Blog

By Abigael Kirui

 

It’s Time to Eliminate the Barriers

With special schools, disability policies and even an increasing number of assistive programs, Kenya is still moving in the direction of inclusive education. However, one question is still frequently disregarded: why do we still divide students according to their disabilities?

Real inclusion isn’t about putting people into separate circles-it’s about weaving all students disabled and non-disabled into the same kind of classroom life. When that happens, everyone gets the chance to learn, join in, and grow together; without it, what we call inclusion is just a polite way of keeping some kids outside.

 

Special Schools Are Not the Whole Solution

Special schools absolutely matter, they can provide easy routines and resources for learners with very deep or unique needs. Yet when those schools become the first and only answer for every disabled student, we wind up locking doors and missing chances for ordinary friendships and everyday mixing.

The Ministry of Education has announced the recruitment of serving teachers for a two-year full-time Special Needs Education (SNE) Diploma course at the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) beginning in 2025.The programme targets current Teachers Service Commission (TSC) employees who wish to specialise in teaching learners with disabilities. Because of that gap, many families are forced into special schools not because it is best for their child, but because the mainstream option is simply unavailable. Special education therefore has to sit inside the regular school system, ready to help, not to fence off.

 

Inclusion Means Learning Side by Side

When students with different abilities share the same classroom, the whole culture grows kinder and more flexible. Everyone learns how to explain, to wait, to adapt, and that preparation gives them the social muscle to move comfortably through a world built for many kinds of bodies and minds.

Ironically, this separation disappears in the professional world, where disabled and non-disabled individuals are expected to collaborate as equals. This gap highlights a contradiction: schools that fail to integrate learners fully are preparing them for a world that demands inclusion. Why not start that inclusion from the classroom?

 

 

 

Separate Is Not Equal

When Kenya signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the country promised that every child would learn on the same terms as neighbours. Yet when schools isolate disabled children, we break that promise.

Our Basic Education Act of 2013 and Article 54 of the Constitution also call for equal access and say discrimination has no place in learning. Still, good words mean little without ramps, Braille books, trained staff, and attitudes that treat every child with respect. The purpose of the Act is to ensure that all children in Kenya are provided with a free and compulsory primary education. Both children with and without disabilities should be treated ‘equally’ which involves both the same treatment as well as different treatment based on the need of some children for accommodations.

 

Unity in Diversity Starts in the Classroom

The sooner we put children of every ability in the same room, the sooner society learns to value difference. Inclusion chips away at stigma, makes diversity ordinary, and teaches teamwork from the ground up.

Picture the professionals Kenya could raise if every graduate carried real experience of studying besides, not out of pity for, classmates who learn differently.

 

From Sympathy to Solidarity. Inclusion is not charity. It is justice.

Getting there calls for solid teacher training at every level like; accessible classrooms, toilets and play areas. Learning materials like Braille books, screen readers and sign-language interpreters.

 

Policy implementation with real accountability

A Closer Look: Daystar University’s Steps Toward Inclusion

As a Daystar student, I’ve seen the university take some real steps toward including disabled people. By far the most impressive move was the 2021 launch of the Daystar Institute of Disability Studies (DIDS), which now offers a Diploma in Disability Studies and trains future advocates and educators to push for wider inclusion on campus and beyond.

(DIDS – Daystar University) (https://dids.daystar.ac.ke/about)

The university is also building a Resource Centre for Visually Disabled Students with help from the Kenya Society for the Blind and tech partner Bitech. The centre will stock new devices and e-learning tools, giving visually impaired learners a fighting chance in an age driven by screens.

(Daystar Assistive Technology Project) (https://daystar.ac.ke/dccc.html)

Even so, the road is far from smooth. Most lecture halls, dorms and walkways remain hard to navigate for students who use wheelchairs, crutches or other aids. On top of that, many lecturers still need training in inclusive methods so every learner feels valued long after the ramps are installed.

Daystar has begun its journey-but real inclusion still costs time, cash, and honesty, and, above all, it asks us to keep pausing and hearing the words of disabled students themselves.

 

Conclusion: Inclusion Is Belonging

 

We cannot talk about equal education if some students are still learning on the side-lines.

Whether it is a dusty government primary school in rural Kenya or a tidy private university like Daystar, the future must be plugged together, not pulled apart. Inclusion means every learner, in every classroom, in every subject.

