Kenyan Week that Was
The Kenyan Week That Was (KWTW) is a weekly political commentary podcast hosted by DY that analyzes Kenya's political landscape and wider East African politics. Each episode combines satirical, John Oliver-style commentary with investigative journalism, covering government policy failures, corruption scandals, campaign strategies and the historical context behind current events. The show's guiding principle is "receipts over vibes," with every claim documented and every critique evidence-based. It aims to make complex political and economic issues accessible while challenging comfortable narratives about Kenyan independence, democracy and governance.
Episodes
Sifuna for President? The Moment Kalonzo Had to Address The Crowd That Stunned Everyone
Is the Kenyan Opposition tearing itself apart before the 2027 election even begins?This week on Kenyan Week That Was, DY goes beyond the vibes to bring you the raw receipts on the escalating power struggle between Kalonzo Musyoka, Edwin Sifuna, Rigathi Gachagua, and Fred Matiang’i.We break down the shocking moment Kalonzo Musyoka was booed at Sifuna’s party headquarters in Lavington, and ask: is t
When A Woman Kills Her Own Children | Crime or Illness
Postpartum mental health in Kenya: what changes when a mother’s illness reaches a courtroom before it reaches a clinic? When a Mother Kills examines postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis and Kenyan court records through one question: who notices when a mother is struggling?The Lindsay Clancy case is the starting point for a wider Kenyan conversation about illness, criminal responsibility, fa
Kenya's Rejected Leaders: What Did Your Vote Deliver?
Kenyan politics celebrates election winners. But what did your vote actually deliver?From Polycarp Igathe and Nzioka Waita to Boniface Mwangi, Peter Kenneth and Martha Karua, DY examines the leaders voters rejected—and the record of the leaders they elected.Kenya’s Unsung Political Heroes: The Voter’s Receipt puts each candidate’s strongest case beside the strongest objection. It also asks why Oki
Why You Still Haven't Seen the Lamu Refinery Agreement
President Ruto called a senator an extortionist over the Lamu refinery agreement. We took 11 public claims and ran each one through four questions: who said it, when, what was shown, and what would settle it.Then we show you how to request a government document yourself, with the real 21-day clock under Kenya's Access to Information Act.
Kiambaa Church Massacre: The Church Was Rebuilt. The Case Wasn't.
Eighteen years after the Kiambaa church attack, the church has been rebuilt.The dead still don't have a name on the wall.On September 11, 2026, Kenya's First Lady reopened the church at Kiambaa —burned with people inside it on January 1, 2008. This episode runs theofficial record against the plaque: the 2009 domestic trial that ended infour acquittals, the ICC case that terminated without a convic
Millennials vs Gen Z: Who Owns Kenya's Future?
"We've seen this before" quietly becomes "we understand it better than you."Those are not the same sentence.Millennials remember 2002. Gen Z organised 2024. Both are sure they know where this is going. The Uncertainty Engine puts the memory beside the record and sees what survives.Premiered today on YouTube. Link in bio. Which one are you: millennial or Gen Z? Drop the year you first voted or firs
Kenya Airways : The Turnaround That Wasn't
I worked at Kenya Airways as an aviation engineer from 2010 to 2014. Two of myrelatives held senior engineering roles there. I still have friends on thoseramps tonight. This episode is not a hit on the workforce — it targets thestrategy, ownership, and financing decisions above them.Two weeks ago, KQ's CEO resigned — the latest in a long line — days aftertelling investors the turnaround was on tra
Not In Our Name: Ruto, the Hawkers, and Kenya's Xenophobia Test
On 2 September 2026, President Ruto told MSME traders at State House: "From next week, all traders doing those small businesses should close them." Five days later, Burundians were queuing at their embassy with luggage, and government officials were apologising for harassment.This episode follows the receipts — Ruto's actual words, PS Korir Sing'Oei's clarification, the EAC's right-of-establishmen
Millennial Gooners Ke
The conversation covers a range of topics including personal updates, team performance, game analysis, VAR decisions, and player transfers. It delves into the challenges faced by teams, the impact of game strategies, and the significance of player acquisitions and sales. The conversation covers player management, game performance, and transfer chaos in football. It delves into the impact of player
The Truth Behind Abel Mutua & Obinna's Interview — Every Claim Checked
"Do your own research," they said. So we did.Abel Mutua and Obinna sat down for a conversation that's been all over Kenyan timelines — the Adani/JKIA deal, the Constitution, Singapore, El Salvador, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, corruption numbers, the Kisumu road, the creator tax. Some of what they said holds up. Most of it doesn't.This is not a video about political sponsorship — there's no evidence of t
68% Trust The News. 46% Avoid It. Both Are True. | Where Can I Find The Truth?
