Stories

By Kemboi Victor Our matatu jerked to a halt at Ngoini market bus terminus few minutes past 6pm. The passengers alighted and took different directions. Since I was late, I…

I saw how she was looking at you, I saw the smiles she was giving you, I saw how tight she was hugging you, How content she looked around you.…

By Lewis Wamwanda I wonder why people call tomorrow, tomorrow Yet I see no sense in their choice of words Not that I don’t trust them But I still wonder…

By Evelyn Ogongo “Eii.. .pinyni! – This world!” Sabina had exclaimed at moonlight “Awuoro! -I wonder!” Ogwanjo had been in “Narobi” for the last many days: Many days like three…

By Cecy Gaitho “When I grow up I want to be a pilot.” And every day, young Malaki would go out into the fields and excitedly wave at the passing…

By Jane Gerald He watched, his hands on the frosted glass wall and his head lowered, as the etch of his sin grew larger on the wet floor. The red…

I have come back home, Back in your arms, Back in your heart, I have come to realize, That, that’s where I belong,   I left without a warning, I…

By Anita Nimmo As I look into those big, brown and beautiful eyes, they look like they can see right through me. Cold tears roll down my face as I…

By Ridwan Bello, Kaduna, Nigeria At the very beginning While no one cares to See, or cares to know How homo-sapiens We will become we Never give up hope.  …

Before you go, Please look behind once more, And remember all the good times we had, But when you leave, don’t bang the door, Lest you need it, when you…

My man he is my supreme cistern A well whose water is my everlasting drink He is my forever fountain A spring from whom all my thirsts are quenched A…

By Evelyn Ongogo So baffling that people toil and strain To make mansions of life Mansions, where they stand To look upon other souls With spite and despise All for…

That evening my mind was not calm. Unlike other days when thoughts of unfinished work would be bothering me, I was thinking about the death of Tracie my four years’…

The Quantum Shorts Flash Fiction Competition is now open to entries from writers around the world. The contest is completely free to enter, and offers cash prizes up to $1500,…

By Lilian Wairimu As he sits, Shaping his lips to an imagined love heart, His head droops down Down; is it the heavy thoughts? Or the drink before him, Stretching…

Dear God, If Thou decides to take thy soul tonight, So that I won’t see tomorrow, My son, whom am so fond, Oh God of all Might, Let him not…

By Patrick Ngugi I buried my face in my handcuffed palms, too ashamed to lookup and scan the courtroom, as I did not want my gaze to meet my family…

By Faith Gikunda [Meru, Kenya] Huge, dark and ugly, it crashes in Invading our world mercilessly Without warning or slightest care Affecting generations all over His steps are firm and…

By Evelyn Ongogo They say Love is red That Love isn’t blue or Green, Or purple, or Indigo, Or yellow or Orange! But why Red? Isn’t Red, the colour of…

By Kemboi Victor I first saw her from the waiting room being cleared by the secretary at the reception. She looked thin, tired, emaciated, stressed, unkempt and desperate. She was…

I watched the beautiful orange glow Of the sunset like I’ve always done, It spoke to my soul like it always has But today… It wasn’t as warm Like it used…

Kabla sijaoa, nitataka kuwa na hakika kuwa anafaa kweli. Nitataka kudadisi hulka zake kwa upana. Nimpitue, halafu nimweke sawa. Nimkunje, kisha nimkunjue. Nimvae, kisha nimvue. Nimwangushe, kisha nimwinue. Nimtege, halafu…

By Ridwan Bello, Kaduna, Nigeria At the very beginning While no one cares to See, or cares to know How homo-sapiens We will become we Never give up hope.  …

By Cecy Gaitho and Anita Nimmoh Sundays were showing off days and the Wamakere village church was the perfect place. Young women would come in droves, to show off their…

By Anita W. One look in your eyes and I get lost in your gaze, I see heaven in your eyes, I swim in the ocean of love there in,…

By Kemboi Victor The moment I stepped out of my office my eyes landed on her. Madam Boswony, I recalled, was the toughest and the unkindest boss I had ever…

By Patrick Ngugi Is it you? Or my eyes? Bewitching me? Or Anxiety in my heart Spinning my dazed head Every time I see you In the eyes of mind…

