Wangui Mwangi

Counter Terrorism |P/CVE| Cyber Security|Int’l Security|African Leadership Centre Peace & Security Fellow|Non-communicable Diseases |IR |Leadership |Development

[Wangui Mwangi @Redemee]

"I am counting on you to be brave.I am counting on you to be useful. I am counting on you to keep the faith, & never give up […] Never,ever stop fighting for all that is good, & just, & decent about our world & each other." John McCain upon accepting the Ewald von Kleist Award

[Lynn Ngugi @lynn_ngugi1]

“If Somalis decided to pull their resources out of Kenya, it will collapse in a day”..This is part of a statement by @AlinurMohamed_
By all means, pull your resources out of Kenya, let it collapse!! We will rebuild from scratch.

Every time a conversation on how Eastleigh business are taxed arises, you see such statements. We won’t cave. Watu walipe tax!!

[MUKARABATI @Benson_Mwiti_25]

This is Ondiri Swamp, Kenya’s only known quaking bog.

Located outside Kikuyu town, Ondiri is one of the country’s most unique natural ecosystems, holding together water, life and history in ways most people pass without noticing. It covers about 34 hectares and sits at an altitude of nearly 2,000 meters above sea level, within a landscape shaped over time by water, vegetation and peat.

At first glance, Ondiri appears calm and ordinary. But beneath its green surface lies something rare, a quaking bog. This is a wetland where a thick mat of peat and floating vegetation rests on water. When you step on it, the ground does not feel firm. It gently trembles, as if the earth itself is alive and breathing beneath your feet.

Ondiri is the source of the Nyongara River, which feeds into the Nairobi River system. Beneath its surface, hidden hydrological pathways help recharge the historic Kikuyu Springs, which have supplied clean water to Nairobi for more than a century. In this way, Ondiri plays a silent but critical role in regional water security, collecting rainfall, stream flow and underground seepage that sustains life far beyond its boundaries.

The thick peat in the wetland stores carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere, helping reduce greenhouse gases. At the same time, Ondiri supports a rich diversity of birds, insects, amphibians and plants that depend on this fragile habitat. During heavy rains, it acts like a natural sponge, absorbing excess water and helping reduce flooding downstream.

Ondiri is also history and memory.
It was once known as Kihenia, meaning “the shiny surface,” a lake that reflected sunlight so vividly it appeared to glow. Over time, through language and change, it became known as Ondiri. Like many landscapes in Africa, it also carries stories passed down through generations. One such local myth says that anyone who sinks into certain parts of the swamp may reappear in Lake Naivasha, far away. While unverified, such stories reflect the deep respect and caution the community has always held for this place.

Today, Ondiri faces growing pressure from pollution, encroachment, unregulated water extraction and invasive planting. These threats are slowly disturbing a system that took centuries to form.
What is at stake is not just a swamp.
It is a water source. A carbon sink. A flood control system. A biodiversity refuge. And a living archive of culture, memory and ecological balance.

If you value stories like this follow Benson Mwiti for more journeys into landscapes, wildlife and untold histories across our Africa.

[Writer | Climber | Mother of Dragons | Kas Ka Gan @Wordslinger__]

Why do we need one road or one area to be the "face of Nairobi and Kenya"?

And why do we need to "strongly encourage" external appearances when these flats are largely unsuitable for human habitation in general? We are obsessed with outward appearance instead of the heart.

[Stephen Mutoro @smutoro]

Madness in Kakamega today: police tear-gassed a busload of Friends School Binyenya kids returning from a music festival in Mumias — mistaken for United Opposition rally supporters. This is what happens when our police are weaponized for politics instead of protecting citizens. Sad.

[Sholla Ard 🇰🇪 @sholard_mancity]

NEW: Forestry PS Gitonga says construction of the Imenti Forest State Lodge, airstrip, and golf course will continue despite a court order.

Once again, we are seeing the hallmark of this government: court orders seem to apply to everyone except those in power.

But beyond the court order, there is something else that doesn't make sense.

Why this obsession with building inside forests?

