Archived stories · Year
Stories from 2018
105 stories published then.
Urban GuideAnd now, something, uhm, small to wrap up 2018BY BETT KINYATTI We’ll all bawl our eyes out at preschool Muna goes to preschool in January, Inshallah. (Wait, with Matiangi’s curriculum…
Dusty RugsMoments 2018BY MIKE MUTHAKA I turned 23 in July. That afternoon, Chronixx was set to perform at KICC. I didn’t go to the…2018Urban GuideUrban GuideWhat I’ve later learnedBY BETT KINYATTI My ultimate brand of the femme fatale is a rebel. What pop culture calls the bad boys and bad…
Dusty RugsThe Pursuit of BeautyBY MIKE MUTHAKA “I add my own love to the history of people who have loved beautiful things, and looked out for…
Urban GuideWhat I’ve also learnedBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI People who tell you they’re introverts most times aren’t. Idris Elba didn’t go to ‘People’ magazine and tell them,…
Dusty RugsMy heart is in BelgiumBY MIKE MUTHAKA 1. She leans closer and plants a wet kiss on his cheek. Her pouty lips linger on his skin,…
Dusty RugsPlaying HouseBY MIKE MUTHAKA I step out of the shower without a towel. I don’t need a towel. I’m home alone. Water drips…
Urban GuideWhat I’ve learnedBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI Dress up and show up. You’ll find reason when you shut your door behind you, sit at your desk…
Dusty RugsWe got ratsBY MIKE MUTHAKA There’s a rat in my room. Nights I hear it clamoring behind the wardrobe. The other day I found…
Urban GuideThey told me I was a broken toolBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI It’s the morning of my birthday. I’m standing under the shower scrubbing my soapy back. I’m taking a cold…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsAll things lovelyBY MIKE MUTHAKA Saturday, 1.43 p.m. “Boys who say have a lovely night are suckers.” She’s recalling a text she received from…
Conversation WithRolling StonesHunt like a hungry lioness: A miniseries on Craft It about Nairobi’s creatives #5. NEWTON OMONDI: TATTOO ARTIST Newton Omondi’s fingers are…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsLove is a genreBY MIKE MUTHAKA Alternative Rock ‘Wait for me’ by Rise Against ‘Adventure of a lifetime’ by Coldplay We drove around in your…
Conversation WithTurtle neckHunt like a hungry lioness: A miniseries on Craft It about Nairobi’s creatives #4. LAURA LWALA: PRYDE ARTZ JEWELLERY Laura Lwala has…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsGate passBY MIKE MUTHAKA Once in a while my school does a round of maintenance; door handles are fixed, walls are repainted, bulbs…
Conversation WithNatural linesHunt like a hungry lioness: A miniseries on Craft It about Nairobi’s creatives #3: LINDSAY DAWN ADHIAMBO: AH THIS, BODY ART Lindsay…2018Craft ItCraft ItA Man and his HatBY MIKE MUTHAKA I finally got a newsboy hat. Google it. It’s a cool hat, aye? For some reason I’ve always thought…2018Craft ItCraft ItNomadsBY MIKE MUTHAKA I’m surrounded by nomads. One of them is in the living room, hanging above my favorite couch. Ol’ Man…
Urban GuideShoe DogHunt like a hungry lioness: A miniseries on Craft It about Nairobi’s creatives #2. IAN ARUNGA: CREATOR OF DAPPER MONKEY (AND PLENTY…
Urban GuideMixed signalsHunt like a hungry lioness: A miniseries on Craft It about Nairobi’s creatives #1. WANJIRU NDUNG’U. WRITER AT HOOTING OWL I’m not…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsEggs and BallsBY MIKE MUTHAKA I wonder how it felt to be on the stands of the last Kabeberi Sevens tournament. That Saturday, when…2018Urban GuideUrban GuideHunt like a hungry lionessBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI One Friday in late January, my mentor and I had a meeting. We usually have meetings. Sometimes they’re loose…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsFinding the keyBY MIKE MUTHAKA Beethoven is exhausted. He has pouches under his eyes. He can’t wait to finish the damn song and go…2018Urban GuideUrban GuideA short and useless story about my fingernailsBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI I’m writing this from the new Java on Lenana Road, Kilimani. It’s not really new in the sense that…