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
Jomo Kenyatta stands as one of the most consequential figures in African political history. To many Kenyans, he remains the “Father of the Nation,” the leader who guided Kenya from colonial rule to independence in 1963. Yet, Kenyatta’s life also reflects the paradoxes of decolonization—he was both a symbol of anti-colonial resistance and an architect … Read more
On the map, Nanyuki sits neatly astride the equator, but history placed it squarely on another dividing line — between empire and nation, race and belonging, memory and erasure. The equator sign at the edge of town draws tourists to pose for photographs, yet few realize that this flat line of latitude once marked the … Read more
On the morning of February 24, 1965, Nairobi woke to a silence that would last decades. A car rolled out of the driveway of a modest home in Westlands. Inside sat Pio Gama Pinto, journalist, activist, socialist, and one of the most dangerous men to Kenya’s new ruling class. Moments later, three shots rang out. … Read more
Early Life and Education Mwai Kibaki was born on November 15, 1931, in Gatuyaini village in Kenya’s central highlands, the youngest of eight children in a farming family. Showing academic promise, Kibaki attended top local schools before earning a scholarship to Makerere University in Uganda, where he studied economics, history, and political science, graduating in … Read more
In July 1920, the British government formally transformed the East Africa Protectorate into the Colony and Protectorate of Kenya. This change marked the start of a new phase of colonial rule in which the governor represented the Crown, and settlers consolidated their political and economic influence. Between 1920 and independence in December 1963, Kenya’s administrative … Read more
Recruitment of Kenyan Soldiers for World War II When World War II broke out, the British colony of Kenya became a vital recruiting ground for the British Army in Africa. During the war, about 98,240 Kenyans were enlisted as askaris (soldiers) in the King’s African Rifles (KAR), making up roughly 30% of that multi-colony regiment’s … Read more
In 2003, the cricketing world witnessed an underdog story for the ages. Kenya – a country with no Test status, sparse cricketing infrastructure, and minimal international support – defied all odds to reach the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup. It was a run filled with drama, disbelief, and immense national pride. By toppling … Read more
A Rift in the Mission Compound In 1929, a storm rolled through the Kikuyu highlands that was not of thunder but of words and wounds. Missionary compounds, long the hub of new schools, clinics, and churches, became battlefields in a cultural war. At its center was a single practice: female circumcision — irua in Kikuyu, … Read more