Institute of Economic Affairs

2018

How might we use scenario planning to improve futures for Kenyan citizens?

Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA)

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Location

Nairobi, Kenya

Meet the Team

August 17, 2017; (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)

Asmaa El Messnaoui || Morocco

Asmaa El Messnaoui has worked as a requirements engineer in the private sector. She also is founder and president of a local nongovernmental organization that strives to promote community service and citizenship among young people. Asmaa holds an engineer of state diploma in materials and manufacturing processes from ENSAM National Engineering School in Morocco, and speaks Arabic, French, and some Spanish. As a master of global affairs student, she was the recipient of an Ansari Institute Fellowship.

Dorcas Omowole || Nigeria

Dorcas Omowole has interned at the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, where she educated children on conservation issues through stories. She also has work experience in branding, media, and social research, and holds a B.Sc. in geography from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. As a master of global affairs student, Dorcas was the recipient of a Kellogg Institute Fellowship.

Loyce Mrewa || Zimbabwe

Loyce Mrewa has worked as a researcher for legal and multidisciplinary research institutes, analyzing issues related to children, persons with disabilities, and constitutional and human rights law. She has published work focusing on international humanitarian law, women’s rights, and children’s rights. She speaks Shona, an official language of Zimbabwe, and is learning French. She holds L.L.B. and L.L.M. degrees with a specialization in international law. As a master of global affairs student, Loyce was the recipient of a Thomas D. McCloskey Peace Fellowship.

Rhea V. Silvosa || Philippines

Rhea V. Silvosa worked as the program officer for the Annual Peacebuilding Training Program of the Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute, coordinating an international training and developing training in peacebuilding and conflict transformation. She is actively involved in civil society groups that advocate for human rights and restorative and transitional justices. She holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary education (cum laude) from the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology. As a master of global affairs student, Rhea was the recipient of a Kroc Institute Fellowship.

Overview

In 2010, Kenyan citizens approved a new constitution, after more than two decades of negotiations and false starts. The electoral violence in 2007 and 2008 -- which left more than 1,300 dead and some 300,000 people displaced -- served as a wake-up call of the need for change. In the aftermath, constitutional scholars and politicians set to work on a governing framework intended to curb ethnic and political violence in future elections. At the centerpiece is the devolution of power to sub-national governing counties. Virtually every aspect of post-colonial governance of eastern Africa’s largest economy must adjust to these new changes in investment strategy, revenue allocation, infrastructure development, and communications technology.

Founded in 1982, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is a think tank in Nairobi that serves as a platform for informed discussions on issues of public policy. IEA undertakes research and public education on key economic and public affairs issues in Kenya and the region.

IEA is using its “Futures Program” methodologies in research, policy analysis and development planning engaged in the creation of scenarios informing dialogue around policy matters. The first, “Scenarios: Kenya at the CrossRoads,” aimed at catalyzing dialogue on what possible futures Kenya could face over the next 10-15 years and stimulated a national debate on how to shape the next decade of the country’s life. The “Youth Scenarios” aimed at understanding the various forces at play in the youth sector, how they interact and what they may produce in the future.

The constitution’s emphasis on devolved governance largely aims at enhancing democratic governance and promoting social and economic transformation in Kenya. Noteworthy is the increase in number of stakeholders in governance at both national and county levels of government. Stakeholder relationships and interactions are likely to lead to different scenarios, thus informing IEA’s desire to partner with Notre Dame to develop scenarios on Kenya’s devolution aimed at informing policy discourse.

Informed by IEA’s past successes and lessons from its scenario planning processes, IEA sees an opportunity to work with Notre Dame to apply the Futures Approach to make devolved governance more effective in Kenya and also address critical issues of conflict, participation and development.