Once in a while the nation breaks into a dance that makes the government froth in righteous fury. Deadlines shatter like cheap glass. We brook no rules because we break them anyway. The authorities respond… Read More »Deadlines My Foot, We are Kenyans!
If unga—the nation’s sacred maize flour, the true heir to the throne of Kenyan hunger—decided to run for president now, it would annihilate all frontrunners. Politicians are panicking. Pollsters have been replaced by nutritionists. Both… Read More »“Unga for President! How Maize Flour is Kenya’s Most Trusted Leader (and Other Stories Mispronounced Into History)”
It’s morning in Nairobi’s blue-collar district. Young men and women make their way quietly to the neighborhood pedis house to purchase weed. Posh working-class women and men, young hustlers, mkokoteni pushers, watu wa mjengo, boda-boda taxi operators,… Read More »The Holy Herb and the Republic of Hypocrisy
It is often said, somewhat mockingly, that if you have a problem you should go hug a tree. In Kenya, this advice is no longer metaphorical. It has become a national coping mechanism. A woman… Read More »Hug a Tree, Solve a Problem
.“Akufukuzae hakwambii toka.”He who chases you does not need to say get out. — Kenyan proverb. You have been admitted to graduate school in America. Your relatives slaughter a goat. Your mother tells the neighbors… Read More »How Kenyans fund the US and British Embassies in a mere 60 Seconds
“The croaks of frogs will never stop a cow from drinking water.” In this country of devout Christians, sin does not hide; it campaigns. It wears bright shirts, smiles at church fundraisers, and shakes hands… Read More »How Witchcraft has become a part of Life in this Christian Country
“Noise and hunting don’t go together.” — African proverb. Sunday mornings in Nairobi are not for the faint of ear. In this city of the faithful, tranquility is a suspicious commodity. Especially in the suburbs… Read More »In Kenya Noise is a Pollutant that follows you to your Bedroom