TROUBLEMAKERS

Why do movements that aim to transform the world so often fall apart from within? And what happens when the gap between our values and our actions becomes too wide to ignore?

In this episode of Trouble Makers, we sit down with Dale McKinley, a veteran activist with over 35 years of experience across South Africa’s most influential social movements. From the Communist Party to the Anti-Privatisation Forum and the Right to Know Campaign, Dale has witnessed firsthand how movements rise and how they implode.

Together with Phil Wilmot, they explore one of the most critical tensions in activism: the balance between changing the world and changing ourselves.

Key Conversations & Insights:

The “personal vs political” gap—and how it destroys movements from the inside

Why failing to confront internal issues (corruption, abuse, dishonesty) leads to collapse

The danger of “don’t air dirty laundry” culture in activist spaces

Real stories of movement breakdowns due to a lack of accountability

How trust, relationships, and internal culture shape long-term impact

Licensing:

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Trouble Makers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media.

“The secret is numbers.”

What happens when ordinary citizens decide to take democracy into their own hands?

In this episode of the Trouble Makers Podcast, host Tatiana Gicheru sits down with Kenyan journalist and civic mobilizer Ademba Alanns, the mind behind the fast-growing Tukokadi movement, an initiative pushing millions of young Kenyans to register as voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

What started as a simple tweet has now become a nationwide movement, mobilising thousands across all 47 counties. Ademba shares how one small action sparked a ripple effect, turning civic duty into a collective, youth-driven force.

Together, they unpack:

Beyond Kenya, this conversation reflects a broader shift across Africa and the world, where young people are reclaiming their role in shaping governance, one vote at a time.

This episode is a reminder: democracy is not passive. It is built, protected, and sustained by those who show up.

How does misinformation spread in conflict zones, and what are the consequences for communities and human rights defenders?

In this episode, journalist Josué Mutanava speaks with Espoir Hamoni, a human rights defender based in Uvira, South Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. They discuss how disinformation, rumors, and fake news in eastern DRC can fuel hate speech, community tensions, displacement, and insecurity, while making it harder for human rights defenders to document abuses. Originally recorded in French by Soma Media Lab in Goma, this episode highlights the importance of media literacy, reliable journalism, and community awareness in countering misinformation. The English transcript is available in the episode description, and the video can be watched on YouTube with English subtitles.

YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/4b8bxGW

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Comment la désinformation dans les zones de conflit affecte-t-elle les communautés et les défenseurs des droits humains ?

Dans cet épisode, le journaliste Josué Mutanava s’entretient avec Espoir Hamoni, défenseur des droits humains basé à Uvira, au Sud-Kivu, dans l’est de la RDC. Ils discutent de l’impact des rumeurs, fake news et manipulations de l’information sur les tensions communautaires, les déplacements de population et la sécurité, ainsi que sur le travail des défenseurs des droits humains. L’épisode a été enregistré en français par Soma Media Lab à Goma. La transcription en anglais est disponible dans la description de l’épisode, et la vidéo peut être regardée sur YouTube avec des sous-titres anglais.

What makes a workplace meaningful? Is it the salary? The office setup? The title on the door? Or is it something quieter? Something human?

In this episode of Troublemakers: Smoke Signals, we step into the everyday spaces where we spend so much of our lives. From the vibrant grounds of MS TCDC, home to the Samora Machel Studio where The Troublemakers is produced, to offices, clinics and creative corners beyond Arusha.

We asked a simple question:

What do you love most about your workplace?

The answers surprised us in their consistency.

Broader Reflections

At a time when burnout is normalised and productivity is worshipped, reclaiming joy and solidarity in our workplaces becomes radical.

The workplace is not separate from the struggle for dignity, justice, and collective wellbeing. It is one of the spaces where we practice it.

Licensing

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Trouble Makers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media. Our podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.

Resources & Show Links

Troublemakers Linktree: https://linktr.ee/troublemakers.podcast

How do movements shift people from neutrality or even opposition into active allies for justice struggles?

In this episode of the Troublemakers podcast, Monica hosts Sungu Oyoo, a writer, educator, activist, and Pan-Africanist. Sungu works with MWAMKO (Pan-African Popular Pedagogy Collective) as Director of Special Programs and Organisational Development and is also part of Kongamano Lamapinduzi, where he serves as National Spokesperson.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Drawing from Beautiful Trouble, particularly work by Joshua Kahn Russell, Sungu explains that effective organising requires mapping society into segments, allies, neutral groups, and opponents rather than speaking to a vague “public.”

Sungu traces organising evolution from earlier cost-of-living struggles to the 2024 mass protests, showing how:

A core organising insight:

Shift easier blocks first (neutrals → passive allies → active allies) rather than focusing energy on entrenched opponents.

