A Gen Z Protester march along Moi Avenue in Nairobi during the Anti-government protest on July 23, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard] Anita Barasa turned her phone’s selfie camera on to record a video, one of many she has made before. But this clip was different. It wasn’t for her thousands of TikTok followers, but for a man she deeply admired. “Agwambo, this is a message to you,” began Barasa in her message to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, recorded just days before the Generation Z revolt erupted. “Usitokee (Don’t come out). Don’t come. Agwambo, please stay at home. We saw…
Author: By Brian Otieno and Fiddelis Mogaka
President William Ruto and his Tanzanian counterpart Samia Suluhu during the funeral service of the late President Hage Geingob held at Independence Stadium in Windhoek, Namibia. [PCS] A fresh wave of growing intolerance is sweeping across governments in East Africa, a region that has historically seemed half-hearted about embracing democratic principles. Across the East African Community (EAC), vocal opposition leaders are finding it rough. Some face threats of criminal charges while others suffer detention. And respective governments, which face accusations of advancing authoritarianism, seem to be “watching each other’s backs,” as Macharia Munene, a professor of leadership and international relations,…