This past weekend, it was reported that universities had noted a worrying trend of students dying by suicide, with at least 12 cases having been recorded since January. Many more cases go unrecorded, but the causes were depression and other mental illnesses, family problems, intimate relationship problems, examination and fees stress, drug use among others.
We're joined by Anita Awuor, a clinical psychologist, to discuss mental health and well-being in Kenya, and to debunk common myths around mental health. Pres play!
Resources
Kenya Mental Health Policy [2015 - 2030]
Worrying trend of university students committing suicide
Mental health issues trigger suicides among students
Kenya suicide rate hits ten-year high
Health experts warn of mental illness crisis
People with mental illnesses struggle to find treatment
The taboo of mental illness in Kenya
This is how expensive it is to access mental healthcare in Kenya
Providing Sustainable Mental and Neurological Health Care in Ghana and Kenya: Workshop Summary
On November 18th 2018, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board (KMPDB) banned international health organization Marie Stopes from offering any form of abortion services after alleged complaints from the “public” that their radio adverts were promoting abortion. Abortion is a very emotive topic because it cuts across healthcare, sexual intercourse, religion, gender and sexuality, as well as policy. These are the lenses we will use to look not just at abortion, but reproductive healthcare as a whole.
Today, we’re joined by Dr. Stellah Bosire, a physician and human rights activist, to talk about abortion and reproductive healthcare in Kenya. Press play!
Resources
Board orders Marie Stopes to stop offering abortion services
Kenya bans Marie Stopes from offering abortion services
The Reproductive Health Care Bill (2014)
In Harm's Way: The Impact of Kenya's Restrictive Abortion Law
Women’s Lives Matter: Preventing Unsafe Abortion in Kenya
Contraceptive Use among Women of Reproductive Age in Kenya’s City Slums
A System in Crisis from Contraception to Post-Abortion Care
2011 Kenya Urban Reproductive Health Service Delivery Report
Religious Affiliation and Contraceptive use in Kenya
Five facts about birth control in Kenya
New PRI Study Shows Depo-Provera Increases Risk of HIV Infection
Sexuality Education in Kenya: New Evidence from Three Counties
The reality of sexuality: Schools are taking the wrong approach on sex education
Women and The Law: A Spotlight On Recent Kenyan Legislation
The Constitution of Kenya (2010) has multiple provisions that govern representation, but the two-thirds gender principle has been the most difficult to implement. Article 27(8) states that the State shall take legislative and other measures to implement the principle that not more than two-thirds of the members of elective or appointive bodies shall be of the same gender. Article 81(b) states that not more than two-thirds of the members of elective public bodies shall be of the same gender. Article 175(c) also states that no more than two-thirds of the members of representative bodies in each county government shall be of the same gender.
It has been 8 years now since we passed the constitution, but we have yet to enact legislation that enforces these constitutional provisions. Today, we're joined by Marilyn Kamuru, a lawyer, writer and consultant, to talk about how this refusal to enact this principle has put Kenya in a constitutional crisis. Press play!
Resources
Where Women Are: Gender & The 2017 Kenyan Elections
MPs divided over Bill as lobbying steps up
Uhuru urges MPs to pass the two-thirds gender Bill tomorrow
Uhuru, Raila appeal to MPs as gender bill goes to the vote
A Gender Analysis of the 2017 Kenya General Elections
OUR UNLAWFUL LAWMAKERS: Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Gender Principle
Why we cannot change the Constitution without violating it
Flower Girls, Girlfriends and Sexist Discourse: The Politics of the Two-Thirds Gender Bill
The F-word: The Place of Feminism In Contemporary Kenya
Episode 49: Women and Youth in Kenyan Politics
In our first ever live event, we were joined by Joy Ndubai, Kwame Owino and Alex Owino to discuss how public finance and tax justice intersect with our right to food in Kenya.
