Episodes

  • Hello friends! This episode is a dedication to you, who has walked this journey with me and my team for the last three years of creating Otherwise?! I am off to graduate school (The London School of Economics and Political Science) for a Masters in Public Policy and Administration, and I wanted to do one last episode before I left! :)

    This episode answers the questions many of you have asked me since the inception of Otherwise?. Thank you so much for coming on this journey with me. We will be taking a break while I pursue my graduate studies, but we will be back when I'm done; bigger, better, and bolder. Kwaheri ya kuonana!

  • The Constitution in Article 43, sub-article 1 (a) states that “Every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to healthcare services, including reproductive healthcare”. Article 43 sub-article 2 also states that a person shall not be denied emergency medical treatment. The Jubilee government, as part of its Big Four Agenda, plans to roll out universal health coverage to all Kenyans by 2022, guaranteeing quality and affordable healthcare to all Kenyans. In the 2018/2019 budget, universal health coverage received a provision KES 2.5 billion.

    The government plans to reconfigure the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and reform the governance of private insurance companies. They also plan to have 100% of the poor covered by government, 9 million people covered by KES 32 billion formal member contributions, 12 million people covered by KES 28 billion informal member contributions, and a 50% decrease in out of pocket medical expenses.

    We're joined by Dr. Amakove Wala, Programme Director - Health Systems Strengthening at Amref in Kenya, to talk about how we can achieve universal health coverage in Kenya.

    Resources

    Constitution of Kenya - Article 43: Economic and social rights

    2018 Budget Policy Statement

    Big Four Agenda at core of Kenya spending, to spur economic growth

    Refocusing on quality of care and increasing demand for services; Essential elements in attaining universal health coverage in Kenya

    Towards Universal Health Coverage in Kenya: Are We On The Right Path?

    Kenya National Hospital Insurance Fund Reforms: Implications and Lessons for Universal Health Coverage

    County Governments At The Centre of Achieving Universal Health Care

    Universal Health Care As Inspired By The Kenya Vision 2030

    President Uhuru launches Universal Health Coverage Pilot Program Nairobi, (KENYA) December 13, 2018

    How Kenya can attain universal health care

    Universal Health Coverage: What you need to know

    The Path to Universal Health Coverage in Kenya : Repositioning the Role of the National Hospital Insurance Fund

    Domestic Resource Mobilization for Health: National Health Financing Dialogue for Implementation of the Health Sector Domestic Financing Sustainability Plan [UHC Delivery for Kenya – Issue Paper]

    Universal Health Coverage Advocacy Guide

    Linda Mama, Boresha Jamii: Implementation Manual for Programme Managers

    Only 20% Kenyans have medical cover

    Start of a new era of health care in Makueni

    County Universal Social Protection Coverage for All: A Case Study of Makueni County, Kenya

    What makes Makaueni's Sh 500-a year universal Health Care Programme tick

    How to achieve universal health coverage? Focus on primary care

    Episode 21: #LipaKamaTender

    Episode 70: Financing the Kenyan Government

    Episode 105: Social Protection in Kenya

    Episode 110: Non-Communicable Diseases

    Image Credit: AFIDEP

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  • Human-wildlife conflict is a growing problem in Kenya today, and it has a huge negative impact on both human and wildlife populations. It happens when there is close interaction between wild animals and human beings, which leads to injury, death, predation and transmission of diseases. In February 2019, Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) issued a notice to the public that the dry spell being experienced in most parts of the country was displacing wildlife from their traditional habitats in search of pasture and water. This had increased conflict as the wildlife came into contact with the public and human activities. They said that as the dry spell progressed, the risk of human wildlife conflict was expected to increase until the country received the long rains. Areas that have experienced increased incidence of human wildlife conflict were in Narok, Taita Taveta, Laikipia, Kajiado, Meru, Mau, Marsabit, Lamu and the Mt. Kenya region. We can assume that such warnings will become more frequent in coming years.

    We’re joined by Susanna Maingi, a research scientist and wildlife ecologist with expertise in human-wildlife conflict, antipoaching and conservation outreach, to discuss the increasing cases of human-wildlife conflict in Kenya. Press play!

