This podcast investigates political, socio-economic, and cultural issues in contemporary Africa and the African Diasporas. It engages Africanist scholars, artists, activists, athletes, opinion leaders, business people, and ordinary citizens in a critical conversation about the challenges facing Africans and people of African descent.
All content for The Africanist Podcast is the property of Bamba Ndiaye, PhD and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
This podcast investigates political, socio-economic, and cultural issues in contemporary Africa and the African Diasporas. It engages Africanist scholars, artists, activists, athletes, opinion leaders, business people, and ordinary citizens in a critical conversation about the challenges facing Africans and people of African descent.
Taxed to the Limit: Kenya’s Youth Uprising and the Fight for Economic Justice
The Africanist Podcast
47 minutes
1 month ago
Taxed to the Limit: Kenya’s Youth Uprising and the Fight for Economic Justice
This episode is the first installment of a new series entitled Podcasting African Democracy. It was recorded on August 5th, 2025.
In this episode, we speak with Wairimu Gathimba — writer, researcher, and longtime organizer within Kenya’s social justice movement — about the mass protests that erupted in June 2025 following the commemoration of the 2024 controversial Finance Bill protest. From Nairobi to Kisumu, thousands of young Kenyans took to the streets, demanding transparency, accountability, and relief from crushing economic burdens.
Wairimu breaks down the political stakes of the tax bill, the decentralized nature of the movement, and the role of digital mobilization in shaping a new era of civic resistance. We also explore the generational dynamics at play, the risks faced by protesters, and what this moment reveals about the future of Pan-African organizing.
This is not just a story about taxes — it’s about reclaiming democracy, redefining leadership, and resisting austerity in a time of global economic pressure.
Co-host: Luccas Perez
Editor(s): Luccas Perez
The Africanist Podcast
This podcast investigates political, socio-economic, and cultural issues in contemporary Africa and the African Diasporas. It engages Africanist scholars, artists, activists, athletes, opinion leaders, business people, and ordinary citizens in a critical conversation about the challenges facing Africans and people of African descent.
