Dear Ally,
Happy Friday! As you know, I’ve shifted the newsletter from weekly to biweekly to ensure that each update is packed with value. However, I have so much to share that I find it challenging not to revert to weekly updates! I'll do my best to keep this concise.
My Senegal Trip: Claiming New Spaces and Facing Fears
Last week, I travelled to Senegal for the first time to attend the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa. Despite my extensive travel experience and having spoken at major global conferences, including the UN Security Council, I still felt nervous. New spaces can be intimidating, and I couldn’t shake the anxious feeling before my trip. Maybe it was some form of impostor syndrome, but I’ve come to realise that impostor syndrome is more of a made-up concept; it’s not real. What I was truly feeling was fear—fear of stepping into something new.
A few days before the trip, I felt stuck. However, looking back, I understand that it wasn’t being stuck; it was fear. Fear of the potential Arctive Citizens holds and of leading a new initiative. Even though I’ve built movements and networks before, this one feels different. For the first time, I’m putting pressure on myself to make it work. Previously, I created from a place of curiosity, exploring what my ideas could do. Now, I feel like I’m dimming that curiosity under the weight of strategy and tactics.
I’m currently trying to find the balance between innovation, curiosity, and staying true to my social justice values. Any tips to share with me?
A Full Circle Moment: Rediscovering Active Citizenship
Recently, I had a conversation with a potential partner who was excited about Arctive Citizens. Before our meeting next week, they asked me about some of my past civic and political projects, specifically Beyond The Lines, which focused on empowering young citizens to be peacebuilders, and Less Talk Kenya, where we leveraged meme culture and social trends for political education regarding the unconstitutional Building Bridges Initiative and mobilised young people to participate in the 2022 General Elections. While reviewing my old content, I had an “aha” moment: active citizenship has always been at the core of my work. It has been my guiding principle long before I became familiar with the SDGs or UN frameworks.
I’ve always believed in the power of digital spaces to foster collective action, and Arctive Citizens is a direct reflection of that belief. It’s the manifestation of a seed planted in me years ago—one I inherited from my father, who was deeply engaged in political discussions and mobilisation efforts. However, Arctive Citizens isn't solely shaped by my political work; it also builds on the successes and lessons learned from founding other organisations like ISIRIKA and the Kenya Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security, both of which I’ve transitioned to younger leaders to shape and drive forward. Both organisations are still going strong (yay for bragging rights)!
This time feels different. I’ve always been a builder—someone who loves creating but doesn’t enjoy handling day-to-day operations. Typically, I design and lead movements, networks, or projects for about a year. For short-term campaigns born out of crises, like Mutual Aid Kenya, the timeline is even shorter due to the need for rapid responses to immediate needs. But for longer initiatives like ISIRIKA, the process takes more time. It’s crucial to ensure proper succession of leadership and a seamless handover of partnerships. By the second year, I usually begin working on my transition, and by the third, I’ve handed over leadership and shifted into a strategic advisory role.
This model works well for me because I’m constantly generating new ideas, enjoying the exploration of their societal impact whenever I have time, like during this career break. I also make a point to share this entire process openly and publicly.
With Arctive Citizens, I’m being more intentional. My goal is to grow it sustainably and build something that can eventually outgrow my personal vision and leadership.
Bootstrapping Arctive Citizens
Building Arctive Citizens has been exciting, but it hasn’t been easy. With the microgrant from UNOPS, we developed the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and secured some PR support for the initial design and launch period. Since then, I’ve been bootstrapping with the help of friends who have contributed their resources, skills, and even some financial donations to help us get off the ground.
Now that we’ve launched, what’s next? We need to keep the momentum going. Our model, Participation as a Service (PAAS), depends on wide and active engagement—not just on our platform, but across our digital platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X, and Spotify. I also have a dedicated, talented team helping me run the initiative, and I want to ensure they’re compensated fairly for their hard work.
Our current operating expenses cover subscriptions for all the digital tools we’re using and production costs for digital content, but we’re raising pre-seed funding to test our MVP, collect user feedback, onboard our first 1,000 citizens, and provide stipends for the team.
Building In Public Updates
Our First Public Participation Forum: We are collecting views from the Kenyan public on the ongoing Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2024. This Bill proposes significant changes, including extending terms for MPs, the President, and Governors, creating a Prime Minister's office, and increasing county revenue allocation. Our goal is to collect citizen insights and submit them to the Senate on behalf of Arctive Citizens. We will also be represented at the Senate Public Hearing on October 25. Head over to our platform for more details and to participate. Make sure to share your views by October 25! Click here to join the forum and make your voice count.
User Acquisition: Here’s where we are today, just two weeks after our launch:
- Arctive Citizens Platform (Beta): 27 active users
- Spotify Playlist: 24 saves
- Instagram: 150 followers
- TikTok: 490 followers (predicting 500 by week’s end and aiming for 1,000 by next week!)
- X: 20 followers
We may have onboarded an estimated 500-550 citizens in total across all platforms, using TikTok metrics as an average. The key now is converting those followers into active users on our platform.
User Acquisition Tests and Feedback: We’re conducting user acquisition tests (or UAT, as our engineer calls them) and gathering feedback from our early users to improve the platform. The feedback has been both humbling and helpful. It requires me and the team to be open to critique—sometimes brutally honest, like "This feature is slow; it sucks." But that’s what we need to build something that works for our users.
Our First Arctive Citizens Meet: We know that digital isn’t everything, and we still need to connect citizens through in-person events. We’re considering two ideas: one focusing on political education and the history of Kenya, particularly the Mau Mau struggle, and the other being an outdoor, physically engaging activity—maybe a hike? More details will follow once we finalise the logistics.
We need your support to make this happen. Consider donating or partnering with us to ensure our success. Every contribution helps us connect and engage young citizens of Kenya. Reach out at partnerships@arctivecitizens.org
Moderating at the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa: I moderated a session titled ‘From Voices to Variables to Voices: Community-Led Data as a Catalyst for Democracy and Protection.’ I also got a chance to enjoy the beach, visit the African Renaissance Monument, and explore the market. The food, weather, people of Senegal, and their spirit of Teranga (hospitality) were amazing. I will co-author an article about the insights from the session I moderated with Bronwen Robertson, Co-Founder of Data4Change, who sponsored my participation. Be the first to know when the article drops here
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Arctive Citizens?
We’re raising pre-seed funding to support us in testing our MVP, gathering user feedback, and onboarding our first 1,000 citizens to the platform. Our MVP is already gaining traction, and our TikTok account is our star performer. However, we need to strengthen our presence on other platforms, especially X.
As always, I’m grateful for your support and look forward to sharing more updates as we continue this journey together. Thank you for being my ally and for being part of the Arctive Citizens journey.
P.S. Don’t forget to check out our MVP. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and X, and stay tuned for more updates on our new features, events and opportunities. Until then, turn up the playlist, explore the website, and have a lovely weekend
Until next time,
Wevyn Muganda
Chief, Arctive Citizens
