From Mud Paths to Millions of Views: YouTube has Transformed Nyabohanse Village

On a quiet morning in Nyabohanse, a rural village in Migori County, western Kenya, the sun rises over homesteads much like it always has. Chickens scatter across dusty paths, farmers prepare for the day’s work, and children head to school. Yet behind this familiar rural rhythm lies an extraordinary story: Nyabohanse has become one of Kenya’s most talked-about villages on the internet — thanks largely to YouTube.

A Village Finds the World

For decades, Nyabohanse was like many Kenyan villages — known mostly to its residents and neighboring communities. That changed when one of its sons, Frederick Marwa (iam_marwa), began sharing his life and travels on YouTube. His videos, filmed with simple equipment and a strong sense of storytelling, connected audiences across Africa, Europe, and beyond.

What made the story unique was not just Marwa’s success, but his decision to return home and invest visibly in the village that raised him. Suddenly, Nyabohanse was no longer invisible. It became a place viewers, curious tourists, Universities on exchange programmes, wanted to see, visit, and understand.

YouTube as an Economic Engine

In Nyabohanse, YouTube has evolved from a platform for entertainment into a source of income and opportunity:

• Direct Earnings: Monetised channels generate income through ads, sponsorships, and fan support.

• Job Creation: Construction projects, filming assistance, transport services, and local businesses have benefited from increased activity.

• Tourism Boost: Visitors — both Kenyan and international — now travel to Nyabohanse, curious to experience the village they’ve seen online.

For a community long dependent on agriculture and informal labor, digital content creation has introduced a new economic pathway.

A Youth-Driven Digital Revolution

Perhaps the most striking impact of YouTube in Nyabohanse is among the youth. Smartphones, once mainly used for calls and messaging, are now tools for filming, editing, and storytelling. Young people document daily village life from the cuisine to farming routines, personal struggles, humour, and ambitions.

This shift has changed aspirations. Instead of seeing success as something that only exists in cities, many youths now believe global relevance can begin at home. The idea that “someone from here can make it” has become a powerful motivator.

Redefining Rural Identity

YouTube has also transformed how Nyabohanse is perceived:

• Breaking Stereotypes: Online audiences see rural Kenya not as backward, but as vibrant, resilient, and creative.

• Cultural Preservation: Daily routines, languages, customs, and communal values are recorded and shared, creating a digital archive of village life.

• Community Pride: Residents speak of renewed confidence and recognition, knowing their village is known far beyond county borders.

Nyabohanse is no longer just a dot on a map — it is a story being told daily to the world.

Challenges Beneath the Spotlight

Despite the success, challenges remain. Internet costs can be high, equipment expensive, and not every channel grows or earns income. Some critics argue that content creation may raise unrealistic expectations or encourage dependency on donations.

Also, the lens and microphone of a phone or a GoPro are turned into tools for baseless gossips and injurious narratives and scenes within the community which, if not put under check, will create animosity, destroy community spirit and limit interactivity and interdependence. 

There is also the risk of digital inequality — where only a few succeed while many try and struggle. These challenges highlight the need for digital skills training, mentorship, and responsible content practices.

A Glimpse of Kenya’s Digital Future

Nyabohanse’s experience reflects a broader trend across rural Kenya: connectivity is reshaping possibility. With mobile internet and platforms like YouTube, villages are no longer cut off from global conversations. They can participate, influence, and benefit.

More Than Views and Subscribers

Ultimately, the impact of YouTube in Nyabohanse is not just about fame or money. It is about visibility, choice, and voice. It shows how a rural community can embrace technology without losing its identity — and how storytelling, when rooted in authenticity, can change lives.

From mud paths to millions of views, Nyabohanse’s journey is a reminder that in the digital age, even the most remote places can stand at the center of the world.

Steve Nfor(Retired Senior Journalist)

 

A Three-Bedroom Villa in 19 Days: Digital Community Transforms Life of Widow in Nyabohanse

Nyabohanse Village — A modern three-bedroom villa has been completed in just 19 days for Mama Anastacia, a widow, and her grandson Brian, following a community housing initiative spearheaded by YouTuber Frederic Marwa and supported by his online subscribers.

The project, which combined digital fundraising with on-the-ground construction, has drawn attention for its speed, transparency, and impact. It stands as an example of how social media platforms are increasingly being used to address real-life social challenges in rural communities.

Mama Anastacia and her grandson, Brian, had been living in inadequate housing conditions after the death of her husband, struggling to provide shelter and security for herself and her grandson. Her situation came to public attention when Frederic Marwa visited her and shared her story on his YouTube channel, prompting an outpouring of support from viewers.

