The ‘Salon’ becomes Kenya’s unofficial civic education classroom
Kenya’s 2010 Constitution stipulated that Parliamentary and Presidential elections would, be held every five years from the last elections. Consequently, the last few years of the incumbent government’s term tends to be marked with lots of debates and activities as the incumbent leaders try to win back their seats. It also becomes a season for renewed civic education but unfortunately, civic education the vibe tends to end once the elections end and results announced.
Yet, conversations about water, security, roads or local leaders in mundane spaces including in salons, barbershops or ‘chamas’ need to be encouraged as they comprise more than everyday talk. Undoubtedly, such conversations can help people understand their rights, question leadership and make informed decisions about the future of their communities, it was observed in Nairobi, Kenya on October 26th 2026 just less than a year to the August 10th, 2027 general elections in the country.
Notably, sizeable numbers of women in the country Kenya gather in chamas, visit salons, or self-organize in neighborhoods and build networks around the issues that shape their daily lives. Often such activities and functions are strictly not just for social interaction seeing that people also exchange information, interpret public events, discuss shared concerns and build relationships that can support collective action.
Yet the influence women exercise in these everyday spaces does not automatically translate into political representation or decision-making power. And hence the thinking behind ‘Transformative/transformational Gossip’, an initiative of Badili Africa that recognizes the civic potential of trusted community spaces such as salons, barbers and chamas. The ‘Transformational gossip initiative strengthens the case for taking civic education beyond formal meetings, political rallies and government offices and bringing it closer to where people already meet talk and organize.
“Civic education does not always have to begin and happen in formal meetings or political rallies. It can start with a conversation in a salon or barbershop or a chama. These are trusted spaces where people spend time, share their experiences and discuss what matters to them. We can transform these spaces into powerful civic education classrooms by turning such conversations into knowledge, confidence and meaningful participation in public life,” observed Bina Maseno, Executive Director at Badili Africa.
She voiced her convictions at a recent meeting hosted by Badili Africa and the Embassy of Switzerland, where women leaders, political aspirants, grassroots mobilizers and civic practitioners discussed how women’s collective power could translate into meaningful political participation and leadership.
Arguably, Chamas are Kenya’s most powerful grassroots institutions. They range from simple merry-go-rounds meetings to formal investment clubs, and represent a uniquely African approach to savings, investment, and community with an estimated one in three Kenyans said to belong to at least such chamas. Badili Africa currently works with over 600 chama groups reaching over 10,000 women in the country.
According Maseno, Transformative Gossip seeks to encourage conversations about civic participation, leadership, rights and accountability by connecting everyday experiences to public decisions, while supporting women to turn shared concerns into informed participation, collective action and sustained influence.
Despite the term ‘gossip’ often used to dismiss informal conversation as idle and sometimes negative talk, Transformative Gossip takes on a different view, that when grounded in reliable information and facilitated responsibly, everyday conversations can help people make sense of public issues, compare experiences and identify concerns that require a collective response.
For Badili Africa and partners this work starts from recognition that women are already active in political and civic life as community organizers and political mobilizers among other roles. Yet often this work is not recognized as leadership and does not also necessarily give women access to political parties, decision-making spaces or elective office.
Essentially, Transformative Gossip seeks to help bridge that gap by connecting the power women exercise in their communities with the institutions and processes that shape public life. While not a substitute for formal civic education or institutional reform, the initiative creates accessible entry points for discussion and participation.
For Morgan Otieno, a barber in Kayole, community spaces provide an opportunity to engage people around issues affecting their daily lives. “People come to the barbershop for more than a haircut. They talk discuss issues related with families, security, politics and even what is happening in the community. We can use that trust responsibly to encourage people to ask questions, share information and come together around issues affecting them,” Otieno reflected.
Every day conversations that encourage informed public participation can include topics such as public services, county budgets, electoral processes, women’s rights, gender-based violence, political accountability and other community priorities.
According to Maseno, these are not simply individual challenges that discourage women from speaking publicly, seeking elective office or remaining active in politics. They also represent structural barriers that require political institutions, funders, civil society and communities to respond collectively to through practical support, protection or accountability.
“Women need more than encouragement to run for office. They need fair political processes, strong support networks and safeguards against intimidation. Their participation must also be supported beyond elections days, including when they face setbacks or challenges in the political process,” explained Hon. Millie Odhiambo Mabona – Suba North Member of Parliament (MP).
The aforementioned meeting further explored how chamas, salons, barbers and other grassroots networks can strengthen women’s participation in political parties, electoral processes, county budgets, and public decision-making in addition to encouraging them to run for the offices themselves.
Hon. Njambi Kinyanjui, a nominated Member of County Assembly in Kiambu County, highlighted the need to recognize women’s existing leadership in their communities and ensure it translates into influence in formal decision-making. “Women already contribute to political life through their communities and networks. Their voices must be heard, their concerns taken seriously and their leadership supported beyond the campaign period,” she said.
The Switzerland Ambassador in Kenya, H.E. Mirko Giulietti, on his part, accentuated the importance of investing in the conditions that allow women to lead. “Democracy is strongest when everyone has the opportunity to be heard and influence decisions. This project shows how everyday conversations can help build collective voices that reach and enhance women’s participation in decision-making processes,” Mirko Giulietti affirmed.
The event also recognized participants who completed the Transformative Gossip Leadership Training Programme. Remarkably, salonists and barbers received practical skills in civic education, storytelling, community organization and safeguarding referral information.
Notably, Badili Africa is a Pan-African women’s rights organization based in Kenya since 2017. It works to strengthen the leadership, civic participation and political influence of grassroots and young women. Through community-based approaches, political education, leadership development, economic empowerment and narrative-shifting initiatives, Badili Africa works to connect women’s collective power with formal political and decision-making spaces. Its work seeks to make civic and political processes more inclusive, accessible and responsive to women’s priorities. (more information can be accessed on www.badiliafrica.co.ke)