Today could have been your sixteenth birthday, Even in your absence you still have been close to me, Close to my heart and soul, A special bond still exists between…

  By PATRICK NGUGI I looked at my watch for the umpteenth time. The second hand was ticking at the same pace with my heart; its beat increasing with each…

By Patrick Ngugi Part two [If you missed Part One, get it HERE] We went for a long walk with Miriam as catechist accompanied Otish’s mother and the boys to…

By Cecy Gaitho I do not know why Sam Mateso crossed my mind that day. Probably, the thought was sparked by the call I had just received from my son…

I did not know loving you so much could turn to this, I don’t know when this love turned to jealousy, I don’t know when I became this dangerous, That…

If you missd Part One, find it here The whole afternoon Wilmina kept on wondering what Dorcas really wanted of her. At 5 she rang Dismas to tell him that…

You lived your life to the fullest, We had all the fun we could, We sang and danced, Drunk to short, but happy life.   You never left anything to…

By Anita W. You are my rose, You are my flower, The flower that I love and cherish, A flower with beauty, that never fades.   You are my rose,…

BY NIMO KURIA It was on the third day of Triza’s return back home from her parents’ house that she had made up her mind to get straight with Erick.…

By Muriki Meeme Many people ask me Who I am and where I come from But when I explain to them It is like I entertain people But I have to be…

Sunset… dusk Then our yearning eyes met And like infatuated teens We couldn’t leave each other’s sight   We gazed through soul’s windows And beheld glittering galaxies Of shining stars,…

THE TRAP BY Jeddy Gibbs Ohanga We discussed the issue like two grown-ups and agreed on the way forward. His idea made sense and I agreed to it. Meanwhile I…

By Kemboi Victor The neighborhood was unusually restrained that morning. Very few vehicles and motorbikes roared on the road and only a few people were seen walking quietly, most of…

The eyes and the mouth couldn’t resist Gazing and gaping at the heavenly curves The beautiful face – complete with dimples And shy twinkling eyes   And the twitching nose…

They say the body remembers, Way after the mind forgot. That’s why it trembles, shivers And understands it not.   When the body remembers, It remembers the love, The feeling…

By Patrick Ngugi I finally met Maggie Lisper Wamaitsa after a decade of romantic letter exchanges, during which I even proposed and she accepted, and I promised I’d give her…

By Albina Hipp Why are many people around the world risking their all? In this corona pandemic, to stand in solidarity to state that Black Lives Matter? To stand in…

By Nimo Kuria So this morning in Wakanda … having coffee… I’ve known her for awhile; the woman does well. Financially. But it’s from what I hear not what I…

By MWANIKI WA MURIUKI Here, these lovers of off-lights lust These that at night their thighs greedily thirst From every unlit lounge they buzz and burst Like termites after finally,…

Kenya’s Gloria Mwaniga & Parselelo Kantai are among winners in the 2019 Morland Writing Scholarship. The other winners for 2019 are Hawa Jande Golakai and Nnamdi Oguike. The winners were…

The witty Back in high school, there used to be very witty characters. Those who used to smoke cigarettes and bhang. They used to “monolise”  Form 1s, and were the…

How could you, You merciless thief, Leave me with nothing of my own, For all that I had, I showered it all on you.   Why don’t you get contented?…

By Patrick Ngugi He was a street urchin, alright, but still a human being, and every medical care possible should be given to him, I thought as I hurriedly pushed…

By Winfred Nyokabi What plans has Rona thwarted in your life? Well, for me, I had been saving for as long as I can remember for a trip to actually…

By Margueritte Pitjeng What is darkness you ask? Darkness is how you hold a pen Within the confines of your fingers Trying to scribble down your first alphabet. Its how…

Whisper to me the stories of midnight When the moon is lonely and all alone at night Murmur to me the folk tales of the night When the sounds of…

By Nimmo W., Songs have been sung, because they are easy to sing, Poems have been written, for they are easy to write, Stories have been told, for they are…

By Beverly Masita Sitting in the corner and looking at people have a go at champagne and dance maybe wasn’t my kind of thing. Grabbing a glass and standing with…

By Yunita Cole I still wonder how I had managed to drive all the way from Londiani to Kitale and back on that day, without causing any fatalities amid this…

