With great sadness, I have to share that this will be my last ‘View From Africa’ for New Internationalist. Over the last four years I have learnt so much through the discipline of working through new column ideas every few weeks. It’s been a pleasure to be part of a community trying to radically reimagine the world, particularly in this moment of tremendous global flux. But change every so often is a crucial part of breathing life into things, and I’m excited to see what new directions the magazine will take with the column.
I’m writing this piece in the shadow of a curious election in Kenya which speaks volumes about the future of politics in the world. William Samoei Ruto has been elected fifth president of the country. To his supporters, he is a ‘hustler’, a self-made man whose political career exists outside the dynastic politics that otherwise dominate Kenya. This is the narrative that seduced 50.8 per cent of voters in the country and was confirmed by a Supreme Court ruling one week later.