    Resources

    KENYA’S ORIGINAL SIN: Root causes of rising human-wildlife conflicts

    Characteristics of Human-Wildlife Conflicts in Kenya: Examples of Tsavo and Maasai Mara Regions

    77 people killed in human-wildlife conflicts in 2018: Balala

    Alert on Increased Incidence of Human - Wildlife Conflict

    Collapse of Wildlife migratory corridors as 100 mapped areas threatened

    KWS says SGR affecting wildlife movement in Tsavo

    Human-wildlife payment claims hit Sh15bn in last 5 years: PS

    Human-Wildlife Conflicts and compensation for losses in Kenya

    Why wildlife is critical for human existence

    Human–Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence

    Illegal Hunting and the Bushmeat Trade in Savanna Africa

    KWS unearths illegal bushmeat trade

    Report Of The Taskforce On Consumptive Wildlife Utilization in Kenya

    The ugly truth about wildlife conservation in Kenya

    The 2017 Shooting of Kuki Gallmann and the Politics of Conservation in Northern Kenya

    How Conservation Became Colonialism

    When WWF's conservation looks like colonialism, it's time for a new approach

    A Leaked Report Shows WWF Was Warned Years Ago Of “Frightening” Abuses

    Conservation's Biggest Challenge? The Legacy of Colonialism (Op-Ed)

    Is Conservation a New Form of Colonialism?

    Why are we not seeing many black faces in conservation?

    Saving the world's wildlife is not just "a white person thing"

    Analyzing collective action

    Exploring the Hidden Costs of Human–Wildlife Conflict in Northern Kenya

    Public land, historical land injustices and the new Constitution

    Invasive alien species in Kenya: status and management

    Invasive alien species in Kenya (PDF)

    Episode 24: Drought Begins With You

    Episode 60: Na Ni Who?

    Episode 65: The Oil in Turkana

    Episode 66: The Politics of Food in Nairobi

    Episode 78: Public Finance and the Right to Food [Part 1]

    Episode 79: Public Finance and the Right to Food [Part 2]

    Episode 93: Global Warming at The Equator

    Image Credit: World Wildlife

  • The Constitution of Kenya (2010) in Article 46 gives consumers the right - to goods and services of reasonable quality; to the information necessary for them to gain full benefit from goods and services; to the protection of their health, safety, and economic interests; and to compensation for loss or injury arising from defects in goods or services. It states that parliament shall enact legislation to provide for consumer protection and for fair, honest and decent advertising (which is the Consumer Protection Act, 2012). It applies to goods and services offered by public entities or private persons.

    We’re joined by Nzilani Mweu, founder of Rilani Advocates, to talk about consumer protection in Kenya. Press play!

    Resources

    Constitution of Kenya (2010) - Article 46

    The Consumer Protection Act (2012)

    The Competition Act (2010)

    The Competition Authority of Kenya

    Kenya Information and Communications (Consumer Protection) Regulations, 2010.

    Consumer protection diagnostic study – Kenya

    Consumer Protection Law in Kenya

    Protecting Consumers Means Thinking Like Consumers

    Insurance Regulatory Authority - Consumer Protection

    Central Bank of Kenya: Guidelines on Consumer Protection

    It’s Time to Change the Equation on Consumer Protection

    Financial consumer protection in Kenya: Key research findings and policy recommendations

    Intersections between Intellectual Property, Consumer Protection and Competition Law in Kenya

    Printing Out The Privacy Policies Of Facebook, Snap, And Others

    State not committed to protecting consumer rights

    Competition enforcement and consumer protection in a digital economy

    Image Credit: FSD Kenya

  • In a survey carried out by Women’s Empowerment Link (WEL) in 2015, in the wake of the #MyDressMyChoice protest in 2014, it was found that 54% of women had experienced gender based violence (physical, sexual or psychological harm) while using public transport. The women shared that they been harassed, with the abuse ranging from derogatory comments to rape. Many witnessed female passengers being stripped naked, but the female survivors neither received any help nor reported the violation, and they reported a culture of silence held up by both male and female passengers. We also have a Geopoll survey from 2016 that highlighted that at least 46% of women in Kenya have been harassed by matatu crews.

    We’re joined by Mary Mwangi, Programs Manager at Flone Initiative, to discuss the relationship between women and public transport.

    Resources

    Eastern Africa Women in Transportation Conference Report

    Gender Sensitive Mini-Bus Services & Transport Infrastructure for African Cities: A Practical Toolkit

    How to Ease Women’s Fear of Transportation Environments: Case Studies and Best Practices

    Gender and Urban Transport

    Gender in Public Transportation: A Perspective of Women Users of Public Transportation

    Approaches for Gender Responsive Urban Mobility

    Women in the Transport Sector

    Women and Urban Transport: Draft Policy [India]

    Safety In Kenya’s Public Transport Vehicles (Matatu)

    I Just Wanted To Go Home

    Women and transportation in East Africa

    Women are changing the narrative in East Africa’s public transport sector

    Violence against Women and Girls in Public Road Transport and Connected Spaces in Nairobi County, Kenya

    Report on Mobility of Care Assessment of Nairobi’s Public Minibus Transport Services

    Report on Gender Equity Assessment of Nairobi’s Public Minibus Transport Services

    Why your Public Transportation Sucks - Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

    2019 Women and Transport Africa Conference

    Tumi’s 5 Principles to Empower Women in Transport

    Episode 77: The Problem With Our Roads

    Image Credit: East Africa Women In Transport Conference

  • The conversation on cancer and other non-communicable diseases has taken centre stage after the death of high profile Kenyans in recent weeks – Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore, Bomet Governor Joyce Laboso, and Kibra MP Ken Okoth. According to the Ministry of Health, Kenya in undergoing an epidemiological transition marked by a decline in morbidity and mortality due to communicable conditions, and an increase in the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which include diseases such as diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular diseases and chronic respiratory infections.

