Author: Nanjala Nyabola
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Thinking radically in Africa must start with political education
It’s easy to dismiss education as part of the work that an activist does, but without it our activism remains reactionary, not radical. This article is ... -
The pitfalls – and privileges – of travelling while Black
Joe Shmoe may be able to backpack across Lomé with nothing more than the clothes on his back; you probably can’t. When I first started backpacking, ... -
Not welcome here: Travelling while African
Welcome to a new series of articles, guest edited by Nanjala Nyabola, exploring what it means to travel as black and African. This is the first ... -
Living in Translation
Welcome to a new series of articles, guest edited by Nanjala Nyabola, exploring the worlds our languages have built across Africa. This is the first article ... -
Why is Africa always portrayed as a passive woman?
Africa is often talked about as an object to be consumed. Even those who resist this discourse sometimes employ it. At the start of this month, ... -
#FreeBobiWine and today’s Pan-Africanism for the digital age
African activists are increasingly finding their voices amplified by allies across the continent. Most #FreeBobiWine traffic came from outside Uganda. The violent arrest, detention and now ... -
Will the Stability Doctrine in Africa destabilise the world?
Amidst rising discontent, foreign governments are increasingly asserting the importance of “stability”. But for whom? To what end? For how long? In 2017, the world watched ... -
Siasa na Kusengenyana (aka When Kenyan politicians switch from English)
Kenya’s political discourse takes place in two very different realms: one conducted in English, one not. The Supreme Court’s ruling on 1 September was one of ... -
Kenya’s 2017 elections will be like none before. Here’s why.
Devolution has demystified local power and emboldened voters to assert themselves, leading to shocks all the way up the political pyramid. Kenya’s 2017 elections are set ... -
Decolonise da police: How brutality was written into the DNA of Kenya’s police service
The problem isn’t rogue elements. It’s that the Administration Police division was created under colonialism with the specific purpose of beating Africans into submission. “Severe blunt force trauma ...
