Ashley Kung'u

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Martha Karua’s Presidential Bid: A Call for Change

Martha Karua’s declaration of candidacy for the 2027 Kenyan presidential election has sent shockwaves throughout the country. As a seasoned politician and lawyer, Karua’s bid is built on her long-standing commitment to justice, democracy, and women’s rights. A Fresh Perspective Karua’s one-term promise is a bold move that could redefine Kenya’s political landscape. By pledging…

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The Hypocrisy of Governance: When Silence Becomes Complicity

In Kenya’s democratic journey, citizens play a crucial role in shaping governance. However, there’s a disconnect between criticizing policies and actively participating in the democratic process. According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) 2022 General Election Report, voter turnout was approximately 65.4% of the registered voters. Yet youth participation was relatively low, with…

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The Unending Struggle: How Lecturer Strikes Are Affecting Students in Kenya

As a student in Kenya, I’ve witnessed firsthand the impact of lecturer strikes on our education system. The recent strike by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has brought our universities to a standstill, leaving thousands of students like me uncertain about our academic futures. The strike has disrupted our academic calendar, and we’re struggling…

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Overcoming Self-Toxicity: Breaking Free from Negative Self-Talk

Overcoming Self-Toxicity: Breaking Free from Negative Self-Talk

For the longest time, I believed the hardest battles were the ones fought with people around me—the arguments, the misunderstandings, the heartbreaks. But over time, I realized that the most exhausting and relentless fight was the one happening inside my own head. My inner critic was my loudest, harshest enemy. It didn’t need to say much; just a quiet, constant drip of doubt and judgment that seeped into every part of my life.

Self-toxicity isn’t always about someone else being toxic to you. Sometimes, it’s about you being toxic to yourself. It’s that voice that criticizes your every move, tells you you’re not enough, that your best will never be good enough, and that mistakes are proof you should give up. It’s negative self-talk dressed up as “realism,” self-sabotage masquerading as self-care, and perfectionism disguised as discipline. And honestly, it’s exhausting.

Why do we become this way toward ourselves? For me, it’s rooted in fear. Fear of failing, fear of disappointing others, fear of never measuring up. Sometimes it’s the weight of past wounds—those moments when someone told me I wasn’t worth it, or when I internalized a small failure as a life sentence. Other times, it’s the pressure from society, from social media, from constant comparisons that whisper, “You must be flawless, productive, always on, and never vulnerable.”

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