    We’re joined by Dr. Laura Muambayi, a medical doctor with experience treating NCDs, as well as a primary healthcare giver, to discuss non-communicable diseases and their health implications in Kenya.

    Resources

    Kenya National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (2015 - 2020)

    Lifestyle Diseases - An Increasing Cause Of Health Loss (Policy Brief)

    Kenya Case Study: NCD Situation

    Analysis of Non-Communicable Disease Prevention Policies in Kenya

    Noncommunicable diseases: Fact Sheet (WHO)

    Noncommunicable diseases country profiles 2018

    Kenya: Cancer Profile

    National Cancer Screening Guidelines

    National Guidelines for Cancer Management

    Why many Kenyans are dying of cancer

    Woman with breast cancer commits suicide in Naivasha

    In East Africa, a cancer diagnosis means a death sentence

    Pancreatic tumour fastest-growing cause of Kenya’s cancer deaths

    IDF Diabetes Atlas - 8th Edition

    Taking Diabetes to Heart - Report

    Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease - executive summary

    Cost-effective solutions for the prevention of type 2 diabetes

    Kenya National Diabetes Strategy (2010 - 2015)

    Kenya faces rising burden of diabetes

    Cases of diabetes have doubled in Kenya, warn experts

    The Sugar Wars

    How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

    How Big Business Got Brazil Hooked on Junk Food

    Kenya National Guidelines for Cardiovascular Diseases Management

    The emerging problem of coronary heart disease in Kenya

    Ignorance fueling spread of heart diseases in Kenya

    The danger that rheumatic heart disease poses in Kenya

    Kenyans at risk of heart disease due to unhealthy lifestyles

    Addressing NCDs to Fast-Track Achievement of Universal Health Coverage

    Episode 10: Dereva, Chunga Maisha!

    Episode 82: Debunking Mental Health Myths

    Episode 89: The Air We Breathe

    Image Credit: Roche

  • This week, we’re joined by Tayiana Chao, a digital heritage specialist and digital humanities scholar, of African Digital Heritage, the Museum of British Colonialism, Save the Railway and Skills 4 Culture to discuss the importance of having a digital cultural heritage for the African continent. What is the current situation in Kenya when it comes to cultural heritage? Why is it important to have conversations about cultural heritage in Kenya, especially at this moment? How do we ensure that the collection, curation, conservation, exhibition and marketing of our cultural heritage centres Kenyans?

    What role does technology have to play in our archiving, exploring and understanding our cultural heritage? What gaps currently exist in terms of the skills required in this sector? What gaps exist in the collection, curation, conservation, exhibition and marketing of our heritage? How can we bridge these gaps? What role will cultural heritage will play in the Kenyan socio-political experience in the coming years? Press play to find out!

    Resources

    National Museums and Heritage Act (2006)

    National Museums of Kenya

    Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service

    Kenya National Library Service

    Museum of British Colonialism

    African Digital Heritage

    Save The Railway

    Mau Mau Detention Camp - Field Work

    International Inventories Program

    Skills 4 Culture

    Book Bunk

    Grand history of the lunatic express

    End of Lunatic Express

    Museums are hiding their imperial pasts – which is why my tours are needed

    Museums and Empire: Natural History, Human Cultures and Colonial Identities

    Museums have long overlooked the violence of empire

    Anthropology and Colonialism

    Radio Lab: Mau Mau

    Kenya lifts ban on Mau Mau

    Operation Legacy’: Britain’s Destruction and Concealment of Colonial Records Worldwide