BY SEEB DURAZI [U.K] The dim, smoky flame from the paraffin lamp flickered slightly in the salty night breeze wafting in through the open window.  It was a warm night,…

Along Came Denzel… By Jade Gibbs Ohanga It was one of those random weekday nights when you just come from work and decide to go to a club and relax…

By Muriki Meeme I’m moving on forward When I look backward There stands a heavy load It’s always hanging up on me I feel running out of energy So hard…

By Mwaniki Wa Muriuki Son of my fathers, where are you Why am I longing for you with no avail? Must you be always sought in vain   Daughter of…

  By Patrick Ngugi Hackson Mukora didn’t think it funny although a crooked grin spread across his face as if he was enjoying the macabre joke that was sending his…

By Nimmo Anita Last month I watched them kill my best friend Otii. Reason? They claimed that he was seen stealing a phone! Stealing? I can swear Otii has never…

By Kemboi Victor By morning the following day I had acquired everything Madam Boswony had demanded of me. I walked to the Transfil Plaza, room 211, Worldwide Internet Company offices…

By Anita Wairimu As I stand here today, where you took me on our first date, so young, naive and shy and also so in love. You couldn’t look me…

By Jedidah Ohanga The day was quite chilly, and Zoe felt very lonely. So lonely that she didn’t care whose company would make her feel warm. She took her phone…

By Kemboi Victor I peeped out through the glass paned window of my house and my eyes flashed on the gloomy weather outside. The rain hadn’t stopped yet and the…

By Kemboi Victor I came to know Juliet in my first month at Huduma Bora Microfinance Bank in Nairobi, where I had gotten job as a teller. She was a Clinician…

You are the star-turn of my time And with your star-lit eyes Makes me have you in camped memories And would choose to hand you a star fruit To make…

NA HUSSEIN M KASSIM Kama ni machozi, basi yanitoka kapakapa Kama ni jitimai, sonono haliniishi Mawazo na fikra? Ni mkururo baada ya mwingine.   Tanzia ya kifo chake baba Kennedy…

By Rehema Malemba Cradled at the corner of my bed, in the most inner room of our bungalow, cracking my knuckles, once in a while pinching myself to confirm whether…

By Patrick Ngugi The church was filled to the brim. I could not believe that I was standing here helplessly, watching David marry Diana. The service was almost over and…

We, men, were raised up being taught and believing that solely, we are the head, the leader, the patriarch, family breadwinners, and the sole providers. Now, things have changed drastically. As…

By Nimo Kuria Nadia had just put Trisha, her 5 year old niece to bed then found her way back to the living room.  She reached out for the TV…

By Muriki Meeme Everything has completely changed World has changed People have changed Life has changed Be prepared for a new change It is unwelcoming Pain streaming No one saw…

By Seeb Durazi Daniel Mwendwa sat pensively, in a secluded corner in the restaurant, peering anxiously from behind the lush, large leaves of the potted plant that partially concealed the…

By Anita Wairimu I stood before a mirror; I could hardly recognize the woman who was staring back at me. She was withdrawn, drained, and her eyes were hollow. She…

I exist because Of your grace and mercy On this lowly creature Bearing the image of you   My body – this temple With amazing network Of blood, bones and…

By Patrick Ngugi  You behold the horizon Scared of the sinking sun That darkens your soul N wish you could stop its flight Through the vast skies of time Dumping…

I gave you my heart wholly, I didn’t think twice while giving it to you, I trusted you with it, Thought you deserved it.   I gave up my all,…

By Rehema Malemba I close my eyes and I see my lips on his…I feel my chest pressing hard against his. His warmth and sweet scent encircling us both. His…

Get Part One HERE By Kemboi Victor Everyone seemed to have made a great discovery about me. Reverend Nyakundi could not believe that I could lay my hands on my…

By Cecy Gaitho “Pewa kama mlivyo!” A clearly drunken voice shouted from the back of Mama Pima’s den. He spoke in a slurred manner, having spent the whole morning in…

By Abdulhamid Usman, Nigeria Living in fear and horror Of no word being accepted From typical terror Who is liar related.   Thunderstrike in pristine mind No light will be…

