Mukhwana Writes

|Image Courtesy of The Lawyer Africa| Introduction   Across Africa, countries are rewriting their laws to prepare for a cleaner energy future. Governments are beginning to look beyond oil and coal toward solar, wind, geothermal, and even hydrogen. The move is driven by the need to meet climate goals, attract green investment, and improve energy access. This shift is not just about technology. It is also about law. Legal reforms are now setting the direction for how African nations will manage energy resources, environmental protection, and sustainable growth. Over the past few years, several countries have introduced important laws and policies that show how seriously the continent is taking the energy transition. Kenya’s Energy Act 2019 Kenya’s Energy Act of 2019 marked a turning point. It was signed into law on 12 March 2019 and came into force on 28 March the same year. The law brought together all energy matters under one framework. It combined electricity, petroleum, and renew...

 |Photo Courtesy of Energy Asia Conference| Why It Matters The move to clean energy is not only about technology. It is also about fairness and opportunity. When women and young people are left out, communities lose ideas and growth slows down. Reports from Sustainable Energy for All show that women form about thirty nine percent of the global workforce but only twenty two percent of the energy sector and about thirty two percent of the renewable energy workforce. Young people face their own barriers such as limited access to training, jobs and participation in energy policies. When both groups are included, the results are better jobs, more creativity and energy systems that benefit everyone. The Situation Today Women remain underrepresented in the energy sector across the world. Studies show that only about six percent of energy ministers are women. Although their presence in renewable energy rose from twenty two percent in 2010 to thirty two percent in 2018, the gap is still lar...

By Micah Mukhwana Namunyu  |Photo Courtesy of American Civil Liberties Union| When Donald Trump speaks about immigrants, the world listens. He has been harsh on foreign students and on those who move illegally to America. Africans have been at the centre of this debate. Many see his stance as discriminatory and hostile. But if we go deeper into the legal and political issues, there is another side to it. Immigration law and sovereignty Every country has the right under international law to control who enters its borders. America, like any other state, sets the rules for visas, studies, work and citizenship. Trump uses that legal space to limit immigration, especially from Africa and other regions he calls problematic. His critics view it as racism. But in strict law, he is exercising sovereign power. The tension arises when sovereignty collides with human rights. International law protects the right to seek asylum, the right to education and the right to family life. If a policy is...

|Photo Courtesy| Africa is one of the most promising places in the world for investment today. The continent is full of opportunities for those willing to look beyond old narratives. From natural resources to fast growing cities and a youthful population, Africa is moving forward in a way that attracts serious business attention. Investors from across the globe are now focusing on Africa not as a charity case but as a place where business can grow and succeed. Africa has the youngest population in the world. More than sixty percent of Africans are under the age of twenty five. This means the continent has a growing labor force and a rising number of consumers. In countries like Nigeria, Ethiopia and Kenya young people are driving demand for tech, fashion, food and education. Businesses that serve this group will have a steady market for many years to come. The continent is also urbanising faster than any other region. Cities like Nairobi, Lagos, Kigali, Accra and Johannesburg are expan...

  |Photo Courtesy of Mieroszewski Centre| The question we must ask The world today is watching two wars that have shaken not only the regions where they are fought but also global politics. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 continues with no end in sight. In Gaza, the fighting between Israel and Hamas has caused immeasurable human suffering. Into this storm comes Donald Trump with bold promises. He says he can end the Russia Ukraine war quickly, and even more strikingly, that he can end the Gaza war in 24 hours once he returns to the White House. These claims raise questions worth asking. Can one man really stop wars that are rooted in history, law, broken promises and deep mistrust? Or are such promises more politics than reality? Let us walk through the history, the law and some African experiences of peace to see what lessons can be drawn. How Ukraine got here The Russia Ukraine war did not begin in 2022. Its roots stretch back to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, when Uk...

By Micah Mukhwana Namunyu In the 1990s and early 2000s, Africa was seen as a growing democracy. Countries across the continent embraced multiparty elections and regional bodies like the AU and ECOWAS supported constitutional rule and civilian leadership. The African Charter on Democracy (2007) even outlawed military coups. But in recent years, this progress has reversed. Between 2020 and 2024, at least six coups happened in the Sahel—Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger among them. Military leaders took over, suspended constitutions and promised to fix things. Unlike the coups of the 1970s and 1980s, these ones are also openly rejecting Western influence and creating their own alliance, the AES. The bigger question now is whether these coups signal deeper problems with Western led development models in Africa. Challenging the Usual System These military governments have kicked out French troops, cut ties with ECOWAS and are now working more with Russia, Turkey and China. They say civilian gove...