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Are men sexually harassed?”: Enacting the discourse of hegemonic masculinity in the evaluation of stories of male sexual harassment on Kenyan talk radio
(John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2017) Joy Mueni; Jonathan Clifton
Since MacKinnon’s (1979) ground-breaking work in which she coined the term sexual harassment, there has been very little consensus as to what it actually is. Using callers’ stories of male sexual harassment taken from Kenyan talk radio, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the in situ production of an emic definition of (male) sexual harassment. Further, using positioning theory as a methodology, this paper aims (1) to make visible the gendered identity work that defining, or not defining, an event as male sexual harassment occasions and (2) to show how hegemonic masculinity is achieved through stories and their evaluation by the radio host and other callers who talk certain masculinities into being as normative and others as deviant.
New Media and Political Marketing in Kenya: The Case of 2013 General Elections
(International Journal of Arts and Commerce, 2014-08) Joy Mueni; John O. Ndavula
The paper examines the role of new media in political marketing during the 2013 general elections in Kenya. The ways in which politicians market themselves in the political realm have changed dramatically since the emergence of new media. Politicians in Kenya found innovative ways of reaching the masses with their campaign messages through new media platforms. It is however interesting to note that despite the high energy in the new media scene, there is little literature on the role that new media plays in political marketing in Kenya. Thus, the study aims at finding out the relevance of new media in Kenyan elections. Kenya has a national policy framework that supports access to ICTs. The creation of the backbone infrastructure for ICT in Kenya has potentially opened up space for new ways of engaging with the masses through new media. The paper argues that there is a link between these developments in technological infrastructure, and ultimately improved access of the Internet, to increased online political marketing. The framing theory and technological determinism theory were used to formulate a theoretical framework for the study. The paper seeks to determine whether going forward, political parties in Kenya should give due attention to the use of new media for political marketing. The paper argues that a stronger ICT –based political campaign platform will entrench a deeper participatory, democratic culture which is in line with achieving vision 2030 for the country.
Gendered Identities, Media Narratives, and Violent Extremism in Kenya: Rethinking Peacebuilding in the Gospel of Christ
(Journal of Linguistics, Literary and Communication Studies, 2025-12-16) Joy Mueni
Kenya’s struggle with violent extremism is shaped not only by security dynamics but by the narratives through which communities interpret identity, harm, and belonging. This study examines how gendered identities and theological commitments influence Kenyan media and faith-based communication on VE, and identifies practices that support ethical, inclusive, and dignity-affirming public discourse. Anchored in Feminist Media Theory, intersectionality, and Gospel-Anchored Public Theology, the study integrates gender, representation, and theological ethics to illuminate how media and faith actors shape public meaning-making around extremism. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed where Kenyan media guidelines, regional P/CVE policy, African feminist hermeneutics, and public theology literature were synthesised through systematic content analysis. The second phase included primary data collection via an anonymous online survey. Data were analysed thematically and integrated across phases. Findings reveal persistent gendered tropes in VE reporting, yet counter-publics, particularly women’s groups and Muslim youth initiatives are actively producing alternative, dignity-centred narratives. Media practitioners exhibit strong ethical instincts but face institutional gaps, including limited
Islamophobia training, weak verification systems, and inadequate duty-of-care protocols. Faith leaders demonstrate commitment to gender justice and restorative communication but express low confidence in applying “do-no-harm” approaches under pressure. Both sectors affirm that ethical, contextualised reporting and theologically informed truth-telling can reduce tension and strengthen social cohesion. The study concludes that integrating gender-aware media ethics with gospel-anchored public theology offers a transformative framework for narrative-justice in Kenya’s VE landscape.
Parent-Teacher Synergy and Learner Success: Insights for Competency-Based Education in Kenya
(2025-12-29) Joy Mueni
This study explores the impact of parent-teacher collaboration on learner achievement within Kenya’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC). Framed in both global and local contexts, it draws on current literature and original research conducted in Kenyan primary schools. A mixed-methods design was employed, integrating surveys and follow-up interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative findings underwent thematic analysis. Methodological rigour was ensured through the use of a validated family–school relationship scale, internal consistency checks, triangulation, and member-checking. Findings highlight that active parental involvement is crucial to academic and social development. While many parents showed strong commitment, challenges such as limited curriculum familiarity, demanding work schedules, poor communication with schools, and negative past experiences inhibited full engagement. Notably, mothers made up two-thirds of participants, reflecting a gendered pattern in educational involvement. Despite high aspirations for their children, parents often felt unprepared to support CBC learning and deferred responsibility to teachers. The study connects these insights to broader frameworks, including Sustainable Development Goal 4 and Kenya’s Vision 2030, emphasizing that reinforcing parent-teacher partnerships is vital to achieving inclusive, equitable, and quality education. The paper concludes with actionable recommendations for stakeholders to embed effective family–school collaboration into CBC implementation, addressing digital learning, community-based education, and support for learners with special needs.
Fairness Dilemmas of Location-Based Gig Work: Case Study of East African Countries.
(Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2024-08-01) Mugendi-Kiarie, R,
In recent times, the digital gig economy has experienced an exponential growth due to various factors including limited opportunities for full-time employment and preference for flexibility by the workers. For the operators who manage the gig platforms, they have benefited from reduced overhead costs, leading to substantial profits. However, decent gig work has been a problem mainly because the employment-related impacts that are associated with the gig economy have not been fully exploited to provide a win–win solution for both the worker and the employer. For location-based gig work, the gig worker must be present at the specific location to offer the services. The platform operators treat the gig workers as independent contractors thus denying them the benefits that they would enjoy if they were classified as employees. This chapter has utilized qualitative research through the review of real-life case studies on the location-based gig economy in some of the East African Countries with the aim of identifying the challenges and gaps in this kind of work and possible remedies to ensure that fairness prevails when providing location-based gig work.