    Revealed: the bonfire of papers at the end of Empire

    Britain destroyed records of colonial crimes

    Foreign Office hoarding 1m historic files in secret archive

    Sins of colonialists lay concealed for decades in secret archive

    Mau Mau torture claim Kenyans win right to sue British government

    Kenyan torture victims give evidence in high court compensation case

    Kenya: UK expresses regret over abuse as Mau Mau promised payout

    Kenyan Mau Mau victims in talks with UK government over legal settlement

    The Mau Mau may rewrite the history of the British empire

    Britain's Gulag : The Brutal End of Empire in Kenya

    Joseph Murumbi's Legacy

    African Heritage House

    The house at the end of history: The little city gem that is the Murumbi Gallery

    Ethical Issues In Digitization Of Cultural Heritage

    Digitization of Cultural Heritage

    Digitisation of Cultural Heritage

    Understanding the Impact of Digitisation on Culture

    Image Credit: Magical Kenya

  • This week, we're throwing it back to the old school format, where I take topic suggestions from the pod's community and address them in around 15 minutes. The first question is on foreign investors in Kenya. Should we set stricter criteria to attract quality investors and protect our SMEs? The second question asks what we as citizens can do to fight the Huduma Bill, and the final one asks about Mike Sonko’s behaviour at Ken Okoth’s funeral, and his blatant admission of guilt when he said that he nominated the late MP’s alleged second wife to the Nairobi County Assembly as an MCA. If this is true, what redress can we seek as Kenyans to stop this nonsense? Press play to find out!

    Resources

    World Investment Report (2019)

    Ease of Doing Business Rankings (2019)

    Foreign Investment Survey Report 2018

    The Investment Promotion Act (2004)

    2016 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Survey Basic Report

    Cheap imports, high costs: Why many businesses are closing shop

    StanChart branch closure signals banking job losses

    Deacons blames tough business environment for Sh180 mn loss

    The Huduma Bill (2019)

    No healthcare, voting without Huduma Namba, Bill proposes

    Parliamentary dictatorship a frontal assault on democracy

    Episode 49: Women and Youth in Kenyan Politics

    Episode 62: Tax Justice in Kenya

    Episode 68: Women and the 2017 Elections

    Episode 80: The Two-Thirds Gender Principle

    Episode 85: Persons of Interest

    Episode 90: On Femicide and Women at the Frontline

    Episode 99: Manufacturing Prosperity

    Episode 100: The Journey to Constitutional Reform

    Image Credit: Techweez

  • On July 14th 2019, NTV aired a feature titled Red Alert, which revealed that Kenyan supermarkets and retail outlets were using sodium metabisulfite to increase the shelf life of meat products by making them look fresher for longer, so as to prevent losses. They were also found to repackage these products and change the dates so as to dupe their customers into buying these products past their sell-by date. The conversation that arose after was intense, pointing out that supermarkets were using excess quantities of the compound, without disclosing it to consumers, which was exacerbated by changing the dates on products to deceive customers.

    This is not the first time we have had widespread panic and anxiety over food in Kenya. We have had reports of sukuma wiki and spinach being grown next to sewers and being toxic and containing heavy metals, water containing microplastics, chicken being fattened using antibiotics, formalin being used to preserve meat, maize with aflatoxin, sugar containing mercury, and fruits being ripened using calcium carbide. This is in addition to pesticide use in farm products that elicits the same concerns. We’re joined by Wanjiru Kamau, an agricultural and environmental policy expert, to discuss food safety in general in Kenya.

    Resources

    The Kenya Food Control System

    The Kenya Food and Drugs Authority Bill (2019)

    Kenya National Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (2015 - 2020)

    Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS)

    Pest Control Products Board (PCPB)

    Dietary risk factors for non-communicable diseases in Kenya: findings of the STEPS survey, 2015

    Food safety and quality management in Kenya: An overview of the roles played by various stakeholders

    Food Safety in Kenya: Focus on fruits and vegetables

    SBS Senior Lecturer Publishes Case Study on Food Safety Concerns in Kenya

    Why food safety is a major national issue

    Lifestyle Diseases: An Increasing Cause Of Health Loss

    Heavy Metal Concentration in Vegetables Grown around Dumpsites in Nairobi City County, Kenya

    Coca-Cola admits presence of plastic in Dasani

    Antibiotics in meat: why Kenya needs to do more

    Keep birds free from antibiotics, use supplements

    Kenya's 'contaminated sugar' row: What we know

    Report reveals seized sugar contains Mercury

    Tests show dangerous levels of toxins in foods sold in Nairobi

    Could your fruit vendor be selling you poison?

    Experts poke holes in proposed food and drugs law

    How safe is your food? Be careful what you eat

    Conversation on food safety is long overdue

    Study warns of highly contaminated fruits,vegetables in open markets and supermarkets

    How safe is your sukuma wiki?

    The local food revolution in Brazil's schools

    Learning from Brazil’s Food and Nutrition Security Policies

    The road to restoration: Cuba’s modern farming revolution

    Cuba's organic revolution

    How does organic agriculture contribute to food security of small land holders?: A case study in the North of Thailand

    Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

  • On 27th June 2019, Kenya beat Tanzania 3-2 in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), moving us to third place in Group C, right behind Algeria and Senegal. This renewed the conversation around sports reform in Kenya. This is the first time Kenya has qualified for AFCON since 2004. We're joined by Ng'arua Kamuya, a lawyer, advocate of the High Court of Kenya and sports pundit, for a fun chat on what we can do to reform sports in Kenya. Press play!