What is tax justice and public finance, and how do they interact with our access to affordable food? What current circumstances/challenges do we face as a country that make us food insecure? In which ways do the current policy frameworks and systems in Kenya undermine food security and the right to food and how does our public finance system alleviate or contribute to these challenges?
What steps should the Kenyan state take towards achieving the food security and right to food? How can we better use our taxes and craft financial systems/frameworks to make sure that we have adequate food that is accessible and affordable for all? How about citizens? How can we get to know how public money is used, hold our government(s) accountable, and build expectations of service delivery re: clean and safe food? Press play to find out!
In our first ever live event, we were joined by Joy Ndubai, Kwame Owino and Alex Owino to discuss how public finance and tax justice intersect with our right to food in Kenya.
What is tax justice and public finance, and how do they interact with our access to affordable food? What current circumstances/challenges do we face as a country that make us food insecure? In which ways do the current policy frameworks and systems in Kenya undermine food security and the right to food and how does our public finance system alleviate or contribute to these challenges?
What steps should the Kenyan state take towards achieving the food security and right to food? How can we better use our taxes and craft financial systems/frameworks to make sure that we have adequate food that is accessible and affordable for all? How about citizens? How can we get to know how public money is used, hold our government(s) accountable, and build expectations of service delivery re: clean and safe food? Press play to find out!
On Monday, 12th November, 2018, commuters woke up to a matatu "strike" that saw fares rise to almost double (or even triple) what they normally are. The cause of the strike? The government’s declaration that it would once again begin enforcing the “Michuki Rules” commencing that day. Many were left stranded as matatus were pulled off the road to comply with the rules, which had never been revoked in the first place.
This was the government's response to a bus accident at Fort Ternan that claimed 58 lives. Today, we're joined by Constant Cap, an urban planner, to talk about why the lack of road safety in Kenya is actually a planning issue, and what we can do to remedy the situation. Press play!
Resources
10 bodies yet to be claimed after Fort Ternan road accident
Matatus' mad rush to comply with Michuki rules
Michuki Rules: Kenya back to square one
The Organization, Issues and the Future Role of the Matatu Industry in Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi County Non-Motorized Transport Policy
Planning and Road Safety: Opportunities and Barriers
The Influence of Urban Planning on Road Safety
Naipolitans: Facebook, Twitter
Critical Mass: Facebook, Twitter
The Blankets and Wine Festival, a pioneer in the Kenyan live music scene, turned 10 years old on 3rd November 2018. We are joined by its founder, Muthoni Drummer Queen, to talk about its journey, the growth of live music in Kenya and how it has evolved in the past decade, as well as what the future holds for Kenyan music. Press play!
Intellectual Property (IP) is intangible property that arises from the mind/human intellect – it could be anything from inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names and images used in commerce. Legal rights are derived from this intellectual activity in industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields.
There are two main types of IP – industrial property and copyright. We are joined by June Okal,a technology, media and telecommunications lawyer passionate about the law and technology, to discuss intellectual property in Kenya.
Resources
The Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 2017
The Industrial Property Act (2001)
The Movable Property Security Rights Act (2017)
Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO)
Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI)
Intellectual Property Rights in Kenya: Towards a More Effective Dispute Resolution Framework
The Legitimacy of Indigenous Intellectual Property Rights’ claims
KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations kicked off on Monday 22nd October, 2018. 664, 586 students will be taking the exams, which test what they have studied in their four years of secondary education in three to four weeks. This year, the state has undertaken many tyrannical measures to stop exam cheating, including threatening to send parents of children caught cheating to jail.
We're joined by Nyambura Mutanyi, a multi-disciplinary artist who has been active in crafting education policy, to discuss what causes exam cheating, how prevalent it is (less than 1% of candidates are caught cheating), and what we can do to improve the state of examinations and education in general in Kenya. Press play!
