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Featuring research on insecurity, gender, everyday commuting in Nairobi among other things.

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Perspectives: Why has Africa grown slowly?

Paul Collier (1999) clearly stated his arguments and explanations why Continental Africa is lagging behind in terms of development and growth unlike other regions of the world. Africa’s slow growth was explained by grouping the perceived causes into two-by-two matrix separating on one hand policy and “destiny” factors and on the other external and domestic. Furthermore, he comes to his conclusion by saying that reforms, especially in areas of domestic policy dealing with service delivery needs to be intensified while finally stating that freedom will be helpful in strengthening democracy which will likely support economic reform.   Although extensive and valid explanations were given by the author, it is quite hard not to separate the author from the institution he is working for when he published the article. He was working as a director of development research with the World Bank, thus making it hard for readers to rule out institutional bias since he barely made referenc...
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The tale of garbage and radioactive crime fighting rodents

Nairobi South seems to have been forgotten by the Nairobi City Council, or worse they have no idea it exists. I am specifically referring to South B area. I am not and will not in future sideline this particular part of the city, for this is a wonderful place where “things go down” quoting a random guy at a bus station. Surely things do go down here, directly on to public roads. And these things are amazingly beautiful pieces of plastic bags, used gloves, needles, plastic bottles and lots of shiny biscuits wrappings. This beautiful scene of man made heaven is coupled with an aroma that will linger in your nostrils for couple of hours after you leave. See, the little vegetable stall owners, random citizens and car wash guys are all environmental conscious lot. Why would one waste a pile of rotten vegetables by keeping it in trash bins when you can throw them on public land where it can ferment in heat, attract flies that one can mistake for drones? No, instead they let it be a fre...
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State ineffectiveness in DRC

Rotberg (2003), explained what “failed states” mean, and he simply explained  it as a state that cannot provide positive political goods and services for its citizen and these political goods are obligations and expectations that entails political culture and social contract. Security is the most important political good, and its absence indicates state failure. State failure in DRC has been identified as one of its features since its establishment in 1885 as a modern state, from the time it was Congo Free State under Belgian King Leopold II to present day DRC under Kabila. Ineffectiveness of the structures of the state and the violence inflicted upon the people of DRC dates back to colonial period under the brutal rule of King Leopold II. King Leopold set foundation for the horrors that haunts modern day DRC, the country was used as an extraction field where mass violence and human rights violations was taken as an appropriate measure against the natives. According to Ntal...
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