KISUMU, 6th March, 2026 –In my last two reflections on the current US–Israel–Iran confrontation, I approached the crisis from two structural angles. First, I situated the escalation within the longue duration of American grand strategy in the Middle East. Analysts across Southeast Asia, particularly within ASEAN security circles, often characterise US behaviour in the region…
KISUMU, 6th March -In my previous reflection on Trump 2.0 and the escalating confrontation with Iran, I argued that we were witnessing one of the most consequential presidencies in the history of American power projection. I located the crisis within the long arc of US–Iran hostility: from the 1979 Revolution that dethroned Washington’s ally in…
KISUMU, 6th March 2026-On Nov 6, 2024, just after Donald Trump won, for the second time, against the American Establishment, against the Democratic-Woke Establishment and it’s Fundamentalist Libertarian Instruments, I wrote that his presidency would likely become one of the most consequential in the history of American presidentialism, particularly for world peace and deal against…
The strategy is simple: fragmentation first, absorption next, and incumbent wins KISUMU, 4th March, 2026 –In several of my earlier posts, especially written after the passing of Raila Odinga, I made a claim many considered too strong at the time: Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party and it’s anchor micro-ideology would not outlive its founder as…
Dr Joannes Atella advises on the following strategic directions to be considered KISUMU, Kenya, 18th February -I have been following the debate on the future of the ODM Party and its role in the current Kenyan political landscape closely. There are arguments in some corners that ODM is dead following the death of its founder,…
KISUMU, 12th February-As a university researcher and teacher, I find deep academic fulfilment in teaching in ways that allow research, theory, and lived social realities to speak to each other. Moments of such reflection often emerge at the end of a semester, when one takes stock not only of content covered, but of ideas that…
It is development that occurs as a response to pressures, incentives, constraints, and shocks emanating from the global system, rather than from an internally defined developmental logic. KISUMU, 11th February –Between August 2025 and 19th January 2026, I had the rare privilege of teaching, on an adjunct basis, across three Kenyan universities, engaging students in…
KISUMU, 10th February –As Kenya edges closer to the 2027 general elections, the familiar choreography of pre-electoral governance is once again on display. Across history and across regimes, moments of economic hardship often coincide with policy generosity—not necessarily because structural transformation has suddenly become possible, but because voter vulnerability has reached its peak. President William…
KAMPALA, Uganda – Uganda is gearing up for a crucial election on Thursday, January 15th, 2026, with the big question lingering on everyone’s lips: will the people opt for continuity or usher in a new era of change? The East African country is at crossroads with a rich history of post-independence leaders, including Sir Edward…
KISUMU, Kenya,16th December- In conventional parlance, political assassination refers to an action that directly or indirectly leads to the death of an INTENTIONALLY TARGETED individual who is active in the political sphere, carried out to promote or prevent specific policies, values, practices, or norms that relate to the collective (Combatting Terrorism Centre, 2015). Political assassinations…