Smokehold

Water…Pi….that is water running down my face, isn’t it? No? Manang’o magore piny? En pi? Everything here is so dry….so dry….. and you tell me this thing I feel is not water. What is it? Tears? Tears? Who is crying? And why do their tears run down my face? What do you mean, they are […]

Mbu Acapella

The humming was exceedingly loud. And strangely, melodious. Even outside my mosquito net, the unwanted insects always seemed to find a way inside and to have their fill. Not that I was the only one who hated mosquitoes or who had to deal with them, by the way. My mother was in the next room, […]

A trip from long ago…

*waves* Hi! I know, I know, too loong… It felt like ages to me too, trust me. But… something clicked while I was away. Mostly because of this gem right here – (Origin myth Ted Talk) It’s a TED talk about the complexities of human identity. Let’s take this as an example…when you identify yourself […]

Witching Away Superstition

So, I am sitting here listening to a conversation about advertisements… (I have to. Kenyan ads have been on point lately. Kwanza that new Betin ad? The one with the everyone in the hood playing football? *whistles*) Anyway…where was I? Oh yes, waganga. Apparently, there was a witchdoctor ad on one of these mainstream media […]

Naming The Luo

Every tribe names their children differently. Sometimes, there is an order, and sometimes there isn’t. but what strikes me about my own people is how we have changed the way we name our children. Wait. I should probably start at the beginning though. Life is a grand cycle in the Luo community, one filled with […]