Resources
Why Kenyan students are cheating in their exams and what can be done
[2016] New formula crafted to curb exam cheating
[2016] National school candidates among 5,101 KSCE exam cheats
[2016] Report reveals how teachers, students used phones to cheat in KCSE
[2016] Schools calendar overhauled in new war against exam cheating
[2017] Exam cheats to be fined Sh5 million
[2017] Boarding schools to be audited and why many may be closed
30 schools on State watchlist for collecting exam cheating money
Knec names national exam cheating hotspots
Tight security as KCSE exams begin
200 schools targeted in exam cheating probe
Teachers asking for Sh10,000 to buy exams, warns KNEC
Meeting on cheating in exams scheduled
KCSE begins today as Government puts in tough exam measures
Technology Assisted Violence Against Women (TAVAW) comprises acts of gender-based violence that are committed through the use of Information and Communication Technologies(ICTs), such as phones, the Internet, social media platforms, and email. Many questions arise: is online violence really violence? Why is TAVAW such an important issue to address? What are the ways in which women experience technology assisted violence? What are its consequences, and how can we stop it?
We’re joined by Muthoni Maingi, a digital media strategist, to talk about this. Press play!
Resources
Ending Technology-Assisted Violence Against Women in Kenya
#Toxictwitter: Violence and Abuse Against Women Online
Cyber Violence Against Women and Girls: a World-Wide Wake-Up Call
Understanding Technology-Related Violence Against Women: Types of Violence and Women’s Experiences
Technology-Related Violence Against Women – Recent Legislative Trends
In September 2016, Kenya passed the Banking Amendment Act, creating interest rate controls where there were none before. It sets the maximum lending rate at no more than 4% above the Central Bank base rate; and the minimum interest rate granted on a deposit held in interest earning accounts with commercial banks to at least 70% of the same rate.
There has been an ongoing debate in the two years since on whether we should remove these controls because of their perverse effect on our economy. Today, we're joined by Elizabeth Wangechi, the Head of Research at Genghis Capital, to discuss the impact of these controls. Press play!
Resources
The Banking (Amendment) Act 2016
The Impact of Interest Rate Capping on the Kenyan Economy - Full
The Impact of Interest Rate Capping on the Kenyan Economy - Summary
CBK regrets interest rates cap due to negative effects on economy
MPs uphold rate cap law, scrap interest on savings
Kenya currently has two draft Data Protection bills both tabled in 2018. One is a Senate Bill sponsored by senator Gideon Moi, while the other is a National Assembly Bill sponsored by the Ministry of ICT. The right to privacy is a fundamental human right. In Article 31, our constitution says that every person has the right to privacy, which includes the right not to have - their person, home or property searched; their possessions seized; information relating to their family or private affairs unnecessarily required or revealed; or the privacy of their communications infringed.
Today we’re joined by Lucy Mwangi, an ICT lawyer, to discuss the importance of data protection and privacy, the pros and cons of each draft bill, as well as best case practices (such as the GDPR - General Data Protection Regulations) we should aim for in our legislation. Press play!
Resources
Senate Data Protection Bill, 2018
Ministry of ICT Data Protection Bill, 2018
Privacy and Data Protection Policy 2018 – Kenya
General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR
What is GDPR and how will it affect you?
The 2018 Finance Act, one of the most controversial in recent times, was passed into law on 21st September 2018 despite public opposition. Today we're joined by Mokeira Nyagaka, a research analyst at the International Budget Partnership Kenya, to talk about public finance, which is the management of a country’s revenue, expenditure and debt through government institutions.
Do our public finance policies help us achieve growth, stability, equity and efficiency? Are they in line with our constitution? What is a finance bill, and what is its role in public finance? What are the other laws that govern public finance in Kenya, and how do they interact? Is revenue shared equitably between the national government and county governments? What does Kenya's debt position mean for our future? What is the role of the Kenyan public when it comes to public finance? Press play to find out!
Resources
The 2018 budget speech in full
The Public Finance Management Act (2012)
The Budget Policy Statement (BPS), 2018
The Consolidated Fund Services (CFS) Report by the Controller of Budget
Quarterly Economic and Budgetary Review
How Much Should Counties in Kenya Receive in 2018/19?
