Author: Rasna Warah
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Debunk Speaks To Kevin Mwachiro
KEVIN MWACHIRO is a Kenyan writer, podcaster, journalist, and queer activist. He has authored Invisible – Stories from Kenya’s Queer Community and was part of the editorial team for Boldly Queer – African Perspectives on Same-sex Sexuality and Gender Diversity. Kevin’s most recent work of fiction is the short story Number Sita, published in the…
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Debunk Speaks To Lucia Ayiela
LUCIA AYIELA is a digital activist who advocates for social justice, public accountability and the rule of law. She is the Executive Director of The Umma Action, a youth-led and youth-focused organisation seeking to boldly and imaginatively catalyse civic agency and leadership among young people. She is also the Secretary-General of the Ukweli Party. Lucia…
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Was Saba Saba 2023 A Turning Point In Kenyan Politics?
One of the most significant aspects of the Saba Saba protests this month was that for the first time since the pro-democracy protests of the 1990s, Kenyans were rallying around issues rather than personalities or ethnic groups, in this case, punitive taxes and the commensurate rise in the cost of living. This demonstrates that Kenyans…
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Finance Act 2023 Reminiscent of Colonialists’ Hut Tax
A survey by Twaweza and the Centre for Fiscal Affairs shows that three-quarters of Kenyans were completely opposed to the Finance Bill 2023, which has now been passed into a law and is being challenged in court. Less than 2% of the 25,966 Kenyans who participated in the survey supported the Bill, while more than…
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Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Law Is Un-African
Uganda has just passed one of the harshest anti-homosexuality laws in the world. Individuals engaged in same-sex sexual relations could face life imprisonment, while anyone who “knowingly promotes homosexuality” could be sentenced to up to 20 years in jail. Even organisations working with the LGBTQ+ community could face a ten-year ban. This puts at risk…
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Debunk Speaks To Mutemi wa Kiama
MUTEMI WA KIAMA is a prominent activist who uses social media and his foundation to advocate for the rights of those who are barely seen or heard in Kenya. His tweets have often landed him in trouble with the authorities but he continues with his relentless fight for human rights and social justice. He has…
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Has Kenya Surrendered Its Economic Sovereignty to the IMF?
It is now clear that the promises made by Kenya Kwanza leaders to bring down the cost of living were just hot air, and that they had no intention to fulfil their election pledges because they and their economic advisers knew very well that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would be imposing stringent austerity measures,…
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Debunk Speaks To Wanjira Wanjiru
WANJIRA WANJIRU is a grassroots activist who co-founded the Mathare Social Justice Centre and the Matigari Youth Book Club. She is a BA student at the University of Nairobi and co-host of the Liberating Minds podcast on YouTube and SoundCloud. Wanjira was nominated as human rights defender of the year in 2020 for raising awareness…
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Why Proposed Housing Fund Needs To Be Scrapped
It is mind-boggling that the Kenya Kwanza government believes it can get away with raiding Kenyans’ salaries through the proposed Housing Fund, which will see salaried employees part with as much as KSh 5,000 a month (with the matching amount paid by their employers) to contribute to a fund that may or may not benefit…
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Mukami Kimathi’s Death Shouldn’t Stop Search for Kimathi’s Grave
It is tragic that Mukami Kimathi, Dedan Kimathi’s widow, died last week aged 96 without knowing her husband’s grave. For the last 66 years of her life, Mukami longed to give her husband a decent burial, a wish that she couldn’t fulfil because the freedom fighter’s rumoured burial site at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison remains…