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Otherwise?

Otherwise is a weekly show that explores Kenyan current affairs issues as chosen by you. Visit our site at www.otherwisepodcast.com
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Now displaying: April, 2019
Apr 18, 2019

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

Apr 11, 2019

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

Apr 4, 2019

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

Media Manipulation and Disinformation Online

Image credit: VOA News

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