Equality is a very elusive concept in Africa, in a continent whereby the majority live below the poverty line while the few elites have control over the rest of the wealth the word equality is very foreign. Economic inequalities are deeply rooted in society and it has become a challenge to rid them of ourselves. It is a man eat man society where the rule of survival for the fittest reigns supreme. Growing up in such an environment has shaped the way I perceive the world. To me the only way to make it in society is ensuring you have money; welcome to a society where the few men who have accumulated all the wealth in the society are worshipped like gods. 

Money makes you have authority in the society, so all I have dreamt of is becoming a rich man no matter what! But what about others? Am I so excited to become part of a group of oppressors of the masses? If it was a few years ago I would say yes without even thinking about it. The main problem in our society is that the culture we have cultivated has always been the beginning of all of our problems. For our ancestors, a man could only be respected in the society if they had amassed a large portfolio of wealth; for other communities it was the number of livestock you had and also wives. In fact marriage could only happen if the parents of the woman were satisfied that you were rich enough, a logical take nonetheless because no one would like their daughter to be in an unstable situation and yet they have everything back at home. One could not become an elder if they were not considered to be wealthy. This kind of practices are the genesis of the discriminatory practices with regards to economic status when it comes to Africans.

But even as we move away from these traditions and embrace new technology and modernisation most of us are still holding on to the anachronisms that we should have been left in the past. Instead we continue to be stubborn and discriminate against each other. We have a population that is full of selfish individuals and who lack compassion, they will want to become rich and dominate others no matter the cost. We don’t care if our neighbours have eaten or not as long as we have eaten ourselves then that is none of our business. Where is our spirit of our motherland, of embracing everyone just as it has embraced us and blessed us with all these natural resources and good condition.

All my life I have been in  spaces where I have experienced all kinds of discriminations based on economic standing; for instance in high school you will just see the kids from rich families secluding themselves from the rest of the crop, coming from humble beginnings ofcourse I couldn’t join this cool clique and this made me think less of myself. Such kinds of experience no matter how small they may seem are very damaging to a young mind; you will grow up feeling dejected and bitter and this will shape how you perceive the world. For me I just wanted to get money and become rich so that I can also exert revenge, but then it will be hurting a group of  people who I once used to be part of. Doesn’t make any sense does it?

A society where the rich continue to become rich while the poor continue to drown in their poverty, who will be their saviour. Opportunities are only  accorded to the prominent people in the society or those who have bought the way in! How then can the less fortunate climb up the ladder to equality if these opportunities keep going to the already fortunate individuals in the society? I can’t answer this but my prayer is that there is a need to promote a culture in the society that we are able to promote equality and we should keep this conversations going on so that we can thoroughly reassess our policies and also the cultures that we subscribe to because the answer is within us. Once we unlock it then maybe we can finally have a society whereby everyone is equal no matter their backgrounds, a society where we have compassion for each and we are ready to put the needs of others before our own needs.

Written by: Raymond Kigai

Photography credit: Johnny Miller

Equality being a very complex concept with multiple layers of intertwined topics it is even more complicated when you break it down into those individual layers, for instance gender equality in its own right is a very complex issue; the way you understand it and also how it relates with other kinds of equality is unique. In a society where there are economic disparities you will find that the most affected people belong to a certain gender category of the population, women are usually marginalised in societies whereby there are economic inequalities since we have been conditioned to believe that women cannot wield enormous economic power. This phenomenon also portrays itself in societies with less political equality; you will find that those who have been sidelined belong to a certain group of the population. These problems are however as a result of social constructs that have been passed along from one generation to another. It is also imperative to note that marginalisation based on gender has not only occured in underdeveloped democracies but also in those developed ones who consider themselves to have a politically conscious citizens. It is only until recently that more emphasis has been towards eradication of gender inequalities.

I remember growing up in a society whereby at an early age we were taught about our roles in the society and they were very distinct from those of the opposite gender; men were not supposed to even hang around a gathering of women or go near a kitchen, that is what I was taught. I broke free from this narrative as I grew older and learnt the importance of accepting that we are all born equal. In our contemporary world I believe change has started to take place because more and more women have started rising above these inequalities and become empowered to fight for their rights. Society has slowly but surely begun to accept these changes because a wise man once said “be the change before change changes you!” indeed change is inevitable and all of us must submit to it or we will perish. Nowadays it is easy to find women occupying top positions in the government as compared to the past.