Let’s not settle for symbolic policies or the odd wheelchair ramp. Let’s build a system where students do not just limp through lessons but feel they own the chairs they sit in.

Because true inclusion is not about separate tracks-it is about weaving all the tracks together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

Ministry of Education Opens Recruitment of Teachers for Special Needs Education Course https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/111398-ministry-education-opens-recruitment-teachers-special-needs-education-course

Ministry of Education (2018). Sector Policy for Learners and Trainees with Disabilities. https://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/sites/default/files/ressources/kenya_sector_policy_learners_trainees_disabilities.pdf

United Nations (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/united-nations-convention-rights-persons-disabilities-uncrpd

Constitution of Kenya (2010), Article 54. https://www.klrc.go.ke/index.php/constitution-of-kenya/113-chapter-four-the-bill-of-rights/part-3-specific-application-of-rights/220-54-persons-with-disabilities

Basic Education Act (2013), Government of Kenya. https://www.saflii.org/za/journals/ADRY/2014/2.html#:~:text=The%20purpose%20of%20the%20Act%20is%20to%20ensure%20that%20all,of%20some%20children%20for%20accommodations.

Daystar Institute of Disability Studies – [https://dids.daystar.ac.ke/](https://dids.daystar.ac.ke)

Daystar Assistive Technology Centre – [https://daystar.ac.ke/dccc.html](https://daystar.ac.ke/dccc.html)

 

 

By Makena Rachel

A cry for change. Sign the petition today. Courtesy of Usikimye and Joanna Kinuthia.

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” – Audre Lorde
Amanda Mutheu, 5, was viciously murdered by her uncle on 11th June 2025. Allegedly intoxicated, he threw her off the second floor balcony of her home in Jacaranda Gardens. She was rushed to Kenyatta University Teaching and Referral Hospital but unfortunately succumbed to her injuries.

Abigael Wina Wanjiku, 18, was brutally raped, mutilated and murdered in her home in Mwiki on 19th June 2025. Her mother found her naked in a pool of her blood. She was stabbed five times in the stomach and once in the neck.
The last moments of their lives were filled with a savage brutality that no woman should ever endure. This is femicide. Femicide is the intentional killing of women with a gender-related motivation.
In Kenya, a woman is killed every 18 hours. In 2024, 579 women were killed according to a National Police Service report. Home, a place that should be a safe haven for women, is where 72% of femicides take place.
“When you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression”
In order to understand femicide, it is important to realize that it is deeply rooted in misogynistic behavior. There has been a disturbing increase of misogynistic content on various social media platforms in Kenya. This is known as the manosphere.
The manosphere refers to a network of social media influencers and communities promoting male supremacy and antifeminist ideologies. The manosphere claims that men have been disadvantaged by feminism and need to reclaim their power, that feminism has come at the cost of men’s rights.
According to CNN, Kenya was consistently in the top 10 of countries globally using known manosphere words and phrases across X (formerly known as Twitter) in 2023. Kenya’s ranking rose to third in January 2024, coinciding with a rise in femicide cases. Harmless conversations on relationships, jobs and finances turn into toxic arguments about outdated gender norms

Victim Blaming
Alarmingly, young men seem apathetic to the femicide crisis in Kenya. Women are blamed for their own deaths, their stories being subjected to intense scrutiny.
What was she wearing? Why was she out late? What did she do to provoke him? These are common examples of questions used to invalidate victims’ experiences. Victim blaming shifts accountability from the perpetrator to the victim and perpetuates cycles of abuse.
What justifies killing women? What justifies the deaths of Amanda and Abigael who were murdered in their own homes? What justifies the brutal manner in which their lives were taken?

Culture and Gender Norms
Kenyan culture is inherently patriarchal. Gender roles and outdated traditions rule our society. Women are expected to be subservient and long-suffering while men are seen as dominant and providers.
This creates and strengthens power imbalances, where women are continuously exposed to violence due to their social standing. The entitlement to women and their bodies is evident when some men cite rejection or spending money on women as their cause for murdering innocent women.
Femicide should be a crime
“Femicide is a pandemic” – Njeri Wa Migwi