By John Masunga The petrol station attendant showed him a corner near the drainage and generously dosed him with the water cannon. It was not a fire extinguishing drill. It…

By Mundia Ngumi “Ambia mtu wako awache kuharibu manyumba za watu kama hujampatia mapenzi ya kutosha mwambie awachane na mpenzi wangu atafute aliye single” On finding this SMS in his…

BETRAYAL By Jeddy Gibbs Ohanga Dinner was a mess, Corrine had set me up. Her man had come with a business associate. This guy was all over me like blue…

By Baya Osborn Change or vicissitude Awfully reassuring in its tidy reliance Something imminently bad must transpire Is it the enacting pain of Xenophobia? Is it Nairobi and Lusaka? Or…

Yesterday, when we went to sleep, You were so quiet, so distant, You felt like a stranger lying next to me, You were like someone else, dressed up in you,…

If you missed Part One.. Get it here By Kemboi Victor Our stopover was at Nakuru. Though I was really pressed and badly needed to go to the washroom, I…

By Margueritte Pitjeng What is the definition of love I ask? Imprudent and dunked in a pool of acid is what you replied Selling yourself to the depths of happiness…

By Muriki Meeme Because I’m human I have got mind of my own I know the pain of oppression I know the pain of rejection How it feels when betrayed…

By Wangeshi Wambua Self-love is undoubtedly the oil that wheels my vibrant life. Self-love is the little things you do for yourself. Contrary to the illusion most people have that…

By Patrick Ngugi Wilmina Mudeshi had had enough.  She could not continue with these tribulations anymore. It was time to leave, she thought as she gripped the small bottle sleeping…

By Evelyne Ongogo Okoth The world has gone to pieces Little remnants of glory trickle down our feet As we desperately watch a world That was once full of bliss…

By Muiruri Gathu For the couple Ngobo and Sylvia, the day began as a normal one and so they anticipated it would come to an end. After breakfast they engaged…

 It was the night before Christmas in Ghana and I was very sad because my family life had been severely disrupted and I was sure that Christmas would never come.…

Parched lips Thirsty throat Depleted cup Waiting for ever for A delightful refill That fails to pour   And lips that yearn For a touch of lips That vanished in…

[God wipes flies of that without a tail] By Mundia Ngumi Gitonga grew up in a relatively wealthy family. When racing komerera [racing] bikes seemed like the Porshe 5.0, those…

By Anita W. We stood by and watched jealously, As you were about to marry, For you we were happy, Yet we were feeling somehow empty, In our renowned singles’…

By Patrick Ngugi My new phone rang several times but for some reason I could not get myself to pick it. Every time I stretched my hand it seemed to…

The news about the death of the renowned Kiswahili author Ken Walibora shocked many followers of his work His body was traced at the Kenyatta National Hospital mortuary on Wednesday…

By Anita W. I came in the name of love, Gave every bit of myself to you, Every bit of my heart and love, Gave up my dreams and career,…

By Kemboi Victor Trevor Mukami exited the restaurant and stood facing a fleet of cars at the parking lot. He admired his new Mercedes Benz and smiled, longing to meet…

By Kemboi Victor When our eyes met she frowned. Her hands then started to shake like those of an alcoholic. If I am not wrong, she was also feeling some…

Na Hussein Kassim Husni Kazini ndicho kigezo, kuongeza mishahara Mabosi wana uwezo, kufanya twa kila mara Wanatiliwa vikwazo, walio kwenye ajira Twa twa twa ndio mchezo, twa hakika inakera  …

By Cecy Gaitho “The Forbes list of top 40 under 40 is out, and for the first time in history, a Kenyan is on the lead!” I cannot tell if…

By Patrick Ngugi On April 28th 2020, Sebuleni creative writing online magazine marked its second year since its first stories were published in April 2018. What started as a vague…

From the moment I laid my eyes on you, You have never left my mind, You made my mind and heart your home, You became my endless song, The rhythm…

By Cecy Gaitho In the sky so high, The night dark with unforetold fears, The lightning occasionally sending its warning, That the storm is nigh, Little children clasp at their…

By Patrick Ngugi He looks so handsome today, Melvina thought amid the shimmering film of tears that threatened to run down her cheeks. She loved him so much that she…

