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
Big Four Agenda at core of Kenya spending, to spur economic growth
Towards Universal Health Coverage in Kenya: Are We On The Right Path?
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
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 70: Financing the Kenyan Government
Episode 105: Social Protection in Kenya
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"
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 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]
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 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
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
How to Ease Women’s Fear of Transportation Environments: Case Studies and Best Practices
Gender in Public Transportation: A Perspective of Women Users of Public Transportation
Approaches for Gender Responsive Urban Mobility
Women and Urban Transport: Draft Policy [India]
Safety In Kenya’s Public Transport Vehicles (Matatu)
Women and transportation in East Africa
Women are changing the narrative in East Africa’s public transport sector
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
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
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
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
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)
Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service
Kenya National Library Service
Mau Mau Detention Camp - Field Work
International Inventories Program
Grand history of the 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
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
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
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
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
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 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
The local food revolution in Brazil's schools
Learning from Brazil’s Food and Nutrition Security Policies
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
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)
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
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
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
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)
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 83: Separation of Church and State
A Theory of Scandal: Victorians, Homosexuality, and the Fall of Oscar Wilde
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
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
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
UNFPA Kenya Annual Report 2017
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 Labour Relations Act (2007)
Industrial Relations Charter (1984)
Assessment Of The State Of Trade Unions in Kenya
Re-thinking Industrial Relations for Enhanced Organizational Performance in Kenya
Trade union movement leads the way in Kenya
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]
1962 Lancaster House Conference
About the Committee of Experts Process
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
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
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:
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
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
The Rotation Convention: the real scandal of Somalia’s 4.5 power sharing system
The Business of Fear in Boomtown Mogadishu
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
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
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
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
Somalia: A state of male power, insecurity and inequality
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
We hear a lot about fake news, but that is a very broad and misleading term. According to the Ethical Journalism Network, "fake news is information deliberately fabricated and published with the intention to deceive and mislead others into believing falsehoods or doubting verifiable facts." This term conflates three types of information disorder: misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.
In the spirit of International Fact Checking Day, celebrated annually on April 2nd, we're joined by Eric Mugendi, Managing Editor of Pesacheck, to discuss fact checking in general, and within the Kenyan context. What exactly is fact checking, and why is it important, especially in this digital age? What establishes something as a “fact” vis a vis an opinion? What exactly is information disorder? And what is the difference between these three types of disorder? What kinds of challenges do misinformation, disinformation and malinformation pose to modern day journalism? What is the role of media organizations when it comes to fact checking? Press play to find out!
Resources
Journalism, 'Fake News' and Disinformation: A Handbook for Journalism Education and Training
Thinking about 'Information Disorder': Formats of Misinformation, Disinformation and Mal-Information
INFORMATION DISORDER: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policy making
Understanding and Addressing the Disinformation Ecosystem
Improving Media’s Ability To Check The Facts: We Need A Media Culture That Double Checks Numbers
How to Fact Check: Tips and Advice
Africa Check: Sorting Fact from Fiction
The Reality of Fake News in Kenya
Information Disorder, Part 1: The Essential Glossary
Information Disorder, Part 2: Mapping the Landscape
Information Disorder, Part 3: Useful Graphics
10 questions to ask before covering mis- and dis-information
On Tuesday the 26th of March 2019, the Standard reported that a three judge bench at the Court of Appeal, constituted by Justices Roselyn Nambuye, Daniel Musinga and Patrick Kiage, proposed that the age of consent be lowered to 16 by amending the Sexual Offences Act, citing lengthy jail terms imposed on young men convicted of defilement.
We’re joined by Judy Gitau, the Africa Regional Co-ordinator of Equality Now to discuss consent, the age of consent, its importance, and the potential impact of lowering it.
Resources
Criminal Appeal 102 of 2016 [The Ruling that proposed the lowering of the age of consent]
Court proposes lowering sex consent age to 16 years
Why the age of sexual consent continues to be a worldwide challenge
Close in Age Exemptions / Romeo and Juliet Laws
What are the Romeo and Juliet Laws
Episode 81: Abortion and Reproductive Healthcare
Much of the conversation about global warming and climate change focuses on the Earth’s poles and the areas outside the tropics. We understand that ice caps and glaciers are melting. However, it is urgent that we understand the effects of global warming in the tropics in general, and at the equator in particular. Normal temperature ranges in the tropics fall within a narrower range than those outside them, so any change will have more significant effects.
We’re joined by Jessica Mukiri, an Environmental Modeler at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, to discuss global warming at the equator, with a focus on Kenya. Which human activities make us more vulnerable to climate change? What are its effects in this region? And, how can we mitigate it? Press play to find out!
Resources
Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5 ºC
Climate Change: Why the Tropical Poor Will Suffer Most
Why Africa is particularly vulnerable to climate change
Vulnerability to Climate Change in Africa: Challenges and Recommendations for Africa
Africa is particularly vulnerable to the expected impacts of global warming
Global warming: Why Kenya is among countries at crossroads
Climate Risks, Vulnerability and Governance in Kenya: A review
Modeling Kenya's Vulnerability to Climate Change – A Multifactor Approach
Climate change making storms like Idai more severe, say experts
Cyclone Idai reveals the fundamental injustice at the heart of climate change
Analysis of Climate Change and Variability Risks in the Smallholder Sector
Climate Change and Health in Africa: Issues and Options
Climate Change Deadly Health Risk and Global Health Opportunity – Lancet Commission
Climate drivers of vector-borne diseases in Africa and their relevance to control programmes
Climate change and population health in Africa: where are the scientists?
