Njeri Wangari is the Global Voices Regional co-Editor for Sub-Saharan Africa. She is a poet, writer and communications specialist who frequently writes on Africa, technology, internet culture and the arts.
Latest posts by Njeri Wangari
How ‘Squid Game’ hijacked Halloween and a traditional Kenyan wedding ceremony
Despite the criticism that the series has received for its violence and gore, it has unquestionably become a global cultural phenomenon, exporting Korean pop culture to the world.
How Namadingo is uniting generations of Malawian musicians through Reggae duet mashups
The duets have also introduced younger fans to an older generation of musicians, including Giddes Chalamanda, the oldest living legend in Malawian music today.
Preserving Africa’s musical heritage by combining traditional folk music with modern sounds
There has been a lot of renewed interest among African musicologists, historians, and enthusiasts to record, digitize, and archive traditional music and ancient sounds from indigenous communities in Africa.
Khaby Lame exposes Italy’s citizenship flaws and the plight of Black content creators on TikTok
Lame’s rise to stardom comes at a time when, for every Black TikTok sensation like him, there are several white influencers on the app that are making far more money.
#FreeRebecca: Global Voices Sub-Saharan Africa condemns the arbitrary arrest and detention of Cameroon’s tech leader Rebecca Enonchong
Global Voices Sub-Saharan Africa demands the unconditional release of Rebecca Enonchong from detention.
These African animators are saving their native languages using cartoons
Animation is an effective way of teaching young Africans life skills and languages that are often not taught in schools, as most African governments adopt official languages while discouraging native ones.
How ‘Yasuke’ offers a new perspective on the history and current relations of Africans in Japan
The revelation that an actual African Samurai did indeed exist has triggered important conversations about his origins and the experience of the African diaspora in Japan today.
Privacy and IP concerns as Kenyans find new ways to cash in on their internet fame
However, concerns are arising regarding the right to privacy, copyright legalities, value to content creators, and the unintended consequences of such overnight fame and success
Netflix’s new series on Yasuke, the African samurai, is a new dawn for Black characters in animation
Rather than a biography of the African Samurai, the a six-part series takes the void of knowledge post-1582 as a starting point to a re-imagined alternate reality and fantastical story.
These female African content creators are using TikTok for more than just dance videos
These women are showing that TikTok has the potential to become the Twitter of its generation -- a medium for discussion about pertinent issues, in ways that prompt real-life action...
Kenya’s chaotic COVID-19 vaccine roll out exposes rich-poor divide
Businessmen and politicians have found a way to get the jab early while poor, elderly Kenyans wait in long lines.
Kenyan activists intimidated as irked citizens stage online protest against IMF loans
Using hashtags #StopLoaningKenya and #StopGivingKenyaLoans, Kenyans expressed frustration at the IMF for approving additional debt intended to fund a response to COVID-19. State intimidates social media users to quit dissent.
Kenya police turn to Twitter PR as the arrest of a blogger goes against public opinion
“Somehow, the [Directorate of Criminal Investigations] believes that PR, and specifically ‘live-tweeting,’ will change Kenyans' perception without bringing about the much needed reforms within the force.”
African media perpetuating harmful stereotypes about the continent, report finds
The report released in February 2021 offers a deeper understanding of why poverty, war, disease and failed elections continue to dominate media coverage of Africa.
Kenya must implement data protection law before 2022 presidential election
Kenya must act quickly to enforce its new data protection law. If not prepared, the ghosts of Kenya’s political past may once again come back to haunt its citizens.
Kenya now has a data protection law. What does this mean for netizens?
Will Kenya’s new data protection law protect the rights of citizens? Or will it serve as a conduit to acquire, store and use data in the digital capitalism food chain?
One Country, Two Leaders and Four Censored TV Channels: Kenya's Political Crisis Takes a Toll on Human Rights
The illusion of an independent Kenyan media that is free from state interference has evaporated.
Data and Democracy: What Role Did Cambridge Analytica Play in Kenya's Elections?
The data analysis company that helped Donald Trump's campaign claim victory in the US is working with Kenya's ruling party.
Jokes, Hashtags and Fake News: The Story of Social Media in Kenya's Closely Contested Election
This year’s campaign has made history as the most affected by the spread of fake news, a recent study showed.
Some in Kenya Point to a Recent Hailstorm as a Sign of Climate Change
While some tweets on the Nyahururu hailstorm were of excitement, there are those who did not see the joke, especially when it came to the implications of the incident.