The same government that tells Kenyans to protect forests is building a State Lodge, an airstrip, and a golf course in a forest.

Why couldn't this be built on open land?

And why are taxpayers being asked to fund another State Lodge when Sagana State Lodge already exists?

In fact, why on earth would they be building a State Lodge for someone who is always out of the country?

At a time when Kenyans are struggling with high taxes, unemployment, and an economic downturn, this project seems more like a political luxury than a national priority.

And let's be honest. This looks more like a political project aimed at creating a second centre of power in Mt Kenya.

If that is not the intention, then the government should explain why another State Lodge is needed just a few kilometres from Sagana.

PS Gitonga says the first aircraft could land at the airstrip within days.

Maybe I'm missing something, but what exactly is the public benefit here?

From where many Kenyans are sitting, this looks like public money being used to build prestige projects for politicians while ordinary citizens are told to tighten their belts.

Forests should be protected, not sacrificed for political projects. Stop the waste of public funds.

[#OromoProtests @SeiseBagbo]

I always believe this is the role of oppression: to keep you unimaginative.

To never see youself as deserving or worthy. To believe there is no future where you rest or become.

To never think of yourself as human enough. So, all your work is to prove yourself as worthy.

[Yoko @Kibet_bull]

On Sunday KTN will be exposing how they’re hawking national IDs in preparation for tutam.

Ruto will burn down this country.

[Dr. Anderson N. Maina, PhD @Maina_Poultry]

Kenyan FARMERS, a severe El Niño is forecast for Kenya from mid-2026 through Q1 2027, potentially worse than 1997. In '97, flooding killed 2,000+ people, wiped out 300,000 ha of crops, and killed over 600,000 livestock.

Here's a 14-step action plan. Start this week. 🧵

[Timoshenko @Kianangih]

I ask again

Are we over-harvesting our forests?

Leo nimespot about 6 such trucks ferrying trees from Ol joro-orok to Nakuru.

[Willis Evans Otieno @otienowill]

Ruto's mission was never to transform the state; it was to surpass his predecessor in the politics of accumulation. What was presented as reform increasingly appears to have been a project of elite consolidation, where public institutions became instruments of extraction rather than service.

The objective was not to dismantle the old order, but to perfect it , expanding its reach with greater sophistication, deeper patronage networks, and unprecedented audacity. What many hoped would be an era of renewal has instead been defined by the pursuit of power, control, and resource capture.

[NEDU @Nedu_brazil01]

DR Congo national football team 🇨🇩 arrive in Houston for the World Cup in leopard 🐆 skin fashion🔥🔥….. This will be their first appearance at the tournament since 1974 when the came as Zaire

[Typical African @Joe__Bassey]

The legacy and atrocities committed by Leopold II of Belgium need to be taught in every primary and elementary school across Africa in the same way the Jewish holocaust is being taught.

[Farhiya Abass @farhiyaabass]

It would have made a huge difference if we had expanded the roads while maintaining our green spaces.

[Sholla Ard 🇰🇪 @sholard_mancity]

NEW: President Ruto now says he needs 7 yrs to transform Kenya and Kibera.

I'm confused.
We are in 2026. His first term is almost over. So where exactly are these 7 yrs coming from?

It's funny how politicians never run out of promises. Only deadlines.

[Adelle Onyango @ADELLEO]

I hope I'm alive to see @WilliamsRuto pay for his & his regime's atrocities.

[Dr. C @chao_mbogho]

We've seen so much death & grief in this country last 3-4 years. We've watched so many parents & families cry for their children in courtrooms & funerals alike.

For me, how a country values life is the measure of a civilized & developed society. It's tragic that we are here.

[James @MrJamesKe]

We're worried about a second term when he seems to be planning for a forever term. This isn’t the first time he has spoken this way.

[Yoko @Kibet_bull]

This brilliant student had to diee for Americans. As Marco Rubio said, “Americans must be protected by all means.”

He was killed in protection of the US Ebola Facility.

[Shoba Gatimu @shobanes]

Developing backwards.
Concrete doesn't necessarily mean progress