The rise in the appetite of Kenyan women for politics is one that cannot be easily wished away. Victor Ndede, 21, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Eldoret, Kenya explains why women are strongly coming up for elective positions in Kenya. The African culture has since time in antiquity generally relegated the position of women in the …

“A paradigm shift: Kenyan women in politics” Read More »

Kenya’s proposal for education reform is an important opportunity, writes Sunday Memba, 21, a Correspondent from Matete in Kenya, who argues that all sectors of society have a role in shaping the outcome. The  revelation of massive examination malpractices that marred previous Kenyan national examinations (except last year) is an indictment on society. Be that …

“Education reform: don’t miss the opportunity” Read More »

Women in the workforce can prepare to prove themselves and set their careers a notch higher, writes Judith Akoth, 25, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Kisumu in Kenya. She has tips for those who want to change jobs, set up a business, win employee of the year award, or take a rightful place in the coveted …

“Tips on closing the boardroom gender gap” Read More »

Kenya’s National Health Service is in a tumultuous period. As Aisha Anne Habiba, 27, a Correspondent from Mombasa in Kenya explains, a weeks-old standoff between the government and doctors has brought the public healthcare system to an almost complete standstill. The strike is the second longest in Kenya’s history; the longest was in 1994 and …

“An ailing nation hurts during doctor strike” Read More »

Youth form a majority among potential voters in Kenya’s upcoming election, writes Brian Dan Migowe, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Kenya, but have a reputation for not voting. Here, he looks at possible reasons and repercussions related to the missed opportunity. So why don’t young people vote? There are plenty of millennials who are completely oblivious about …

“Voting is the pathway to political rights” Read More »

Seven years after the promulgation of a new, all-inclusive Constitution in 2010, Kenyan women’s journey to full institutional and de jure equality remains a daunting mission, writes Aisha Anne Habiba, 27, a Correspondent from Mombasa in Kenya, as she looks at what she describes as the convoluted quagmire of gender equality. Women still have little …

“Two-thirds rule and yet no gender equity” Read More »

The media plays an instrumental role in any democracy, and as such the freedom of the media is perhaps one of the most visible indicators of a functioning democracy, writes Victor Ndede, 21, a Correspondent from Eldoret, Kenya, as he examines the fundamental role of the media in the electoral process. One of the greatest …

“Media’s role in an electioneering period” Read More »

Kenya is heading to general elections in August of this year, but Eric Omwanda, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Nairobi in Kenya, argues there is little for citizens to celebrate if an electioneering period is still bound to traditional lines. He suggests empowerment strategies for change. It has been a tradition for the electorate of Kenya …

“Strategies for electioneering year in Kenya” Read More »

It has been a long struggle to give women a voice, writes Judith Akoth, 25, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Kisumu in Kenya. Although it has been an uphill journey to ensure that women enjoy equal opportunities in leadership, education and income, she questions the concept and results of legislation aimed at electing women. In all these …

“Women can earn elected leadership by merit” Read More »

Four years ago the Mathare Festival started with the goal of promoting peace and preventing election-related violence. Eric Omwanda, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Nairobi in Kenya, was instrumental in that successful effort and reports what happened next. Immediately after the Mathare Festival, one of my friends asked me, and I quote, “Now after Mathare Festival, …

“Impossible to make a change? Not!” Read More »