One generation fought for independence, another persevered through the Moi era, brought back multipartyism, voted Moi out, and gave us a new constitution. The new native is consolidating beyond the old order of tribes, clans, and denominations. The post On Becoming a New Kenyan Native first appeared on The Elephant .
In this series, we glean into our community of writers to help us understand the development of the New Native. Darius Okolla and Akal Mohan locate the emergent Native within the 2024 protests, while Oyunga Pala, Joe Kobuthi, and Wangui Kimari go further back to locate the historical processes that has given birth to this changeling in our midst. The post Kenya: Chart the New Native first appeared on The Elephant .
A children's home in Kajiado County was supposed to be a place of safety. Instead, Africa Uncensored has uncovered deeply disturbing allegations of repeated sexual abuse and the disturbing questions surrounding the director at the centre of these allegations. The post Investigating Alleged Sexual Abuse at Kenya’s Ebenezer Children’s Home: Haven or Hell first appeared on The Elephant .
We are 3 days away from the Gen Z revolution anniversary and close to within a year of the consequential 2027 elections. How are the youths faring so far as a political constituency and a civic cluster? The Elephant talks to Jeff Ian.
What Nairobi’s floods reveal about inequality, overcrowded capitals, and Africa’s opportunity to redesign its cities. The post The Capital City Trap first appeared on The Elephant .
The youth vote. Is There Much of One? Can It Make a Difference?
Dozens of opposition members and journalists have been abducted or killed in Mozambique since the 2024 general elections. While authorities have largely failed to investigate the violence, exclusive reporting reveals the involvement of figures linked to the ruling party Frelimo and Mozambican security forces in identifying and targeting government critics. The post A Campaign of Disappearances: Inside the Killings, Abductions and Surveillance of Mozambique’s Government Critics first appeared on The Elephant .
Forbidden Stories worked alongside 10 media outlets and over 30 journalists to reveal the inner workings of the machinery designed to silence opponents and journalists in the country. The post In Mozambique, the Regime Imposes a Blackout on Journalists first appeared on The Elephant .
Kenya needs to return to the social contract that defined the Asabiyah, the sense of nationalism, of solidarity, of the 2010 Constitution as a guide to establishing legitimacy and national equilibrium. The post Political Legitimacy in Unequal Kenya first appeared on The Elephant .
The new Michael Jackson biopic turns a politically conscious Black artist into a raceless fantasy figure, erasing the civil rights struggles, global solidarities, and histories that shaped him. The post Who’s Afraid of Michael Jackson? first appeared on The Elephant .
Kenya Kwanza: The war on graft is dead — in this bruising account, John Githongo traces how anti-corruption institutions were hollowed out, and explores who filled the vacuum, and asks what ordinary Kenyans stand to lose as graft reasserts itself across public life. The post John Githongo – Kenya Kwanza: The War on Graft Is Dead – Corruption’s Seductive Comeback? first appeared on The Elephant .
The war in Iran is an extension of deeper structural rationales that are rooted in settler colonialism, racial hierarchies, imperial expansion, gendered norms of toxic masculinity, and a militarized political culture. The post Iran-US War: Settler-Colonial, Imperial, Aggressive Masculinity first appeared on The Elephant .
An interview with Malong Awan in The Elephant explores the interconnected challenges facing East Africa—including aid distribution, youth employment, democratic governance, and regional trade—and argues that shared interests could catalyze deeper cross-border collaboration.
Kenya's labour rights movement continues to show vitality through the emergence of new unions, despite challenges workers face. The analysis examines tensions within Kenya's labour movement, particularly regarding the leadership of union figure Atwoli.
An opinion contributor argues that Francis Atwoli has failed to adequately represent workers' interests during his long tenure as leader of Kenya's Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU), calling for new leadership in the organization.
The Elephant publishes an interview between analyst John Githongo and journalist Tara O'Connor examining latent social divisions across Kenya, Brazil, South Africa, and the US, exploring unresolved questions around race, gender, and national identity.
Emerging reports of sexual harassment within Kenya’s legal profession cannot be understood in isolation from legal education. The post Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession and in Legal Education first appeared on The Elephant .
An article examines how domestic work platforms operating digitally are perpetuating labour exclusions historically rooted in colonial systems, with particular focus on workers—often women—who remain invisible to tax authorities and labour protections.
A Journal of Medical Ethics article critiquing the current global anti-female genital mutilation campaign has drawn strong pushback from zero-tolerance advocacy organizations, widening methodological rifts in the debate over how to address the practice.
An article discusses how Arsène Wenger's tenure at Arsenal FC made the club a symbol of African player development, diaspora identity, and global cultural representation in English football.
A political advocate or journalist has published a critique arguing that a sitting president's policies are inadequate in addressing violence against women and girls.
A refugee named Jessica P was denied resettlement to a third country after being incorrectly recorded in biometric systems as having been repatriated to Congo, according to an investigation into biometric use in refugee management by The Elephant.
A journalistic investigation examines how UNHCR's sharing of biometric data with the Kenyan government led to human rights violations affecting both refugees and Kenyan nationals, including cases of individuals being rendered stateless.
An investigative journalism series examines the development and deployment of biometric recognition systems within humanitarian aid operations in Kenya, drawing comparative analysis from similar technology use in Kosovo.
Analysis suggests that if Jean-Luc Mélenchon wins France's 2027 presidential election, Franco-African relations could undergo significant restructuring, marking a departure from Macron-era policies.
