Civic Spaces

Memory Across Borders: A Conversation on History and Reparative Justice

Listening Across Oceans: Memory, Restitution, and the Unfinished Journey Home

Article
Tanzanian heritage scholar Bernard Laulian Ntahondi shares his reflections as a panellist at a June 2026 event hosted by the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Berlin. The panel focused on the film “Listening Across Oceans,” which follows a Berlin school group’s visit to the USA to examine the transatlantic enslavement trade.   Bernard is a member of Ajabu Ajabu, a cinema and artists’ collective in Dar es Salaam committed to preserving and promoting Tanzania’s audiovisual heritage. He also serves as a curator at the Dar es Salaam Centre for Architectural Heritage, where he focuses on the city’s architectural legacy.
Unbowed for Justice

POLICE KILLINGS INCREASE BY 20% IN 2025 AMID PROTEST CRACKDOWN

Article
The 2025 Missing Voices Annual Report reveals a troubling paradox: while overall violations declined, police killings rose sharply by 20%, with young men, especially in Nairobi, bearing the brunt of this violence. Most deaths occurred during protest periods, underscoring persistent concerns about the use of excessive force by law enforcement. Although enforced disappearances dropped significantly, weak legal frameworks and limited accountability mechanisms continue to deny justice to victims and their families, raising urgent questions about policing, civic space, and human rights in Kenya.
Maskan tour_

Maskan exhibition Where Art Becomes Evidence in the Fight Against Femicide

Through evocative installations and community engagement, Maskan Tour, done in collaboration with Usikimyie and Creative Garage, turns abstract statistics on femicide and policy failures into visceral, human stories that demand accountability. Explore how this unique exhibition bridges the gap between written policy and lived experience, sparking public dialogue and driving real change in the fight for justice.
Faiba Kombo
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Projects

Who I Am Who We Are - Art Project on Kenyan Identity

Who I Am Who We Are (Kenya Cultural Centre) - Who I Am Who We Are

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Inspired by the notion that today’s world reacts a reality both multiple and unique, Who I Am, Who We Are aims at creating adequate spaces and conversations for personal reflection on relevant themes about Kenya at 50 - present and future. 

The Two Sudans - Online Film Project

Vimeo Video

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A web documentary, which embarks on a visually and emotionally gripping journey into Sudan and South Sudan shedding some light onto the personal stories of those at ground level.

Our Publications on Civic Spaces

MASKAN II_ Handbook

MASKAN II: Remembering the Women and Children Behind the Statistics

The Maskan II exhibition is accompanied by a handbook that provides context for the work, guiding audiences through the stories, themes and artistic choices behind each installation. It documents the thinking behind the artworks while helping audiences engage more deeply with the wider social and institutional conditions surrounding femicide and the disappearance of children in Kenya. At its heart, the handbook seeks to ensure that those affected are remembered as people — with names, relationships, dreams and unfinished futures — rather than reduced to statistics or headlines.
Cover of the publication Pesticide Residues in Selected Vegetables from Kenyan Markets

Pesticide Residue Levels in Selected Fresh Vegetables Delivered in Markets in Kenya

How safe is the food on our plates?  Research by the Kenya Organic Agriculture Network (KOAN), in partnership with the University of Nairobi, Route to Food Initiative, a programme of  Heinrich Böll Foundation, and the Swedish Society for  Nature Conservation, examined pesticide residues in vegetables commonly consumed in Kenya and offers fresh evidence on the state of food safety and practical household methods that can help reduce pesticide residues before consumption.
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Global Oil Conflict, Fertiliser Dependence and Kenya’s Soil Future

Dossier
This dossier shows how disruptions in oil markets ripple through fertiliser supply chains and into agriculture, increasing production costs and exposing countries like Kenya to global instability. Because most synthetic fertilisers are derived from fossil fuels and imported, Kenya’s farming systems remain tightly linked to energy markets and geopolitical dynamics.

Combatting Global Plastic Pollution

Policy Paper
By 2025, more than 12 billion tonnes of plastic had been produced globally – and plastic pollution is not gender neutral. Our publication Combatting Global Plastic Pollution presents feminist perspectives for a gender-just approach to the plastic crisis. 
Unbowed for Justice MV Report 2025

Unbowed for Justice

The 2025 Missing Voices Annual Report documents 131 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in Kenya, reflecting an overall decline in violations compared to 2024. However, this apparent progress masks a worrying trend: a sharp rise in police killings and continued concerns about the use of excessive force, particularly during periods of public protest.
All publications on Civic Spaces

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