Otherwise?

This week, you guys wanted to talk about democracy and development from a Kenyan lens (to vote on what we discuss, follow us on Twitter @thisisotherwise, we run a poll each week). Is democracy the best form of government for countries like ours? Why is it that it is the form of government most associated with development? Is it because democracy is inherently and instrumentally good? Does democracy lead to development? And if so, how is Kenya doing on the democracy vs development scale, seeing as there is a positive correlation between wealth and democracy? Press play!

Resources

Aristotle's Political Theory Democracy and Development Analysing The Relationship Between Democracy And Development: Defining Basic Concepts And Assessing Key Linkages

One of the most iconic things to happen on our continent is when Thomas Sankara came to power and changed the name of Upper Volta to Burkina Faso - the land of upright men. How may we best carry out Sankara's vision for Africa? This week, I wish to share a pet topic of mine with you - the continuing debate on the role of Africanization and Decolonization on our lives. Are these two movements still relevant? Still necessary? Must we Africanize or decolonize, or must we do both? Press play!

Resources

Revisiting the debate on the Africanisation of higher education: an appeal for a conceptual shift Africanisation: A rich environment for active learning on a global platform The danger of a single story "Concerning Violence," by Frantz Fanon Mau Mau torture victims to receive compensation THE FINAL REPORT OF THE TRUTH JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION OF KENYA (2013) Image credit

On March 31st 2017, a video went viral on social media of two men, said to be plainclothes policemen, having a scuffle with a young man. Shots are heard, and understandably there is screaming and scampering. Then, we see the young man on the ground. One of the men then shoots the young man again, and again. Then the video fades to black. In the days after, there was polarized debate on extrajudicial killing, with some people strongly supporting it, and others strongly condemning it. So we'll talk about that in this episode. Press play! Resources Cops caught on camera killing suspected Eastleigh gang members Officer in alleged extrajudicial killing a 'darling of residents' Was Extra-Judicial Killing of Eastleigh 'Thugs' Justified? Kenyans Divided Police criticised as extrajudicial killings increase Amnesty report says Kenya tops Africa in extrajudicial killings Track, Capture, Kill: Inside Communications Surveillance and Counterterrorism in Kenya What Do We Tell the Families?: Killings and Disappearances in the Coastal Region of Kenya, 2012 - 2016 Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery reveals 90 deadly criminal gangs in Kenya

Kenya's longest serving Finance Cabinet Secretary (this position was formerly known as Finance Minister) read the budget statement for 2017/2018 on the 30th of March 2017. This is a special reading since it is this government's last budget in their first term, and this being an election year, there is a possibility that they may or may not be re-elected. It is also full of interesting-ness, in as far as budgets can be interesting, so we think it's a good idea to take a closer look at it. Press play!

Resources

Budget Statement for the Fiscal Year 2017/2018 Episode 24: Drought Begins With You Episode 28: Why is Food So Expensive? Episode 25: An Opposition Scorecard Episode 23: Fascism is The New Black Episode 31: The Political Con Episode 1: The Gambler

Like many other Kenyans, I find myself constantly wondering about the hold our political class has on us, and why they continue to hoodwink and oppress us with impunity and consistency. I have analyzed our systems, institutions and approach to governance for over five years in my work – yet somehow I still find myself coming back to this. This past week, my run in with a street con artist gave me insight as to how and why this happens. Press play!

Resources

The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time Can You Spot A Liar? Maria Konnikova on How we Get Conned Episode 27: How Do We Heal?

Last week, on March 18th 2017, Uhuru Kenyatta traveled to Dhobley Military camp in Somalia to visit the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops stationed there as part of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission stationed there. He wore his military fatigues (they come with his role as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces). This happened just a few weeks after a US Congressman blew the whistle on a US$ 418 million arms deal that Kenya has with a US based company to buy 12 weaponized crop dusters and two other weapons that he claims involved faulty contracting practices, fraud and unfair treatment of Kenya. So this week, we talk about militarization and its dangers. Press play!

Resources

President Kenyatta commends KDF's efforts to boost security

10 Countries With The Fastest Growing Militaries

Why fishy smell on US arms deal just won't go away

Militarism as a cause of World War 1

Rising Kenyan defence spending to hit $5.5 billion by 2018 How NYS will become 'social change army' My Land Is Not Kenya: The Folly Of Patriotism The Militarization of US Police Kenya defence forces arrive in Baragoi for disarmament exercise The Paradox of Government

This week, we begin to focus on our upcoming general election, starting with the political party nominations that are in the near future. Our representatives have been making many promises and inflammatory statements across the board, and there has also been a lot of party hopping. We take a look at why the nominations are so important, why there is so much party hopping, and what we can expect of the nominations. Press play!

Resources

Uhuru signs new law allowing politicians to merge parties

Basic requirements for political parties Elections Act

Election Laws (Amendment) Bill 2016

Political Parties Act

Political Parties (Amendment) Bill

This week, you guys said you wanted to talk about food inflation - that is, the increase in the prices of food in Kenya. Between February 2016 and February 2017, the cost of food and non alcoholic beverages has gone up by 16.5%. The cost of making a meal has gone up by as much as 30%, and this week, we ask why. Why is food so expensive, and what can be done to make sure that we reverse this trend? Press play! Resources Episode 24: Drought Begins With You Food Inflation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Causes and Policy Implications Kenya Inflation Rate Kenya Food Inflation Rate Consumer Price Indices and Inflation Rates for February 2017 Kenya ranked sixth on extreme poverty index Population living below $1.25 PPP per day (%) Forecasting and Monetary Policy Analysis in Low-Income Countries: Food and non-Food Inflation in Kenya

It's 2017, and the world feels like it's falling apart. The gains that we have made as a people feel like they are being erased - instead of love, acceptance and growth, we have hatred, intolerance and division. The fight against fascism, racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia feels like it's about to be lost. Is it too late? No, not if we arm ourselves with the right knowledge and tools, and fight against this wave. There is hope on the other end of this tunnel. Press play!

Resources

Winning Arguments: Interaction Dynamics and Persuasion Strategies in Good-faith Online Discussions How To Argue How To Change Someone's Mind, According To Science The Audacity of Talking About Race With the Ku Klux Klan Every Racist I Know Voted for Donald Trump How Empathy Helps You Deal with Mean People Why Empathy Is Your Most Important Skill (and How to Practice It) Image Source

We made it to episode 26! That's half a year of podcasting guys, let's pat ourselves on the back! :D

This episode, I ran my first experiment. Recently, I sat down and a thought jumped into my mind - wouldn't it be nice if we (Kenyans) could map a course between where we are now as a country, and where we wanna be? And, wouldn't it be nice if this were a simple exercise that anyone could do in less than 3 minutes?

I wanted to know:

1. If you could describe Kenya as it is now in 3 words, what would those words be? 2. If Kenya looked exactly as you'd like in a year, what 3 words would you use to describe it then? 3. In 3 words, how do we get from here to there?

This episode, we look at what you guys said! :) Press play! And, if you missed out on the experiment, not to worry, just share your thoughts in the comments below!

Resources

Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index 2016

World Happiness Report 2016