True justice demands that perpetrators of violence be brought to book and held liable for their actions regardless of their status in society.
Tradition gives the politician the power to talk down to the public. But where is the citizens' voice and platform to register their disapproval and displeasure? Is heckling inherently wrong?
On the 24 of March, Ethiopia’s government announced an immediate humanitarian truce with forces it had been fighting for 17 months in the northern Tigray region. Can the truce open a window into unlocking the conflict, or is it another lull before the war breaks out again? The Elephant in conversation with Adisalem Desta, an expert in international law.
There are multiple causes and forms of conflict in Northern Kenya. In most conflicts, women are disproportionately affected. The national and county governments should work with non-state actors, to leverage the formal and nonformal indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms. In this conversation, Abdia Mahmud provides nuances and insights into conflicts in Northern Kenya. Abdia Mohamud is the Executive Director at Isiolo Peace Link, a community-based network that brings together youth, women, faith-based and other civil society organisations and works closely with the county authorities and law enforcement agencies on security issues.
The casting of the Pokots as a belligerent community in the media is one of the enduring stereotypes. But this framing is banal as it is pervasive. It is taken as a given that few if ever, step back and examine the cost of labeling an entire community as bellicose. The Elephant in conversation with Yobo Rutin,
Relying on aid cannot transform society because poverty is a structural problem. Donor funding merely changes the relationship between the people and their government, increases government control, and promotes the embezzlement of funds and the misallocation of resources.
This is the last of three articles in which Gautam Bhatia analyses the judgments of the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court following the constitutional challenge to the BBI Bill.
Freelance journalist Ms Adhiambo Edith Magak talks to founders of key initiatives that target those who are differently-abled, interrogating the problems they face that led to the creation of those solutions. Their responses so far, and shared data/evidence show that the solution has an impact on many lives. She journeys with them as they analyse the limitations and challenges faced and gives insight on how the solution can be replicated by other interested parties.
Pre-independence, Kenya's Northern Frontier Districts fought to be part of Somalia during Shifta War or Gaf Daba (1963–1967). The post-1963 Kenya war against the "Shifta," securitized the relationship between the state, the region, and the people. Since then a series of massacres- the Wagala (1984), Bagala (1998), and Malka Mari (1982), and the advent of the war on terror saw the rise of the label, terrorists. The result is a huge difficulty in accessing state services, National Identity Card, passports., and title deeds.
The Community Land Act, No. 27 of 2016 (the Act) came into force on 21 September 2016. The Act gives effect to Article 63 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 (the Constitution) which provides for the classification of land known as community land. While the law is progressive on paper- it enables local communities to register and own their communal lands legally, its application has been slow. The Elephant in conversation with Dr Hussein Wario, Executive Director at the Center for Research and Development in Drylands, Kenya.
The Northern Rangelands Trust has been active in the pastoralist region, setting up "Community Wildlife." Some have argued that these conservancies are a trojan horse for taking away pastoralist land. With the coming into force of the Community Land Act 2016, securing pastoralist land has become even more urgent. The Elephant in conversation with Adam Dalacha, a lawyer and human rights activist.
This is the second of three articles in which Gautam Bhatia analyses the judgments of the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court following the constitutional challenge to the BBI Bill.