Within days of the video’s release, contributions began arriving in the form of funds, building materials, and volunteer labour. Local builders and artisans were engaged, while Marwa provided regular progress updates to subscribers, ensuring accountability throughout the construction process.

Despite logistical challenges common to rural settings—including material transportation and weather-related delays—the construction team maintained a strict schedule. The project moved from site clearing and foundation works to walling, roofing, and finishing within the 19-day timeframe.

The completed villa features three bedrooms, a living area, and a kitchen space, designed with durability, ventilation, and functionality in mind. The structure replaces what had previously been a fragile dwelling, offering the family long-term security and improved living conditions.

For Mama Anastacia, the house represents more than physical shelter. It offers stability and dignity, while for young Brian, it provides a safer environment for growth and education. Community members who witnessed the build described it as a rare but inspiring example of rapid, people-centred development.

Observers say the project highlights the growing influence of digital content creators in social intervention efforts. By linking storytelling with direct action, Frederic Marwa and his subscribers demonstrated how online communities can mobilize resources quickly and deliver measurable outcomes.

As the family enjoys the comfort and safety of their new home, the Nyabohanse project remains a testament to the power of collective responsibility—showing that with coordination, transparency, and goodwill, meaningful change can be achieved even within limited timeframes.

Steve Nfor(Retired Senior Journalist with AI assistance)

 

Between Rhetoric and Delivery: How Cameroonians Heard the 2025 End-of-Year Speech

As Cameroonians listened to President Paul Biya’s 2025 end-of-year address, a familiar question resurfaced across homes, campuses and neighbourhood gatherings: what will change after the speech?

The message itself was calm and reassuring. Stability, peace, national unity and resilience once again formed the backbone of the address. In a country that values order and fears instability, such language continues to resonate—particularly among older citizens and those working within state institutions.

Yet reassurance alone is no longer enough for many Cameroonians.

The speech repeated long-standing priorities: economic growth, infrastructure development, youth employment and social cohesion. These goals are widely shared and rarely disputed. What stood out, however, was the continued absence of detail. There were few timelines, no clear targets, and little public accounting for projects announced in previous years.

For citizens facing high living costs, unemployment or slow public services, promises without clear delivery plans increasingly feel disconnected from daily reality.

This reaction is not new. Over the past decade, presidential speeches have evolved in tone but not in structure. Urgency defined the mid-2010s, reform and dialogue shaped the late 2010s, and crisis management dominated the pandemic years. Since 2022, the message has settled into continuity and patience.

As a result, Cameroonians now listen differently. Many listen backwards, measuring each new address against unfulfilled commitments of the past. Roads either inexistent or unfinished, reforms delayed and opportunities slow to materialise, weigh heavily on public perception.

The issue, then, is not rhetoric, but credibility. Clear deadlines, measurable goals, public responsibility and honest acknowledgment of delays would do more to restore confidence than carefully balanced language.

President Biya’s 2025 speech succeeded in projecting calm. But for a growing section of the population, especially the youth, conviction will come only when words are matched by visible results. Until then, the gap between rhetoric and delivery will remain a central feature of Cameroon’s political conversation.

Stephen Nfor (Retired Senior Journalist) 

Courage, not Complacency will fashion Cameroon’s Political Future

Cameroon's political landscape is characterised by a highly centralized power command, untold hurdles in the way of political competition, and unresolved regional tensions. These structural issues have created a cycle of distrust between citizens and institutions, producing a political environment where reforms either slow or non-existent, civic participation is weak, and national unity is frequently strained 

The general unrest that has ensued since the Presidential Election of 12th October, 2025 in Cameroon, has once more brought to the fore the multitude of flaws embedded in the country's political space, stuck in a cycle that everyone recognises but few are willing to confront. Power is overcentralized, elections and the exercise thereof, inspire more skepticism than confidence, and unresolved regional tensions—especially in the English-speaking regions—continue to gnaw the national fabric. The country’s youth (supposed leaders of tomorrow), its greatest asset, too often find themselves standing on the sidelines, disillusioned neither heard nor listened to.

But it will be abnormal to concuded that Cameroon is condemned to stick to this trajectory. The real obstacle isn’t a lack of solutions—it’s a lack of courage to implement them.

The first step is a genuine legal framework that prescribes and delivers on decentralisation. For decades, power has been trapped at the top and in the hands of an individual, suffocating local initiative and slowing development. Giving real authority and resources to councils and regional bodies would bring governance closer to the people and ease long-standing grievances. The same should be the case with the legislative and judicial arms of the state. given strong and independent voices capable of challenging and controlling the excesses of the executive.

