Rose Maruru

Co-founder & CEO, EPIC-Africa

[Silas Nyanchwani @nyanchwani]

Meja Mwangi, who died yesterday, is/was the Greatest KENYAN Writer of all time.

I emphasize KENYAN, before I get into trouble with Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s disciples. Ngugi, who died in May this year, was a perennial nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature, a continental (African) and global figure, widely regarded as one of the most consequential postcolonial writers, thinkers, and philosophers, especially in the English-speaking world.

But back home, Ngugi’s universe was the Kikuyu community (nothing absolutely wrong with this, as some of his detractors kept harping about it every time he was perennially nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature). Ngugi’s first four novels were set against the backdrop of the Mau Mau and colonialism. None of these in any way negates Ngugi’s contribution to Kenyan letters, but he was of the world.

Enter Meja Mwangi.
Meja was ours. Kenyan to the core.
Meja Mwangi’s literature was more cosmopolitan, as most of his books were set in Nairobi, a synecdoche for Kenya and the Kenyan.

I first read Going Down River while in Class 8 or Form 1. I couldn’t put the book down. The prose was viscerally realistic. The writing was too detailed; it’s little wonder I learned later in life that Meja Mwangi went on to be a filmmaker. I wish I could watch any of his screen productions. Mwangi was only 28 when he penned what I consider the greatest Kenyan novel of all time and generations.

Nearly 35 years later, when the film Nairobi Half-Life was released, I observed that very little of Nairobi had changed between 1976 and 2012. Nairobi Half-Life was a descendant of Going Down River Road. That Nairobi underclass that will never change, no matter the speed of our internet, the Expressways, you people adopting BDSM, and such.

Around 2014, my uncle (bless his soul) took me back to Kibera to show me where I was born and spent part of my childhood. It was almost 20 years later. For sure, the roads were now paved, and there were huge streetlights, but that slum vibe was still there. My uncle took me to a woman who had been brewing chang’aa since the 1980s, still doing her thing, and introduced me to her, and told her this is the Son of Norah, and she was like, “How did you get so big?”

While there, I couldn’t help but think about how every part of Nairobi changes: people move on, out, and about, but our slums eternally retain that gritty persona. People may come and go, but newcomers always slip into the slum persona like gloves.

Anyone who grew up in Nairobi’s slums, Eastlands, Kawangware, Kangemi, can identify with all the characters in Meja Mwangi’s books, such as Going Down River Road, Kill Me Quick, Cockroach Dance, and a host of his other latter-day works. Any Kenyan, for that matter, save for the upper middle-class and the rich folks who live in a completely different Nairobi. Kill Me Quick " is the story most of us can relate to, because education promised us so much, and we moved to Nairobi, but now we live with no jobs, and all we can do is drink cheap liquor (Kill Me Quick), eat miraa, and smoke joints, because we are disillusioned. Younger millennials and Gen Zs definitely know what I am talking about.

Along with other writers such as Mwangi Ruheni, Mwangi Gicheru, Charles Mangua, and the Kibera brothers, Meja was among those who captured the zeitgeist of Nairobi and Kenya, as writers like Ngugi became full ideologues and full-time revolutionaries. Mwangi opted to be a revolutionary with his pen, hiding behind satire (that escaped authorities), while entertaining and provoking us.

Sadly, Mwangi was extremely reclusive and rarely granted interviews to scholars or journalists.

Last year, he wanted to come out and meet his fans and lovers of his work, thanks to the spirited efforts of his adopted literary daughter, @Lexa_Lubanga. We cleared our schedules in readiness to meet the man, the myth, and the legend himself, but unfortunately, he was taken ill, and that particular meet-up didn’t happen, and none would ever happen, as he has been sickly, and now he is gone.

A few years back, I asked what the Kenyan novel should be, and my choice was Going Down River Road.

The irony of his dying on the Eve of our 62nd anniversary of Independence is not lost on me, more so when successive regimes are determined to keep the youth poor, unemployed, and disillusioned, like a character in Mwangi’s book.

