Brendon Marotta

Jay Mjinga on African Circumcision and Kenyan Politics

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Jay Mjinga is a Kenyan journalist working to end African circumcision. In this episode, we talk about how Western circumcision campaigns intersect with tribal conflict in Kenya.

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Jay shares how myths and misinformation about circumcision are worsening HIV, used to support systemic racism, and contributing to forced circumcision hate crimes. If you want to understand the issue of circumcision in Africa, this is a must-listen episode.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

  • [1:32] – How circumcision is viewed in Kenya
  • [2:38] – How circumcision campaigns are being carried out in Africa
  • [3:41] – Jay’s personal circumcision story
  • [6:20] – How circumcision campaigns lead to unsafe sex
  • [7:19] – How Jay began to question circumcision
  • [8:24] – Circumcision in Kenyan elections
  • [9:49] – Forced circumcisions in Kenyan streets
  • [11:18] – Pro-circumcision propaganda in Kenya
  • [12:35] – Government backlash to Jay’s activism
  • [14:19] – How FGM is treated differently in Kenya
  • [17:17] – Women’s attitudes towards circumcision
  • [18:15] – Sex before and after circumcision
  • [19:54] – How Africans are enticed to get circumcised
  • [23:26] – How tribal circumcision is performed
  • [26:29] – Getting arrested for “anti-government propaganda” against circumcision
  • [32:41] – Are government lies spreading HIV and AIDs?
  • [33:30] – How COVID impacted Kenya
  • [34:50] – The problem with Africans copying the West
  • [37:45] – The relationship between American programs and local Kenyans
  • [40:29] – Conflict between China and America for control of Africa
  • [41:05] – How Americans can help end circumcision in Africa
  • [46:39] – Plans for an anti-circumcision resource center
  • [51:32] – The challenge of fundraising in Africa and Nigerian scam emails
  • [56:26] – How Brendon perceives the circumcision issue in America
  • [1:00:05] – How transgender people might change the issue of genital cutting
  • [1:02:14] – Shame and talking about circumcision
  • [1:04:46] – How circumcision propaganda get distorted in Africa
  • [1:08:09] – How tribal conflict intersects with circumcision and Kenyan politics
  • [1:11:04] – Brendon has a light bulb moment about Kenya politics
  •  [1:15:04] – The seriousness of Kenya elections
  • [1:17:08] – Forced circumcisions as hate crimes
  • [1:19:55] – Generational change and inter-tribal marriage
  • [1:23:22] – How circumcision propaganda attacks poorer tribes and interracial marriage
  • [1:29:30] – How America looks at Africa, and the 42 tribes of Kenya
  • [1:33:26] – How money and power works in Kenyan politics
  • [1:41:24] – “Most ideologies end up in the forest”
  • [1:45:12] – How Americans can build trust in Africa

Resources:

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