Date: Wednesday 6 May 2026

Time: 14.00–16.00 EAT

Venue: Convent International Hotel, Lavington, Nairobi

Africa is at a turning point. More than ten governments have fallen unconstitutionally since 2020.

Democratic institutions are weakening. A new generation is demanding change. And the global order that once shaped the rules of engagement is fragmenting fast.

Who is failing Africa and who will lead it forward?

Join a distinguished panel of African scholars, intellectuals and practitioners for a frank and searching conversation on the crisis of political authority facing the continent. The discussion will address the failures of leadership and accountability, the pressures of a fracturing global order, and the aspirations of a generation demanding more from their institutions and leaders.

Panelists:

Amb El-Ghassim Wane
Former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for Peacekeeping and former Chief of Staff to the Chairperson of the African Union Commission

Professor Ibbo Mandaza
Executive Chairman of the Southern African Political Economy Series (SAPES) Trust

Mr Abdul Mohammed
Former Chief of Staff and Senior Political Advisor to the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) for Sudan and South Sudan

Dr Hesphina Rukato
Founding Director of the Centre for African Development Solutions (CADS) and former Deputy Chief of Staff of the African Union Commission

Dr Willy Mutunga
Former Chief Justice of Kenya and President of the Supreme Court, 2011–2016

Professor Issa Shivji
Emeritus Professor, School of Law, University of Dar es Salaam

Ms Busayo Twins
Political commentator, economic activist and strategist. Co-Director of The Black Economists Network (TBEN).

Moderator

Professor Tim Murithi
Head of the Peacebuilding Interventions Programme, Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Cape Town.