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!