Category: People
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Debunk Speaks To Kevin Mwachiro
KEVIN MWACHIRO is a Kenyan writer, podcaster, journalist, and queer activist. He has authored Invisible – Stories from Kenya’s Queer Community and was part of the editorial team for Boldly Queer – African Perspectives on Same-sex Sexuality and Gender Diversity. Kevin’s most recent work of fiction is the short story Number Sita, published in the…
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My Body Betrays Me, Again
The Quiet in my head finds a way to jump out and grow bigger. The market pulsates with the familiar hum of hustle but the quiet augments itself, a behemoth on a mission. This short man with eyes begging for a pillow looks at me from head to toe and something about his body tightens,…
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Debunk Speaks To Lucia Ayiela
LUCIA AYIELA is a digital activist who advocates for social justice, public accountability and the rule of law. She is the Executive Director of The Umma Action, a youth-led and youth-focused organisation seeking to boldly and imaginatively catalyse civic agency and leadership among young people. She is also the Secretary-General of the Ukweli Party. Lucia…
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Concert Debacles, and the Dearth of Consumer Protection
I am writing this after being deeply disappointed at the Boyz II Men concert held in Nairobi on Saturday, June 10. Deeply disappointed is the closest descriptor I can think of to express my feelings that does not rely on the use of expletives. In case you missed it, the verdict is that this was…
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Safari Rally, Where Nostalgia and Evolution Meet
The recently concluded World Rally Championship (WRC) Safari Rally has yet again lived up to its billing as one of the toughest rallies on earth. This is due in part to the unpredictable weather conditions in which the competitors did battle for the four days of the 350-kilometre action. On some stretches, like Hell’s Gate…
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The Frightening Bliss of Traveling Phoneless
Left in my own private world, temporarily relieved of my everyday encumbrances…naked, frightening, thrilling.
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Mutilated Home (On Gender Dysphoria)
I dream of plains of skin; black velvet plains with horizontal perturbed scars when I look at my chest. I dream of a body not yet here. I dream of movement through bodies. Mutilating and cutting to fit me. To mark me. To mark the existence of myself in this body. For this body to…
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Kenyans Aren’t Making Love Anymore, Mr. President
“Wanawake saa hizi hata kushuka hatushuki . . . Hatuna muda hata wa kuenjoy na kina baba nyumbani, kwa ajili kila siku unawaza watoto watakula nini . . . kama baba ni dereva, mwenye gari ameuza (gari) kwa sababu mafuta imepanda bei. Kwa hivyo wewe mama ukabangaize ulete mboga, ukaokote mahindi yanayotoka border ya Tanzania…
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Creative Work Is Work And Must Be Compensated Fairly
Let me first state that I absolutely detest the word “creative” as a designation for all people doing any sort of artistic work. I equally detest the word “content” as a catch-all term for all creative or artistic work. They both excel at flattening art and artists into a one size fits all dress, and…
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Debunk Speaks To Mutemi wa Kiama
MUTEMI WA KIAMA is a prominent activist who uses social media and his foundation to advocate for the rights of those who are barely seen or heard in Kenya. His tweets have often landed him in trouble with the authorities but he continues with his relentless fight for human rights and social justice. He has…