You can draw a straight line from Going Down River Road, to Ukoo Fulani’s Tafsiri Hii (1997), to Nairobi Half Life (2012), to Wakadinali’s Geri Inengi (2021), to whatever song that will come out of Kayole in 2030, depicting the never-changing life in the ghetto.

He leaves behind a vast body of work.

May Meja Mwangi travel well to the land yonder. Say hi to Ngugi wa Thiong’o, David Mulwa, Mwangi Gicheru, Margaret Ogola, Grace Ogot, Micere Mugo, Binyavanga Wainaina, and all the great men and women of letters we lost.

Photo: Courtesy

[Afrobarometer @afrobarometer]

We are excited to announce that our CEO, Joseph Asunka (@joeasunka), will be moderating a dialogue with H.E. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah (President of Namibia) on democracy, gender, and leadership in Africa.

The dialogue, organised by Perry World House (@perryworldhouse), will focus on the challenges and opportunities shaping leadership and gender equality across the continent.

Register here: https://t.co/CWNnkreGYB

#VoicesAfrica #Africa #Leadership

[#EAPhilanthropyNetwork @EAPhilanthropy]

𝐀𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞: 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬| 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬| 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲

Artificial Intelligence isn't future talk. It's reshaping economies, governance, and civic life, and in Kenya, civil society organizations aren't watching this happen. They're already experimenting with AI, but often without the proper support to ensure it's 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫, 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞. 💔

That's why we're partnering in 𝐀𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, an initiative led by @TechSoup, supported by @Googleorg, and anchored within TechSoup's Digital Activism Program.

We're mapping Kenya's civil society AI readiness, identifying where 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 exist, where 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 is needed, and where 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 is already emerging but requires additional support. This is a blueprint for 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 that match real needs, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 that aligns with mission-driven work, and 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 that position local actors as co-creators.

🗣️ 𝐍𝐨𝐰, 𝐖𝐞 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮

We are inviting civil society actors in Kenya to co-author this moment with us. Your voice is direction, and we appreciate your partnership in reshaping what’s possible. 🤗

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝟏𝟓 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://t.co/XbrKuRP8RU

#AIforSocialChange #DigitalActivismProgram #TechSoup #HiveMind

[Womankind Worldwide @woman_kind]

📢 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

We are calling for applications for Her Voice Fund (HVF). This fund provides flexible funding to women’s rights and feminist organisations and activists in the Global South with an intersectional focus, supporting them in their advocacy efforts to influence policy at local, national, regional and international levels.

Find out more and apply here https://t.co/HL8b7vgPRr

[WINGS @wings_info]

A new report by @EPIC_Africa_, @FirelightFnd & @AfricanNGOs shows how the suspension of US government aid affected African CSOs. Many lost over half their funding, with frontline health, education & food security services severely disrupted.
Read it here: https://t.co/PeA4aONGR0

[EPIC-Africa @EPIC_Africa_]

500+ Registered Worldwide — Don’t Miss the ‘From Fragility to Fortitude’ Launch!

A Senegalese CSO was set to launch a $5M USAID-funded maternal and newborn health initiative in three regions with some of the highest mortality rates. The program was suspended before it even started.

“Communities with some of Senegal’s highest maternal and infant mortality rates have been left without expected support.”

Hear their story and others at the launch of From Fragility to Fortitude, funded by Firelight Foundation and in partnership with @AfricanNGOs.

🗓️ Thursday, 31 July 2025 | 3PM UTC
👉 Register now: https://t.co/7B7qnfaKA0

#FromFragilityToFortitude #CSOResilience #MaternalHealth #AfricanPhilanthropy

[EPIC-Africa @EPIC_Africa_]

64% of formerly US-funded African CSOs face survival threats.
Our new report in collaboration with @AfricanNGOs and funded by @FirelightFnd uncovers the real impact.
Join our launch event on 31st July 2025 at 3PM UTC.
🔗 Register: https://t.co/sUt19lHf3b

[Rose Maruru @RMaruru]

@afrobarometer @_IJR_ @Advision8 @mpoizim @Straconsult_MRU @fxbstar @SurveyNam @Fromagehomme @joeasunka @acquisition_int @CDDGha Congratulations !