Once one segment shifts, others often follow.

Licensing

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Trouble Makers (the podcast).

It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media. Our podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.

Resources & Show Links

Follow Sungu via social media (Sungu Oyoo)

Contact Mwamko Africa for book access and organising resources

Credits;

Host Monica Kamandau

Guest: Sungu Oyoo

Editor & Producer: Rodgers George

Music: Mwaduga Salum & Beautiful Trouble

What does it really mean to “build the nation,” and who pays the price for that work?

In this Smoke Signals episode, Monica Kamandau reads Building the Nation by Ugandan poet Henry Barlow, a biting and darkly humorous poem that exposes the everyday hypocrisies of power, privilege, and sacrifice in postcolonial African states.

This reading lands powerfully in our current moment, where ordinary people are repeatedly told to endure hardship in the name of progress, stability, or patriotism.

Henry Barlow’s Building the Nation remains painfully relevant across Africa and beyond. It challenges listeners to question who benefits from the language of sacrifice, and whose hunger is normalised in the process.

Monica Kamandau’s reading brings fresh urgency to the poem, inviting us to reflect on leadership, accountability, and the everyday cost of governance.

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media. The Beautiful Trouble toolbox inspires our podcast.

What does it mean to fail forward in organising, and how do movements survive across generations?

In this episode, recorded at Mashujaa Heritage Archives in Kibichuku, Monica Kamandau sits down with veteran Kenyan organiser and scholar Njuki Githethwa. With nearly three decades in resistance and movement building, Dr. Njuki reflects on the evolution of Kenya’s struggles, from the Mau Mau movement to today’s Gen Z protests and the Kenya Left Alliance. 

Key Ideas and Highlights

Failing forward as a movement practice

Movements must evolve, regroup, and shed their skin in order to survive. Failure is not an end point, but a foundation for renewal.

Mobilising versus organising

Life and death issues bring people to the streets, but ideology, identity, and belonging are what sustain movements over time.

Liberated zones as paths to revolution

Small, tangible victories and spaces of freedom inspire people and show what justice and liberation can look like in practice.

Licensing

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Trouble Makers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media. The Beautiful Trouble toolbox inspires our podcast.

Resources & Show Links

Mashujaa Heritage Archives, Kibichuku

Fail Forward

Credits

Host: Monica Kamandau

Guest: Njuki Githethwa

Producer & Audio Producer: Rodgers George

Music: Beautiful Trouble & Mwaduga Salum

Ep42: Civil Disobedience with Faith Kasina

When does breaking the law become the only way to survive?

In this episode, we sit down at the Kayole Social Justice Centre with organizer Faith Kasina and members of the Centre to explore civil disobedience in moments when the state fails its people. Faith walks us through protest organizing during COVID, the realities of living under Article 43 violations, and how communities confront gunism, police violence, and the politics of being branded as criminals while demanding dignity. This is a direct, honest conversation from those living the struggle daily.

Key Ideas and Highlights

Licensing

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to troublemakers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media. Our work is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.

Resources and Show Links

Kayole Community Justice Center

Article 43 of the Kenyan Constitution

Civil Disobedience Beautiful Trouble toolbox

Credits

Host: Monica Kamandau

Guest: Faith Kasina and Kayole Social Justice Centre members

Producer: Rodgers George

Music: Beautiful Trouble and Mwaduga Salum

What is the true story behind America’s gun culture beyond Hollywood’s dramatised scenes?

Growing up outside the U.S., many of us see America through movies: chaotic streets, armed civilians, danger at every corner. But how much of that imagery mirrors real life? In this conversation, we explore how easy access to guns, racialised oppression, economic precarity, and political mythology fuel a crisis that has become tragically normalised. From childhood gun training to mass shootings, from Walmart gun aisles to parents organizing for their children’s safety, this is a raw look at a nation shaped by firearms.

Anyone can use this podcast for free with attribution to Troublemakers (the podcast). It is under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and may be used for radio or any other media. Our podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.

Music: Beautiful Trouble & Mwaduga Salum

What happens when a movement falls in love with one tactic?

Njoki Gachanja is a community organizer, political and social justice activist, and community lawyer. She coordinates the Githurai Social Justice Centre, where she works with youth, artists, and local networks to build people power from the ground up. Njoki walks us through why mandamano became so central, what its limits are, and what it will take to build fresh, effective, and unified tactics for today’s Kenya.

Anyone can use this podcast for free, with attribution to Trouble Makers (the podcast). It is held under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License and can be used for radio or any other media. Our podcast is inspired by the Beautiful Trouble toolbox.

Host:Monica Kamandau