This positive change towards a more accepting world can be attributed to many factors; as technology continues to advance day by day it makes it easier to spread the gospel of equal rights in the society. It has become very easy to create awareness on these pertinent issues in the society as nowadays everyone is somehow connected to the global network. It is also important to note the activist movements that have sprung in the 21st century which have majorly contributed to the shift in the status quo. Due to these activist movements there have been development of more and more policies to protect the rights of the marginalised people in the society. In my country for instance we have the affirmative action which has been captured in the constitution and it provides that all rights of the marginalised people in the society should be prioritised to ensure the realisation of a more equal society; it goes on to prescribe a two-thirds gender rule in the national assembly whereby in order to ensure equal representation in the parliament special seats have been specifically designated for women only. This move has greatly improved the level of equal representation in our country. The equality culture has greatly improved in our contemporary world, nowadays kids are being taught in school at an early age the importance of respecting other genders.

In the contemporary world it is evident that the issue of gender equality has taken a centre stage and there are so many programs that have been created to advocate for women rights, this is the way to go but it is also imperative that as we aim at eradicating the marginalisation of one gender lets hope we don’t end up completely shifting the balance and repeat our old mistakes.

Written by: Raymond Kigai

Nairobi, the Green city under the Sun, that’s what we call it.  Every time I close my eyes and think about it, what comes to my mind? The constant honking of Matatus, the warm atmosphere filled with hot air, and the foxy but charming smiles of street vendors; it just screams ‘Home’!  My city, my home in my motherland Africa. A city full of rich and vibrant colours depicted in its metropolitan nature.  Nairobi is a boiling pot of all cultures; it is where all these peoples of Kenya converge to make one single city defined not by their differences but by the belief in the notion of  ‘one people’.  A city where people are unified by one thing, ‘Hustling’ – a phrase in the dictionary, equated to ‘crime’ or ‘acquiring things illicitly’, but to the Nairobian ‘hustle’ is nothing like that; it’s the art of positively working hard to achieve your goals through the little means available. Just like for Americans what the USA is, Nairobi is the Land of Opportunities to the people of Kenya. Nairobi is where everyone from the countryside dreams of; because it is where people’s dreams come true!

Enkare Nairobi as the Maa people call it, which implies a place of ‘cool waters’.  It is the only city in the world with a national park; where you can watch the wildlife as the sun sets down the hills. It is a beauty to behold but the beauty of Nairobi does not end there in the game but it is also found within the people.  First time I left my village for Nairobi, I remember that day like yesterday because of how nervous I was because I could not calm down, all the uncertainties of a new place stood there glaring at me. So many questions ran through my mind; will I fit in or will I struggle and become a reject?  When I arrived the city embraced me and it automatically felt like home, to me Nairobi has become my home away from home. 

A city of opportunities and friendly people is surely the best place to grow and achieve one’s potential, that is what this city means to me. The amount of growth that I have experienced since I stepped foot in this city is astonishing; went from a shy young boy who had just completed high school to now an all confident young gentleman. Nairobi has taught me so many lessons, but the one that stands out  for me is the importance of knowing how to live with people; interpersonal skills are vital to survive in any environment. The way you treat others will directly determine how you will be treated.  Nairobi has taught me about respect.

Respect goes both ways and it does not have a compromise. In a city full of diverse people who live in harmony the only tenet that promotes this kind of unity is the respect that individuals have for each other. In Nairobi everyone is allowed to practice their own beliefs as long as you are not interfering with their own ‘hustle”. A society whereby there are no judgmental people even though we have these stereotypes that have been deeply embedded in the society you will still find the people of Nairobi united and no matter your background everyone is considered a Nairobian. Respect is very important if we want to achieve equality in our societies because we all are born with human dignity and recognizing one’s dignity will shape the way we treat them. Nairobi has shown me that we can still earn respect despite coming from different walks of life; even when we dwell in our lowly lives we can still be treated with respect.

