The Kenyanist is a show for Kenyans by Kenyans. We step back from the rush of current affairs to take a broader and deeper view of issues that Kenyans face.
In each episode, Kamau Wairuri (the host) speaks to an expert who will help us understand a particular social or political issue better and hopefully propose how we can address some of our most pressing challenges as a society.
Host
Kamau Wairuri is an academic researcher, educator and public affairs consultant with expertise in security & justice (criminal justice systems), human rights, youth empowerment and gender in Africa. Presently, he is a Lecturer in Criminology at Edinburgh Napier University (UK) and a Director of the Institute of Public Policy and Governance (IPPG) at the Strathmore University Business School (Kenya).
Kamau is an experienced academic researcher whose work has been published in respected academic journals and books. He has also presented his research work in various conferences in Nairobi (Kenya), Johannesburg (South Africa), Paris (France), Edinburgh and Cambridge (UK).
Kamau is an experienced educator in the Higher Education sector having delivered lectures and classroom teaching at Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Edinburgh and Strathmore University. He is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK).
As a public affairs consultant, Kamau has extensive experience advising leaders and organisations in the public, private and development sector on matters relating to politics, public policy and governance. Previously, he worked as a consultant at McKinsey & Co, where he advised senior government leaders in Africa on various areas of development. Beyond that, he has advised various local and international agencies in the development sector including the Danish Agency for Human Rights (DIGNITY), the Election Observation Group (ELOG), the Economic and Social Rights Centre (Hakijamii) and Equality Now. He has also worked with and supported several public sector agencies on public policy matters including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC), the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) and the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF).
Kamau is a thought leader whose writing for popular audiences have been published in Kenyan newspapers including Daily Nation, The Standard and The East African and respected blogs such as African Arguments. He is presently the host of The Kenyanist, a podcast that explores the social and political issues that Kenyans face.
Kamau holds a PhD in African Studies from the University of Edinburgh, an MSc in African Studies from the University of Oxford and a Bachelor of Arts degree (Political Science and Sociology) from the University of Nairobi. He is a member of several professional bodies including the British Institute of Eastern Africa (BIEA), the African Studies Association (UK) and the Development Studies Association (UK).