Features

The Kamba of Paraguay

How did a group of Kamba soldiers find their way to the heart of South America?

Seeing Vintage Nairobi through a 1970s Porn Film

If your uncle worked at Kenol Ruaraka in 1975, you might want to ask him if he was featured in an Italian porn film.

Anatomy of a Health Crisis: A Photo Essay

What happens when a public healthcare system is designed to fail?

The Birth of an Airline

40 years ago, a Kenyan pilot managed to sneak three planes out of a feisty, hostile Dar es Salaam. This is the story of how and why he did it.

The Gangland Life of Ibrahim Akasha

The godfather of Kenya's first true crime family, the Akasha Clan, was a grandfatherly charming chain smoker. He died nearly 17 years ago in Amsterdam, a fugitive from the law and deadweight to his business partners.

Fidel Castro and the African Dream

In December 1961, a ship flying the Cuban flag docked in Morocco. Over the next three decades, Cuba under Fidel Castro would become a major player in several revolutionary conflicts in Africa, especially in the liberation of Southern Africa.

The War for Tatu City: Part 2

In six years, all gloves would be off. Everything would be fair game.

The War for Tatu City

For a few minutes, no one in the helicopter spoke. The three men sat in silence, looking outside. Below them, Ruiru opened up like a dream. A green sea of thousands of acres of coffee bushes, sometimes broken by empty, grassy fields. "Done. Let's do it." Then there was silence again.

The Sack of Imperial Bank: Epilogue

When Imperial Bank collapsed, it had more money than it had declared. What that means, and the trails to find out whose money it was.