M. Author

A Night of Shooting Stars

On a clear night, do you ever look at the stars and think that you are looking at the same thing someone else saw a century and a half ago? Or a millennium ago?

Adventures|

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In Lieu of a King

There is a sense of chaos in Kenya right now, one that has sparked a desire for a king of sorts, a brave man who stamps his authority in this unruly land and sets himself, in a sense, above the laws of gods and men. We had a man like that once, in fact, we …

Musings|

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Tragedy and Other People’s Social Spaces

It is one of the successes of the West that they have managed to permeate their soft power and cultures across most of the world, especially Africa.

Musings|

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President Moi and the Ku Klux Klan

In November 1987, Kenya's three most prominent newspapers carried a bizarre story. What followed was a bizarre case of paranoia, the kidnapping of an American judge and a medical examiner from a Nairobi court, and a diplomatic tiff that nearly brought Kenya and the US to war. The truth is that it had all started with a much smaller, more personal tiff.

Features|

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That Naked Soldier in ‘Beasts of No Nation’

If you’ve watched the powerful war movie Beasts of No Nation, then you’ve definitely seen Tripod, and his tripod. This is his story.

Quick Reads|

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The Gay Kabaka

Whether or not Kabaka Mwanga was gay or bisexual (he had 16 wives) actually matters very little in retelling the story of the matyrs. That they were killed for their faith is hardly in question, as Mwangas paranoia seemed to think the missionaries were turning his pages into spies. He was most likely right, as colonial domination was indeed on its way and missionaries often formed the front flank for their armies.

Features|

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The Legend of Otenyo

In 1908, a man called Otenyo Nyamaterere did something completely badass.

Features • Quick Reads|

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Kerio Valley

A lone eagle flies at my feet, and catches a sudden gust of wind.

Adventures • Musings|

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The Serial Rapist who Ruled Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's first president was a serial rapist whose victims included soldiers, bodyguards, students, an entire football team, and a hitch hiker.

Features|

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