Next, the electoral system needs a serious makeover. Cameroonians won’t trust their political institutions until elections are unquestionably fair, transparent, and competitive. Rewriting electoral laws, guaranteeing media access for all parties, and digitizing the voting process would restore the credibility that has long been missing.

Most urgently, the conflict in the North West and South West regions demands honest, inclusive dialogue. Symbolic gesturing will not cut it. Any lasting solution must recognise the regions' history, cultural identity, and the legitimate calls for autonomy within a united Cameroon.

It is imperative for the country to make room for its young people. When the majority population feels disconnected from politics, the system cannot claim to represent the nation. Youth quotas, civic education, and real support for young entrepreneurs are not luxuries—they are the requireed ingredients for stability.

Cameroon’s political problems are not mysteries; they are consequences of choices. And they can be solved by making different choices. What the country needs now is not another committee or speech—it needs political bravery, institutional honesty, and a willingness to build a system that truly serves its people. 

The country is at crossroads and the challenges are significant, so too are the opportunities. By embracing meaningful decentralization, strengthening democratic institutions, resolving regional grievances through honest dialogue, and empowering its youth, Cameroon can transition from a fragile political system to a resilient and inclusive one.

The journey requires political will, citizen engagement, and a collective vision for a better future—one where governance serves the people, and the people trust their institutions. Only then can the long-standing political problems be transformed into a foundation for lasting stability and national renewal.

 

Steve Nfor(Retired Senior Journalist) 

 

 

The Muted Microphone: RFI’s Low-Profile Coverage of Cameroon’s Presidential Election” 

As Cameroon is about to draw the curtains over a highly contentious presidential election, many inside and outside the country have been asking a striking question on why Radio France Internationale (RFI), usually one of the most vocal international observers in African French Speaking countries, maintained such a subdued and cautious tone? The irony is that on RFI’s online landing page on Africa News, articles abound on the coming elections in Cote D’Ivoire, and the military takeover in Madagascar with a rare mention on the situation in Cameroon 

 For an election marked by allegations of fraud, restricted political space, and a population hungry for change, RFI’s minimal and almost sterile reporting has raised eyebrows. The questions that come to mind are, could this muted coverage be due to state pressure, diplomatic interests, newsroom risk-calculation, and/ or a media environment increasingly hostile to scrutiny. 

 Some world media houses see Cameroon as a country where genuine journalistic oversight is often unwelcome; a country where independent reporters face intimidation, and international press access is filtered through heavy bureaucratic control. Foreign correspondents must secure accreditation that can be delayed, denied, or withdrawn. Those who push too far know the consequences: expulsion, restricted movement, or blocked broadcast signals. 

In such an environment, silencing does not always require censorship. Sometimes, the mere threat of losing access is enough to enforce compliance. For a major broadcaster like RFI, access is currency — and Cameroon knows it. 

RFI is publicly funded by France, and while its editorial line is officially independent, no one in geopolitics is naïve. Cameroon is a long-standing French ally in Central Africa having cooperation agreements in the military, economic, and strategic partnership sectors. 

It is therefore legitimate to ask if Paris would welcome aggressive coverage that has the potential of destabilising an ally or risk damaging Franco–Cameroon relations over an electoral controversy, even though it has to do with the election of the president who holds the key to the future path of the relationship. 

 It is common knowledge that diplomatic sensitivities do not always dictate editorial choices, though they often shape the permissible boundaries of scrutiny. RFI may not have wanted to throw caution to the wind, knowing very well that when elections threaten to expose authoritarian patterns, international broadcasters sometimes choose caution over confrontation. 

 Inside any newsroom, editors assign resources based on where they believe the “story heat” is. For RFI, the Cameroon election (surprisingly) may have been internally classified as a “low-surprise, low-impact” event either because in their estimation the winner was predictable, the opposition was fragmented, institutional transparency is weak and the space for alternative outcome is limited. 

 When journalists believe an election is structured to produce a foregone conclusion, investigative momentum declines. But this logic is exactly what entrenched regimes rely on — international fatigue and lowered expectations. When the world assumes nothing will change, scrutiny fades, and power goes unchallenged. 

If a press organ like RFI softens its gaze on a key election taking place in Cameroon, a key ally of France, the cost can be paid by citizens, because its muted coverage can help to embolden authoritarian actors, shrink global accountability, leave local journalists more exposed and isolated and normalise democratic insufficiencies. 

 

 At a time when Cameroonians are demanding transparency, the quiet from an influential newsroom becomes more than an editorial choice — it becomes part of the story. 

