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1 day ago | 
standardmedia.co.ke | XN Iraki
A traffic jam on Thika superhighway at Pangani. [XN Iraki]One of the emerging fields in academia is simulation and heuristics. In simulations, we use data (and computers) to demonstrate how a system would behave if some parameters changed. A good example, how demand will change if the price goes up or down? How will decisions in a court case change if new evidence is introduced (remember moots).
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4 days ago | 
standardmedia.co.ke | XN Iraki
Indian paramilitary personnel stand guard along a street leading to the international airport in Srinagar on May 10, 2025. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP)In the last two decades, China has dominated our economic discourse. India and Pakistan are geographically nearer, but we talk less about them. They were trading partners long before China came to the scene. The gravity trade theory suggests you trade more with neighbours than distant countries. Remember your physics?
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1 week ago | 
standardmedia.co.ke | XN Iraki
Great weather and “homeliness” make Kenya an entrepreneur’s paradise. [Photo/XN Iraki]Many Kenyans believe you can’t make money honestly. You have to be either corrupt or inherit wealth. They argue that without major innovations like Facebook, Microsoft, Tesla or manufacturers like Toyota, Hyundai or oil wells, making honest money is impossible. While there is some truth in that, Kenya is still a country you can make money without being corrupt.
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1 week ago | 
standardmedia.co.ke | XN Iraki
Mwikos (cooking sticks) on sale at Magína, near Kijabe. Let’s celebrate our arts and craft. [XN Iraki] It’s strange that most mwikos (cooking sticks) used by Kenyans in the United States (US) and Europe are imported from Kenya. And from our supermarkets. In the past mwikos were never bought. Boys made them at home. Occasionally we took them to school as part of arts and craft. Beyond mwikos, we made other things like scarves, combs, ladles and many other items used at home.
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1 week ago | 
standardmedia.co.ke | XN Iraki
Military personnel lay a wreath at the War Memorial Cemetery in Nairobi, on August 15, 2024. [File, Standard]Kenya joined the rest of the world in marking Labour Day on May 1 to honour workers and recognise their contributions to our welfare. The day is also called International Workers’ Day. In the US, however, it’s celebrated on the first Monday of September.
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2 weeks ago | 
standardmedia.co.ke | XN Iraki
Kariamu Town. 27 April 2025. [XN Iraki, Standard]Some towns have strange names. One is Kariamu on the edge of the infamous Happy Valley, overlooking the Aberdares to the east. The small town is about seven kilometres from Ol Kalou, the headquarters of Nyandarua County. I recently stopped there on a trip to Kenya’s hinterland. I love visiting the countryside, it’s very therapeutic, away from the hectic city life. The trip from Nairobi to Kariamu took me about three hours.
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2 weeks ago | 
standardmedia.co.ke | XN Iraki
Kariamu Town. Why is the left so different from the right? [XN Iraki, Standard] China’s growth is partly driven by innovations as indicated by patents. Notice China now leads US in patenting. What of us? My last encounter with village elders was almost half a century ago. The case was about a young man accused of “breaking a goat’s leg.” I later learned that meant impregnating a girl. What evidence did the elders demand without the benefit of DNA? Today, such cases are rare.
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3 weeks ago | 
standardmedia.co.ke | XN Iraki
In the political heat of 2022 polls, one government official wanted Chinese contracts with the Government of Kenya disclosed. China curiously kept quiet, and the disclosure never happened. The race to State House had anti-Chinese undertones laced with talks of debt diplomacy. Rumours swirled on how Mombasa would be mortgaged like a certain port in Sri Lanka. It never happened. One would have thought with Kenya Kwanza (KK) in power, the Chinese influence would start fading.
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3 weeks ago | 
standardmedia.co.ke | XN Iraki
It’s one of the most memorable moments of my childhood: drinking water from the river or directly from the tap; it was never treated with chemicals. I don’t recall anyone being hospitalised. I also don’t recall my dad buying fertiliser during the planting season. We made organic fertiliser from animal droppings and other organic wastes. And crops flourished; we even reclaimed barren land. Rain came as predicted, the rivers were crystal clear, and cancer was rare.
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1 month ago | 
standardmedia.co.ke | XN Iraki
Agriculture contributes about 20 per cent of Kenya’s gross domestic product (GDP) according to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) 2023) and is a key employer in the rural areas. However, most people do not think they are employed by working on the farm. Many dream of escaping the back-breaking farm work in the rural areas. Over 14 years after the promulgation of the new constitution, we can boldly ask if devolution has had dividends in agriculture.
