The African Trumpet

Kenya it is said has invested heavily in clinical health sector to the exclusion of public health hence gutting the efficiency of the healthcare sector to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. But as Dr. Ayah explains we might just have to learn to co-exist with this pandemic as we’ve been doing with other diseases like HIV, Flu, Pneumonia and Cholera. By Dr. Richard Ayah and Dr. David Ndii.

The authenticity of modern theologies, the concept of God and the visible church which have come into sharp focus as people grapple with the pandemic. No doubt this could mark the end of the institutional church but as Canon Omondi explains the future and place of faith is complex. By Joe Kobuthi and Canon Omondi.

COVID-19 has necessitated closure of schools and with that closure has come classist contestations about the future of education and learning. Dr. Wandia Njoya unpacks what is and isn’t education and how best to recalibrate our approach to education as a society. By Joe Kobuthi and Dr. Wandia Njoya

Even in its early stages the COVID-19 is unleashing deadly economic consequences on production, trading, stock markets and supply chains. Dr. David Ndii and Elephant curator Joe Kobuthi explores just what would be the economic impact of this pandemic on global economics. By Joe Kobuthi and Dr. David Ndii

As the pandemic continues to inflict problems on global populations different countries have implemented certain measures with wide-ranging results. Professor Jomo Kwame Sundaram takes us through the lesson that Asian states have learnt from dealing with SARS and other previous pandemics.

Luo Nyanza, it is said, manufactures democracy, but strictly for export not for local use. This truism arises from the weak stint by the local governors, senators and MPs who ironically drive the region's fiery national political posture. As narrated by Viscount K'owuor.

The legalities of government decisions that seek to combat the Corona pandemic have to balance between privacy and freedoms. In this interview with Ms. Daki Galgalo, the Law Society of Kenya chair Nelson Havi takes us through what is constitutional and what is not, in the recent decisions made by the state.

Away from the urban spaces, life has had to internalize anthropologies, cultures and rites are getting disrupted with people's ways of life coming apart. Life has changed significantly, ushering in new cultures an rituals in a world where the tension between the old and the new the state and the society abound. As narrated by Robert Kemboi.

The immediate image of the nationally declared curfews has been police beating up hapless citizens at the ferry crossing. The local counties therefore presents a complex tapestry of beliefs, and maneuvers between the state, religion, information asymmetry and interventions at the coastal strip. As narrated by Gideon Kadu.

The recent decision to impose curfews in the country has different impact in different counties thanks to their unique socioeconomic architectures. Hence, the possibility of an escalated lockdown will likely unleash a wide variety of unintended consequences catalyzed by preexisting views about law, survival, and succession politics.

The millennial bashing script often reads like capitalism’s disappointment that we did not turn into the reckless consumer cluster that they anticipated we will be when they branded us in 1991. The millennial narrative-for the most part-ignores the existential pain of being young in a flailing society, and the attendant youthful anxiety, grief, struggle and fears while amplifying the trivial and d...

We are a generation that seeks closure yet the death of a father figure only seems to have opened an old wound that we thought had healed. As the father figures collapsed at the private front, his political masculinity shrewdly dominated our hunger and fascination with fatherhood. From the article "Nyayo: The Passing of a Father Figure" written by Oyunga Pala.

Moi is dead, long live Moism. As he towered over the nations, dark concrete hallways masked screams of those his insecurities deemed as threats. His demise can in no way erase this dark chapter in Kenyan history.

Since this new Gen Z music that blends urban slang, cringeworthy lyrics, and novel dancing, it's divided opinion both across age, moral and social divides. Are we too quick to take sides and what could we be missing? From an article titled "How Kenyan Gospel Pop Birthed the Odi-Pop Craze" by Dan Aceda, published on The Elephant.

There are three main concerns Kenyans from all walks of life have during illness or any manner of a health crisis: 1) Who is going to pay for the options I take? Is it going to have to be me, and what does that mean for my budget and my life? 2) Who is going to take care of me, and where do I have to go to access that care? 3) Will all the options I need for full care be available to me, and are t...

Kenya’s elite is founded primarily on corruption and conflict of interest. In Kenya, a sort of consensus has held sway among the elite since independence: during his tenure, the president’s tribe “eats” more than the others while they await their turn. The tribe “in power”—even if not in office—has the greatest access to economic opportunity and justice. From the article "The Tribesman’s Dread Of...

What Wanjiku never seems to understand is that GDP growth doesn't always automatically translate into higher incomes. In fact, GDP growth can be achieved while salaries, wages, commissions are declining. This is Wanjiku's tough economic paradox.

Arror and Kimwarer Dam projects promised to deliver water infrastructure amidst forged documents, sleaze, collusion and outright theft. What really happened, as told by Lorenzo Bagnoli.

A pervasive narrative defines Northern Kenya’s relationship with Southern Kenya. Northern Kenya is viewed as a land of misery, of death and of terror where Kenya’s hardships go to school – an area of darkness, this Kenyan “apocalypse” is by some ingenious design almost always shadowed by “potential”.

Kenya's social scene is stuck with competing and often conflicting notions of female bodily freedom. One sees ratchetness as unfettered body autonomy while the other sees the display as psychically harmful. Which is which?

Food prices keep rising, 16 million Kenyans are poor, 7.5 million live in extreme poverty and over 10 million suffer food insecurity. What the story beyond the numbers?

Homeschooling is not a specific curriculum but simply one alternative to state schooling. It's also popularly seen as an escape from the violent academic experimentation unleashed by state structures.

Suicide is a sensitive topic, befuddling and wrenching at the same time. What's the story beyond the shock and grief?

A new empire reemerges after going under in the 1750s. This means a lot for Africa, its resources, histories and economic future.

The easiest way to rob a bank in Kenya is to own one. Maybe in their 100 year history beginning in the 1900s lies the answer as to why this is possible. By Juliet Atellah