By-elections left United Opposition ‘terribly’ bruised

Immature • After keenly observing the recent by-elections, Evans Macharia Mwangi says his inevitable conclusion is that there is widespread “political immaturity”. He poses: “Why the reliance on violence, intimidation and voter bribery to win elections? Are we going to join the First World with this immaturity? We’re still political infants.” His contact is [email protected].

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Bruising loss • The by-elections are over, and the United Opposition has been “terribly bruised,” says Chris Kiriba. “They took the wrong route, and the mrima (Mt Kenya region) has been torched. Their messaging lacked emotional resonance in the ‘Ruto must go’ chant. For the 2027 General Election, the opposition will need a new injection.” His email address is [email protected].

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Devolution • Since devolution was meant to ensure development right from the ward level, Ruth Gituma is not amused by the politicians. She poses: “Why do we still have leaders presenting lists of their preferred projects when the Head of State visits for empowerment programmes? This raises questions about the efficiency and sustainability of devolution.” Her contact is [email protected].

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Distressing • Mobile phone service firms Safaricom and Airtel Kenya have been “suspending lines after a month or so of dormancy”, notes Moses Kariri. “They then sell the numbers to other people. This is causing anguish to users who lose services, especially their contacts, and even money. Having paid for those lines, the owners deserve compensation.” His contact is [email protected].

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Dangerous world • Fast human advances come with serious dangers, says Newton Tonui. “Apart from the grave risks of a nuclear Armageddon and climate change, we now have to be more cautious about the threats from fields such as artificial intelligence, gene editing, animal cloning, nerve agents and biological weapons. The world is more dangerous today.” His contact is [email protected].

Have a safer day, won’t you!