Fifty years on, Kenyatta Junior faces challenge of fulfilling his father’s promise of true freedom #Kenya@50

We continue our commemoration of 50 years of Kenyan independence with Gabriel Oguda lamenting that the ideals of the country’s independence leader Jomo Kenyatta remain unrealised

The Luo co-wives of Kenya: Using Resistance Resources to Achieve an Empowered Quality of Life

Health is an abstract, hazy and contested concept that means different things to different people. One of the most persistent confusions between definitions of health has been whether to focus on wellness or on the absence of disease. There is evidence to suggest that subjective wellbeing is influenced by the cultural context within which an individual operates. This thesis looks into the subject of polygamy in Kenya and the way Luo co-wives cope with the challenges they face in order to improve on their quality of life. It also explores the relationship between empowerment and healthy wellbeing with a view of understanding their relevance in the life of Luo co-wives

Prevalence and risk factors for sexual assault among class 6 female students in unplanned settlements of Nairobi, Kenya: Baseline analysis from the IMPower & Sources of Strength cluster randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundGender-based violence (GBV) is a crucial global health problem among all age groups, including adolescents. This study describes incidences of GBV, as well as factors associated with sexual assault, among female adolescents in class six living in urban informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya.MethodsStudy participants were interviewed using a structured survey instrument focusing on experiences of GBV, including emotional, physical, and sexual violence, and corresponding perpetrators, as well as gender attitudes, alcohol use, self-efficacy, and previous sexual experiences. Summary statistics and clustered bootstrap confidence intervals were calculated for social behaviors and violence rates. Stepwise logistic regression identified variables associated with an adolescent's experience of sexual assault.FindingsIn this population 7·2% of adolescent girls reported being raped in the prior twelve months, with 11·1% of these rape victims reporting over five experiences. Among the 21·3% who report having had a boyfriend, 38·1% reported emotional, physical, and/or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV). Boyfriends were identified most often as perpetrators, accounting for 46·3% of reported lifetime rapes. Previous experience of physical (p = InterpretationSexual assault and GBV are major challenges in this highly-disadvantaged population. Novel prevention efforts are needed for this age group, as prevention is often targeted at older adolescents. Prevention efforts should focus on assaults by perpetrators known to adolescents, especially boyfriends, and may need to account for the adolescents' previous experience of, and exposure to, violence