Nairobi

Netflix promotional image

Series of reimagined African folk tales launches on Netflix

This week, a new anthology of films called "African Folktales, Reimagined" premiered on Netflix. The series of short films was done in partnership with UNESCO as an effort to support more emerging filmmakers from Africa.

Series of reimagined African folk tales launches on Netflix
Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala celebrates after winning gold in the men's 100m final during the athletics in the Alexander Stadium at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England

This Kenyan sprinter is inspiring more youth from his country to take up the sport

This Kenyan sprinter is inspiring more youth from his country to take up the sport
People line up to cast their vote in Kenya's general election in Eldoret, Kenya, Tuesday Aug. 9, 2022. Kenyans are voting to choose between opposition leader Raila Odinga Deputy President William Ruto to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta after a decade in

Kenyan presidential election sparks debate on haves and have-nots in Kenya 

Kenyan presidential election sparks debate on haves and have-nots in Kenya 
headshot of woman

New US ambassador to Kenya arrives ahead of Tuesday's election

New US ambassador to Kenya arrives ahead of Tuesday's election
Plastic pollution has become a major concern in Ghana.

Ghana’s fishermen are drowning in plastic. The govt is trying to tackle pollution before it’s too late.

Ghana’s fishermen are drowning in plastic. The govt is trying to tackle pollution before it’s too late.
Ngong Hills, Ngong, Kenya

Kenyan environmentalists protest proposed forest bill amendments

The bill proposes amending a crucial part of Kenya’s Forest Act of 2005, which strengthened protections for Kenya’s forests and helped stop illegal acquisition of public forest lands.

Kenyan environmentalists protest proposed forest bill amendments
A Kenyan police officer talks on his phone inside the compound of the command center in Malindi, Kenya, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018. 

If not police, what? Part I

Critical State, a weekly foreign policy newsletter by Inkstick Media, takes a deep dive into one of Kenya's alternative security provisions and an effort to increase police accountability.

If not police, what? Part I
Rows of fresh Wau Eats samosas waiting to be packed and delivered to eager customers, Nairobi, Kenya

Apple pie samosas for Thanksgiving? In East Africa, these fried treats are a hit.

Aleya Kassam, one of the founders of Wau Eats in Nairobi, said her family has enjoyed making samosas for generations. As they experiment with different fillings, Americans living in Kenya are even ordering apple pie samosas for Thanksgiving.

Apple pie samosas for Thanksgiving? In East Africa, these fried treats are a hit.
Camel milk latte

Got camel milk? Entrepreneurs in Kenya hope more people will embrace the taste of this dairy alternative.

Bashir Warsame of Kulan Café in Nairobi is part of a growing camel milk industry in Kenya — he and other business owners and entrepreneurs hope it catches on more globally.  

Got camel milk? Entrepreneurs in Kenya hope more people will embrace the taste of this dairy alternative.
A large elephant among green trees and green grass

Kenya launches its first-ever national census for wildlife

The aim of the census, launched this month, is not to create an exact count, but rather to establish a baseline of wildlife data, and will focus predominantly on counting terrestrial and aquatic mammals.

Kenya launches its first-ever national census for wildlife
Two people gather locusts from trees

This start-up turns locust swarms in Kenya into animal feed

The Bug Picture has worked for the last six weeks in Kenya to pilot a program that pays farmers to collect locusts from their fields in exchange for cash.

This start-up turns locust swarms in Kenya into animal feed
A man wearing jeans and sweater throws a rock near a fire burning outside

When it rains, it wars: Tracking intersecting security threats, Part I

Critical State, our foreign policy newsletter, takes a deep dive into new research by political scientist Jana Krause on interactions between post-election violence and sexual violence in Kenya and Nigeria.

When it rains, it wars: Tracking intersecting security threats, Part I
Several rows of outdoor seating are shown with cars in the distance and a movie project shining bright in the distance.

The pop culture that got us through 2020

In 2020, we leaned on pop culture more than ever for moments of levity, distraction — and sometimes even clarity — during a chaotic year. Looking back, here are some of the pop culture moments that stuck with us.

The pop culture that got us through 2020
(Clockwise from top left) Meklit Hadero in red lighting, Sinkane stsnding in front of wooden wall, Diana Gameros standing in front of a brick wall and Hello Psychaleppo looking down at a keyboard.

Four musicians grapple with the same question: What is home?

“Movement,” a one-hour special from The World, brings you stories of global migration through music. Together, host Marco Werman and Ethiopian American singer Meklit Hadero blend song and narrative in a meditation on what it means to be American. We follow a once-undocumented singer in San Francisco on a long-awaited trip back to Mexico, reflect on the experience of exile with a Syrian DJ and hear a Sudanese American artist play his first-ever show in Sudan — all guided by Hadero as she reflects on her own American story.

Four musicians grapple with the same question: What is home?
Schoolchildren joke around and play at the Olympic Primary School in Kibera, Kenya, on Oct. 12, 2020.

After months of closure, Kenya's schools adjust to sudden reopening

In July, Nairobi announced that schools across the country would stay closed for the rest of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic. This week's last-minute reopening is a pleasant surprise for many teachers, parents and students.

After months of closure, Kenya's schools adjust to sudden reopening