Kenya’s police still kill with impunity – what needs to be done to stop them: Days ahead of the first anniversary in Kenya of the Gen Z-led anti-government protests that resulted in at least 60 deaths and displays of police brutality, news broke that Albert Ojwang, a young Kenyan blogger, had died in police detention. …
Kenya’s peacebuilding efforts hold valuable lessons for the rest of the world, but gaps remain: Kenya has been praised as a “model for the world” when it comes to peacebuilding efforts to manage outbreaks of violence within its borders. The country has systematically put in place a peacebuilding architecture rooted in a history of local …
Kenya’s brutal police have been exposed again – why the system fails people: The recent killing in Kenya of a young man in police detention highlights a string of systemic failures to hold the country’s security officers accountable for their actions. Despite public outrage and protests, Kenyan police officers continue to use inhumane, brutal and …
Kenya’s ride-hailing drivers say their jobs offer dignity despite the challenges: Many argue that gig work involves exploitation, as research and media coverage have highlighted. But that doesn’t seem to deter ride hailing drivers on platforms like Uber and Bolt. In Kenya, in fact, many new drivers continued to join platforms even as fares were …
Kenya’s decision to make maths optional in high school is a bad idea – what should happen instead: Kenya’s education ministry announced in March 2025 that mathematics would be an optional subject in senior secondary school, which begins in grade 10. Most students in this grade are aged 15 years. The education minister said the …
Kenya’s forgotten Mau Mau freedom fighters and the impeached deputy president that stood up for them: Kenya’s ousted deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua, who was impeached in October 2024, established his name early enough as a forceful politician unafraid to take a stand. These include his aggressive push for justice for Mau Mau ex-freedom fighters and …
Kenya’s female freedom fighters were the silent heroes of the anti-colonial movement – here are some of their stories: Each year in Kenya, familiar faces are feted at the national remembrance of the country’s heroes and heroines. Dedan Kimathi is arguably the most commemorated of figures. As one of the most prominent leaders of the …
Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them: Kenya has published a draft bill outlining protections for whistleblowers. Long in the making, the Whistleblower Protection Bill 2024 could help to encourage disclosures in a country where 86% of the respondents to a 2023 survey feared what might happen to …
Kenya’s digital divide: pastoralists are key to the country’s economy, but they’re being left behind: Information and communication technologies (ICTs) hold great potential to expand African economies. They include mobile banking platforms, internet-enabled communication devices and e-government services. All of these can enhance financial inclusion and improve services for citizens. Kenya’s mobile money transfer platform, …
Kenya’s protests are different this time: 3 things that make it harder for government to crush them: On 25 June 2024, a youth-led protest primarily composed of Gen Zs, as they are popularly referred to, stormed Kenya’s parliament. Legislators voted to pass the Finance Bill 2024 in its third and last reading ahead of presidential …
Hotbed of corruption: Kenya’s elite have captured the state – unrest is inevitable: A strong undercurrent driving the unprecedented anti-tax protests in Kenya is outrage over theft of public resources coupled with the extravagant lifestyles of public servants. There are widespread frustrations that President William Ruto also failed to deliver on his electoral promises to …
Kenya’s flood evictions may violate the law – scholar: Recent floods in Kenya have left at least 270 people dead, displaced more than 200,000 and destroyed property, infrastructure and livelihoods across the country. In Nairobi, hundreds of people in informal settlements were left homeless and thousands were displaced. And now, the government has been evicting …
Kenya’s devastating floods expose decades of poor urban planning and bad land management: Floods in Kenya killed at least 169 people between March and April 2024. The most catastrophic of these deaths occurred after a flash flood swept through a rural village killing 42 people. Death and destruction have also occurred in the capital, Nairobi, …
Antibiotic use on Kenya’s dairy farms is putting consumers and animals at risk: Farmers often use antibiotics to keep their livestock healthy. They’re sometimes used as “quick fixes”, to avoid more costly management measures like regular disinfection, waste management, routine vaccination or provision of clean drinking water. Animal husbandry now accounts for about two thirds …
Humiliation and violence in Kenya’s colonial days – when old men were called ‘boy’ and Africans were publicly beaten: When King Charles visited Kenya in November 2023, many Kenyans renewed their demands for an official apology for atrocities committed by the British government during the colonial era. The widespread human rights abuses during the Mau …
Kenya’s stock market has suffered steepest losses in the world: an expert view on why and how to reverse it: Kenya’s stock market recently suffered steep losses, making it the worst performing globally. The weak performance has persisted: the Nairobi Securities Exchange 20-share index stood at about 1420 on 10 November 2023, having fallen from …
Kenya’s courts were under political pressure: how a constitutional reform empowered judges: Changes to Kenya’s constitution in 2010 on the independence of the judiciary created room for judges to act as guardians of the electoral process. Before this, the law gave Kenya’s presidents considerable influence over courts’ actions. Historically, the judiciary was not an independent …
Climate change: Kenya’s power sector is a shining example, the big hurdles are household and transport emissions: Kenya’s ambition is to reduce carbon emissions by one-third by 2030, relative to the business-as-usual scenario of 143 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. It also seeks to reduce carbon emissions to as close to zero as possible …