Raila Amolo Odinga (born 1945) stands as one of Kenya’s most consequential and enduring politicians. Over a career spanning four decades, Odinga has been at the center of Kenya’s struggle for democracy, constitutional reform, and opposition politics. He is often called “Baba” (father) by his supporters, revered as a champion of the people, and nicknamed … Read more
For most of the twentieth century, nearly half of Kenya’s land area existed outside the national imagination. The Northern Frontier District (NFD) — stretching from the Tana River to the Ethiopian border — was a vast, semi-arid expanse of deserts, plateaus, and seasonal rivers. Populated by nomadic pastoralists such as the Somali, Borana, Rendille, Samburu, … Read more
Kenya’s culture is a reflection of its diverse peoples, histories, and landscapes. The country is home to more than forty-four ethnic communities, each with distinct languages, traditions, and worldviews. Yet, despite this diversity, Kenyans share a strong sense of collective identity rooted in the ideals of Harambee — pulling together for the common good. Kenya’s … Read more
Kenya’s independence on 12 December 1963 marked the end of more than seventy years of British colonial rule. The road to freedom was long, violent, and complex, shaped by both armed resistance and political negotiation. It was not granted as a gift but won through generations of struggle — from the earliest uprisings against imperial … Read more
Long before Nairobi became a city of traffic jams and ride-hailing apps, its roads told a different story. The matatu — a Swahili slang for “three cents,” the original fare — began as a hustler’s innovation and grew into Kenya’s loudest form of street art. This gallery traces that journey from the dusty streets of … Read more
In the decades after independence, Kenya found its voice not only in politics and literature but in song. The 1960s and 1970s saw a musical awakening that blended local traditions with the electric pulse of a modern nation. From Kikuyu guitarists singing of morality and land to Kamba drummers turning village rhythms into dance hits, … Read more
In the 1950s, the British Empire fought its final and most violent colonial war in Kenya. What began as a counterinsurgency against the Mau Mau uprising turned into one of the largest systems of mass detention in modern imperial history. Between 1952 and 1960, colonial authorities confined over a million Kikuyu, Embu, and Meru people … Read more
In East Africa, running has never been just sport—it has always been a statement of identity. From the red tracks of Kampala to the highland trails of Eldoret, every stride carries echoes of history, pride, and rivalry. To run for Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, or Ethiopia was to declare more than speed. It was to prove … Read more
In the hills and coastal forests of Kenya’s south lived a tradition that quietly embodied the spiritual and artistic genius of the Mijikenda people. Long before colonialism and tourism reduced African art to souvenirs, the Mijikenda carved figures of remembrance called vigango—wooden memorial posts that stood as spiritual intermediaries between the living and the dead. … Read more
Before missionaries arrived with Christianity and traders brought Islam inland, the people of Kenya already lived within rich, coherent systems of faith. Their religions were not codified in scriptures but woven into everyday life—embedded in land, family, birth, death, and the rhythm of the seasons. Each community, from the Kikuyu and Kamba of the highlands … Read more