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ONGOING PROJECTS
  • Contributor, V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) – Democracy, Elections and Political Parties in Zanzibar(2000-2020).
  • Researcher, Providing for Peacekeeping Project – International Peace Institute (IPI) (2015-Ongoing).
  • Research in Popular Music and Culture (2019-Ongoing).
  • Research in Politics and Elections in Tanzania (Ongoing).
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Students’ Tribune

The Students’ Tribune features stories and analyses from students I have taught and mentored over the years. This platform is inspired by my interactions with students at different universities. It is a platform that publishes conversations and stories about students’ personal life experiences as well as academic experiences. The goal is to inspire, educate and raise awareness on various issues that students face. As a university lecturer, I have always believed that teaching alone is not enough; students need to be inspired and mentored. This platform provides an opportunity for students to tell stories and make meaningful conversations that will be impactful. I hope this platform will inspire and up make students’ voices heard.

The Pulpit President: Religion and Ruto

Students' Analyses, Students' Tribune

By Iddah Apondi   The great Marxist thinker Karl Marx once opined that “religion is the opium of the people.” These words hold great resonance in the African continent. In examining Kenya and its dance with religion like other African countries, one can see that there exists a mixture of religion and the daily lives of people. The 2020 report on International Religious freedom: Kenya estimated that as of 2019 approximately 85.5% of the total population of Kenyans are Christians, 11% Muslim and less than 2% fall in to the religious groups...

How Social media shaped the 2022 Kenyan Election

Students' Tribune

By Ted Apondi   Having just concluded the controversial general election on August 9th, a wide array of actors in Kenya have taken steps to create a controlling narrative. Political parties, analysts, agents and voters and non-voters alike have all stormed the social media scene on Twitter, Meta and Instagram to give their view and assert their position on the outcome of the election. The Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) has been at helm of hilarious memes, political analyses and some worrying clickbait stories. Now, the Supreme Court will determine whether...

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Lessons Lessons!

Students' Analyses, Students' Tribune

By Umu Jalo These past few years have come with heavy lessons that life prior had not prepared us all for. Nobody alive now was there during the last global pandemic of the Spanish flu to prepare us now for the skill set that we required for buoyancy and resilience of having our lives turned upside down. The thing is, this has been a real test of survival, reinvention, risk taking, at least for me, in navigating this new world the best I know how, and here are the lessons I...

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Trust the process; let go of fear

Students' Analyses, Students' Tribune

By Umu Jalo   You probably have had this phrase a gazillion times in your journey through your current life so far. It’s become a catchphrase with modern gurus and their endless motivational rants. Have you ever stopped and dissected this phrase though? Tried looking at it from all angles at first, then depending on which lens that resonates with your life journey, applied it and sat back to see it work it’s magic?   Well, the two phrases, trust the process and let go of fear are powerful enough on their own, leave...

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Wake Up!

General Blogs, Students' Analyses, Students' Tribune

By Umu Jalo  Hey you! Pause for a moment. Hold whatever it is that you are doing for at least three minutes before you resume your routine on the hamster wheel that you have found yourself in.  Do you think that this is it? Being born, going to school by the time you get to four years’ old, being churned through the worlds educational systems, coming out at whatever level, high school, graduate, or even a professor? Do you think that all you were meant to be was a cog in...

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Caged Free Bird

Students' Tribune

Free Caged bird How can a bird be free and yet caged one may wonder why can’t they chose to be free and break from “bondage”? Actually, on second thought it’s quite relatable just in different circumstances but the majorly when it comes to our inner thoughts and societal expectations. But today I’m not going talk about that, not that I’m undermining how vital the subject matter is. But I’m sure a break from overthinking it would be nice at least just for today.   I’m writing this on “Mashujaa” day a Kenyan...

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Inside the mind of a college lady weed addict

Students' Analyses, Students' Tribune

By Anonymous The human mind is truly the scariest thing of all. It can hold you captive or even liberate you. The Bible in 2 Timothy 1:7 says “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” It is however impossible to be brave and understand this wander of addiction in my mind. The drugs have taken power from my mind. It is even more difficult to describe this compulsive need of smoking marijuana popularly known weed, shash, mbichwa,...

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Living with Voice Hoarseness

Students' Analyses, Students' Tribune

By Leah Muringo “Excuse me…. I don’t know how to say this but this position requires a person who will be audible enough over the phone and during presentations. Good luck in your future applications.” This is often the case for a person living with voice hoarseness but once in a while, you could get one or two people who think your voice is quite romantic. However, I mostly get the latter. This is often times followed by, “do you normally speak like that?”   Well, this began with constant fevers when I...

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Growing up as a Pastor’s Kid

Students' Analyses, Students' Tribune

By Shaddih Mururi Nyaga   My name is Shaddih Mururi Nyaga. I am a pastor’s kid. I have always been referred as the ‘pastor’s kid’ but today I introduce myself with this title. I know that the ‘pastor’s kid moniker is not really important but for now it is. So I have been a pastors’ kid all my life. I was born into a Christian family. I am the third born in a family of four children. I got to learn a lot of Bible verses. On Sunday’s I used to wake...

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