How Fair are Revenue Sharing Mechanisms in Fighting Intra-County Inequalities in Kenya?
Budget Transparency: Kenyan Perspective
Deliberating Budgets: How Public Deliberation Can Move Us Beyond the Public Participation Rhetoric
The Kenyan Public Finance Management Act 2012 FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) For Citizens
Public Participation Under Kenya’s New Public Financial Management Law and Beyond
Beginning September 1st 2018, 16% VAT was applied on petroleum products, sparking nationwide uproar. This tax on petroleum products was first proposed by the VAT Act (2013) and scheduled to kick in in September 2016. However, in 2016, it was postponed by another 2 years. Before the price increase, petrol was KES 113.73, diesel was KES 102.74 and kerosene was KES 84.95 in Nairobi. After VAT was applied on September 1st, the price of petrol became KES 127.80, diesel KES 115.00 and kerosene KES 97.41.
Kenyans are now paying 44% in taxes per litre of fuel. We're joined by Ramah Nyang, a journalist, to discuss this increase in tax and the effects it will have on Kenyans' lives. Press play!
Resources
Fuel VAT to raise prices by up to Sh17 per litre
Treasury to take Sh57.57 for every litre of petrol sold
Kenyans big losers if fuel prices rise
Tough times ahead as prices of basic goods, services set to rise
Minority Whip Junet Mohamed seeks to delay tax plan on fuel
Uhuru cuts fuel VAT to 8%, State hospitality expenditure
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics: Economic Survey 2018
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics: INFLATION TRENDS 1961-PRESENT
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics: Integrated Household Budget Survey
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics: Consumer Price Indices and Inflation Rates for August 2018
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics: Quarterly Gross Domestic Product Report First Quarter, 2018
In the August 2017 general election, we had 9 women running for Governor, 25 for Senate, 115 for Member of National Assembly (MNA), and 261 for Member of County Assembly (MCA). That was a total of 410 women aspirants, which was even lower than the number in the 2013 election, which was 449. To compare, the total number of candidates for these positions was: 210 for Governor, 1,893 for both MNA and Senate, 11,858 for MCA, and 8 men are running for president. Only 9% of the candidates were women.
Three women made history by becoming Kenya's first female governors, and three others became the first elected female senators (in 2013, all women in the Senate had been nominated). We're joined by Nanjala Nyabola, a writer, humanitarian advocate and political analyst, to talk about women and the 2017 elections, and where women are based on the findings of a book she co-edited: "Where Women Are: Gender & The 2017 Kenyan Elections". Press play!
Resources
Where Women Are: Gender & The 2017 Kenyan Elections
A Gender Analysis of the 2017 Kenya General Elections
Key Gains and Challenges: A Gender Audit of Kenya's 2013 Election Process
Flower Girls, Girlfriends and Sexist Discourse: The Politics of the Two-Thirds Gender Bill
Women Contributions in Parliament
An Overview of the 2017 General Election
Women gear up for elections in Kenya
“They Were Men in Uniform”: Sexual Violence against Women and Girls in Kenya’s 2017 Elections
OUR UNLAWFUL LAWMAKERS: Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Gender Principle
Why we cannot change the Constitution without violating it
Last Week, BBC Africa Eye released a three part series titled Sex and the Sugar Daddy (or Sugar in short) that has driven a lot of conversation about sponsors both online and offline. Today we’re joined by the film-maker behind the series, Nyasha Kadandara, to talk about why she made the series, what she learned, and what she thinks the way forward is. Press play!
Resources
Bridget Achieng: "Baby girl, nothing goes for nothing" - BBC Africa Eye
"If he's asking me to sleep with him, I will" - BBC Africa Eye
"Sometimes, sex ain't wrong at all" - BBC Africa Eye
Sugar dating in Kenya: An investigation of ‘Sponsorship’ among female university students in Nairobi
Image Credit: BBC
The Kenyan Constitution states that every person has the right to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality. This means that the people of Kenya are entitled to food security, which is when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient,, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences.
