Book Review: These Words; An Anthology of Poems by Professor Kivutha Kibwana
Book Review: These Words; An Anthology of Poems by Professor Kivutha Kibwana Life is tough, be tough Life is bitter, make it honey Life is for the living not for quitting, live.[1] Introduction At first glance, the legal profession and poetry seem like strange bedfellows. One may find it curious that the legal profession and […]
A blessing or a jinx? The impact of political opposition in contemporary Kenya: building an arena for effective political opposition
Democracy and opposition are supposed to go hand in hand. The nascent debate in Kenya is not just about whether democracy will survive, but about the quality of that democracy if it does. The role, functions, legitimacy and capacity of political opposition, in a situation where it is highly fragmented, constitutes a key aspect of […]
Rwanda: National memory and violence of forgetting a genocide
During this tumultuous period, over a million people were slaughtered by Hutu extremists targeting the minority Tutsi. The events of that period highlighted the indefatigable capacity of humanity to commit unspeakable acts of destruction. But the 29th anniversary of the killings also illustrates the construction of national memory and the violence of forgetting genocide. The […]
The silent scourge: a call for outlawing marital rape in Kenya
Introduction Rape is defined as an unlawful sexual activity that involves engaging in sexual activity against the victim’s will by using force or the threat of using force, or with a person who is unable to give informed consent because they are a minor, have a mental health condition, are intoxicated, are unconscious, or are […]
The impact of Kenya’s drug policies on human rights: An analysis of the consequences of criminalizing drug use
Introduction The drug problem refers to the widespread use and abuse of illegal drugs, prescription drugs, and other substances with negative physical, mental and health consequences. Communally it has had the effect of destroying relationships such as family and friends. It also ruins one’s capability of working and studying which makes society’s economic status plummet […]
Mirror, mirror on the wall: Who is the fairest of them all?
Body dysmorphia disorder and cosmetic surgery The establishment of social media in 1997 has fostered better information and communication mechanisms and with this it has its pitfalls.[1] Cyber pressure and cyber bullying based on ones looks have increased the number of people suffering from body dysmorphia disorder (BDD) otherwise referred to as imagined ugliness syndrome. […]
Justifying gender equality in electoral politics: is the quota system the solution?
Given that it has been argued that the main impediment to gender equality in electoral politics is patriarchal politics, most gender equality projects involve the implementation of gender quotas to increase the number of women leaders. Within the use of quotas to promote gender parity emerges the configuration of women as marginalized groups who require […]