Mawazo Ideas Podcast

In the fight against plastic pollution, many have hailed Kenya’s 2017 single-use plastic bag ban as a step in the right direction. The ban includes the strictest fines worldwide for individuals manufacturing or in possession of plastic bags, but was it the right decision? In today's re-run of the podcast, we are joined by plastic waste management expert, part-time lecturer, and consultant, Dr...

Humanity faces many threats, but none is greater than climate change. In Season 4, we are focussing on the challenges and effects of climate change on the African continent. The global climate summit, COP26, wrapped up in Glasgow in November. To understand what is next for Africa after COP26, we are joined by Edna Kimenju, a Sustainability Consultant at Kenya Climate Innovation Centre. Further rea...

We dig into the archives for this week's episode. Kenya has one of the harshest plastic bag bans in the world, with fines of up to $40,000 for individuals found in violation. But has the country’s ban made any real change? Nairobi Ideas Podcast is joined by James Wakibia, an environmental activist and photographer who was instrumental in the campaign that yielded Kenya’s 2017 single-use plast...

**CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING** SGBV November 25th marks International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. For this episode, we are asking why half the world’s population is being affected disproportionately by a crisis that we are all facing. We talk to Ngina Judy, a Child Protection Officer at Dadaab Refugee Camp and Josephine Mwatibo, a Gender and Human Rights Expert about the impact...

Featuring stories from four scientists living in Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, we’re looking past the science and taking a personal look at what it means to live through the pandemic.  Visit our website to learn more about the Mawazo Institute. Follow us on Facebook , X , Instagram , YouTube and LinkedIn.

In moments of crisis, human rights violations are more likely to occur and the COVID-19 pandemic is no different.  Globally, the pandemic has wreaked havoc on families and communities, interrupted jobs and livelihoods, and increased economic hardship, among other adverse effects. Across Africa, the pandemic has exposed the fragile political freedoms and socio-economic rights for people living on t...

Early in the pandemic, the data community in Kenya had one question, “What is the data telling us?” We are joined by Yariwo Kitiyo, a geospatial consultant whose organization, Women in GIS, Kenya, was one of the partners working with Kenya’s Ministry of Health to answer this question. Yariwo explores the universe of data being collected around the virus and how governments are using this to evalua...

The role of mass media in communicating the science of COVID-19, and in helping many of us understand our new reality cannot be underestimated. This is the time for media organizations to seize leadership perpetuated by social responsibility and public service journalism given the ever-changing news on the pandemic. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Mercy Korir, a medical doctor and journalist...

Africa, with a population of over 1.2 billion is carrying out its largest immunisation campaign ever.  Across the continent, governments are scrambling to find the COVID-19 vaccines they need to save vulnerable lives, achieve population health and re-open socio-economic activities, but they are facing major challenges. In the Season 3 premiere of the podcast, we are joined by Dr. Catherine Kyobutu...

Season 3 of the Nairobi Ideas Podcast is launching on Thursday, September 30th. This is what you can expect  Visit our website to learn more about the Mawazo Institute. Follow us on Facebook , X , Instagram , YouTube and LinkedIn.

The Nairobi Ideas Podcast is on break. But before we go, we’ve created this recap episode to sum up our second season. Check it out to hear Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, our host and Mawazo Institute Co-Founder, and Kari Mugo, our Digital Media and Public Engagement Consultant, chat about their favourite episodes, some of the lessons they’ve learned so far, and all the love they have for our fans. Plus, cat...

When Dr. Paula Kahumbu was a little girl, she had a run in with famed conservationist Dr. Richard Leakey, catapulting a lifelong curiosity about, and interest in, Kenya’s wildlife. Since then, Paula has gone on to become an award-winning Kenyan conservationist herself, and is the current CEO of WildlifeDirect . In this episode of the podcast, she celebrates Kenya’s rich bio-diversity and talks abo...