This week, we are joined by Grace Githiri, an urban planner and Geographical Information Systems expert, to look at food security in Nairobi, where 63 - 70% of the population lives in informal settlements which occupy only 6% of the land in Nairobi. Press play!
Resources
Cha Kula: Serving Thought for Food
Nourishing livelihoods: Recognising and supporting food vendors in Nairobi’s informal settlements
Slum Almanac 2015/2016: Tracking Improvement in the Lives of Slum Dwellers
World Habitat Day 2014 – ‘Voices from Slums’
2017 Situational Analysis: Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Kwa Reuben & Viwandani
Improving Access to Justice and Basic Services: Situational Analysis Report
The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (2017)
The Lake Turkana basin is an over 70,000-square-kilometer region that is home to Lake Turkana, East Africa’s most saline lake, and the largest desert lake in the world. The area is home to pastoral communities like the Turkana, Samburu, El Molo, Rendille, Gabra and Dassanach. It is also a breeding ground for Nile crocodiles, hippopotamuses, and many snakes. On 26th March 2012, Mwai Kibaki announced the discovery of oil in Turkana County by Tullow Oil, a British company. Three wells had been discovered, holding at least 250 million barrels. Since then, more oil has been discovered, and it is estimated hat we have between 600 million - 1 billion barrels.
We're joined by Ikal Angelei, coordinator of Friends of Lake Turkana, to discuss the oil in Turkana as well as the other environmental issues affecting the Lake Turkana area. Press play!
Resources
Early Oil from Turkana – Marginal Benefits/Unacknowledged Costs Report
Kenya Civil Society Platform on Oil & Gas (KCSPOG) Statement: Early Oil Pilot Scheme Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Kenya beats odds to become first EA nation to export oil “When I grew up the land was for the community”: Oil troubles in Turkana Oil discovery in Turkana County, Kenya: A source of conflict or development? Cost of Turkana oil stand-off hits Sh1bn Tullow Oil threatens to shut down Turkana operations in two weeks Leaders reach deal to allow trucking of oil from Turkana Image Credit: Turkana Land
The #Repeal162 movement is a part of a long struggle for the recognition and protection of the rights of the LGBTQI community in Kenya. It consists of 2 ongoing court cases: Eric Gitari v Attorney General & another (Petition no. 150 of 2016) and John Mathenge and 7 others v Attorney General (Petition no. 234 of 2016). These petitions ask the court to declare Section 162 (a) and (c) and section 165 of the Penal Code (Cap 63) as unconstitutional, and therefore inapplicable, in Kenya.
We’re joined by Kari Mugo of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC) to talk about #Repeal162 as well as the human rights environment in Kenya for LGBTQI persons.
In 2017, the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) had its license refuse to be renewed by the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) for failure to submit its audited financial statements and amounts paid in royalties to its members. MCSK is a membership organization that has existed since 1983 (for music authors, publishers, composers, and arrangers), and it is supposed to collect royalties derived from mechanical/reproduction rights, performing rights and synchronization rights and distribute at least 70% to its members. This has not been the case in recent years.
We are joined by Dan Aceda, a musician and director at the Music Publishers Association of Kenya (MPAKE), to discuss how copyright works, the problem with the under-resourcing of KECOBO, the rot at MCSK, the failure to pay musicians their royalties, and the way forward for musicians and lovers of their work. Press play!
This week, we explore tax justice, which looks at the intersection between taxation, inequality and human rights. Why do we pay taxes? We have a social contract with the state. We give up some freedoms to it, and in return we receive security, healthcare, education, infrastructure and other services that enable us to become a functional and prosperous society. To invest in these social programs and in public property, which enables our goal, the government needs steady/sustainable financing from taxes. Taxes are also used to re-distribute money that is concentrated in the upper classes to the middle and lower classes. They help us run an effective government, which is why it matters how much money is collected, how it is collected, and how it is used.
