Dear newsletter subscriber,
I’m in a number of Kenyan WhatsApp groups. They are an important element of social organisation for sports clubs, women’s groups, office teams and neighbourhood networks, as well as for raising money to pay for weddings, funerals or stays in hospital.
In recent weeks, however, just about every new message sent via any of these groups has unleashed fear because people have been sharing almost nothing but horrific reports about the wave of protests that has been sweeping across the country for the second year running. At the height of the demonstrations six weeks ago, I was getting videos virtually every day showing people covered in blood who were being dragged away or chased through the streets by armed police. Some were already in hospital with injuries. Usually, you’d get a message straight afterwards telling you to delete the images immediately for your own safety, in case you were caught with them by the police.
Meanwhile, as was the case this time last year, calm has returned to the country. This could hardly be more deceptive. Numerous young people have been arrested, including some highly prominent activists. Kenya seems paralysed by the excessive violence carried out by the state. Shakira Wafula, a figurehead of the protest movement, gives an exclusive account of her take on the situation for D+C and puts into words what many people are thinking – namely that the situation in the country, rather than improving since last year, has deteriorated.
Authoritarian tendencies in the Kenyan government and elsewhere in Africa are now coming clearly to the fore. They are following the example set by some of the world’s most powerful countries – and certainly don’t have to worry that the international community will pay them too much attention just now given all the global crises. We can only hope that the young and active members of civil society will not be deterred by the considerable personal risk they face – and will find ways to bring about political change.
We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter. Please feel free to share your opinions, criticisms and suggestions by emailing us at euz.editor@dandc.eu.
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Kind regards,
Katharina Otieno
Editor at D+C |
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© picture alliance / Anadolu / Gerald Anderson
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“I am plagued by doubts about how we as a country can survive”
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Shakira Wafula became an icon of Kenya's Gen Z protest movement last year. After she bravely stood up to a heavily armed police officer with the Kenyan flag in her hand – and the video went viral – murals of her face appeared in Nairobi. A year after the protests began, her fame and the anger of Kenya’s youth have not lost momentum – but the state is cracking down harder than ever on dissent. She wrote down her thoughts exclusively for D+C. |
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© picture-alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com/Kanyiri Wahito
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© dpa/ASSOCIATED PRESS / Brian Inganga |
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Too much violence and grief
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The Kenyan government’s response to the protests is an example of how civic space is shrinking across East Africa. Ugandan political scientist Grace Atuhaire argues that less confrontational and more creative ways are needed to protect the mostly young activists. |
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Our latest Digital Monthly:
Mental health in times of multiple crises |
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have hit public workers in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, and Nigeria over the past five years due to austerity measures. This trend is evident from a survey on “The Human Cost of Public Sector Cuts”, conducted by the international NGO ActionAid.
While many public workers are struggling to meet basic needs, deep cuts to public spending also led to overcrowded classrooms, failing healthcare and other malfunctions of public services. ActionAid holds the International Monetary Fund (IMF) accountable for insisting on austerity policies that prioritize debt repayments over public investment.
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Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest number of HIV infections worldwide, accounting for almost 65 percent of cases, and has long been dependent on imports of antiretroviral drugs and test kits. With the withdrawal of USAID resources, a crucial pillar of support for HIV patients in sub-Saharan Africa is being lost.
At the same time, however, the region is now taking an important step towards health independence as countries begin to use locally manufactured HIV drugs and tests in their national health programmes. In 2023, a Kenyan drug manufacturer became the first in Africa to receive WHO approval to manufacture a widely used HIV drug called TLD. The Global Fund – a global partnership to fight HIV, tuberculosis and malaria – is now purchasing this locally manufactured HIV drug for Mozambique. This is the first time that an African-manufactured TLD will be delivered through these procurement channels.
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| What has also caught our interest |
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Three climate-related reports in the Guardian have particularly shocked us in recent months (and unfortunately, that means quite a lot at the moment).
Half of global CO2 emissions come from 36 fossil fuel firms, as a study shows. Among them: Saudi Aramco, Coal India, ExxonMobil, Shell and numerous Chinese companies.
Yet these companies seem to have less and less to fear: Financial speculators are investing in a rising number of lawsuits against governments over environmental laws and other regulations that affect profits, which often result in huge payouts. The Guardian’s analysis found that fossil fuel and mining companies have won $92 billion in public money from states.
Here is what this can lead to, among other things: The world’s coral reefs have been hit by the worst global bleaching event on record. Scientists have warned that more than 80% of the planet’s reefs are affected. Since the global event began in January 2023, reefs in at least 82 countries and territories have been exposed to enough heat to turn corals white.
By the way: The Guardian and D+C are both part of The 89 Percent Project, an initiative of the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now with the aim of conveying a central message: Climate action has majority global support.
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Ants, leaves and rituals are still used in western Kenya today to predict the weather. The rainmakers of various ethnic groups use indigenous methods, the results of which are passed on via the radio weather report and serve as an important basis for decision-making for farmers. Modern meteorologists and rainmakers now work together in the area. DW visited them. By the way: our upcoming magazine is all about indigenous life and knowledge – and how important it still is for our “modern world”. |
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How does volunteering abroad affect one's future life? A few years ago, seven young people decided to leave their familiar surroundings to volunteer abroad as part of the “Weltwärts” program. For three volunteers from Tanzania and Cameroon, it was their first trip outside the African continent. They spent a year supporting a social organization in Germany. Four German volunteers opted for project assignments in Gambia, Ghana, and Peru. Years later, they are confronted with images and statements from that time. How do they view their volunteer service today? And above all, how did their work abroad affect the rest of their lives? “What remains” is a thought-provoking film about an exchange between the Global North and the Global South. Development organizations and educational institutions may use the film free of charge for non-commercial purposes. Interested parties can contact post@globale-perspektiven.de. For more information, visit: www.globale-perspektiven.de |
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On 21 September, Geneva PeaceTalks 2025 will bring together individuals from the fields of diplomacy, peacebuilding, community work and the arts to strengthen ideals of peace. The conference provides a platform for individuals to share their personal stories and demonstrate that peace is not only necessary but also possible. It will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and will also be available via livestream. |
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The cooperation between the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) aims to promote international collaboration in the mathematical sciences. To this end, the programme funds research trips to one of the six AIMS centres (Cameroon, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal or South Africa) for researchers from Germany, as well as guest stays in Germany for young researchers from African countries.
Applications are open to researchers with a doctorate in the German science system; applications must be submitted from Germany only, with researchers from African countries as partners who can receive DFG funding through their German partners.
Application deadline: 30 September
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Imprint
Publisher information: ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL gGmbH Service für Entwicklungsinitiativen
Publisher: Fazit Communication GmbH, Pariser Strasse 1, D-60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Telephone: +49 (0)69 7591-3110 | Email: euz.editor@dandc.eu
Website: www.fazit.de | Managing Directors: Jonas Grashey, Hannes Ludwig |
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