We Kenyans need to stop scapegoating Somali refugees. You know the phrase “blaming the victim”? It’s often used when rape victims are blamed for wearing “revealing” clothes, being out late at night, meeting the wrong people, partaking in alcohol, etc. Here’s another. Somali refugees fled the terrorist group Al-Shabaab and sought refuge in our country.…
It hit me in the airport toilet that the lady cleaning the toilets probably never gets to fly out of the country. Neither, probably, does the security guard. Yet here I am on my way to fly to Ethiopia. I am a product of an extremely unequal society. My British accent jars me into realization…
The scorching sun beats down as I trek across the hot, dry sand. Streams of sweat snake down my back and I fan myself to cool my complaining body. Looking around, I see scattered thorn trees and dry grass clumps peppering the landscape. To my left is a manyatta (family compound) with grass huts and…
She was a prostitute. Famous on the streets of Naivasha at night. To me, she is a true hero. Why did she ‘choose’ such a risky lifestyle? Abandoned by the man who impregnated her, without a solid education, but with 4 young children dependent on her, she had no choice if her children were to…
Over the last 15 hours, I watched a play and a TEDx talk that have gotten me fearful, joyous, and deeply thoughtful. I think of myself as an idealist, a social activist, a leftist, one who dreams of a just an equal society but is still trying to figure out how to make that dream…
Democracy. What most states these days strive for. It is supposed to mean political equality of citizens and majority rule. How can this work in an individualistic culture where each is concerned with self-advancement, with a lack of regard for the greater good? And how can one even participate in an informed manner if basic…
1 elephant killed every 15 minutes. 10 years to extinction, at this rate. Last Saturday, 4th October 2014, was a powerful day when people across the world marched for our beloved elephants and rhinos. I joined the march here in Nairobi. What an empowering day! Here’s the trailer for White Gold, a documentary about the ivory trade.…
The world’s largest desert lake lies in north-western Kenya. This World Heritage site is a breeding ground for Nile crocodiles, hippos, and various snakes, and part of migratory birds routes. The beautiful “Jade Sea” is 249 km long and has a surface area of 7 million ha. [^1] Sites around the lake have yielded important…
They scream. We hear not. They cry. We listen not. They demand equality. We ignore. People in the Margins deserve as much as those in the centre. They have much to teach as well as learn; their voices must be heard, their stories told. Only then can actors of various backgrounds come together to redraw…