Gender Theme: Gender Justice The Gender Component contributes to the transformation of gender relations in Kenya and the region in order to realize human rights for all members of society. Our main focus areas enhance women’s effective political participation in Kenya, challenge patriarchy and democratic rollback in the region from a feminist perspective, and amplify gender and sexual minority rights through regional networking, learning processes, capacity building, awareness creation, research and documentation of experiences of women leaders. The programme also builds knowledge and facilitates discourse on gender diversity. MASKAN II: Remembering the Women and Children Behind the Statistics Article MASKAN II is an immersive art installation on femicide in Kenya, produced by Usikimye and Creatives Garage and curated by multidisciplinary artist Thayù. Building on the first MASKAN exhibition of 2025, the second edition returns at a time when women continue to be killed and children continue to disappear. "It had reached crisis levels. We had to do something about it": Confronting Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in Kenya Interview feature. Following that impactful edition, with Sauti Session on, tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), we sat down with Wafula to discuss the inspiration behind Sauti Sessions, why this partnership was so pivotal, and what he hopes will be the lasting impact of bringing survivors, experts, and citizens together to confront one of the most pervasive forms of abuse today. This is what he had to say. Faiba Kombo Environment Theme: Environment The Environment component operates projects and activities in the East and Horn of Africa under the umbrella of three priority areas; Climate change, Food Security, Extractive Industries. Renewable energy ideas and strategies are also considered. CSOs call for the Implementation of Kenya’s waste management laws for a just transition. Press Release On International Waste Pickers Day, CEJAD and the Heinrich Böll Foundation are calling on the Kenyan government to formally integrate waste pickers into the country's new waste management framework. Speaking at a dialogue in Eldoret, stakeholders emphasized that true implementation of the Sustainable Waste Management Act (2022) and EPR regulations is the only path to ensuring dignity, safety, and fair compensation for the thousands of workers who sustain Kenya's recycling economy. What Kenya Can Learn from Germany’s Energy Shift. Article As the climate crisis intensifies, how we produce and consume energy is under growing scrutiny. The energy sector contributes over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with electricity and heat generation as the largest culprits. According to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), renewable electrification of end-use sectors could mitigate at least 20% of emissions by 2050 Fredrick Njau Democracy Dialogue and Civic Spaces 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. From Protest to Power: How Kenya’s Youth Are Reshaping Politics Article Kenya’s youth are no longer confined to the streets in protest; they are steadily claiming space within the political arena itself. With a renewed sense of agency, they are reshaping how power is negotiated and challenged. In doing so, they are positioning themselves not just as participants, but as decisive architects of the country’s future. Javan Ofula International Dialogue Theme: International Dialogue Add here the beginning of the text about International Dialogue We must confront Police Abuse in Kenya Ahead of 2027 Article As Kenya approaches a critical electoral period, concerns over police abuse and the erosion of civic freedoms are becoming increasingly urgent. Despite constitutional guarantees, many young people continue to face violence and repression when exercising their rights, reflecting a troubling pattern of impunity. Drawing on recent cases and the findings of the Missing Voices 2025 report, this piece examines the scale of the crisis and calls for accountability, justice, and sustained collective action. Javan Ofula 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.
Theme: Gender Justice The Gender Component contributes to the transformation of gender relations in Kenya and the region in order to realize human rights for all members of society. Our main focus areas enhance women’s effective political participation in Kenya, challenge patriarchy and democratic rollback in the region from a feminist perspective, and amplify gender and sexual minority rights through regional networking, learning processes, capacity building, awareness creation, research and documentation of experiences of women leaders. The programme also builds knowledge and facilitates discourse on gender diversity.
MASKAN II: Remembering the Women and Children Behind the Statistics Article MASKAN II is an immersive art installation on femicide in Kenya, produced by Usikimye and Creatives Garage and curated by multidisciplinary artist Thayù. Building on the first MASKAN exhibition of 2025, the second edition returns at a time when women continue to be killed and children continue to disappear.
"It had reached crisis levels. We had to do something about it": Confronting Tech-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence in Kenya Interview feature. Following that impactful edition, with Sauti Session on, tech-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), we sat down with Wafula to discuss the inspiration behind Sauti Sessions, why this partnership was so pivotal, and what he hopes will be the lasting impact of bringing survivors, experts, and citizens together to confront one of the most pervasive forms of abuse today. This is what he had to say. Faiba Kombo
Theme: Environment The Environment component operates projects and activities in the East and Horn of Africa under the umbrella of three priority areas; Climate change, Food Security, Extractive Industries. Renewable energy ideas and strategies are also considered.
CSOs call for the Implementation of Kenya’s waste management laws for a just transition. Press Release On International Waste Pickers Day, CEJAD and the Heinrich Böll Foundation are calling on the Kenyan government to formally integrate waste pickers into the country's new waste management framework. Speaking at a dialogue in Eldoret, stakeholders emphasized that true implementation of the Sustainable Waste Management Act (2022) and EPR regulations is the only path to ensuring dignity, safety, and fair compensation for the thousands of workers who sustain Kenya's recycling economy.
What Kenya Can Learn from Germany’s Energy Shift. Article As the climate crisis intensifies, how we produce and consume energy is under growing scrutiny. The energy sector contributes over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with electricity and heat generation as the largest culprits. According to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), renewable electrification of end-use sectors could mitigate at least 20% of emissions by 2050 Fredrick Njau
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.
From Protest to Power: How Kenya’s Youth Are Reshaping Politics Article Kenya’s youth are no longer confined to the streets in protest; they are steadily claiming space within the political arena itself. With a renewed sense of agency, they are reshaping how power is negotiated and challenged. In doing so, they are positioning themselves not just as participants, but as decisive architects of the country’s future. Javan Ofula
We must confront Police Abuse in Kenya Ahead of 2027 Article As Kenya approaches a critical electoral period, concerns over police abuse and the erosion of civic freedoms are becoming increasingly urgent. Despite constitutional guarantees, many young people continue to face violence and repression when exercising their rights, reflecting a troubling pattern of impunity. Drawing on recent cases and the findings of the Missing Voices 2025 report, this piece examines the scale of the crisis and calls for accountability, justice, and sustained collective action. Javan Ofula
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.
