Nairobi
Kenya is a beacon in East Africa: the largest national economy, despite many problems a functioning democracy with an active civil society, but above all a young country with well-educated, committed people.
The foundation strengthens democracy and civic engagement in Kenya. It promotes entrepreneurship and free, fair trade. And it is a strong advocate for human rights.
At the same time, Nairobi is home to the Global Partnership Hub, the centre of excellence for development cooperation. The Hub generates knowledge and innovative concepts from the Global South - for a better future for North and South.
News
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Kenya Grapples with Deepening Repression as Gen Z Revolt Marks One Year
The death of 31-year-old teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody on June 7 has raised global alarm over Kenya’s rapidly shrinking civic space. His killing cast a dark shadow over the first anniversary of the Gen Z protests that shook the nation and reverberated across Africa on June 25, 2024. One year after young Kenyans took to the streets and the internet to demand economic justice, transparency, and good governance, the repression they sought to dismantle has only worsened. Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay, a lakeside town in western Kenya, for allegedly defaming Deputy Inspector General Eluid Lagat on X. He was transferred to Nairobi and died less than 12 hours later while in custody at Central Police Station. The government claimed he had hit his head on a cell wall, but an independent post-mortem revealed fatal head injuries, neck compression, and signs of severe beating—hallmarks of torture. His death shocked the nation not only for its brutality, but also for its timing, days before the first anniversary of the Gen Z revolt being marked on June 25.
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Africa’s $100 Billion Corruption Crisis: Can the Proposed International Court Stop the Bleeding?
Corruption is not just a governance failure—it is a full-blown economic crisis draining the lifeblood of many nations, rich and poor alike. Seventy years since the first wave of independence, Africa, with all its vast mineral wealth and untapped human capital remains paradoxically impoverished. The continent loses more than USD 100 billion every year through illicit financial flows, corruption, and theft—double the amount it receives in foreign aid. Yet, it continues to function as a net creditor to the world, subsidizing global economies while its own citizens suffer.
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The power of art in shaping society and reflecting change
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) Kenya recently hosted a gripping edition of its Freedom Café, spotlighting the launch of “We Refuse to Be Victims,” a powerful poetry collection by Ugandan poet and activist Sam Mugumya. The event brought together over 100 writers, poets, artists, and activists to explore its role in defending democracy and human rights. Mugumya’s collection, written during his eight-year imprisonment in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Prison Militaire de Ndolo, is a riveting testimony of survival and resilience under political repression. The 82 poems capture themes of injustice, endurance, and the relentless pursuit of freedom, offering a stark reminder of the human cost of authoritarianism.
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A new era of collaboration
Berlin, Germany - Friday, September 13, 2024 will be remembered as a historic moment for the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) as it marked the realization of an innovative concept advocating for the exchange of labor and skills between the Global North and Global South. In Berlin, an MOU was signed between FNF, the Government of Kenya, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, and Qhala Trust. This initiative was born out of the recognition that while the Baby Boomer generation in the Global North is rapidly retiring, creating significant labor shortages, many young, talented professionals in the Global South face a lack of job opportunities.
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Where is President Ruto steering the country?
It was supposed to be a liberating blow. On the evening of July 11, 2024, Kenya's President Ruto issued a press release. Three pages of praise for his own government were followed by the real news on page four: all ministers and the Attorney General were dismissed immediately. The only exception was the Prime Minister, who also heads the Foreign Ministry. Ruto also announced immediate talks to broaden the government's base.
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Black Tuesday in Kenya as Gen Z overrun parliament, police kill 14
Fourteen people were killed and Parliament torched as stalwarts of President William Ruto passed controversial tax law which has provoked a popular uprising among young Kenyans. Gen Z protestors were staging the fifth of their “seven days of rage” hold-out against Ruto government’s hard-line stance on Finance Bill 2024. In 35 of Kenya’s 47 counties, they poured out in the streets in their thousands, shouting down the government, burning and looting properties associated with ruling party MPs.
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Bold Gen Z takes to streets, demands end to punitive finance bill
In what is being hailed as a new dawn for Kenya, the nation has experienced an unexpected uprising driven by a bold, new generation of young protesters. These determined activists on Tuesday took control of majority of Kenyan towns, exerting more pressure on Members of Parliament (MPs) to retract several unpopular tax proposals embedded in the 2024 Finance Bill. Before this spectacle and for days on end, they had joined their elder generations in opposing the tax proposals contained in the bill, a brainchild of President William Ruto’s ambitious plan to have Kenyans fully fund their own budget.
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