MERU DAILY

   A Hawker hawking Merchandise in the streets. Photo/The Standard .  Happy New Month, My People! We’ve officially hit July — the halftime show of the year. If you’re still holding on to your New Year’s resolutions… you, my friend, deserve an Olympic medal for consistency. But let’s be honest — I know you dropped them somewhere between Valentine’s and Easter. Don’t worry, I did too. Now that most of you have just been paid (shout out to civil servants—though your bank accounts are already whispering goodbye), let’s talk about money. Or rather, the lack of it. In this Kasongo economy, most of us are surviving like Netflix free trials — just counting the days. But let me confess something today. When I get a job, I don’t work to satisfy myself — I work to satisfy the person paying the bills. Because at the end of the day, satisfaction haina receipt. Now, in my short but eventful life, I’ve “resigned” from two jobs. I put that in quotes because these weren’t your formal, han...

Kimani Maruge, ndiye ako na history ya kuwa classmate mzee zaidi dunia nzima. Picha kwa hisani ya BBC. Knock knock… ladies, gentlemen, na wale wengine tunawapenda pia. By now najua mna hamu ya kuskia story ingine kutoka kwangu. Na kama kawaida, mimi sitawanyima. So hapa iko. Sasa, mimi si Genz bana… si hata karibu. Mimi ni focused millennial, lakini niko na appetite ya Gen Z (ukipata joke umepata, ukikosa... si vibaya kuuliza). Ni kama nimekua nikitoroka age yangu. Uso yangu iko na passport ya 20s, lakini kwa roho najua nimeshaingia third floor. Sasa siku moja, kwenye maadventures zangu za kawaida hapa Makutano (najua mnaijua), nikapatana na mtu. Alinipa reality check kali hadi nikaanza kujiuliza kama ni time nichukue life serious. But again, sitaki kueleza sana. I’m an adult… ama mimi si? Sasa niko joint flani ya mtaa, pale social spot, najichochat na wale wamevuta mbili tatu. Kama kawaida, mimi na-drop knowledge tu – unajua vile nawasha akili kwa watu already wasted. Halafu ghafla bi...

  Chaotic Scenes in Makutano, Meru after Police engaged in Running battles with Students from Meru National Polytechnic. Photo/Felix Kinyua By Felix Kinyua Makutano, Meru County – June 17, 2025 Tensions remain high in Meru’s bustling Makutano area following violent clashes between police officers and students from Meru National Polytechnic, who took to the streets to protest against a proposed increase in school fees. The unrest, which has now entered its second consecutive day, has brought normal activities in the area to a standstill. Several businesses remained shuttered on Tuesday as shop owners expressed fear over escalating violence and destruction of property. The usually busy commercial hub has seen declining foot traffic, and public transportation has been severely disrupted. According to eyewitnesses, the demonstrations began peacefully on Monday morning, with hundreds of students marching through the streets chanting slogans and calling for a review of the revised fee st...

Image of a bloodstained kitchen knife.  Photo/Getty images They say the kitchen knife is the most dangerous weapon in the house. I disagree—it ties neck-and-neck with love. And unfortunately, both can kill. One cuts through flesh, the other, through sanity. In Sheila’s case, I still don’t know which of the two wielded the deadlier blow. Sheila—oh Sheila. Bubbly, brilliant, a walking burst of joy in this grey thing we call life. She had the kind of smile that could negotiate world peace. You couldn’t not like her. And now, we speak of her in the past tense, which feels like a betrayal in itself. She was just 24. Young enough to dream, but apparently old enough to die for love. “If love doesn’t feel safe, it’s not love—it’s emotional hostage-taking with chocolates.” I met Sheila about a year ago. But like all great souls, she had this habit of fast-tracking friendships. In three days you’d feel like you shared a womb. She listened like a therapist, laughed like a child, and made you ...

A Photo of a Young lady working remotely online. Photo/Getty Images. Meru elders once dropped a gem that goes, “Ukitega mtego wa kimû, hautashika mmoja tu.” Translation? If you set a trap for a mole, don’t be shocked when a whole family reunion falls in. Case in point? Bilbo. You remember Bilbo, right? That backstreet keg-joint heroine I wrote about? Yes, that Bilbo. Well, turns out the blog did what blogs do best—it traveled. Wide. Even Bilbo’s radar picked it up. She read it. And ladies and gentlemen, the Afrocinema continues… Scene 1: A Decent Drinking Spot (For Once) Last week, I linked up with an old friend. You know, one of those responsible human beings who still believe in cutlery and chairs that don't creak with tetanus. They convinced me to ditch the swampy keg den for a "decent" establishment. So there I was, mentally adjusting to functioning restrooms and walls with actual paint. Just as we were strutting in—clean shoes and all—guess who spotted me like...

Men Enjoying Keg at a local joint. Photo/Daily Nation. Ladies and gentlemen, gather around—grab your favorite bottle of Jug Daniels (you know, that backstreet version of Jack Daniel’s with a suspicious aftertaste of rusty taps and broken dreams). I have something to confess, and I say this with the weight of a thousand heartbreaks and one very bruised ego: I have come to the rock-solid conclusion that I will never understand women. Now, a wise (read: wildly intoxicated) friend once whispered a golden nugget into my confused soul: “If you want to win a lady over… lie to her. Lie like your romantic future depends on it.” I scoffed. “Surely, not all women fall for lies?” I thought to myself, still clutching onto truth like it was a university degree I paid full HELB price for. But curiosity—and loneliness—are dangerous companions. So one day, I gave in. The Pre-Lie Era: Where Honesty Got Me Nothing But Solitude Before embracing my new life as a charming fibber, I was what you'd call a...

 Butere Girl's Perform 'Echoes of War' in the Regional level before grabbing State's Attention. PHOTO/Standard Media Group. If there was ever a perfect example of life imitating art, then the events of the last two days in Nakuru during the 63rd edition of the Kenya National Drama Festivals would qualify for an Oscar. Or at the very least, a standing ovation. Now, for those not in the know, Kenya’s high school drama festivals have always been a delightful cocktail of satire, political jabs, and cultural storytelling. But this year, Butere Girls High School, the undisputed queens of theatrical rebellion, outdid themselves with their play, Echoes of War. Zakayo Must Go: The Play That Shook the Nation The play, which tackled themes of governance, betrayal, and youth activism, quickly turned into a political battlefield, thanks to one rather catchy chant—“Zakayo must go!” (And no, they weren’t talking about a biblical tax collector). This phrase, a cheeky nod to a certain h...