May, 2014 Archive

The Evolution of Kenyan Comedy: Why aren’t we Laughing?

A few years ago, I sat in a university auditorium during an inaugural TEDx event. One of the presentations was by Ayeyaa, the comedian who carries a signature briefcase and wears a newsboy’s cap.

Features|

Read More

On Death and Mortality: Life is an incomplete story

I attended a funeral when I was about six years old. The younger sister of my classmate, Martin, fell in a well and drowned. On the day of the funeral, dozens of young boys and girls trooped to the nearby Catholic Church. We were dressed in our signature khaki shorts and shirts, and blue sweaters. …

Musings|

Read More

Sadaka Sadists: The Bank Robbers who Sung

According to the victims, the robber baritones had remarkably good harmony. They sang many hymns through the last hours of the ordeal.

Features • Quick Reads|

Read More

The Three Curious Bombings that Rocked Nairobi in 1975

In the span of five weeks in early 1975, three explosions hit Kenya’s capital. 

Features|

Read More

Why these 4 famous movies weren’t shot in Kenya

Just how bad is Kenyan corruption that Mugabe felt the need to convince his cronies not to sink to the lows of Kenya and Nigeria? That question has been lingering in our minds for a while now, driven in part by our ill-informed hubris that our corruption is not as bad as it seems at …

Listicles • Quick Reads|

Read More

Is Lake Turkana in Game of Thrones?

Some Europeans called it the Jade Sea, a name that appears in the Game of Thrones books and subsequent HBO series. Lake Turkana was named the Jade Sea due to the turquoise color you see when you are approaching the massive water body from a distance.

Adventures • Quick Reads|

Read More

When Mzee Kenyatta was assaulted in London

In the span of two short years, Kenya's founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was the target of two racist attacks in London.

Quick Reads|

Read More