The Kenyanist

How Should We Think About Kenya's Future?

Scenario planning is a concept that helps us to make predictions about the future. It is often used in corporate strategy to analyse key factors that may impact and influ

The History of Social Protection in Kenya

The aim of social protection policies is to protect the social wellbeing of people. Thistakes many forms including cash transfer programs to vulnerable groups, universal

Land disputes in Gusiiland: Witchcraft Accusations and violence against Elderly Women

In traditionally patriarchal societies, land ownership becomes a big cause of conflict especially when women hold the rights to ownership. In the recent past, Kenya has

Kenya's Slow Move from Food Aid to Food Security

Food security is an issue that Kenya continues to struggle with. Kenya is often ranked poorly in food security, primarily due to the cost of this food. This in spite of a

How Do We Change Kenya Into A Better Place?

Sparked by the punitive Finance Bill and need for better governance, Kenya has been facing nation-wide protests since mid-June led by the Gen Z and youth in the country d

Taking Stock of the EAC: Leadership, Competition and Security

Somalia was recently formally admitted into the East African Community, a regional bloc with aspirations for deeper economic and political union. Somalia joins a more exp

A New Middle Class in Kenya: Faking It to Make It

Most Kenyan youths live under the gloom of economic uncertainty which leads to hopelessness. This has been against a backdrop of multiple interventions from the governmen

Dispossession and voluntarism: The dynamics of Community Health Work in Kenya

In a past episode of the Kenyanist, we talked about reforming the NHIF, which the government has recently undertaken to improve healthcare delivery. We also heard about h

Fuzzy arithmetic: Kenya’s 42+ ethnic groups

For many Kenyans, being part of an ethnic group is an important mark of their identity. It symbolizes belonging, and access to resources. The question of which ethnic gro

The State of Athletics in Kenya

Kenya is renowned for producing world star athletes such as Eliud Kipchoge, a marathon legend, Faith Kipyegon, a top middle-distance runner, and the promising sprinter Fe

The Politics of Kenya’s Cost of Living Crisis

In this episode, Dr. Ken Opalo, a Georgetown University Professor provides a comprehensive analysis of Kenya's cost-of-living crisis. We unpack the underlying factors, as

A perspective on Political protests in Kenya

Kenya's political history is marked by protests. We can trace the history of protests to colonial times. In this episode, we are joined by Dr Westen Shihalo, a senior res

Pursuit of dignified work by Kenyan domestic workers

Domestic work in Kenya, as well as in other parts of the world, is frequently characterized by low wages and a lack of recognition. Nevertheless, domestic workers have co

Kenyan Hip-hop and the Covid-19 Pandemic

The world is re-emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are only now beginning to understand the full impact of the crisis. In Kenya, we need to take this opportunity

Food Culture in Kenya's Coastal Region

Kenya’s food culture is dynamic and evolving, based on both local and foreign influences. On the local front, we know that different cultural groups in Kenya have their o

Street-vending in Kenya

In this episode, we seek to understand the political economy of street vending in Kenya, by speaking to Nathan Kariuki, a PhD student at the Centre for African Studies, i

Reforming the NHIF

In The Kenyanist today, we are joined by John Kinuthia, a Senior Program Officer at the International Budget Partnership who has recently, together with his colleagues, p

Tracing Kenya's Artefacts abroad

In this episode of The Kenyanist, we aim to broaden and deepen our understanding of the lost Kenyan artefacts, by talking to the incredible Jim Chuchu, a Kenyan artist wh

Understanding Kenya's competence based curriculum (CBC)

In the first episode of The Kenyanist’s second season, Kamau Wairuri speaks to Dr Beatrice Akala, an educationist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Jo

Meet The Host

For this International Podcast Day special episode, our new producer Tevin Sudi has a conversation with our executive director and host, Kamau Wairuri, for our listeners