As part of the 2018 Africa Science Week-Kenya (ASW-Kenya), Nairobi Ideas Podcast is featuring interviews with some of the exceptional scientists from our Faces of Kenyan Science campaign.

Take a listen as our host, Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, CEO of the Mawazo Institute sits down with Kago Kagichiri, Co-founder and former CEO of Eneza Education, one of Africa’s leading mobile learning platforms and a tech-enthusiast on a journey to tackle the shortcomings of the continent’s education systems using technology.

Episode 1: Meet Kago Kagichiri

As part of the 2018 Africa Science Week-Kenya (ASW-Kenya), Nairobi Ideas Podcast is featuring interviews with some of the exceptional scientists from our Faces of Kenyan Science campaign.

Take a listen as our host, Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, CEO of the Mawazo Institute sits down with Dr. Hamisi Babusa, an accomplished novelist, lecturer and and senior administrator at Kenyatta University who is pioneering the use of Kiswahili science fiction novellas to educate children on science.

Episode 2: Meet Dr. Hamisi Babusa

As part of the 2018 Africa Science Week-Kenya (ASW-Kenya), Nairobi Ideas Podcast is featuring interviews with some of the exceptional scientists from our Faces of Kenyan Science campaign.

Take a listen as our host, Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, CEO of the Mawazo Institute sits down with Dr. Stellah Bosire, Founder and Executive Director of the Stellah Bosire Fund and a medical physician looking beyond the stethoscope to use science for good and who advocates for health as a human right

Episode 3: Meet Dr. Stellah Bosire

Global warming, the biodiversity crisis, and environmental degradation are changing life on earth drastically, and the effects on Africa are bound to be drastic. Join us on Season 2 of the Nairobi Ideas Podcast as our host, Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, finds out how experts on the continent are responding to these climate and conservation challenges. We will explore how Kenya is tackling plastic pollution with activists and researchers, hear from leading conservancies in Kenya on how they are protecting local ecosystems, and find out how Africans across the continent are working to build sustainable futures.

Season 2 Trailer

Kenya has one of the harshest plastic bag bans in the world, with fines of up to $40,000 for individuals found in violation. But has the country’s ban made any real change? Nairobi Ideas Podcast is joined by James Wakibia, an environmental activist and photographer who was instrumental in the campaign that yielded Kenya’s 2017 single-use plastic bag ban. James discusses how anger can help fuel change, what difference the ban is making, and what the future of plastics looks like in Kenya.

Episode 8: Meet James Wakibia

In the fight against plastic pollution, many have hailed Kenya’s 2017 single-use plastic bag ban as a step in the right direction. The ban includes the strictest fines worldwide for individuals manufacturing or in possession of plastic bags, but was it the right decision? Were there other solutions for tackling plastic waste in the country that should have been considered? Nairobi Ideas Podcast is joined by plastic waste management expert, part-time lecturer, and consultant, Dr Leah Oyake-Ombis, a notable critic of the ban. Dr. Leah advocates for systems that emphasize recycling and adequate waste management, while building on existing industries. She also outlines the importance of evidence-informed policies that meet the needs of all sectors of the populace, including those in the ‘kidogo’ economy and the informal sector. Plus, find out why we should be better informed about the alternative “eco-friendly” bags currently in use throughout Kenya.

Episode 9: Meet Dr. Leah Oyake-Ombis

Global land use has been identified as one of the most significant causes of the rapid increase in climate change yet, Dr. David Kimiti says, little attention is being paid to curbing land degradation. Dr. David is Head of Research and Monitoring at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and a Senior Scientist specializing in Rangeland Ecology. In conversation with the Nairobi Ideas podcast, he shares his ‘systems approach’ to conservation and talks about how Lewa’s work is helping ensure the survival of the Grevy Zebra, while mitigating human-wildlife conflict. Plus, find out how mobile phone technology is being used to collect data on land potential across the globe.

Episode 10: Meet Dr. David Kimiti

When Dr. Paula Kahumbu was a little girl, she had a run in with famed conservationist Dr. Richard Leakey, catapulting a lifelong curiosity about, and interest in, Kenya’s wildlife. Since then, Paula has gone on to become an award-winning Kenyan conservationist herself, and is the current CEO of WildlifeDirect. In this episode of the podcast, she celebrates Kenya’s rich bio-diversity and talks about the need for civic education on conservation. Loss of bio-diversity, she also argues, is our biggest threat yet. “We have the most to lose, because we have the most on our doorstep.”

Episode 11: Meet Dr. Paula Kahumbu

The Nairobi Ideas Podcast is on break until next year. But before we go, we’ve created this recap episode to sum up our second season. Check it out to hear Dr. Rose M. Mutiso, our host and Mawazo Institute CEO, and Kari Mugo, our Digital Media and Public Engagement Consultant, chat about their favourite episodes, some of the lessons they’ve learned so far, and all the love they have for our fans. Plus, catch up with everything Mawazo has been doing in Nairobi to connect people like you with cutting-edge research and conversations in Kenya and beyond – from publishing the Nairobi Ideas Digest and Nairobi Ideas Explainer, to hosting the Nairobi Ideas Exchange and Africa Science Week-Kenya 2019. See you in 2020 with all new guests and more gripping conversation!

2019 Recap Episode

The Nairobi Ideas Podcast gives a public platform to the Africans changing the world with their big ideas. It is brought to you by The Mawazo Institute, a Nairobi-based research institute focused on female thought leadership and public engagement with research. To keep up with new episodes, visit the Nairobi Ideas Podcast page at https://mawazoinstitute.org/podcast or any of the podcast platforms listed below.

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