Craft It · 2013–2023
Archived stories
Ten years of Kenyans and the things they make by hand: makers, Nairobi and Kampala, motherhood, dusty rugs and the conversations in between. 300 stories, brought back online.
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…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsLady JusticeBY MIKE MUTHAKA The gavel bangs. Six months in the slammer for five souls convicted of illegal mining. All rise. His lordship…
Urban GuideThis chick was a foxBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI The question you’d ask me is, “Bett, surely, if your nanny is going on leave for only two weeks,…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsCall me UncleBY MIKE MUTHAKA “Never talk to my son again!” Those words knocked the stupor out of me. How dare I fill her…
Urban GuideFrom Kampala: Who do you want to sleep with?ERNEST TUAPE (Craft It’s new foreign correspondent in Kampala) #1. I’m writing this from the balcony of my room At Chobe Safari…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsChin up!BY MIKE MUTHAKA Beards are meant to be stroked. They’re meant to be touched and played with. They’re for quiet contemplation. They’re…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsTake me to Spain. Or notBY MIKE MUTHAKA I’ve been toying with the idea of learning Spanish. I don’t say it out loud though, I don’t want…2018Craft ItCraft ItFive colourful characters you’ll bump into as you explore Kampala’s streetsBY ERNEST TUAPE (Craft It’s new foreign correspondent in Kampala) #1. The Mannequin They sit on the public benches and open spaces,…
MotherhoodAnother thief in the nightBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI I’ve had two miscarriages. I had the first one when I was 25. I was a year fresh out…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsCrying fowlBY MIKE MUTHAKA I can’t imagine sharing a roof with my cock. I wouldn’t be able to stand the racket my cock…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsSankale’s minivanBY MIKE MUTHAKA You know what really bugged me about being a kid? Not being able to reach the grab rail in…
Urban GuideFive for Kampala’s nyama choma paradise at Ku MbuziBY ERNEST TUAPE (Craft It’s new foreign correspondent in Kampala) #1. How to get to Ku Mbuzi You want to have an…
Made By HandNjoki of Mandevu Beard CareBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI “What does a beard say about a man, Njoki?” “A beard gives a man character. It’s their style. It’s…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsKitengela is like sexBY MIKE MUTHAKA She never told me her last name, she just told me she was Kate. Kate was my first. It…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsSome bird watchingBY MIKE MUTHAKA Turn, by the Wombats. I can’t get this song out of my head. I first heard it on X…2018Urban GuideUrban GuideGood Girls: Nairobi ChapterBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI Later, I say to GB, “Let’s play a game.” “I’m listening.” “You’re this villain called Seagurd Bastard, you’re the…2018Craft ItCraft ItThe Croatian AffairBY MIKE MUTHAKA I usually watch the World Cup matches with my Old Man. Sometimes he leaves office early so he can…
Urban GuideFive why questions I’ve found answers to in my 30sBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI #1. Why must I complete my undergrad and graduate? Because you want to be that guy who finishes the…
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…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsLady JusticeBY MIKE MUTHAKA The gavel bangs. Six months in the slammer for five souls convicted of illegal mining. All rise. His lordship…Urban GuideThis chick was a foxBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI The question you’d ask me is, “Bett, surely, if your nanny is going on leave for only two weeks,…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsCall me UncleBY MIKE MUTHAKA “Never talk to my son again!” Those words knocked the stupor out of me. How dare I fill her…Urban GuideFrom Kampala: Who do you want to sleep with?ERNEST TUAPE (Craft It’s new foreign correspondent in Kampala) #1. I’m writing this from the balcony of my room At Chobe Safari…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsChin up!BY MIKE MUTHAKA Beards are meant to be stroked. They’re meant to be touched and played with. They’re for quiet contemplation. They’re…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsTake me to Spain. Or notBY MIKE MUTHAKA I’ve been toying with the idea of learning Spanish. I don’t say it out loud though, I don’t want…2018Craft ItCraft ItFive colourful characters you’ll bump into as you explore Kampala’s streetsBY ERNEST TUAPE (Craft It’s new foreign correspondent in Kampala) #1. The Mannequin They sit on the public benches and open spaces,…MotherhoodAnother thief in the nightBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI I’ve had two miscarriages. I had the first one when I was 25. I was a year fresh out…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsCrying fowlBY MIKE MUTHAKA I can’t imagine sharing a roof with my cock. I wouldn’t be able to stand the racket my cock…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsSankale’s minivanBY MIKE MUTHAKA You know what really bugged me about being a kid? Not being able to reach the grab rail in…Urban GuideFive for Kampala’s nyama choma paradise at Ku MbuziBY ERNEST TUAPE (Craft It’s new foreign correspondent in Kampala) #1. How to get to Ku Mbuzi You want to have an…Made By HandNjoki of Mandevu Beard CareBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI “What does a beard say about a man, Njoki?” “A beard gives a man character. It’s their style. It’s…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsKitengela is like sexBY MIKE MUTHAKA She never told me her last name, she just told me she was Kate. Kate was my first. It…2018Dusty RugsDusty RugsSome bird watchingBY MIKE MUTHAKA Turn, by the Wombats. I can’t get this song out of my head. I first heard it on X…2018Urban GuideUrban GuideGood Girls: Nairobi ChapterBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI Later, I say to GB, “Let’s play a game.” “I’m listening.” “You’re this villain called Seagurd Bastard, you’re the…2018Craft ItCraft ItThe Croatian AffairBY MIKE MUTHAKA I usually watch the World Cup matches with my Old Man. Sometimes he leaves office early so he can…Urban GuideFive why questions I’ve found answers to in my 30sBY FLORENCE BETT-KINYATTI #1. Why must I complete my undergrad and graduate? Because you want to be that guy who finishes the…