Month: September 2020

Why is the U.S. Military Authority Seeking to Expand its Counterterrorism Drone War to Kenya?

Margot Kiser

The New York Times has reported that the U.S. military aims to broaden its counterterrorism drone war in Kenya. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/15/us/politics/shabab-drone-authorities-kenya.html#click=https://t.co/Lam9HALEWU Why now?A couple of things come to mind; damage control (publicity) ahead of presidential elections, and competition with China’s expanding military footprint in Africa.Seems to me that the US conducting drone strikes inside Kenya is […]

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Kenya’s Creeping Americanization

Margot Kiser

Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, Pizza Hut – they’re all here now. The fast food chains started to mushroom soon after President Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya in 2015. Obama brought with him “American interests”. Soft power America wants Kenya or any to be like America so they can more easily do business together. They […]

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A Coal-Fired Power Plant in Lamu? 

Margot Kiser

In 2017? If it goes through it will be the first in East Africa. A consortium of Kenyan and Chinese companies is proposing to construct a 1,050 MW coal-fire power plant, only 13 miles from Lamu town. A mega-port now under construction is bad enough but nowhere as degrading to the environment and livelihoods as […]

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The Israeli-Saudi Love Affair

Margot Kiser

One year ago, on Oct 2nd, a fifteen-man Saudi hit team intercepted journalist/dissident Jamal Kashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. He’d gone there to obtain documents to marry his Turkish fiancé, and settle into their new apartment. But it was a trap. The death squad suffocated then dismembered him. His remains are thought to […]

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