On 20th January 2019, we found out that while we were busy enjoying our holidays, Uhuru Kenyatta was busy passing new laws, and changes to old ones through a Miscellaneous Amendment Act. One of the most controversial amendments was the one to the Registration of Persons Act, which added new requirements for both location data (such as GPS coordinates) and biometric data (such as DNA). This comes up after the attack on 14 Riverside, and it is said that it’s for crime fighting purposes, especially...
Jan 24, 2019•47 min
In the aftermath of the attack on 14th Riverside on 15th January 2019, many citizens asked how they could help ease the situation, as well as assist the victims of the disaster. Today we’re joined by Naomi Mutua , a digital PR specialist and a citizen responder who has been at the front-lines of organizing responses to crises, to discuss this. Press play! Resources Disaster Preparedness Disaster Preparedness Plan How to prepare for emergencies Community Preparedness and Risk Reduction Institutio...
Jan 17, 2019•23 min
The Constitution of Kenya (2010) in Article 8 states that there shall be no state religion. Yet, our national anthem, one of our national symbols (listed in Article 9), begins with “Eh Mungu Nguvu Yetu,” or “Oh God of all creation.” The preamble to the constitution states that “We, the people of Kenya – Acknowledging the supremacy of the Almighty God of all creation honour..." We’re joined by Elizabeth Kabari, an advocate of the High Court and consultant, to talk about separation of church and s...
Jan 10, 2019•42 min
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 me...
Dec 13, 2018•23 min
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 healthca...
Dec 06, 2018•45 min
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. Arti...
Nov 29, 2018•47 min
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 pu...
Nov 22, 2018•50 min
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 pu...
Nov 22, 2018•1 hr 11 min
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...
Nov 15, 2018•41 min
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! Image Credit: Blankets and Wine...
Nov 08, 2018•43 min
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 a...
Nov 01, 2018•47 min
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...
Oct 25, 2018•1 hr 3 min
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 ...
Oct 18, 2018•36 min
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. Toda...
Oct 11, 2018•42 min
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 u...
Oct 04, 2018•45 min
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 constitut...
Sep 27, 2018•1 hr 3 min
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....
Sep 20, 2018•49 min
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. ...
Sep 13, 2018•1 hr 11 min
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 Sex and the Sugar Daddy Bridget Achieng: "Baby girl, nothing goes for nothing" - BBC Africa Eye "If he's asking me to sleep...
Sep 06, 2018•52 min
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...
Aug 30, 2018•50 min
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 disc...
Aug 23, 2018•45 min
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 joi...
Aug 15, 2018•36 min
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 le...
Aug 09, 2018•47 min
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...
Aug 02, 2018•1 hr 19 min
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, ...
Jul 26, 2018•50 min
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 gam...
Jul 19, 2018•45 min
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 he...
Jul 12, 2018•30 min
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 ag...
Jul 05, 2018•37 min
Between October 2017 and January 2018, many Kenyans came online to complain about electricity bills that were double, and in some cases triple, what they normally pay. These were, in essence, backdated electricity bills intended to recover KES 10.1 billion in fuel costs that Kenya Power had included in their financial statements for the year ending June 30 2017 with the intent to recover from consumers. As a result, Apollo Mboya and the Electricity Consumers Society of Kenya moved to court to st...
Jun 28, 2018•50 min
Between May 2017 and June 2018, 47 Ugandan women have been found brutally murdered; having been kidnapped and sexually assaulted or raped. Only three suspects have been arrested in relation to these kidnappings and murders, and none of them has been convicted or jailed. The investigations have been slow, and as a result, Ugandan women have decided to protest against the slow response by the police on the 30th of June 2018. Today, we're joined by Godiva Akullo , Deputy Director of Chapter Four Ug...
Jun 21, 2018•31 min