Global land use has been identified as one of the most significant causes of the rapid increase in climate change yet, Dr. David Kimiti says, little attention is being paid to curbing land degradation. Dr. David is Head of Research and Monitoring at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and a Senior Scientist specializing in Rangeland Ecology. In conversation with the Nairobi Ideas podcast, he shares his ‘sys...

In the fight against plastic pollution, many have hailed Kenya’s 2017 single-use plastic bag ban as a step in the right direction. The ban includes the strictest fines worldwide for individuals manufacturing or in possession of plastic bags, but was it the right decision? Were there other solutions for tackling plastic waste in the country that should have been considered? Nairobi Ideas Podcast is...

Kenya has one of the harshest plastic bag bans in the world, with fines of up to $40,000 for individuals found in violation. But has the country’s ban made any real change? Nairobi Ideas Podcast is joined by James Wakibia, an environmental activist and photographer who was instrumental in the campaign that yielded Kenya’s 2017 single-use plastic bag ban. James discusses how anger can help fuel cha...

Global warming, the biodiversity crisis, and environmental degradation are changing life on earth drastically, and the effects on Africa are bound to be drastic. Join us on Season 2 of the Nairobi Ideas Podcast as our host, Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, finds out how experts on the continent are responding to these climate and conservation challenges. We will explore how Kenya is tackling plastic pollution...

Meet Dr. Rose Mutiso: She is Co-founder of the Mawazo Institute, Research Director at the Energy for Growth Hub, and this season's host. Rose is a Materials Scientist by training with research experience in the fields of nanotechnology and polymer physics, whose current work is focused on power sector issues in Africa. Rose believes that, “We need to fuse creative and inspired thinking with r...

Meet Young Scientists Kenya (YSK): Michael is Co-founder and CEO of Miti Alliance, and a Board Member of Young Scientists Kenya, a platform for young people to demonstrate their innovation and showcase their scientific talents. YSK is based on the premise that a wealth of talent and potential for innovation exists in Kenya. They are one of the organizers of the 8th National Science and Technology...

As part of the 2018 Africa Science Week-Kenya (ASW-Kenya), Nairobi Ideas Podcast is featuring interviews with some of the exceptional scientists from our Faces of Kenyan Science campaign. Take a listen as our host, Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, CEO of the Mawazo Institute sits down with Anthony Muthungu, a serial entrepreneur, inventor and educator who is always looking for “the loopholes in life” and findi...

As part of the 2018 Africa Science Week-Kenya (ASW-Kenya), Nairobi Ideas Podcast is featuring interviews with some of the exceptional scientists from our Faces of Kenyan Science campaign. Take a listen as our host, Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, CEO of the Mawazo Institute sits down with Susan Murabana, an astronomer bringing the stars closer to children, by taking a portable telescope and mobile planetarium...

As part of the 2018 Africa Science Week-Kenya (ASW-Kenya), Nairobi Ideas Podcast is featuring interviews with some of the exceptional scientists from our Faces of Kenyan Science campaign. Take a listen as our host, Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, CEO of the Mawazo Institute sits down with Dr. Stellah Bosire, Founder and Executive Director of the Stellah Bosire Fund and a medical physician looking beyond the s...

As part of the 2018 Africa Science Week-Kenya (ASW-Kenya), Nairobi Ideas Podcast is featuring interviews with some of the exceptional scientists from our Faces of Kenyan Science campaign. Take a listen as our host, Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, CEO of the Mawazo Institute sits down with Dr. Hamisi Babusa, an accomplished novelist, lecturer and and senior administrator at Kenyatta University who is pioneerin...

As part of the 2018 Africa Science Week-Kenya (ASW-Kenya), Nairobi Ideas Podcast is featuring interviews with some of the exceptional scientists from our Faces of Kenyan Science campaign. Take a listen as our host, Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, CEO of the Mawazo Institute sits down with Kago Kagichiri, Co-founder and former CEO of Eneza Education, one of Africa’s leading mobile learning platforms and a tech...