    Resources

    Dennis Ombachi's Thread

    Image Credit: The Guardian

  • According to Kenya's Social Protection Policy, poverty, disease, and ignorance were identified at the time of independence in 1963 as the critical challenges facing the new nation of Kenya. While some degree of success has been achieved in the area of education, progress in reducing poverty and providing healthcare has barely been made. 56 years after independence, “poverty and vulnerability remain major challenges, with almost one in every two Kenyans trapped in a long-term, chronic and inter-generational cycle of poverty."

    Our Constitution in Article 43 guarantees all Kenyans their economic, social, and cultural rights. It asserts the "right for every person...to social security and binds the state to provide appropriate social security to persons who are unable to support themselves and their dependents." This right is closely linked to other social protection rights, including the right to healthcare, human dignity, reasonable working conditions, and access to justice. Article 21 establishes the progressive realization of social and economic rights and obligates the state to "observe, respect, protect, promote, and fulfill the rights and fundamental freedoms in the Bill of Rights.”

    We’re joined by Pauline Vata, Executive Director of Hakijamii Trust, to discuss social protection in Kenya.

    Resources

    Kenya National Social Protection Policy (2012)

    Article 43, Constitution of Kenya (2010)

    National Social Security Fund Act (2013)

    National Hospital Insurance Fund Act (2013)

    Social Assistance Act (2013)

    Analytical Review of the Pension System in Kenya

    Social security reforms in Kenya: Towards a workerist or a citizenship-based system?

    Policy Brief on National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF)

    NHIF Strategic Plan 2014 - 2018: Sustainable Financing Towards Universal Health Coverage in Kenya

    HEALTHY AMBITIONS? KENYA’S NATIONAL HOSPITAL INSURANCE FUND (NHIF) MUST BECOME MORE TRANSPARENT IF IT IS TO ANCHOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE

    Extending Social Security and Fighting Poverty: Two reform proposals to extend social security in Kenya

    The Right to Social Security in Kenya: The gap between international human rights and domestic law and policy

    PARTICIPATION OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN THEIR OWN PROGRAMMES: THE CASH TRANSFERS IN KENYA

    Political Economy of Cash Transfers In Kenya

    Kenya’s Social Cash Transfer Program

    From Evidence to Action: The Story of Cash Transfers and Impact Evaluation in Sub-Saharan Africa

    The Short-term Impact of Unconditional Cash Transfers to the Poor: Experimental Evidence from Kenya

    The Long-Term Impact of Unconditional Cash Transfers: Experimental Evidence from Kenya.

    Income Changes and Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from Unconditional Cash Transfers in Kenya

    Scaling up Cash Transfer Programmes in Kenya

    The Evolution of the Government of Kenya Cash Transfer Programme for Vulnerable Children between 2002 to 2006 and prospects for nationwide scale-up

    Episode 44: The State of Kenya's Healthcare

    Episode 21: #LipaKamaTender

    Image Credit: Business Insider

  • In June 2019, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) announced that it would be phasing out the current generation KES 1,000 note by 1st October 2019. On that date, it will cease to be legal tender. This is in an effort to curb illicit financial transactions, including money laundering; address the problem of counterfeit notes; and fight corruption. They also announced new generation notes alongside the new KES 1,000 note (KES 50, 100, 200 and 500), but these do not have a deadline for exchange.

    According to the CBK, we currently have in circulation 217.6 million pieces of KES 1,000, 30.8 million pieces of KES 500, 54.8 million pieces of KES 200, 126.4 million pieces of KES 100, 100.5 million pieces of KES 50 and 9.9 million pieces of KES 20. We’re joined by Ken Gichinga, the Chief Economist at Mentoria Economics, to discuss the demonetization process as it is planned in Kenya.

    Resources

    Kenya is introducing new banknotes in a bid to fight corruption

    For demonetization to be successful, adequate remonetization necessary

    Behind Central Bank move to change notes

    Ensure roll-out of new currency does not hurt weak economy

    There is more than meets the eye in demonetisation

    Tedious journey to new currency that kicked off in 2010

    Demonetization Of Currency Notes: Significance And Challenges

    Demonetisation: The end of Zimbabwean dollar

    What can you buy for $100 trillion in Zimbabwe? Not even a candy bar

    Here's The Full Text Of Modi's Speech On The Discontinuation Of ₹500 And ₹1,000 Bank Notes

    Demonetisation: What India gained, and lost

    Two years of demonetisation: What did the fight against black money achieve?

    Demonetization Anniversary: Decoding the Effects of Indian Currency Notes Ban

    India election 2019: Did the ban on high-value banknotes work?