[Afrobarometer @afrobarometer]

Afrobarometer data show that most Africans participate in multiple political and civic activities, with voting being the predominant form of engagement and protesting being the least common.

Curious to know what drives citizen engagement in Africa?

Register and join us virtually for our upcoming African Insights 2025 flagship report on citizen engagement launch: https://t.co/1XXmC6oKVG

[Joyce Nyairo @jnyairo]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Well done @NationAfrica and @StandardKenya
Every so often, we deserve headlines like these which celebrate folk whose contribution to this our land and nation has been wholesome and mind enriching.

[WINGS @wings_info]

People-powered movements drive transformative change, but they're underfunded, reliant on too few donors & vulnerable to aid cuts. Our new report maps the ecosystem supporting people-powered movements in Africa & Latin America. 👉: https://t.co/65oBmFGasW

#TransformPhilanthropy

[EPIC-Africa @EPIC_Africa_]

A new 444,000 Rand funding opportunity is now open for South African civil society organizations with a focus on anti-corruption. Funding supports community campaigns, advocacy, research, and awareness initiatives, with technical assistance provided. Projects must align with goals of transparency, citizen engagement, and accountability.

Full application details and templates are available on the platform: https://t.co/pOGAPiSJAr

#SouthAfrica #FundingOpportunities #CSOFunding #Grant #ResearchFunding

[WINGS @wings_info]

A new era of African-led development is here, but local changemakers can’t carry the future alone. We need pooled funds, long-term capital, co-created strategies & resilient institutions that centre African voices & leadership: https://t.co/JPvZ3w4gIH
@RMaruru, @EPIC_Africa_

[UN Women Liaison Office to the AU & UNECA @unwomenAU]

📢 Have you applied yet?

Spotlight Africa Regional Programme 2.0 seeks civil society experts & youth leaders for the Civil Society Regional Reference Group. Provide advisory, advocacy & accountability functions.

Apply here 👉🏽: https://t.co/V8sTaBvWVA

Deadline: 14 May, 2025

[WINGS @wings_info]

Amid the US foreign funding cuts, @FirelightFnd, @AfricanNGOs & @EPIC_Africa_ invite responses from African NGOs to assess how their work has been impacted. Share your responses by 7 April here: https://t.co/UqHqfD6Wdy

[EPIC-Africa @EPIC_Africa_]

📢 Plus de 100 OSC africaines ont déjà témoigné – et vous ?

La réduction drastique de l’aide américaine affecte les organisations à travers le continent. Avec le soutien de @FirelightFnd, EPIC-Africa et @AfricanNGOs, nous recueillons des données pour défendre des solutions adaptées.

Faites entendre la voix de votre OSC ! Répondez à l’enquête maintenant : https://t.co/m6fOmpfoHn

#OSCAfricaines #CriseDeFinancement #AideAméricaine

[Afrobarometer @afrobarometer]

Lived poverty is on the rise in Africa. The pain is worse in some places than in others.

See Afrobarometer's latest in @thecontinent_

#LivedPoverty #VoicesAfrica

[Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi Muzukulu wa Bityo @CKyobutungi]

Read about my take on the future of funding for global health in this article by @snolen in the @nytimes.
I advocate for a shift from a single-issue agency approach to a whole system approach to strengthen national health systems.

#WeAreAfrica
#IamAPHRC

[African Philanthropy Network @InfoAPN]

Rose Maruru|@EPIC_Africa_
reminds us that our sector drives the economy, yet we often remain invisible as we don’t speak about our contributions!We need to champion our impact &role we play in economic growth. Without solid data, we struggle to lobby for an enabling environment.

[African Philanthropy Network @InfoAPN]

It’s a wrap! 🎉 Access the @EPIC-Africa's "Challenging the Myths - Individual Giving Report 2024" here: https://t.co/WzIxu1A6FN