Majority of perpetrators of femicide are not apprehended. This sends a message that the killing of women is tolerated, as it is not widely persecuted, leading to further cycles of abuse and violence. For those who face legal action, the delays in prosecution caused by poor investigations leave them distrustful of the justice system
At the moment, femicide is not criminalized in Kenya. Article 21 of the constitution states that the State shall enact and implement legislation to fulfil its international obligations in respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Femicide violates the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women. So why is it that femicide is not a crime?
The Kenyan government needs to take strides to protect Kenyan women by offering support to victims of femicide, ensuring the apprehension of perpetrators and providing clearly defined legal structures that protect women against femicide.
Kenya has a femicide crisis. Recognizing femicide as a crime is crucial in order to ensure the protection of women, increase accountability and guarantee justice for all victims. Every woman deserves to live without fear. #endfemicideke

By Joe Aura, aurajoe6@gmail.com

The TikTok Effect: How One App Reshaped Kenya’s Social Scene

In the past five years, Kenya’s pop culture has undergone a radical transformation, and at the heart of it all is TikTok. Once dismissed as just another social media fad, TikTok has now cemented its place as the driving force behind entertainment, fashion, music, and even the event culture in Nairobi and beyond. With its ability to catapult unknown artists into overnight stardom and make niche events go viral, the platform has single-handedly reshaped how Kenyans experience and engage with popular culture.

The Dance Revolution: Where Moves Go Viral

One of the most unmistakable imprints of TikTok on Kenyan pop culture is its impact on dance trends. From the viral ‘Firirinda’ challenge to the unmistakable Gengetone moves that flood timelines, TikTok has become the go-to platform for dance challenges that define the club scene, street performances, and even school functions. It has created a pipeline where choreographers like Tileh Pacbro and dancers from groups like AfroSync not only showcase their creativity but also gain international recognition.

Gone are the days when learning the latest dance meant waiting for a club DJ to introduce it on a Saturday night. Now, a simple scroll through TikTok floods users with countless tutorials, and within hours, a new dance can take over weddings, nightclubs, and even corporate activations.

The Birth of an Events Culture Like No Other

Beyond dance, TikTok has revolutionized how events are marketed, attended, and experienced. Today, an event’s success is no longer determined solely by mainstream media coverage—it thrives on engagement, reach, and virality on TikTok. Previews of upcoming gigs, behind-the-scenes snippets, and real-time updates drive FOMO (fear of missing out), pushing Nairobians and Kenyans at large to actively participate in experiences that look too good to miss.

Take, for instance, the rise of curated rooftop parties, secret warehouse raves, and cultural festivals. Many of these experiences gain traction through viral TikTok content. Spaces like The Alchemist, K1 Klub House, and The Waterfront have benefitted immensely from TikTok-fueled hype, transforming them into must-visit destinations. The #NairobiNightlife hashtag alone has amassed millions of views, showcasing everything from intimate jazz sessions to high-energy Gengetone extravaganzas.

TikTok as a Cultural Archivist

TikTok has also played a key role in preserving and amplifying Kenya’s cultural heritage. Traditional music, folklore, and even indigenous languages have found a new home on the platform. Songs like ‘Mwomboko’ or ‘Mugithi’ remixes by Gen Z creators blend the old with the new, bridging generational gaps and giving traditional sounds a fresh, global audience. Additionally, content creators are using the platform to educate audiences on history, language, and identity—turning TikTok into a digital storytelling hub.

From Hobbies to Careers: The Business of TikTok Culture

For content creators, TikTok has not just been a fun distraction—it has created entire careers. Influencers who started by casually documenting their daily lives are now raking in brand deals, booking event appearances, and influencing entire fashion and beauty trends. Brands have also recognized TikTok as a goldmine, partnering with creators to push products, sell experiences, and shape consumer behavior. The ‘Nairobi Aesthetic’—a blend of Afro-street style, high-energy nightlife, and curated social experiences—owes much of its global appeal to TikTok’s influence.

The Future: What’s Next for Kenya’s TikTok-Fueled Culture?

With TikTok’s influence growing at an unprecedented rate, Kenya’s pop culture is set for even more disruption. Augmented reality (AR) experiences, live-streamed concerts, and interactive brand activations will only increase, blurring the lines between digital and physical entertainment. The power has shifted—no longer is culture dictated solely by traditional media, but by everyday creators who can turn a simple trend into a nationwide movement.

As Nairobi cements itself as the ultimate chill spot, TikTok will continue to serve as its heartbeat, dictating what’s hot, what’s next, and where the party is at. Whether it’s the next big dance challenge, a fashion craze, or an underground music genre breaking into the mainstream, one thing is certain—if it’s trending on TikTok, it’s defining Kenya’s pop culture.