    Despite hype, demonetization missed all goals

    Few Hits and Many Misses From India's Cash Ban After 2 Years

    Payments are a-changin’ but cash still rules

    Image Credit: Nairobi Wire

  • In our second live recording, we're joined by Njeri Gateru, Lorna Dias and Pastor David Ochar to discuss LGBTQI+ organizing in Kenya in light of the High Court ruling on the decriminalization of same sex conduct.

    On May 24th 2019, the High Court ruled against two petitions filed against the Attorney General of Kenya in his capacity as the government’s legal advisor: Petition 150 of 2016, and Petition 234 of 2016, which had been consolidated by the court due to their similarity. The petitions sought to repeal Sections 162 (a) and (c) and 165 of the Penal Code because they are unconstitutional on grounds of vagueness and uncertainty. The petitioners also stated that the sections violated Articles 27, 28, 29, 31, 32 and 43 of the Constitution of Kenya.

    What is the environment/background in terms of organizing that brought us to this point? Why this, and why now? Why is it that the greatest strides the community has made towards equal rights and freedoms have been in the courts? Given the court ruling, and the fact that the judicial process in Kenya tends to take many years, how can we augment judicial action with organizing within the society/various communities? How is this currently happening? How do we respond to people who claim that same sex conduct or relationships are against religion? How about those who say they are unAfrican? What are the ways in which allies in Kenya, and around the world, can support LGBTQI+ organizing here? And, what will LGBTQI+ organizing in Kenya look like in the future? Press play to find out!

    Resources

    Petition 150 & 234 of 2016 (Consolidated)

    The Constitution of Kenya (2010)

    The Penal Code (CAP 63)

    Petition 266 of 2013

    Petition 440 of 2013

    Judicial Review 147 of 2013

    Petition 51 of 2015

    Civil Appeal 56 of 2016

    India's Ruling on the Repeal of Section 377 of their Penal Code

    The Wolfenden Report - Summary

    The Wolfenden Report - Conclusion

    Letter from Birmingham City Jail

    Boy-Wives and Female Husbands: Studies of African Homosexualities

    Episode 64: Repeal 162

    Episode 59: Rafiki

    Episode 83: Separation of Church and State

    Before Straight and Gay

    A Theory of Scandal: Victorians, Homosexuality, and the Fall of Oscar Wilde

    Image Credit: Kanga Love TRTL

  • Kenya’s maternal mortality rate is 362 deaths per 100,000 live births according to the 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Article 43(1)(a) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 states that: Every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, which includes the right to health care services, including reproductive health care.

    Kenya adopted the Millennium Development Goals, which had set a target of reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to 147 per 100,000 by 2015. We have also adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, whose target is to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births between 2016 and 2030.

    Today, we're joined by Caroline Wainaina, a research officer working on maternal and child well-being at APHRC, to discuss maternal healthcare in Kenya.

    Resources

    2014 Kenya Demographic And Health Survey

    Women and Men in Kenya Facts and Figures 2017

    Reducing Maternal Deaths in Kenya

    Tackling High Maternal Deaths in Kenya

    The effect of Kenya’s free maternal health care policy on the utilization of health facility delivery services and maternal and neonatal mortality in public health facilities

    Ministry of Health implements free maternity services nationwide

    Are There Really 1.2 Million Mothers on the Free Maternity Programme?

    Which way for mothers after five years of free maternal care

    Has Access To Free Maternity Care In Kenya Doubled Since 2013?

    Implementing Free Maternal Health Care in Kenya: Challenges, Strategies, and Recommendations

    Examining the Implementation of the Free Maternity Services Policy in Kenya: A Mixed Methods Process Evaluation

    Implementation of the free maternity services policy and its implications for health system governance in Kenya

    Reproductive Health and Family Planning Financing in Kenya: A mapping of the resource flows

    Maternal Education and Immunization Status Among Children in Kenya

    From Paper to Practice: Sexuality Education Policies and Their Implementation in Kenya

    Reality check: Why it’s time to introduce sex education in schools

    The #LipaKamaTender Movement

    UNFPA Kenya Annual Report 2017

    The Reproductive Health Care Bill (2014)

    Image Credit: COMO Foundation

  • We celebrate Labour Day/International Worker’s Day each year on the 1st of May. Celebrations are organized by trade unions and their members, and they take time to highlight the labour environment in the country, and how it can be improved. Trade unions in Kenya are inextricably linked with our struggle for independence.

    Makhan Singh is considered the father of the labour movement, having formed the Labour Trade Union of Kenya in 1935, and the East African Trade Union Congress in 1949. To mark this year's occasion belatedly, we’re joined by Dr. Emily Odhong, a lecturer at Kiriri Women's University of Science and Technology, and a labour relations consultant, to discuss the importance of the labour movement in Kenya. Press play!

