insert_link Africa Kenya unrest: Ruto awakened class politics that now threatens to engulf him By Peter Lockwood, University of Manchester Many of the grievances of Kenya’s Gen-Z, young people who took to the streets in late June, have been palpable for years. I witnessed these during field research as a social anthropologist studying land, livelihoods, urbanisation and electoral politics in Kiambu County, which borders Nairobi to the north and west. I spent nearly two years there between 2017 […] todayJuly 4, 2024 11
insert_link Africa Kenyan Activists Rethink Strategy Amid Violence in Anti-Government Protests Activists leading Kenya's anti-government protests are re-evaluating their approach after Tuesday's demonstrations were disrupted by violence and looting, which they fear could undermine their efforts to push President William Ruto to resign as reported by Reuters. The activists attribute the violence to "goons" allegedly hired by politicians to discredit the protests or pursue personal agendas. Some activists have called on social media to cancel the next planned demonstration on Thursday. todayJuly 4, 2024 4
insert_link Africa Kenya police say over 270 arrested for criminal acts during Tuesday protests Kenyan police said they have arrested more than 270 people masquerading as protesters who are suspected of going on a criminal rampage during anti-government rallies on Tuesday. Widespread looting and property damage was reported during the youth-led demonstrations in various cities across the country, which some protesters said had been infiltrated by "goons". "Security forces across the country singled out suspects found engaging in criminal activities in […] todayJuly 3, 2024 10
insert_link Science & Technology Rise of digital activism in Africa as smartphone adoption surges By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency From just making calls, to taking pictures and light browsing, to engaging in e-commerce transactions to, recently, engaging in digital activism, the way Africans are engaging with their smartphones is fast evolving. This is happening against the backdrop of a surge in smartphone usage across the continent, according to three recent reports. Three different reports show that […] todayJuly 3, 2024 13
insert_link Africa Kenya protests: Ruto pulling the finance bill is unlikely to satisfy angry young protesters – here’s why By Kathleen Klaus, Uppsala University In a move that shocked observers, Kenya’s President William Ruto announced on 26 June he was withdrawing his government’s highly controversial finance bill. This followed two days in which tens of thousands of mostly young protesters took to the streets in nationwide rallies against the proposals contained in the country’s 2024 budget. Kathleen Klaus, who has studied […] todayJune 27, 2024 25
insert_link Africa Kenya state-backed rights body says 22 killed in Tuesday protests Twenty-two people were killed in Tuesday's protests in Kenya, a state-funded rights organisation said, vowing an investigation into what it described as "the largest number of deaths (in) a single day protest." "We have recorded 22 deaths... we are going to launch an inquiry," said Roseline Odede, chairwoman of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, adding that 19 people had died in the capital Nairobi, where […] todayJune 26, 2024 8
insert_link Africa Kenyan police and protests: researchers on a violent, corrupt security force that’s beyond reform By Moina Spooner, The Conversation Kenya’s police are being criticised for their violent response to protests over the past week against government proposals to raise US$2.7 billion in additional taxes. Hundreds of thousands of people, across 35 of Kenya’s 37 counties, have poured out onto the streets in opposition to the tax hikes. The police have reacted with force, using live bullets and […] todayJune 26, 2024 10
insert_link Africa What’s next after Kenya’s deadly protests? By Rose TROUP BUCHANAN, Simon VALMARY After an unprecedented day of chaos and deadly violence, Kenya finds itself plunged into uncertainty on Wednesday, with lawmakers due to vote this week on deeply unpopular tax hikes that have sparked widespread protests. How did East Africa's economic powerhouse get to this point and what happens now? Tuesday's national strike against proposed tax hikes began peacefully, with […] todayJune 26, 2024 7
insert_link Africa ‘Shaken to the core’: Kenya shocked as protests turn deadly By Dylan GAMBA, Rose TROUP BUCHANAN Kenya was in a state of shock Wednesday following unprecedented scenes that left parts of parliament ablaze and gutted, as protests over proposed tax hikes turned deadly, prompting President William Ruto's government to deploy the military. "Deaths, mayhem", read the front-page headline on the Standard newspaper, while the Daily Nation described the situation as "Pandemonium", saying: "The […] todayJune 26, 2024 6
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