Residents of Kilimani in Nairobi successfully advocated for naming a road after the late Pheroze Nowrojee, reflecting community-driven civic engagement rather than top-down decision-making.
In this second part of the Project Profile investigation into the use of biometrics in the humanitarian sector, double-registered Kenyans speak of the hardships they endure in their daily lives. The post Project Profile: Without an ID, You Are Nothing in This Country first appeared on The Elephant .
In this first part of the Project Profile investigation into the use of biometrics in the humanitarian sector in Kenya, Farrah Budhul Uleh narrates how famine and desperation led him and his family to the gates of the Dadaab Refugee Camp. The post Project Profile: Driven to Dadaab by Desperation first appeared on The Elephant .
In partnership with the Pulitzer Center Artificial Intelligence (AI) fellowship, The Elephant tells the story of double-registered persons as part of Project Profile, over two years of investigations into the harms of the deployment and use of biometric recognition technology in the humanitarian aid sector. The post Project Profile: The In-Between Lives of the Double Registered first appeared on The Elephant .
Dennis Ombachi’s cooking video with President Emmanuel Macron made for bad optics and the ensuing criticism is fair. But Ombachi’s loudest defenders have merely used him as a vehicle to discredit Pan-African critique. The post Dennis Ombachi, Macron, and the Cancel Culture Lie first appeared on The Elephant .
So what does it mean to be young, aspirational, driven, yet caught up in a country with so much potential yet so few results? Who benefits from the structural deficiency built into public life, and how do young people navigate these conundrums when trying to paint a picture of success? The Elephant in conversation with Mark Antony.
Emmanuel Macron believes in the benevolence of colonial power, and that we should be grateful to him and his ilk. So when some hustler in Nairobi seizes upon his ego that was wounded when the people of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger gave him feedback, he interprets that as gratitude. The post I am a Positive Pan-Africanist: Language That Erases Political Struggle first appeared on The Elephant .
A tribute to Andrew Mtagwaba Kailembo, one of Africa’s foremost trade unionists. The post A Tribute to Andrew Kailembo, One of Africa’s Foremost Trade Unionists first appeared on The Elephant .
Kenya's economy stands at a crossroads: outwardly resilient, with projected growth hovering around 4.5–5.0 percent and a relatively stable macro‑environment, yet weighed down by persistent fiscal fragility, high debt‑servicing costs, and a stubbornly weak labour market. The question "Whither the economy?" cuts to the core of whether the country can translate this modest growth into broad‑based jobs, inclusive industrialisation, and genuine citizen‑facing prosperity—or remain trapped in a cycle of debt‑led spending and uneven structural transformation. Kwame Owino tells us why.
Iran has shown us that investment in the social sciences and the arts is as crucial as investment in the natural sciences, and that we ought to aspire to the best education. The post Iran is Telling Us, Listen to Your PhDs first appeared on The Elephant .
An opinion article examines how algorithms have shifted from being used for social benefit to causing harm, framing the discussion as a historical arc from wealth distribution and family cohesion to destructive applications.
An opinion article asserts that revelations from the Epstein case demonstrate that global elites live spiritually empty lives and are morally corrupt.
An analysis piece examines informal influence networks and secretive dealings said to occur at high-level Africa-France diplomatic summits, questioning who benefits from such arrangements and how power is exercised through intermediaries.
An article examines the meaning behind the #IWentToAlliance social media hashtag among alumni, questioning what backward-looking nostalgia signifies given the institution's stated commitment to social, economic, and political mobility.
An article examines Alliance High School as a historical case study in British colonial concessions to African independence movements, arguing the institution represented a compromise where Britain maintained political control while appearing to expand African educational access.
A photo essay examines how Kenya's wealthy elite display status and exclusivity through material consumption and lifestyle choices.
An opinion article criticizes Kenya's political establishment for moral corruption and accumulating wealth through decades of misgovernance and vice.
An opinion article criticizes Kenya's political elite for being disconnected from everyday society, using the phrase 'I was in Alliance' as shorthand for what the author describes as hollow and arrogant governance.
An opinion article criticizes Kenya's political leadership for abandoning their public mandate and entrenching themselves within systems that perpetuate economic inequality and social oppression.
An opinion essay critiques national school leadership as perpetuating colonial-era power structures through institutional conformity rather than substantive reform.
An opinion essay argues that political elites prioritize image over substantive governance, using stalled infrastructure projects and ceremonial announcements as examples of hollow performatism.
Published by the Pan-African Network for Artistic Freedom, the first issue of PANAF Voices is a testimony to persistence in the face of artistic repression across the continent. The post How Not to Go to Jail for Making Art first appeared on The Elephant .
Abortion in Kenya exists in a legal grey zone. It is permitted under the 2010 Constitution in specific circumstances. The post Stranger Removal: Inside Kenya’s Dangerous Underground Abortion Market first appeared on The Elephant .
“We are fighting political and cultural wars. Wars that are not ours.” The post “We are going to die”: The Frontline Costs of Uganda’s New US Health Agreement first appeared on The Elephant .
As Kenyan voters, we have become used to experiencing, every five years, a high-stakes drama full of sound and fury, in which the stage is set years in advance, the actors are meticulously costumed, and the script is written in a language only the elite truly speak. EU funds provide the software for the show. The post Kenya’s Electoral Theatre: Staged by Western Code, Scripted by Foreign Hands first appeared on The Elephant .