We Do Not Have Borders
Somalis have lived in Kenya for generations, in many cases long before the founding of the country. Despite their long residency, they are often perceived to be an alien presence in the country and a threat to security, especially following tragic events by al-Shabaab in Kenya. On 4 January 2017, the Rift Valley Forum launched We […]
Going on Tahriib
‘An enlightening exposé of the motives and societal pressures that spur irregular migration, in this particular case, from Somaliland and Puntland. This study could not be timelier given that people smugglers and migrant traffickers have proven themselves to be extremely adept at continuously adjusting their methods to changed and changing policy contexts. Policymakers in both […]
One slum, three upgrades
In 2004, the Kenyan government in collaboration with UN-HABITAT launched the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP), which aims to improve the living conditions of about 60 per cent of the country’s urban population by 2020. Kibera, the largest informal settlement in the country, is a pilot project under this programme. Other major development projects in […]
Big Barrier: Youth unemployment at the coast
In Kenya, 80 per cent of the unemployed are believed to be below the age of 35. The rate of unemployment in Mombasa, Kenya’s second largest city and home to the region’s largest port, is estimated to be 44 per cent. The Kuza project’s definition of unemployment includes those earning less than KES 10,000 (USD […]
A Year of Protests in Ethiopia
For more than a year now, two decades of relative social and political order in Ethiopia has been disrupted by unprecedented protest and unrest. Long-standing grievances erupted in November 2015, only six months after the ruling Ethiopia Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) won a total electoral victory earlier in May the same year. The two […]
Violent Extremism in Kenya
Kenya, along with the rest of the world, has struggled to craft a response to tackling violent extremism, especially since militarist groups have been quick to adjust their recruitment methods to adapt to such responses. Widespread narratives seem to suggest that violent extremism has international origins and is inherently a non- Kenyan problem. Yet one […]
Forging Jubaland
On 22 April 2016, the Rift Valley Forum hosted the launch of Saferworld’s report, Forging Jubaland, Community Perspectives on Federalism, Governance and Reconciliation. The creation of Jubaland state in 2013 and the controversial appointment of Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam (‘Madobe’) as President of its interim administration, supported by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), precipitated tensions […]
Drought in the Horn of Africa Roundtable
In early 2011, the scale of famine affecting the Horn of Africa was only just beginning to receive international attention, despite early warnings in the previous year. It was not until July that famine was formally declared. The famine killed 250,000 people in southern Somalia alone, and displaced and destroyed the livelihoods of hundreds of […]
The Peace Process in Burundi
In April 2015, protests erupted in Burundi when President Pierre Nkurunziza’s sought a third term in office. Protestors claimed this was contrary to the country’s constitution, but the constitutional court sided with Nkurunziza. After an attempted coup in May 2015, the government started arresting those it thought responsible. The political conflict that followed has spiralled […]
Somalia: A state of male power, insecurity and inequality
The Rift Valley Institute’s study on the impact of war on Somali men looks into a previously under-researched set of questions: What are the enduring effects of more than two decades of war and violent conflict on Somali men and male youth, and what are the consequences of this for peace, stability and Somali society […]