Do taxes perform their functions in Kenya? What exactly is tax justice, and why is the conversation around it important in Kenya today? Is Kenya’s tax regime going to pull us out of poverty or keep us there? Why is it that Kenya can’t raise enough revenue from taxation? How can we go about stopping tax dodging to ensure we’re not robbing the poor? Should we have a tax strike? We're joined by Joy Ndubai, a tax justice advocate, to answer all these questions. Press play!
7th July in Kenya is Saba Saba Day, a historic day on which Kenyans protested successfully for multiparty democracy in 1990, with many losing their lives and getting beaten and tortured by the police. This year, there was the Saba Saba March for Our Lives, organized by the Social Justice Centres Working Group, which consists groups from Mathare, Dandora, Kayole, Mukuru, Kibra, Kamukunji and Githurai. The demand? An end to extrajudicial killings, investigations into the ones that have occurred, and most importantly, justice. We're joined by Wangui Kimari, Urban Anthropologist and Participatory Action Research Coordinator, Mathare Social Justice Centre, to discuss this. Press play!
This episode is dedicated to everyone who lives and loves in Nairobi, as well as everyone who’s been in the city. We’re joined by Mutheu Mbondo, one of the organizers of Nai Ni Who?, a festival which explores of Nairobi, celebrating the good, the bad & the possibilities. This year, the festival is from July 3rd to August 8th, and the neighbourhoods include the Jua Kali area and Burma Market, which are both in Kamukunji; Kibra, Eastleigh, Mukuru and Huruma; there are inter-neighbourhood games in Lang’ata, a crafts tour as well as a game tour in Karen; a city parade in the Nairobi Central Business District, as well as walking tours of Kenyatta Avenue and River Road.
What is the motivation for the festival? What informs the selection of the places the tour will take place? Why these areas/neighbourhoods and not others? Why a walking tour? What unique flavour do they add to Nairobi? Press play to find out!
Rafiki, a film by Wanuri Kahiu, is a story about two young women who fall in love, despite their families being on opposing sides of the Kenyan political divide. It is adapted from the 2007 Caine Prize-winning short story, Jambula Tree, by Ugandan writer Monica Arac de Nyeko. On 12th April 2018, it was announced that it would debut at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard category in May 2018. This made it the first Kenyan feature film to achieve this feat.
On 27th April 2018, the head of Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB), Ezekiel Mutua, announced that the film had been banned from screening and distribution in Kenya because of “its homosexual theme and clear intent to promote lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law.” We are joined by Wanuri Kahiu to discuss the film, the story it tells, and what it mean whens stories that are made primarily for a Kenyan audience are denied this audience. Press play!
On 16th May 2018, Uhuru Kenyatta signed into law the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, despite critiques from multiple parties, including the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE), Article 19, and the Kenyan Union of Journalists, among others. As a result, BAKE moved to court to challenge this law, and 26 out of 46 sections were suspended, and this was upheld earlier this week until a later hearing in October 2018.
While some people think it does the important work of protecting our country against cybercrime and protecting the digital economy, others rightfully believe it is an attack on internet freedoms, constitutional rights to privacy, freedom of expression and to access information. We are joined by Grace Mutungu, a lawyer and associate at KICTANET, to discuss the Act. Press play!
Resources
The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (2017)
Kenya: Computer and Cybercrimes Bill 2017
Kenya: Passage of flawed Computer and Cybercrimes Act threatens free expression
Kenya’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Bill Signed into Law
Review on the New Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act – Kenya
The Computer and Cybercrimes Bill of 2017
New cybercrime law ‘is not too bad’, says CS Mucheru
Cybercrime law changes too harsh, lobbies say
High Court suspends portions of cybercrime law
Privacy, security and legality are not the only serious problems with Aadhaar. Here are four more
Aadhaar Isn't Just About Privacy. There Are 30 Challenges the Govt Is Facing in Supreme Court
The odd reality of life under China's all-seeing credit score system