The Political Economist

For Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) professionals overseeing construction or infrastructure projects, the essence of your role revolves around three pivotal dimensions: Time, Cost, and Technical Quality . However, before delving into metrics and progress reports, it’s crucial to establish your reference points: Your primary guides are the Project Contract and the Logical Framework (Logframe). These documents delineate scope, timelines, roles and responsibilities, performance indicators, and anticipated outcomes. They form the backbone of effective monitoring and provide the standard against which project performance is measured.   1. Time – Assessing Schedule Adherence Monitoring timelines goes beyond simply tracking calendar dates. It involves a nuanced understanding of project progress and pace. Key questions include: Is the project advancing according to the planned schedule? Are activities experiencing delays or progressing unusually fast? What facto...

  World commerce have been traditionally since ancient times organized through cooperation and unions. Countries, especially those that share political, social and economic contexts prefer transacting trade as bloc not as individual countries. These economic alliances shape global trade, boost regional cooperation, and drive prosperity. Below are world’s top 5 strongest regional blocs. 1.       European Union.      The EU is the world’s most integrated trade bloc, with 27 member countries fostering free movement of goods, services, capital, and people. Its trade estimate as 2025 $16 trillion (combined imports and exports).   The EU’s single market and the Euro as a shared currency make it a global trade giant. From tech to agriculture, it’s a leader in innovation and sustainability. 2.       Regional Comprehensive   Economic partnership(RCEP) RCEP is a massive trade bloc with 15 Asia-Pacific nations, including C...

  Did you know that the continent of has Africa has five trade corridors that are critical for global commerce. These trade routes don’t just move goods; they’re economic backbones that African countries can leverage to boost their global influence. Just to mention them; North-South Corridor (Southern and Eastern Africa) This route stretches from Durban, South Africa, to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and beyond, this corridor connects landlocked countries like Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi to major ports. It handles an estimated $20–30 billion annually in goods like minerals (copper, cobalt), agricultural products, and manufactured items. It’s a key artery for Southern Africa’s $100 billion+ export market. It is very crucial because it links Africa’s resource-rich interior to global markets, especially Asia and Europe. If the infrastructure is upgraded (roads, rail, ports) and harmonizing customs, African nations can cut trade costs, attract investment, and position themselve...

  Advancing Water and Sewerage Access and Sustainability The Athi Water Works Development Agency ( AWWDA ) is one of nine water works development agencies established under Kenya Water Act 2016 serving the counties of Nairobi, Kiambu, and Murang’a, with a population of approximately 9 million. Driven with a mission to increase water and sewerage coverage through informed innovation, sustainable development and management of the associated infrastructure , its fifth generation five-year strategic plan 2023-2027, is yet another blueprint that reflect its consistent determination to mitigate Kenya’s status as a water scarce country in line with UN SDG(6). AWWDA plays a fundamental role in alleviating water supply challenges within its areas of jurisdiction. The Agency's mandate as enshrined in the Act includes developing, maintaining and managing national public waterworks, sewerage infrastructures, providing technical support to water service providers within the areas of jurisd...

  ‘Bottom up Economic Transformation Agenda for inclusive growth’ Bottom up Economic Transformation Agenda is an economic model pursued by Kenya Kwanza regime aiming to invest the limited capital available where it will create most jobs at the bottom of the pyramid.   It is a commitment to invest in smallholder agriculture and informal sector and end socioeconomic exclusion by levelling the playing field for all investor; its objectives are;             a)      Eradicating hunger b)      Creating jobs c)      Expanding the tax base d)      Improving foreign exchange balance e)      Inclusive growth f)       Bring down the cost of living   BETA is anchored on the following pillars; 1)      Transforming Micro, Small and Medium economy. 2)  ...