Trust in Kenyan news just hit a joint-record high — 68%, tied for best of 48 countries surveyed. At the same time, 46% of Kenyans say they sometimes just switch the news off.Both numbers are real. This episode runs one claim — the President's, from this week's Kenya Health Summit — all the way down to the primary documents. Real hidden-camera footage of Cambridge Analytica's own managing director.
KWTW | How Kenya Built the Conditions for Its Children to Burn Their Schools Down
The conversation delves into the tragic incidents of school fires in Kenya, highlighting the systemic failures, accountability, and the impact on families. It also addresses the root causes, the response of the government, and the need for change.TakeawaysSystemic failures contribute to tragic school firesAccountability and responsibility are crucial in addressing the issueChapters00:00 Tragic Sch
FROM LOOSE TALK TO LOOSE BLOOD : Kenya's Dangerous Dance with Hate Speech | KWTW
The conversation delves into the normalization of hate speech in Kenya, the consequences of such normalization, and the responsibility of the media in amplifying hate speech. It explores the historical context, the modern architecture of hate speech, and the impact of hate speech on society. The discussion emphasizes the need to reckon with the consequences and the patterns of hate speech escalati
Nairobi under watar | The Capital that FLOODS every year
The conversation delves into the annual flooding of Nairobi, highlighting the impact on the city and its residents. It explores the destruction of wetlands and the historical context of Nairobi's drainage infrastructure, shedding light on the challenges of urbanization and impervious surfaces. The discussion also uncovers corruption and governance failure in planning approvals, while addressing go
Exported and Forgotten: Kenyans Dying in Russia's War"
🚨 CRITICAL: Over 200 Kenyans have been recruited into Russia's military and sent to die in Ukraine. Some through deception. Some through desperation. All abandoned by the systems meant to protect them. Clinton Nyapara Mogesa from Kisii County left Kenya seeking work. He ended up in the Russian military. Then he ended up dead in eastern Ukraine—in a war that has nothing to do with Kenya. This is th
KENYA'S MEMORY CRISIS : ANATOMY OF A FLIP-FLOP | KWTW
"In this episode of The Kenyan Week That Was, we perform a forensic analysis of political flip-flopping in Kenya using Hon. Gathoni wa Muchomba's recent political journey as a case study. This is not a personal attack—it's a diagnosis of a system that rewards opportunism and punishes consistency. From the anatomy of a politician to the physics of flip-flopping, we examine why shape-shifting has be
The Romance of the Life President
Francis Atwoli wants to remove presidential term limits. A major industrialist wants the president to stay for 25 years. Bishops are calling leaders "anointed by God." In 2026, Kenya's elite are openly fantasizing about life presidencies—and they're not even trying to hide it. This week on KWTW, we investigate how "strongman worship" gets normalized, who benefits from indefinite rule, and what ord
President Ruto's Carbon Betrayal: How Kenya Is Selling Pastoral Land | The Kenyan Week That Was
The conversation delves into the insidious nature of green colonialism, rebranding land theft as conservation through carbon credits. It exposes the exploitation of African land and communities for the benefit of corporations and Western interests, drawing parallels to historical colonialism and highlighting the complicity of Kenyan leaders in this modern-day imperialism.TakeawaysGreen colonialism
"THE SHOPKEEPER'S SIGN"-Why Mark Carney's Davos address matters right now
"Every morning, this shopkeeper places a sign in his window. He doesn't believe it. No one does. But he places the sign anyway... to avoid trouble, to signal compliance, to get along."In January 2026, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stood before the global elite at Davos and declared: "It is time for companies and countries to take their signs down."He was describing how middle powers—countrie
The Mortgage on Freedom: The Real Cost of Kenya's Independence
"Go pull up Kenya's debt register right now.Look at the very first entry.December 1963.£20,000,000.From: United Kingdom.Purpose: Million Acre Fund.[Beat]We didn't win our independence.We bought it.On loan.From the people who stole our land in the first place.[Pause]And if that doesn't make you angry... you weren't paying attention."