Herders: Why we invade Laikipia ranches
Are Kenya ranch invasions driven by drought or politics?
Rapid Range Shifts of Species Associated with High Levels of Climate Warming
Climate change could force huge migrations for people and animals living near the equator
Global warming, elevational ranges and the vulnerability of tropical biota
UN compact recognizes climate change as driver of migration for first time
Study finds that global warming exacerbates refugee crises
Seeds of war: Global warming helped trigger Syria's bloody civil war
Climate change and the Syrian civil war revisited
Making the Links: Refugees, Climate Change, and Poverty
Who takes responsibility for the climate refugees?
Climate Justice for a Changing Planet: A Primer for Policy Makers and NGOs
According to Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and National Treasury reports in 2016, it was estimated that a third of Kenya’s national budget was lost through corrupt dealings annually. That would mean that in 2018/19, we can reasonably expect to lose KES 1 trillion, if not more, to corruption. Much of this money ends up in offshore accounts in countries that are tax havens. As at 2007, economists at the American research firm National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) estimated that about 70% of Kenya’s GDP (KES 1.83 trillion in 2007) was stashed abroad, while the think-tank Global Financial Integrity (GFI) estimated in an October 2018 report that Kenya loses about 8% of government revenues annually (above USD 907 million, or KES 78.41 billion, based on the historical exchange rate) to trade misinvoicing by multinationals.
We’re joined by Will Fitzgibbon, an investigative journalist at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), who has worked on the Panama Papers, Paradise Papers and Swiss Leaks, to talk about where our stolen money goes. Press play!
Resources
The Panama Papers - Exposing the Rogue Offshore Finance Industry
The Panama Papers - Power Players
Paradise Papers - Secrets of the Global Elite
Swiss Leaks - Murky Cash Sheltered By Bank Secrecy
Swiss Leaks - Kenya Country Profile
Offshore Leaks Database: Kenya
What are the 'Paradise Papers' and why should you care?
Paradise papers: a special investigation
Kenya: Potential Revenue Losses Associated with Trade Misinvoicing
Wealthy Kenyans hiding Sh5trn in foreign banks
Concern as wealthy Kenyans stash their riches in tax havens
Leaks reveal Kenyan judge a director of multiple offshore companies
More Kenyans on Panama Papers list
What leaked Paradise Papers mean for Kenya
Inside the havens, where super rich people hide their billions
Third of Kenyan budget lost to corruption: anti-graft chief
Understanding the economic cost of corruption in Kenya
Experts: Theft, waste likely to silence calls for austerity
Episode 54: The Cost of Corruption
As part of its Big Four Agenda, the Jubilee government aims to focus on the provision of affordable housing units to be bought on mortgage by formally employed Kenyans. In the 2018/2019 budget, affordable housing received a provision KES 6.5 billion. By 2022, the government aims to have constructed 500,000 affordable housing units, with four types being available. The housing projects have been divided into five lots, with one lot covered in each financial year. Each lot is then broken down into flagship projects, flagship social housing projects, counties and towns and Nairobi County projects.
We're joined by Njeri Cerere, a Planning, Development and Environmental Consultant, and the co-convenor of Naipolitans, to discuss a roadmap to affordable housing in Kenya. Press play!
Resources
Kenya economic update : housing - unavailable and unaffordable
Road To Affordable Housing Agenda, Health For All, Now Clear
State of Housing in Kenya: Will Government Strategy Deliver on Social Housing
How feasible is the Housing component of Kenya’s Big Four Agenda?
The Home Ownership Survey - January 2015
The KPDA Affordable Housing Report, June 2018
The 500, 000 Affordable Housing Program – Project Delivery and Finance Framework, May 2018
Kenya Affordable Housing Programme – Development Framework Guidelines – Release Version, Oct 2018
Housing Policy as an Agenda for Elections 2017
Nairobi 1948 Master Plan “A Plan for a Colonial Capital”
Nairobi Metropolitan Growth Strategy (1973 Plan)
Housing levy with lots of grey areas
How the National Housing Development Fund affects you
NDEMO: Africa’s Poverty Contradictions and Dead Capital
Kenya’s mortgage rate 6 times more than rent compared to S.Africa’s 1:1 ratio
Why the proposed 10pc roof on mortgage is still too high for Kenyan buyers
Number of mortgage accounts declines for first time in decade
Trouble brewing in Kenya’s house loans market
Kenyans shun mortgages, prefer building own homes
Some buildings in Nairobi have not been occupied more than a year after completion.
Episode 62: Tax Justice in Kenya
Episode 70: Financing the Kenyan Government
Episode 72: The Impact of Interest Rate Capping
Episode 77: The Problem With Our Roads
