Library Ecosystem Research
In 2020, we launched the Library Ecosystems Research project to understand the broader network of public libraries in Kenya. We wanted to know not just how many people visit or how many books circulate, but: What makes a library ecosystem thrive? What roles do users, librarians, policymakers, and partners play? And how can libraries stay relevant, resilient, and rooted?
Five years later, at Nairobi Litfest 2025, we shared these findings, and now we’re excited to share them with you!
Engage with the Research
Read the Report
Find a Library
See the Map in Person
Special thanks to our partners for supporting this project
Podcast: A Palace for The People
Welcome to A Palace for The People, a podcast unearthing pieces of Nairobi’s history that support and feed the restoration process of the McMillan Memorial Library and its branches in Makadara and Kaloleni.
Hosted by the Founders of Book Bunk; Angela Wachuka and Wanjiru Koinange, the title of this podcast is inspired by Eric Klinenberg’s book, Palaces for The People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life.
Episode 1: Protests and Punishment
Kenya’s boarding schools have long been spaces of silence and strict discipline, but what happens when students push back? In this season opener, we delve into a little-known high school protest and what it reveals about power, punishment and the right to be heard.
Hosted by Esther M. and Clinton Otieno
Episode 2: Seeds of Resistance
Smallholder farmers in Kenya resist a law that criminalises the saving and sharing of seeds. What begins as an artistic protest unfolds into a deeper struggle over food, culture and control. As we examine the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act, we ask; who benefits from such legislation, and at what cost to farmers?
Hosted by Enock Wanyama
Episode 3: We Wore Rage
In 2014, a viral video of a woman being stripped in public sparked national outrage and led to the My Dress My Choice protest in Nairobi. This episode traces how a social media uproar transformed into a powerful street movement demanding safety and dignity for women. Activist Rita Mutheu reflects on what it took to reclaim public space, and how the fight for bodily autonomy continues today.
Hosted by Juliet Ndoti
Episode 4: Teargas and Testimony – The Story of Timothy Njoya
Reverend Timothy Njoya risked everything to stand up to authoritarianism. In this episode, we revisit the story of the fiery cleric who challenged both state and church to speak truth to power. From colonial Kenya to the Saba Saba protests of 1990, Njoya’s journey is one of spiritual conviction, political courage and personal sacrifice in the face of brutality.
Hosted by Maureen Mumbua
Episode 5: Live Episode
This interactive episode traces the evolution of protest in Kenya as a powerful form of self-expression, resistance, and change, while reflecting on the role of public libraries as both witnesses to and participants in civic action. It captures audience reflections on a day that marked a pivotal moment in Kenya’s recent protest history.
Hosted by Angela Wachuka and Wanjiru Koinange. Featuring Keith Ang’ana.
Episode 6: Strike
In the season finale of A Palace For The People, we go back to Kenya’s independence era to uncover the roots of the country’s labor movement. Writer and historian Shiraz Durrani speaks about the struggles of workers under colonial rule, the rise of trade unions, and the forgotten figures who fought not only for fair wages, but also for freedom itself.
Hosted by Faith Kimutai.