The Elephant is an independent pan‑African media platform founded in Kenya in 2016. It convenes writers, thinkers, artists and activists to interrogate power and reimagine African society, anchoring its work in editorial autonomy, honesty and the lived African experience. Through essays, reportage and commentary, it focuses on politics, governance, economics, culture and history, inviting rigorous debate rather than quick takes.
Beyond publishing, The Elephant produces podcasts and filmed conversations with prominent public figures, and maintains a public‑interest documents library that hosts major reports such as the 2004 Commission of Inquiry into the Illegal or Irregular Allocation of Public Land and audits by Kenya’s National Cohesion and Integration Commission. Over nine years it has carried more than 3,500 pieces by 800+ contributors from across Africa and the diaspora.
Its investigations and partnerships have shaped national conversation: the two‑part series Hard Labour: The Surrogacy Industry in Kenya, by Naipanoi Lepapa, earned the 2022 Journalist of the Year at Kenya’s Annual Journalism Excellence Awards; collaborations with Africa Uncensored and OCCRP have probed IFMIS “budgeted corruption,” health procurement, Anglo Leasing and corporate abuse cases. The Elephant serves readers seeking deeply reported, historically grounded analysis, and sustains its independence through an open‑access membership model—inviting supporters to fund audio editions, curated series and events while keeping its journalism free to all.