As a journalist turned full time writer, podcaster and activist, Kevin Mwachiro ameona mengi especially in the context of ‘Africa rising’ in stories and literature. He speaks with Paukwa’s Natalie Sifuma about his journey into storytelling, and his hope for future African stories.
Natalie: Kevin, you are a writer, journalist, activist and podcast host. Tell me about your journey into these spaces.
Kevin: My most recent journey is that of a podcaster having started Nipe Story just over three years ago. The full-time career as a writer happened in 2017, when I quit full time employment. I figured it was time to follow my dream and my love for words. I didn’t want to be that writer with just one book and coast on that.
My work as a journalist started with the BBC in the London during a 3–4-month stint with the BBC World Service Focus on Africa team. Then freelanced for the East African Standard as a contributor for the insert, Inspiration in 2006. I then worked with the BBC in Nairobi for almost six years.
I’ve been an activist for a while. It goes back to the 2007, when I met other LGBTIQ people and we were beginning to talk about building a movement. It was scary and exciting as I was not publicly out then. So, I worked behind the scenes. I used my journalism to offer objective coverage of LGBTIQ issues in the country and then got involved with organising the OUT Film Festival, wrote/edited Invisible-Queer Stories from Kenya and that threw me into movement work proper. Using my journalism skills and media background offers me the opportunity to conduct my activism within the media space.
Natalie: It’s interesting how your journey unfolded.
I want to first explore on your ‘love for words’… what’s your earliest memory of story and how have stories (if at all) shaped you into the person that you are when you wrote your book and the person that you are now in line with the work that you are doing?
Kevin: I really loved writing compositions in primary school. I was really good at it and I think the love for words started there. I also enjoyed reading. But I was interestingly drawn to humorous writing and I found that in Enid Blyton’s book more so, Mr Bean and Amelia Jane, if that’s what you called her. I was one of the few boys who didn’t get into Hardy Boys when in school. I also read comics A LOT. Asterix is my all-time favourite. I thought it was fun, creative and really well done. I think that birthed my love for witty writing. My reading (outside of comics) then I think piqued my love for fiction. I love fiction because my imagination is fuelled.
One the few things I appreciate 8-4-4 for is Literature. It exposed me to African writing and poetry and then also writers from the global south, this was through the set books.
Invisible is a very different book. It’s a collection of stories and as I grew older, I realised I loved hearing about people’s stories. People’s stories are powerful and we need to continue documenting and archiving our African stories or else we lose our stories to half-baked historians or politicians or moralists or writers who will want to colour our narratives in a way that suits them. African history and cultures are rich and powerful. We need to see this come across a lot more in the literary circles and more so by African writers.
I would like my work to explore the length and breadth of this continent. I’d like my work to connect with other Africans and lovers of this continent.
Natalie: There was something so therapeutic about writing compositions, and I can clearly see how that birthed a love for words.
I’m getting quite excited because in my younger years I also read book series like Nancy Drew, and the Archie comics were also quite popular. In the Sunday newspaper, there was the Popeye and Babu animations – those I learned to enjoy after my father encouraged me to read them. I guess these small things from our childhood have a way of bringing us to where we are.
On the matter of education (8-4-4) and literature… which set books did you read that stood out and made you start appreciating African writing? I ask this because today one of your missions is, in your words, “to explore the length and breadth of this continent”.
Kevin: Your question on African writing has taken me down memory lane and I thought of books outside of the set books.
There was a series from way way back that were on of the bookshelves when we were kids. I think it was called Truphena the Nurse and Anna the Air hostess or something like that. Both were my mum’s books and I remember reading them because my mum used to work for East African Airways, and these stories were about these ladies breaking into nursing and aviation. I gravitated towards Anna the Air Hostess. Representation started a long time ago.
Then I remember also reading, Across the Bridge by Mwangi Gacheru and Paul Kitololo’s Shortcut to Hell. I was way too young to be reading those books when they came home but I enjoyed them. There was also Pat Ngurukie’s books which I really enjoyed. I also enjoyed reading Surgeon’s Diary in the Sunday Nation and read Yusuf K Dawood’s books too. I appreciate the fact that the set books brought other writers into my awareness.
I won’t lie, I really enjoyed Things Fall Apart and enjoyed the two years of going through it. Really did. I never got tired of it.
There was Kill Me Quick by Meja Mwangi which I thought was radical and I enjoyed Betrayal in the City.
Natalie: I remember the series on Truphena, first when she was a student nurse, and then when she was a nurse.
You’ve also listed a number of memorable stories and authors who have remained etched in many Kenyans (and possibly Africans) minds because of their books.
I want to circle back to something you said earlier: “People’s stories are powerful and we need to document, more and archive of our African stories or else we lose our stories to half-baked historians or politicians or moralists or writers who will want to colour our narratives in a way that suits them”…
There’s been several platforms that have emerged with the aim of telling the African story from an African perspective. It seems likely that this is because of a rising frustration; we have previously listened to our history from the western gaze and it has evidently been biased – making our ancestors and those that came before us seem ‘uncivilized’.
Beyond Nipe Story, what other platforms or people do you recognize for doing this work of documenting and archiving our stories?
Kevin: Other platforms that I have come across telling our stories in our way are obviously Paukwa, there is a brilliant handle on Twitter, @HistoryKE, @PwaniTribune, @TooEarlyforBirds, Positively African and Story Moja. Then are there are individuals like Sitawa Namwalie, Aleya Kassam, Troy Onyango who runs Lolwe – they are among many African writers who are actively portraying us in our light. There is also Hiistoriya… and that is just in Kenya.
There is so much more out there. It’s fascinating.
I’d also add Afropop Worldwide; it’s a brilliant podcast on music from the continent and the Black diaspora – though produced in the US.
Natalie: These are all brilliant platforms and dedicated people. I’d also add that there’s an African music repository platform called ‘Wer Jokenya’ that has stories of African music history.
I want to wind up our conversation by looking ahead. As an author, a journalist and a podcaster… what more would you like to do in the African (and global) storytelling space? – And is there anything readers and listeners of podcasts can look forward to from you?
Kevin: I would like to do more storytelling in Kiswahili hopefully and also tell more stories on the people who’ve made this continent what it is, such as the African history makers.
I’m trying to see how I can play with sound and the voice more in my storytelling. Plus, I’d love to have more stories from writers in the outlying countries, marginalised voices, and novice writers.
Natalie: Wonderful! I look forward to the Kiswahili stories and those with historical themes.
Kevin, asante sana for taking the time to speak with me. It’s always a pleasure to hear insights on African stories from people passionate about seeing and hearing more of them.
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