    Resources

    The Employment Act (2007)

    The Labour Relations Act (2007)

    Industrial Relations Charter (1984)

    Assessment Of The State Of Trade Unions in Kenya

    Trade Unions in Transformation - Developing and Utilizing Power Resources: The Case of Kenya National Private Security Workers’ Union

    Re-thinking Industrial Relations for Enhanced Organizational Performance in Kenya

    Trade union movement leads the way in Kenya

    KNUT joins COTU in drive for stronger labour union

    Image credit: Africa Times

  • The Constitution of Kenya (2010) was promulgated almost nine years ago, on 27th August 2010. This was after it was presented to the Attorney General on 7th April 2010, officially published on 6th May 2010, subjected to a referendum on 4th August 2010, and approved by 68.55% of the people who participated in the referendum.

    We’re joined by Atsango Chesoni, former Deputy Chairperson of the Committee of Experts on Constitutional Review, to discuss how this constitution has changed Kenya almost nine years later.

    Resources

    The Constitution of Kenya (2010) [Web Version]

    The Constitution of Kenya (2010) [PDF Version]

    The Repealed Constitution [first passed in 1969]

    The 1963 Constitution

    1962 Lancaster House Conference

    About the 2010 Constitution

    About the Committee of Experts Process

    About the Constitution Drafts

    About the 2005 Referendum

    Constitutional Transitions and Territorial Cleavages: The Kenyan Case

    Kenya: 36 reasons why we needed a new constitution

    All you need to know about independent commissions, offices

    The Rationale for the Existence of Independent Constitutional Commissions

    It is the politics, stupid: (Not) Kenya Style

    Prof. Yash Pal Ghai’s Submission to the Building Bridges Initiative Task Force Committee

    Ethnicity and the Kenyan System of Governance

    Why we cannot change the Constitution without violating it

    Episode 80: The Two-Thirds Gender Principle

    Episode 70: Financing the Kenyan Government

    Episode 68: Women and the 2017 Elections

    Episode 60: Nai Ni Who?

    Episode 18: Daima Kenya

  • The Big 4 Agenda, unveiled on 12th December 2017, has identified manufacturing as one of its pillars (alongside universal healthcare, food security and affordable housing), with the goal of increasing its contribution to Kenya’s economy to 15% by 2022. The agenda has identified 8 priority sectors under its manufacturing pillar: agro-processing, textile, leather, construction, materials, oil and mining, iron and steel, and ICT.

    In recent years, according to the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), Kenya has experienced deindustrialization as evidenced by the reduction in manufacturing’s contribution to our GDP. We are joined by Navalayo Osembo, CEO and co-founder of Enda Sportswear, to discuss this pillar further.

    Resources

    KAM - Manufacturing in Kenya Under the ‘Big 4 Agenda’ A Sector Deep-dive Report

    KAM - Manufacturing Priority Agenda 2019

    Manufacturing in Kenya: Features, Challenges and Opportunities

    Special Economic Zones Act (2015)

    Export Processing Zones Act (1990)

    Export Processing Zones Act - Subsidiary Legislation

    Want Big Four to work? Bring down cost of doing business

    Manufacturing can be the engine for Uhuru’s Big Four pillars need

    What manufacturers need to drive Kenya’s Big Four growth agenda

    Image Credit: Brookings

  • At the Paris Peace Forum in November 2018, Uhuru Kenyatta committed to Kenya’s transition to 100% green energy by 2020, noting that green energy made up 70% of Kenya’s installed electric capacity at the time. According to the Ministry of Energy, as at December 2018, Kenya had achieved 75% household access to electricity, through both on-grid and off-grid solutions, and we plan to achieve universal access to electricity by 2022.

    We’re joined by Anne Wambugu, an electrical engineer working in the renewable energy sector, to discuss Kenya's current state electricity-wise, what it means for Kenya to go green, and the possibilities that lie ahead. Press play!

    NOTE:

    The targeted installed capacity by the year 2030 is 7,213.88 MW, not 26,000 MW. Where Anne says people who have low usage of electricity averaging about KES 300 per day, she meant to say KES 300 per month.

    Resources

    [Updated] Least Cost Power Development Plan

    Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project [All Downloads]

    Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project: Vulnerable & Marginalized Groups Framework

    Kenya Electricity System Improvement Project: Environmental & Social Management Framework

