Nairobi
Kenya is a beacon in East Africa: the largest national economy, despite many problems a functioning democracy with an active civil society, but above all a young country with well-educated, committed people.
The foundation strengthens democracy and civic engagement in Kenya. It promotes entrepreneurship and free, fair trade. And it is a strong advocate for human rights.
At the same time, Nairobi is home to the Global Partnership Hub, the centre of excellence for development cooperation. The Hub generates knowledge and innovative concepts from the Global South - for a better future for North and South.
News
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A new era of collaboration
Berlin, Germany - Friday, September 13, 2024 will be remembered as a historic moment for the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) as it marked the realization of an innovative concept advocating for the exchange of labor and skills between the Global North and Global South. In Berlin, an MOU was signed between FNF, the Government of Kenya, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, and Qhala Trust. This initiative was born out of the recognition that while the Baby Boomer generation in the Global North is rapidly retiring, creating significant labor shortages, many young, talented professionals in the Global South face a lack of job opportunities.
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Where is President Ruto steering the country?
It was supposed to be a liberating blow. On the evening of July 11, 2024, Kenya's President Ruto issued a press release. Three pages of praise for his own government were followed by the real news on page four: all ministers and the Attorney General were dismissed immediately. The only exception was the Prime Minister, who also heads the Foreign Ministry. Ruto also announced immediate talks to broaden the government's base.
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Black Tuesday in Kenya as Gen Z overrun parliament, police kill 14
Fourteen people were killed and Parliament torched as stalwarts of President William Ruto passed controversial tax law which has provoked a popular uprising among young Kenyans. Gen Z protestors were staging the fifth of their “seven days of rage” hold-out against Ruto government’s hard-line stance on Finance Bill 2024. In 35 of Kenya’s 47 counties, they poured out in the streets in their thousands, shouting down the government, burning and looting properties associated with ruling party MPs.
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Bold Gen Z takes to streets, demands end to punitive finance bill
In what is being hailed as a new dawn for Kenya, the nation has experienced an unexpected uprising driven by a bold, new generation of young protesters. These determined activists on Tuesday took control of majority of Kenyan towns, exerting more pressure on Members of Parliament (MPs) to retract several unpopular tax proposals embedded in the 2024 Finance Bill. Before this spectacle and for days on end, they had joined their elder generations in opposing the tax proposals contained in the bill, a brainchild of President William Ruto’s ambitious plan to have Kenyans fully fund their own budget.
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Skills shortage in Germany
In a policy paper, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation calls on politicians to create conditions for digital outsourcing in the Global South. This could address the skills shortage in Germany and create well-paying jobs in the home countries. However, it is questionable how great the actual potential is. Last week, the IW Cologne published the MINT Spring Report 2024 . The result was sobering: the industry is lacking around 244,000 skilled workers . Against the background of these figures, the IW Cologne recommends “using the potential of immigration even more effectively” .
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Why we need to take sides
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom opens its new office in Johannesburg at a time when there is much debate about the value of that very freedom. A value, that is indispensable for the self determined development of human beings and for democracy. The list of dictatorial regimes that oppress their people remains consistently long. African countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Libya and the Central African Republic are consumed by brutal civil wars.
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Africa’s growing geo-political influence
Three back-to-back visits by major world powers to Africa ahead of February’s African Union Summit follow a flurry of important diplomatic visits in 2022, including by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron. Together, they signal attention to Africa’s rising political and economic bargaining power globally, which has been brought into sharp focus by the Russian war in Ukraine. “It’s a sign of increased attention to the continent.”