Steve Nfor (retired Senior Journalist) 

 

“Land of Promise, Land of Glory”: Bitter Irony in Cameroon’s Anthem

Cameroon’s national anthem proudly declares the country a “Land of Promise, Land of Glory.” To outsiders, it conjures images of a nation brimming with potential, natural wealth, and proud citizens united under a bright future. For many Cameroonians, however, these words ring with a bitter irony.

The “Land of Promise” sounds beautiful—but ask the youth struggling to find stable work, or families watching inflation erode their savings, and the promise feels distant, if not broken. Regions rich in resources often remain underdeveloped, leaving citizens to wonder who exactly is reaping the rewards of the nation’s wealth. The anthem speaks of opportunity; reality delivers frustration.

The “Land of Glory” is equally paradoxical. Cameroon’s cultural heritage, natural beauty, and historical achievements are undeniable sources of pride. Yet, everyday challenges—crumbling infrastructure, bureaucratic inefficiency, and political tension—dull the shine of that glory. Citizens navigating these struggles often find themselves questioning whether the anthem describes a dream or a distant memory.

This irony is not mere complaint; it is a mirror. The anthem challenges Cameroonians to reflect on the gap between ideals and reality. It exposes the contradictions of a nation whose words inspire pride but whose systems often frustrate progress. Everyday, the anthem’s lofty vision contrasts sharply with the lived experiences of ordinary people, highlighting the urgent need for reform, accountability, and civic engagement.

Yet, the irony also carries hope. By recognizing the gap between promise and reality, Cameroonians are reminded that glory is not given—it is built. The anthem’s words, though frustratingly aspirational, call citizens to act, innovate, and fight for a nation that finally lives up to its own ideals.

In this sense, Cameroon remains a land of contradictions—where the anthem’s promises echo loudly against the quiet struggle of daily life. But it is precisely in acknowledging this irony that real change can begin. “Land of Promise, Land of Glory” is not just a refrain in the anthem for its sake—it is a challenge.

Steve Nfor(Retired Senior Journalist) 

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ELECAM and The Constitutional Council: Cameroon’s Elections Remote-Controlled Referees

In Cameroon, two institutions stand between voters and the official results of elections: Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), responsible for organizing and tallying votes, and the Constitutional Council, which validates results and rules on disputes. Ideally, they act as impartial referees. In practice, critics worry they operate more like remote-controlled Video-Assisted Referees — present in form but directed by political forces behind the scenes.

ELECAM was created to manage elections transparently. The Constitutional Council is the final legal authority, empowered to accept or reject results. Together, they form the legal pipeline from polling stations to the validated national outcome. But unlike sports referees supported by real-time video replay, Cameroon’s “VAR” checks happen only after votes are counted, leaving room for post-count manipulation.

The October 12, 2025 presidential election illustrated these tensions. Opposition parties released local tallies claiming victory, while authorities warned against circulating “fake” results, insisting only the Constitutional Council could validate the outcome. Protests and clashes followed, highlighting how control over information and legal interpretation can determine whose version of reality prevails.

Observers identify several mechanisms that make this possible:

• Political appointments: Leadership positions in ELECAM and the Council are often filled through political channels, raising questions about independence.

• Centralized legal power: The Council can annul regional results on procedural grounds, overriding local tallies.

• Information control: Official warnings about false results can delegitimize oppositional claims before legal validation.

• Security influence: Access to counting centers and protection of electoral materials can affect transparency.

This is not new. Since ELECAM’s creation in the 2000s, electoral bodies in Cameroon have faced accusations of bias and opaque procedures. The Constitutional Council’s final say in elections has repeatedly become the flashpoint for political dispute.

The consequences are serious: if voters and parties distrust these institutions, legitimacy erodes, peaceful dispute resolution weakens, and the risk of unrest rises. The weeks following the 2025 vote show how quickly procedural disputes can spill into streets and social media.

Experts recommend reforms to reduce this “remote-control” effect: transparent appointments, auditable tallies, narrow legal grounds for annulment, robust observer access, secure transmission of results, and clear public communication. Yet technical solutions work only if political will exists to enforce impartiality.

Calling ELECAM and the Constitutional Council “remote-controlled referees” may be provocative, but the metaphor captures a pressing reality: institutions meant to ensure fair elections can instead preserve entrenched power unless safeguards are strengthened. As Cameroon moves from vote counting to legal validation, the integrity of the process depends not on technology, but on impartial institutions and the political courage to respect the voters’ choice.

Steve Nfor (Retired Senior Journalist)