Mariam Mwinyi, and Uganda’s Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga.

Speaking to a crowd of approximately 30 000 Kenyans, who have much complained about the harsh economic times, President William Ruto confirmed that the economy is stable, debt-free and inflation rates have dropped.

“Proudly, these sacrifices have paid off: I can now confirm that Kenya is safely out of the danger of debt distress and that our economy is on a stable footing.

The economic indicators point to good news. Inflation is now at 6.8%, down from a high of 9.2% last year.

In the last 6 months, our GDP has grown at 5.4%, making Kenya the 29th fastestgrowing economy in the world, according to the World Bank.”

The president also stated that come January 2024, tourists wishing to visit Kenya will not be required to apply for a visa to get in the country.

“Kenya is the home of humanity, a scientific fact that fills us with pride and underscores our rich heritage. It is with great pleasure, as President of this extraordinary country, to make a historic announcement of the decision of the Government of Kenya. Beginning January 2024, Kenya will be a visa-free country.

It shall no longer be necessary for any person from any corner of the globe to carry the burden of applying for a visa to come to Kenya. To echo the call of the Turkana people to the world: “Tobong’u Lorre!” Kenya has a simple message to humanity: Welcome Home!”

During the event, hundreds of Kenyans were awarded state honours for contributions to the nations in various capacities by president Ruto. Hon Wandayi James Opiyo, a graduate of Daystar University, was among those awarded with an Elder of the Order of Golden Heart. (EGH)

In Athi River today, Daystar University Students Association (DUSA) in conjunction with Shine FM, led a group of students and staff in a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) event visit to the pillars of hope children’s home in an effort to give back to the community.

This event is the last event for the September trimester as students and staff finish up on examinations and prepare for the festivities.

By Samira Mohamed

On Tuesday 28th November 2023, a ground-breaking ruling was made by the High Court of Kenya, defusing a blow to President William Ruto’s ambitious Affordable Housing plan by declaring key sections of the Finance Act 2023, including the controversial Housing Levy unconstitutional. The High Court, led by Justices David Majanja, Christine Meoli and Lawrence Mugambi affirmed that the imposed levy solely on formal sector workers was discriminatory and violated the Constitution.

Justice Majanja specifically emphasized that the singling out of formal employment for the housing levy without any justification was, “discriminatory, irrational, arbitrary, and against the constitution”. The ruling ordered an immediate cessation to the collection of levy sending ripples through the government’s financing mechanism for Ruto’s Housing Initiative. Justice Mugambi pointed out that the Finance Bill was a money bill, but it contained unconstitutional elements while acknowledging that budget estimates were legally presented.

The court, pleased with the public’s participation process, criticized the Parliamentary Committee for neglecting proposals from Kenyans. The petitioners, led by Busia senator Okiya Omtatah and the Law Society of Kenya further argued that the National Assembly failed to involve the Senate in the law’s formulation. The bench ruled that the National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetangula didn’t require unanimity from the Senate speaker Amason Kingi highlighting procedural shortcomings.

Ruto’s campaign pledge of providing affordable housing will be affected more broadly by this historic ruling. The finance law’s 1.5% levy nullification will disrupt the government’s plan to alleviate Kenya’s housing shortage by increasing home accessibility.

The court’s involvement highlights the need for a thorough legal framework and the judiciary’s responsibility in ensuring that government policies are in line with the constitution.

Apart from the housing fee, the Finance Act also doubled the fuel tax, therefore raising the highest income tax rate, which incited protests around the country. The court’s scrutiny demonstrates its dedication to protecting constitutional rights and serves as a reminder to the executive branch of the significance of following the law when implementing policies.

“The High Court bench has declared the Housing Levy unconstitutional for violating key provisions including singling out the formal sectors,” said Omtatah in celebration of the decision. In addition to having an effect on Ruto’s Housing project, this statement raises questions about other social welfare initiatives. The government’s proposal to create the Social Health Insurance Fund was further delayed until February 7th, 2024, by the court’s judgment which also put a hold on other legislation intended to improve social welfare.

To sum up, as the country grapples with the outcome of this court ruling, concerns arise about the future of the Affordable Housing Initiative and its comprehensive impact on President Ruto’s agenda. The Judiciary’s oversight role in safeguarding constitutional principles is evidence of the balance of power echoing the importance of adhering to legal frameworks while shaping public policies.

By Benjamin Wanguba

On Wednesday, Daystar University emerged as the first runners up during the annual Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK) bootcamp. The PRSK bootcamp is an annual event, where various Universities from across the country come together for mentorship from industry professionals and thereafter engage in a PR competition amongst the attending schools. The theme of this year’s event was ‘Sustainable PR practices in a Disrupted World.’

During the competition, The Multimedia University of Kenya (MMU) emerged victorious with 148 points with Daystar University coming closely in second place with 145 points and Mount Kenya University finishing in 3rd. This was an improvement as the team that represented the school in the previous year’s event had emerged 3^rd in an event where St. Paul’s University won the overall bootcamp. The Daystar team, which was comprised mostly of Public Relations and other Communication students was brought together by the Public Relations Association of Daystar (PRAD). The association has been one of the most active clubs in the school in the last year and has been organizing events whilst actively recruiting students to its ranks, even previously being recognized as the best association during the Clubs and Association (CLASS) week in Athi River.

Wendy Rugut, the association’s Finance Manager, expressed her joy over the outcome of the Bootcamp. “I am very happy with our team. Even though we did not emerge as the top, we put in a good fight and it was a great experience overall. Getting to network with our peers as well as these distinguished mentors was a fun experience and I am looking forward to the bootcamp next year,” Ms. Rugut said.

The bootcamp usually consists of two parts. During the first session, the attendees attend a special session where they get to listen to industry professionals who speak about their experience in the field of PR as well as offer guidance to the students. This year’s bootcamp saw noteworthy individual’s address the students. First to go up on stage was Ruth Chitwa, The Communications Manager at Living Goods Kenya. She was followed by Peter Mwaura, the Corporate Communications manager at KCB Group. Next up was Evelyn Serro, the Sustainability Manager at Safaricom PLC followed by Ms. Maureen Mambo, the Director of Nation Brand Development, Marketing and Communication at KEPROBA. To sum up the presentations came Cleophas Agwanda who currently serves as the Marketing Manager at IMAX Africa Ltd.

During the final session, the speakers create a challenge for the participating schools, where the students are expected to pitch a campaign in about 5 mins. This year’s campaign centered around communicating the actions of Climate Change and how they affect Sustainable development. The speakers then participate as the judges during this section.

PRAD President Shirlene Omondi congratulated the PRSK for the organizing of a stellar. “The event was fun and educational and despite taking the second place, we were able to learn from the other competitors and identify where we made mistakes during the case study challenge,” she said.