Latest arts stories from across Kenya.
“Beef, mukimo and a side of cabbage?” Becky asked him. “Am I that predictable?” Joe asked her. “I pay attention to my regular clients,” Becky said, smiling. She prepared the meal and served him. Joe took a long time to finish his meal as…
Planners, mood boards, menu choices, and cake tasting- it was a whole new world for Nancy. Her life was like having a good dream and then getting a second better dream in one night. It had turned out better than she had imagined it would.…
Accidents are interesting. In a split second, you move from planning something as mundane as going to sleep to hoping the effects of the accident aren’t dire. They were going home after a baby shower. It was a colourful event, full of…
Esther went to be tired. She woke up exhausted again. She loved her three sons to bits but could use a break from them. That morning was no different from the other ones. The nanny had left for her day off, and although she had prepared…
This is the internet. A place where you can find anything if you look hard enough. Amos knew he’d do anything to cover up his secret. He knew each time he made love to his wife, it inched them closer to the discovery. He had gone through…
Sam was this dashing man who looked good in almost everything he wore, even in his work uniform. We met in school, he was on the security detail at the school where I taught French. Police officers are rarely my type, but something about…
Hot tears fell on my cheeks. I could see my hands trembling as I picked up my phone. My body felt alien. An intense wave of emotion engulfed me. I tried opening my mouth, but I couldn’t speak. I could hear a voice inside my head nudging me…
It was Easter break, and Sandra was looking forward to going home. She hadn’t spent time with her two elder brothers and her parents in weeks. Sandra, being her typical self, would be going home with a friend. She was a social butterfly…
Sarah refocused on the laptop screen, browsing through the Facebook page. “REAL CANADIAN WORK PERMITS-GUARANTEED SUCCESS-98% APPROVAL.” The images showed happy Kenyans wearing winter coats standing in front of buildings covered in snow and…
I have always considered myself patient. I’d wait for buses without grumbling, stand in long supermarket queues while browsing my phone, and even endure poor weather conditions for events I was excited about. But waiting for Mwangi to…
Kaleb and James are broke. Years after university, while their classmates are doing well, they are struggling. A former classmate gives them an opportunity they can’t pass up. All they have to do is pretend to be nail technicians, but…
Kaleb and James sat side by side on the only two-seater couch that was in Kaleb’s small one-bedroom house just outside Kisii town. They had been stuck at the hip since finishing college two years prior and Kaleb had offered to house his…
Saturdays were special in the Karimi household. Aunty Sue would make us pancakes and sausages, then Mum would turn on the radio and blast country music to let us know that breakfast was ready. My brothers and I would run downstairs,…
Agnes stared at the email template Sam had sent her. She reread it and looked for ways to tweak it. Something felt off, but she couldn’t come up with better ideas. “Do you think this will work?” She asked him. “Yeah. We have over 100…
Seven months later, guests were still streaming in to see their child. The last seven months had been so chaotic, with tears of joy, exhaustion, and more chaos, that it was sometimes hard to remember their lies before the child. The…
Kamau and Lily had been dating for less than a year. It was their first Valentine’s Day celebration together. They were both looking forward to the day. Kamau searched frantically for the perfect gift in the weeks leading up to the day.…
David patiently waited for Cheryl in the car. He had done this many times before in their marriage and long before that. It was their sixth Valentine’s Day celebration as a couple. He didn’t care much for the day, but Cheryl did, so it…
A maid in the city Zawadi hummed in the kitchen. She removed the spaghetti from the cooker and drained it. She checked on the chicken she was frying, it was coming along well. It would be done in a few minutes. Zawadi danced around the…
Gerald Sophia squeezed Gerald’s hand, offering her continued support as they waited for someone to answer the door. He squeezed hers back, then dropped it when the door slid open. These days, he seemed to want only two mutually exclusive…
She was seated on the balcony with the sun’s rays hitting her face. Her face was radiant and peaceful as she enjoyed the sunset and a glass of red wine. He watched her for a while before finally deciding to make a move. It felt wrong to…
George met his best friend Brian for another weekend meet-up. They spent most weekends together doing whatever needed to be done. They were like brothers. After running the day’s errands, they decided to go for a few drinks. They’d hardly…
Steve was making himself a cup of coffee. It was almost nine o’clock in the evening, and he had a long night ahead of him. Brenda walked in, angry again. She started talking to him, and he walked away from her. “Walk away as usual,” said…
Hunter Hunter rubbed his sweaty palms on his jeans. He shifted the seat closest to him again, trying to angle it perfectly. He set the radio volume low to a station they’d recently discovered, and both loved. “Hey,” Liz said, surveying his…
Elaine The doorbell rang cutting into the silence. They shared a look. “I can’t.” She dragged out playing up her exhaustion. He shook his head, dragging himself off the couch. He paid the delivery guy and the smell of fries filled their…