Written by: Raymond Kigai

The tribal stereotypes are very serious in Kenya and it dictates how different cultures interact with each other. A young man looking for a wife will be given a stern warning by the elders of his community; do not marry from community X and Y because history has it that their women are “black widows” a name given to a type of female spider which kills its male counterpart while mating. Do not marry from community Z because their women are materialistic; but are these claims true? No one knows and yet time and time again we find ourselves in the trap of believing in these stereotypes and then we become very judgemental. 

These kinds of stereotypes have been to an extent weaponized when it comes to the political spheres; we live in a society that people are afraid to vote for certain leaders because they actually believe that they are not good enough to lead us because they come from a certain group of people in the society. Stereotyping in Kenya has helped to further tribalism and this has created a political culture whereby people only vote along tribal lines; we have been led to believe that only a leader from your community can be able to deliver developments to you and your tribesmen. However, the truth of this matter is very slippery, these are just mere stereotypes.

The issue of inequality in the society is very real in our African societies and everyday people from various walks of life are facing descriminations based on so many things; among these are stemming from the stereotypes that have been created among various groups of the society. In Africa, I remember when growing up all I have seen is how women have been reduced to these creatures that are meant to be of servitude to men. Girls are taught from a very young age that their role in the society is to serve and therefore they should never consider themselves as equals of the males in the society. These social constructs have shaped the way they perceive the world and also themselves and eventually it limits their ambitions to rise up and achieve greater things. On the flipside the stereotypes among the boy child in the society has helped to empower them and further deepen the inequality in the society.

We need to create a healthy society that is able to promote growth and development of people; where respect for everyone is upheld irrespective of where they come from or what type of stereotypes have been created around them. Dignity of every human being, which is innate and we are all born with, should be the only thing that guides us when we relate to others. We should be able to treat everyone equally based on the fact that we are born as dignified humans and we continue to enjoy that dignified status until our time is up in this world.

Economic equality is the belief that people should be paid the same rate for the same job regardless of race, gender, or other factors that are unrelated to their ability to perform the task. Along the same lines, I believe that economic equality is about creating a fair playing field in which everyone has equal access to the same wealth.

Unpopular opinion, but I can’t help but think that our country is in a position of drastic economic inequality because of a power imbalance. For example, when the rich outperform the poor because of their exposure, there is a clear power imbalance, this is because once they are in power, they misuse the poor and pay them peanuts, well, not everyone but a select few and I believe both parties are to blame. The rich do not do enough to support local businesses and invest in local enterprises operated by those who live hand to mouth. On the other hand, the poor must provide quality services and ensure that their businesses receive adequate exposure to succeed as well as constantly learn from all the mistakes and make an effort to improve.

If this is the scenario for both genders in a culture that thrives on misogynistic ideals, it is no surprise that women and young girls suffer significantly economically. According to the International Labour Organization, “women are more likely to work in informal employment and vulnerable, low-paid or undervalued jobs.” To make matters worse, the COVID-19 crisis resulted in enormous job losses, disproportionately affecting women and expanding gender differences. Women do not have equal access to financial services as men do. “

In this exact way, I believe it is pretty black and white for us men, especially given how society is built up. We either have our worth the moment we walk into a room, even if we don’t see it because we are confident, or we look smart in our very nice suits with extremely serious faces ready to demand our worth, simply because we are men. It even gets to the point where we can walk into a room and negotiate three times more than what we’ve been offered, and we get it, as long as we have proof of concept.

However, for women seeking employment, particularly in today’s patriarchal business and corporate cultures, negotiating their compensation and getting something out of it is not only tough but almost impossible because there are women.

I feel that more conversations like this one should be held so that people can critically examine the causes of economic inequality and express their opinions. Two, it is everyone’s responsibility to speak up when there are power imbalances at work or in any situation, which is why I believe it is important to fight for women. Their abilities have been completely suppressed, and I can confidently say that as communities and cultures, we are missing out on incredible leadership.

As a result, let us take the initiative and take responsibility for these situations. I believe that is the first step towards making the world a better place.