Kenyan Week that Was

DY

The Kenyan Week That Was (KWTW) A hard-hitting political commentary podcast that cuts through the noise of East African politics with investigative rigor and satirical edge. Hosted by DY, KWTW delivers weekly analysis of Kenya's political landscape, combining John Oliver-style satire with serious investigative journalism to hold power accountable. Each episode examines the week's most significant political developments in Kenya and across East Africa, from government policy failures and corruption scandals to campaign strategies and historical context that shapes today's politics. KWTW operates on a simple principle: receipts over vibes—every claim is documented, every critique is evidence-based. Whether dissecting President Ruto's latest speech, investigating youth empowerment fund failures, or drawing lessons from Africa's authoritarian past, KWTW makes complex political and economic information accessible without dumbing it down. This is political commentary that respects your intelligence while challenging comfortable narratives about Kenyan independence, democracy, and governance. For those who want to understand not just what's happening in East African politics, but why it matters and what historical patterns we should recognize before it's too late. New episodes weekly. Educational. Uncompromising. Culturally authentic.

Season 1

  1. EPISODE 3

    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. Takeaways Green colonialism rebrands land theft as conservationCarbon credits exploit African land and communities Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Green Colonialism06:26 The Economics of Carbon Projects11:44 The Empire Behind Carbon Credits20:17 The Economic Consequences of Carbon Credits25:31 The Fight Against Carbon Colonialism

    29 min

  2. 26 JAN

    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."

    31 min

  3. 29 JAN

    "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—countries caught between global superpowers—have spent decades performing loyalty to a rules-based international order that was always partially false. An order that is now collapsing. His message? Stop pretending. Name reality. Build your own strength. Meanwhile, in Kenya... we are LAMINATING the sign. WHAT THIS EPISODE COVERS: 🔴 The Bretton Woods Lie – How Kenya spent 60 years following IMF prescriptions designed for a world that never existed 🔴 The Performance Economy – Why Kenya's political class profits from programs designed to fail (Nyota Fund, Hustler Fund, Affordable Housing) 🔴 The Unexplainable Wealth – Politicians declaring billions from "businesses" with no employees, no tax records, no registry entries... while actual businesses shut down and Kenyan children go to bed hungry 🔴 Omnidirectional Dependence – How Kenya's "diversification" means begging from the West, the East, and the Middle East... while selling profitable state assets like Safaricom shares and Kenya Pipeline Corporation 🔴 The Wake-Up Call Kenya Refuses to Hear – What the breaking of the new world order means for a country still performing sovereignty while accepting subordination KEY QUOTES: "The failure IS the business model." "While politicians declare unexplainable fortunes, ordinary Kenyans are shutting down the businesses they built with their own hands." "Canada is taking the sign down. Kenya is printing more signs. Bigger signs. In multiple languages." "This is not wealth creation. This is wealth extraction. From you. From your business. From your children's future." "We have achieved... omnidirectional dependence."

    28 min

  4. 4 DAYS AGO

    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 ordinary Kenyans lose when democracy becomes optional. From Atwoli's shocking TV statements to the tycoon endorsement model, from KANU-era nostalgia to regional cautionary tales—we're breaking down the playbook. Because Article 142 of the Constitution isn't a suggestion. It's a promise we made to ourselves in 2010: Never again. 💬 What do you think? Are term limits essential to democracy, or do they limit "transformative leadership"? Let's discuss—but keep it civil. 👍 If this analysis was useful, please like and share. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly deep dives into Kenyan politics. --- KWTW is an independent investigative documentary series. We're funded by viewers like you, not political parties or corporate sponsors. Support the work: [Patreon/M-Pesa details] #KenyanPolitics #KWTW #TermLimits #Democracy #Atwoli #ConstitutionOfKenya RECEIPTS OVER VIBES ALWAYS

    23 min
  • 4 Episodes

About

The Kenyan Week That Was (KWTW) A hard-hitting political commentary podcast that cuts through the noise of East African politics with investigative rigor and satirical edge. Hosted by DY, KWTW delivers weekly analysis of Kenya's political landscape, combining John Oliver-style satire with serious investigative journalism to hold power accountable. Each episode examines the week's most significant political developments in Kenya and across East Africa, from government policy failures and corruption scandals to campaign strategies and historical context that shapes today's politics. KWTW operates on a simple principle: receipts over vibes—every claim is documented, every critique is evidence-based. Whether dissecting President Ruto's latest speech, investigating youth empowerment fund failures, or drawing lessons from Africa's authoritarian past, KWTW makes complex political and economic information accessible without dumbing it down. This is political commentary that respects your intelligence while challenging comfortable narratives about Kenyan independence, democracy, and governance. For those who want to understand not just what's happening in East African politics, but why it matters and what historical patterns we should recognize before it's too late. New episodes weekly. Educational. Uncompromising. Culturally authentic.

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