    Kenya Electricity Modernization Project

    Global Off-Grid Solar Market Report: Semi-Annual Sales and Impact Data

    Renewables 2018: Global Status Report

    Development of Kenya’s power sector: 2015-2020

    Kenya Power Sh4.8bn diesel order signals long wait for cheap electricity

    Eyes on ERC as wind surpasses diesel electricity

    Ending 3 thermal power plants to cost Sh 9 billion

    Kenya Launches Ambitious Plan to Provide Electricity to All Citizens by 2022

    Off-grid solar power comes of age in Kenya

    Market for the integration of smaller wind turbines in minigrids in Kenya

    Off-grid solutions cure for power deficit in Kenya

    Kenya is aiming to be powered entirely by green energy by 2020

    Kenya targets green energy sufficiency by 2020, Uhuru says

    Image Credit: Vox.com

  • In January 1991, Mohammed Siad Barre’s government was toppled when rebels from the United Somali Congress toppled the Red Berets, in a culmination of a struggle that began in 1986. Since then, Somalia has been in a state of civil war. It has displaced over 1 million people within the country, and over 1 million more are living abroad in the Somali diaspora, either as registered refugees or undocumented migrants. We’re joined by Fadumo Dayib, a social justice activist, Somali politician and the first woman to vie for president of Somalia (in November 2016) to discuss being Somali in Somalia, as well as the diaspora.

    What was the cause of the civil war, and what factors have allowed it to continue for almost 30 years? What has the effect of having international intervention been? What factors make it possible for Al Shabaab to exist within Somalia and East Africa, and recruit from throughout the region? What has this conflict meant for the rights of Somali women and girls? How has it affected their rights, freedoms and access to opportunities? And, what is the way forward when it comes to resolving this conflict? Press play to find out!

    Resources

    Siad Barre’s Fall Blamed for Somalia’s Collapse into Civil War

    Understanding Civil Militia Groups in Somalia

    Somalia: a history of events from 1950 to the present - in pictures

    Somalia: The Forgotten Story

    The 4.5 Formula

    Somalia's Clan Politics

    The Rotation Convention: the real scandal of Somalia’s 4.5 power sharing system

    The Business of Fear in Boomtown Mogadishu

    Ethiopian Invasion of Somalia

    Ethiopia ends Somalia occupation

    WikiLeaks Reveals U.S. Twisted Ethiopia’s Arm to Invade Somalia

    Ethiopian troop withdrawal from Somalia exposes peacekeeping problems

    Explaining the differences in Al-Shabaab expansion into Ethiopia and Kenya

    Al-Shabab [an explainer]

    Understanding Drivers of Violent Extremism: The Case of al-Shabab and Somali Youth

    Explaining Transborder Terrorist Attacks: The Cases of Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab

    History of Al-Shabaab and its link with Kenya

    The Unseen War

    The Unseen War - Part 2

    Somali militants al-Shabab threaten Kenya retaliation

    Somalia: Why is Al-Shabaab Still A Potent Threat?

    Why is Al Shabab making inroads into Kenya?

    Why is Kenya an al-Shabab target?

    Somalia's Al Shabaab: Clans vs Islamist nationalism

    What Kenya has to show for sending troops into Somalia seven years ago

    PROXY WARS: The intrigues leading to Kenya’s invasion of Somalia

    What's Wrong With Kenya's Invasion of Somalia

    Kenya and Somalia: landscape of tension

    The Road to Garissa

    Corruption and Terror: Somali Community in Kenya Caught in the Crossfire

    Women’s Rights in Somalia: Women’s Role in Conflict Resolution

    Human Rights Brief: Women in Somalia

    GIRLS AND GIRLHOOD INTERRUPTED: TWO DECADES OF STATELESSNESS AND MILITARIZED VIOLENCE IN WAR-TORN SOMALIA

    Somalia: A state of male power, insecurity and inequality

    Women Needs in Somalia after Civil War

    Image Credit: VQR Online

  • Mobile lending in Kenya has experienced a boom in recent years. Customers are able to apply for and receive loans through their mobile phones, and this has drastically changed Kenya’s financial landscape. Mobile lending is made possible through mobile money transfer technology, which was introduced in Kenya by Safaricom in 2007 via MPesa. There are three primary ways that it works: The first is bank backed, the second is mobile lending by non-bank finance institutions such as microfinance institutions and SACCOs, and the third is mobile lending by financial technology firms which do it through their mobile apps.

    We’re joined by Geraldine Lukania, Project Manager of FSD Kenya's Market Information Project to discuss mobile lending/credit, what makes it so popular, and whether it needs to be regulated. Press play!

    Resources

    Kenya moves to regulate fintech-fuelled lending craze

    M-Shwari leads Mobile lending industry

    The Draft Financial Markets Conduct Bill, 2018

    The 2019 FinAccess household survey

    The 2016 FinAccess household survey

    Digital Market Overview: Kenya

    The digital credit revolution in Kenya: an assessment of market demand, 5 years on

    A Digital Credit Revolution: Insights from Borrowers in Kenya and Tanzania

    Kenya’s Digital Credit Revolution Five Years On

    How Regulators Can Foster More Responsible Digital Credit

    It's Time to Slow Digital Credit's Growth in East Africa

    Image Credit: Mambo Zuri