Somali Mobilities Forum
The Somali Mobilities Forum is a hybrid event bringing together scholars and practitioners to examine how Somali experiences of mobility are changing, and what continuities persist in contexts of displacement, violence, and precarity. The forum will explore how Somalis are classified and treated amid heightened hostility towards migrants and refugees and declining humanitarian support. It […]
Writing Ethiopia into the World and Writing the World from Ethiopia
Format: Zoom Webinar Date: Friday, 30 January 2026 Time: 13:30 Cambridge time | 16:30 EATUpdate: The webinar will take place at 16:30 EAT. The UK time (13:30) remains unchanged. The Ethiopian Women Researchers Network (EWNET) will host an online scholarly webinar examining how Ethiopia has been written into global knowledge, and how Ethiopian thinkers and rulers have, […]
From Charity to Solidarity: Rethinking Aid in Sudan and South Sudan – Charting Policy Directions
Format: Hybrid ForumDate: Wednesday, 10 December 2025Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EATVenue: BIEA, Laikipia Road, Kileleshwa Background The steep decline in international aid has created severe challenges for the humanitarian and development sectors in Sudan and South Sudan. While the full impact is still unfolding, emerging evidence paints a dire picture marked by soaring needs amid dwindling support. More than 20 […]
Rethinking Peacemaking in Sudan
Format: Hybrid Forum Date: Saturday, 6 December 2025 Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EAT Venue: BIEA, Laikipia Road, Kileleshwa Despite more than five decades of peace initiatives, Sudan’s succession of agreements—from Addis Ababa in 1972 to Juba in 2020—has not delivered sustained stability. Each accord promised an end to conflict but faltered amid limited political will, weak implementation and […]
Book Launch: The Police, the State and Congo Cop
Format: Zoom Webinar Date: Thursday, 30 October 2025 Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM EAT What do everyday police practices reveal about the nature of the state in the Democratic Republic of Congo and beyond? A new open-access book by Michel Thill offers the first full-length, empirical deep dive into policework in the DRC, while also developing a nuanced framework […]
Sitawa Namwalie | Why Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Matters: Language, decolonisation and theatre
Poet and playwright Sitawa Namwalie reflects on the deep impact of Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s work on her life and art. She speaks about growing up in post-colonial Kenya, the violence of language erasure in schools and how Ngugi’s Decolonising the Mind reshaped her understanding of theatre, resistance and identity. Her performance of Names of the […]
Mohamed Amin Abdishukri | Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s Radical Resistance and the Spirit of Gen Zote Movement
In this compelling interview, journalist and political commentator Mohammed Amin Abdishukri reflects on Kenya’s current wave of youth-led protests — often dubbed the Gen Z or Gen Zote movement. He places this moment within a historical continuum of resistance, drawing connections from the Mau Mau and the Kenyan Land and Freedom Army to radical thinkers […]
Prof Kimani Njogu | Language, Politics and the Legacy of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o
In this compelling reflection, linguist and Director of Twaweza Communications, Prof Kimani Njogu, explores the centrality of language in Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s political and literary work. He explains why Ngũgĩ turned to African languages to reach people across the continent, arguing that language is not just a tool of communication but a force for liberation, […]
Writing not to Intrpret, but to Change the World: Reflecting on the politics of Ngugi’s writing
A powerful tribute to Prof Ngugi wa Thiong’o – renowned writer, academic and political thinker. This event brings together influential voices to reflect on his legacy and impact on African literature, identity and resistance. Speakers: Sitawa Namwalie – Poet, playwright & performerYusuf Hassan – PoliticianMohamed Amin Abdishukri – Writer & socio-political commentator Kimani Njogu – […]
Ngugi wa Thiong’o Tribute – Highlights
On 5 July 2025, the Rift Valley Forum—in collaboration with the British Institute in Eastern Africa, IFRA, Cheche Books and Twaweza Communications— brought together scholars, authors, activists and politicians to celebrate Ngugi’s literary brilliance, political courage and enduring influence: A tribute to a towering figure whose voice empowered generations. The Forum explored how his work […]