Kenya faces dilemma on online ban for minors

Australia has implemented a world-first law banning under-16s from major social media platforms with stiff penalties for companies that fail to comply and the UK is preparing similar restrictions

By Wanja Maina 1 month ago

Ebola and politics of trust in healthcare system

Kenya's proposed Ebola facility has sparked debate on devolution, rights, and health priorities amid concerns over governance, trust, and system preparedness.

By Wanja Maina 2 months ago

Gender rule a legal promise trapped in politics

Kenya's challenge is not the absence of constitutional clarity, but the absence of mechanisms to convert constitutional intent into political compliance.

By Wanja Maina 2 months ago

Open letter to Aden Duale: Mental health is Kenya's silent emergency

Mental health remains one of the most underfunded areas, while the treatment gap remains as high as 75 per cent, meaning most people who need care never receive it.

By Wanja Maina 2 months ago

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Should Kenya rethink winner-takes all system?

Kenya's 2027 General Election is already shaping up to be another high-stakes political contest.

By Wanja Maina 2 months ago

Address financial abuse against women in Kenya

This hidden form of GBV often begins before physical violence, gradually eroding a woman's independence, self-confidence, and ability to make decisions.

By Wanja Maina 3 months ago

Why France cannot ignore the reparations issue

"Sometimes going back is moving forward." That Ghanaian proverb captures the tension that hung over the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi.

By Wanja Maina 3 months ago

GLP-1 medicines and obesity debate in Kenya

The WHO describes obesity as a chronic disease requiring long-term, structured care.

By Wanja Maina 3 months ago

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Nairobi has no dog in US-Israel attacks on Iran

The war between Tehran, Washington, and Tel Aviv has escalated sharply in 2026

By Wanja Maina 3 months ago

Passing the baton: Future of women in politics

In Kenyan politics, young women often bring energy and vision to the race, yet without guidance, that energy can be misdirected.

By Wanja Maina 5 months ago

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A 'good' dictator is appealing but cost is too high

Kenya faces a real temptation. Democracy can be slow and messy, while obedience appears faster. But democratic institutions prevent abuse and correct mistakes.

By Wanja Maina 6 months ago

Anatomy of Kenyan voter and sower's parable

What if the success of our democracy depended as much on voters as on leaders?

By Wanja Maina 6 months ago

Why democracy can't survive without strong parties

One major obstacle to party institutionalisation is personalisation of politics.

By Wanja Maina 6 months ago

Letter to Ruto on Grade 10 learners with disabilities

The current Grade 10 placement exercise is revealing concerning patterns for learners with disabilities.

By Wanja Maina 6 months ago

Nairobi belongs to everyone; the low and mighty

Every morning, millions of Nairobians take to the streets to make a living, only to be chased, humiliated, or evicted by the very city that should protect them.

By Wanja Maina 7 months ago

Placement chaos threatens education promise

Anxiety, stress, and feelings of helplessness are widespread, particularly among students placed far from home, in schools that cannot support their chosen pathways.

By Wanja Maina 7 months ago

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Festive handouts and cost of transactional politics

Is it the officials' personal money or public funds? If it is government money, how was it budgeted, and why is it being used this way instead of through formal social welfare programmes?

By Wanja Maina 7 months ago

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Why visiting orphanages now may be harmful

Even when children appear happy during visits, the repeated cycle of bonding and loss leaves lasting emotional scars.

By Wanja Maina 7 months ago

Africa cannot achieve peace without women

Women remain largely absent from peace negotiations, excluded from political decision-making, and chronically underfunded in conflict zones.

By Wanja Maina 8 months ago

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My experience at SA's G20 Women's shutdown

It was a remarkable diplomatic snub, unprecedented in recent G20 history, and it intensified the already charged political atmosphere.

By Wanja Maina 8 months ago

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What our aspirants can learn from Mamdani

Zohran Mamdani corrected Andrew Cuomo for mispronouncing his name, saying, "The name is Mamdani. M.A.M.D.A.N.I."

By Wanja Maina 8 months ago

No Kenyan should die outside a hospital gate

In Kenya, if someone dies in a hospital, the remains can be detained until bills are paid, even though multiple court rulings have condemned this.

By Wanja Maina 8 months ago

Why our teenagers should join political parties

By locking out teenagers, Kenya denies them a chance to engage with national politics at the very stage when they are forming their civic identities.

By Wanja Maina 9 months ago

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Why only coalitions will define Kenya post 2027

This ambiguity captures the essence of Kenya's coalition politics as the country edges toward the 2027 general election.

By Wanja Maina 9 months ago

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Raila's farewell was Kenya's story told variously

Media coverage captured Kenya at its most united. This was not just Baba's story, it was Kenya's story told through many lenses.

By Wanja Maina 9 months ago

Our peculiar negotiated democracy kills choice

Negotiated democracy narrows political space. It locks out new entrants, it entrenches elite control, turning elections into rituals of endorsement rather than exercises of choice.

By Wanja Maina 10 months ago

Parties must address intergenerational tensions

To build a truly inclusive democracy, we should consider allowing those under 18 to join political parties. This would deepen civic engagement and nurture leadership skills early.

By Wanja Maina 10 months ago

How Artificial Intelligence could shape 2027 polls

As Kenya approaches its pivotal 2027 General Election, Artificial Intelligence is poised to play a transformative role in the democratic process for better or worse.

By Wanja Maina 10 months ago

Lessons for Nairobi in Lilongwe elections drama

In Malawi, optimism has given way to disillusionment and a failing economy.

By Wanja Maina 10 months ago

Bunge la Mwananchi is new face of democracy

The rise of the citizen parliament is a direct response to a crisis of legitimacy facing modern representative democracy.

By Wanja Maina 11 months ago

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Uniforms are just the start: Why Kenya's police service still fails its women

As post-colonial theory reminds us that the police was a colonial institution designed for violence and coercion, not public service.

By Wanja Maina 11 months ago

Men's role in achieving two-thirds gender rule

If Kenya is to fulfill its constitutional promise, male leaders must step up not as gatekeepers but as genuine allies in gender justice.

By Wanja Maina 11 months ago

Gen Zs must join political parties ahead of 2027

Gen Z protests forced the withdrawal of a punitive Finance Bill. But a protest is not a political strategy. For the energy to be more than a fleeting moment, it must be institutionalised.

By Wanja Maina 11 months ago

The scramble for Gen Z vote is a sign of panic

The political class has a deep-seated fear of an organised, disillusioned youth that could upend the old order.

By Wanja Maina 11 months ago

Why Kenyan youth are tired of political gaslighting

The government's mindset seems to demand unquestioning blind respect from the youth without reciprocity.

By Wanja Maina 1 year ago

Dear Mr Ethekon: An open letter to new IEBC chair, commissioners

A public perception survey today would likely reveal that Kenyans perceive the IEBC negatively, viewing it as weak and vulnerable to political interference.

By Wanja Maina 1 year ago

Third liberation lies in actualisation of Article 43

The Kenyan Gen Z set the stage for the Third Liberation when they protested against the tax-laden Finance Bill.

By Wanja Maina 1 year ago

Why it should concern all of us that Kenya is heading to a digital apartheid

Kenya is learning the digital bad manners pretty fast from our neighbours in Tanzania and Uganda and internationally to implement a digital apartheid upon us.

By Wanja Maina 1 year ago

Goon Zs, gangs and goons should be reminded war is not porridge to be enjoyed and easily digested

Some of the goons are now whistle-blowing, but not because they feel bad about their looting, but because they were not paid

By Wanja Maina 1 year ago