“You Can’t Go To College Without An ID”

Following reports of the illegal sale of Kenyan identification papers to foreigners, the government issued a directive to restrict issuance of identification papers to ethnically Somali individuals (whether from Somalia or Kenyan-born). We met Abdullahi Ahmed, a Kenyan journalist, who explained how directives such as these are affecting Kenyan citizens of Somali origin.

Abdullahi also discussed how rampant anti-Somali discrimination (such as that highlighted by the directive above) probably provides a basis for the youth from Kenya’s neglected northeastern region to fight in Somalia.

Get the transcript here. [Adobe PDF]

Read media references to these two stories here and here, and here.

“We Desperately Need A New Generation”

Just A Band’s second album – 82 – features a song called “Usinibore”, written by Blinky Bill; a member of the band. “I think we’re all very tired of seeing politicians who’ve been there from the 60s still clinging to power and not doing anything to better our lives. That’s something that affects all of us. If the country starts to burn like it did in 2007, we all go down with it.”

He sat down with us to talk about his views on “whiny” Kenyans, and how desperately we need a new breed of politicians in this country.

Get the transcript here. [Adobe PDF]