Acacia fell ill with an unknown illness. She was vomiting excessively and could not stand on her feet for more than a few seconds. She wished she could lie down for the rest of her life. Yet, no matter how much she rested, her condition did not improve. She was also thirsty, her throat parched, … Read more
I have a confession. I did something, something you would have probably disowned me for had you found out before you died. *** About six months ago, I woke up and my legs were heavy. It felt like I would sink into the ground, or even below that. Try as I did, I could not … Read more
shhhk… shhhk… clop… shhhk… clop… Planting its hooves into the gritty asphalt, the goat stiffened into a mannequin as it was being pulled by its horns. The sky was a deep cobalt when Vusi, a 40-year-old man with a stern face, dragged his gift from Lupane; proof that the village had been nice to him. … Read more
The end of the world was nothing like the movies. There was no tearful news anchor, no inspirational presidential speech, no bulletin. Sure, there were the sounds of sirens and helicopters in the distance, a few slammed doors down the street, and the screech of car tires every so often. But that was outside, and … Read more
No Memory For Sisyphus Human rights are constantly evolving. The more we learn, the clearer these rights become to us. Usually, our understanding of human rights comes from ethical discussions, but sometimes we get it from science. Think of The Haike process. Before it, could you even imagine rallies worldwide pushing for the right not … Read more
On an ordinary Thursday night in Ngong Avenue Estate along Ngong Road in Nairobi, nine-year-old Jack Dulu had the most extraordinary dream ever. He dreamed that a donkey was talking to him. The donkey was at his bedroom window, tapping on the pane and calling his name. “Jackie,” it was repeating with every tap. “Come … Read more
A priest was dead. A dead Priest was nothing unusual here. The clans cared about dead priests as much as they did the expansive sky or the huge rocks atop the hill where snakes basked after ecdysis. They were just things that were always there but had nothing to do with them. A priest would … Read more
Black “It started when the wazungu came,” Nyanya says, scooping some sukuma with a piece of chapati perfectly folded between her fingers. This is how she starts a lot of stories worth listening to: like the time Mum went to the Chama and didn’t make it through the second interview. Nyanya’s reasoning was measured and, … Read more
The scorching sun beat down mercilessly, casting a harsh glow over the ruins of old Nairobi. Simiren leapt over chunks of debris, never missing a step even as his eyes scanned the desolate landscape. He ran his hands through his ochre-caked locks, the undying symbol of Ole Nyirobi since before, at least according to the … Read more