Wednesday’s celebration of one of the nation’s most important teenagers, the Constitution of Kenya (2010), was remarkable. 2024 saw one of the fiercest battles for constitutionalism yet. A renewed focus on the cancer of corruption in all public spaces accompanied this week’s celebrations. Looking past the current Parliament and Executive shouting match, it may be the Gen Z spirit that offers us a new governance culture that is a match for our constitutional values.

As we mark the third anniversary of the 2022 General Elections today, Kenya’s governance occurs as fragile and rudderless. Navigating the current turbulence will require new state systems to listen and interact with public concerns. A new opportunity has emerged in the Public Participation Bill (2025) currently before the National Assembly.

With close to 1,500 people facing charges of terrorism, murder, robbery with violence, sexual assault and malicious damage, you would be forgiven for thinking Kenya is at war with itself. The last two weeks have seen a shift in police focus from public order and crime to the unprecedented use of anti-terror laws to suppress civil protests. What are the implications of looking at protests, demonstrations and public order through the lens of counter-terrorism?

Post Saba Saba day, allegations of an attempted coup, calls for police to shoot or maim looters, and mass arrests have raised serious concerns about the government's response to public dissent. How can the current tension be de-escalated?

By tabling the Public Order (Amendment) Bill 2025, ODM Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has stirred another national beehive. Critics argue the bill curtails the right to assembly and youth are now threatening to salamia her and MPs who support it. With fresh protests planned for Saba Saba Day on Monday, 7 July, what are the bill’s merits and drawbacks?

Tuesday’s street anarchy in Nairobi had me scrambling for dusty copies of the Commission on Inquiry, Ransley and Kriegler reports on 2007/2008 Post Election Violence. Within 72 hours, key figures accused of coordinating the mayhem had criticised the violence, some instigators had apologised, and several national and international voices had condemned the six hours of carnage. What happened to rapidly de-escalate the situation?

Despite the Kenyan Government’s silence, the detailed accounts of East African human rights defenders Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire at the hands of Tanzanian police officers remains deeply disturbing one week on. Their courage to tell all has opened the world’s eyes to some of the worst human rights abuses in East Africa. The veil lifted, this week international attention shifted to the persecution of prominent religious leaders who have dared to criticize the Governme

World Press Freedom Day and the Media Council Annual Summit this week highlighted the resilience of Kenya's fourth estate. The publication of a new media code of conduct is timely, given the regular criticism and the current challenges the industry faces.

What can we learn from the 2024 youth led mass protests that significantly challenged state legitimacy in Bangladesh, Nigeria and Kenya?

Convened to demand the release of Dr. Kizza Besigye and all Ugandans unlawfully detained for holding a political conscience, Monday's...

Roseline Odede's life and legacy remind us that only those who have yet to cause a victory for humanity should fear death.

Does the mass deregistration of PBOs signal the start of another season of conflict between civil society and the state?