By Kemboi Victor Bryson’s return to Kenya from the States after the completion of his Masters degree finally came with jubilation. He was really excited to be home again, to reunite…

By Muriki Meeme The illness claiming lives of many This is alarming state of  emergency Answer for cancer is everyone’s worry In this twenty first century As I share this…

BY Winfred Nyokabi So, somehow, no idea how, I found myself in Vatican. The ultimate dream for a recent Catholic convert! All those stories I heard and read about the…

Return my heart If you won’t love me Give it back to me And let me live again Instead having to cry For you each and every time   Once…

By Patrick Ngugi His warm and tender embrace melts away all the anxiety of the past six years. In his arms nothing matters. Suddenly his six year disappearance means nothing.…

By Kemboi Victor As I watched her walk down the aisle of the decorated church holding flowers against her tummy I admired her like the first time I saw her.…

By Wangeshi Wambua,  in Hungary “Whatever you want to do, to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it” Maya Angelou.…

I wrote on the first page of my life, A poem about the grumpy midwife, In whose hands I had come to birth, And momma had to endure her wrath.…

BY NIMO KURIA Cliff has been thinking of moving out, moving out of his father’s compound. But those aren’t exactly his thoughts… They are from his wife to be. It’s…

Odambo caned his wife He caned her so well in the hour of yesterday It was his wife he caned in that hour as shy And when it was dawn…

By Jeddy Gibbs Ohanga How we met Many years back I had a girlfriend called Corrine. We were very close confidants and our friendship was beyond human comprehension. I loved…

I saw how you used to stare at him, How you used to smile at him, Saw how you allured him to your bed, How you saw him secede his…

Dogs howled in agony, Crickets sang dirges in ceremonial voices, Little Janie stood at the balcony, Amidst the pleading noises, Ready to call it quits, to life’s irony.   She…

By Nimo Kuria Nate spent more time on Facebook than it was evident on his profile. He was the anonymous guy with a tree for a profile photo and a…

If you missed Part One, get it here By Nimo Kuria Nadia’s sleep had left her with the arrest of her best friend Delyn. The episode had been short-lived but…

By Benson Kasuti But do I say I am also seeing a smile But does it pay? Or its just happiness for a while   I admit I was wrong…

By Patrick Ngugi The dark grey clouds that had hung precariously over the sky most of the afternoon finally made way for a clear and somehow chilly twilight that was…

By Mwaniki Muriuki We remember you, you who give yourselves of yourselves To fight these deadly and viral deaths: Ebola and Corona Viruses! You who have avowed your souls and…

I don’t know what I did To deserve your attention Attention that has me glued, To something bright and beautiful   In the middle of a cold lonely night I…

By Yunita Cole Bali woke up, unable to sleep anymore. He then relieved himself and took a shower. He placed his uniform on his bed, ready to get dressed up.…

By Winfred Nyokabi I hail from a small village in the armpits of Laikipia that sits on the slopes of Mt. Kenya. This means I get to see many tourists…

By Muriki Meeme-The Poet The pirates of terror You fight the new error Kill by sword die by sword For evil and not for good You will get the same…

By Anthony Muiruri His death captured the imagination of all those who knew him. Our whole township went to his funeral of course for varying reasons. The poor gluttons because…

Words become unnecessary Whenever we are together For our eyes, our touch, our smile Communicate nothing but love Saying we can’t live without us   But I can’t I can’t…

By Ridwan Bello, Kaduna, Nigeria Shall I cry? I never know.   When she asked For my fate in her Empty self was to Make me hollow I never know.…

By Kemboi Victor Tony Alfayo walked about at the reception of Jamboni Maternity Wing petrified, distressed and looking very tired. For about a day and half now, he had been here…

By Ridwan Bello, Kaduna, Nigeria Dark, old, and short So slim, lean, with thought Of all the way fate set Forth, with all the pain that Gushed out, above the…

By Kemboi Victor I understood the nature of Terry’s sickness well and I was not ready to see her in that distressing state for the entire night. We had been…

By Jane Gerald Thrice the number of times I had been to the club. Thrice the number of times I had seen her. Now on my third drink, my nerves…

By Patrick Ngugi She was a homeless orphan. Cold, hungry, beaten, bruised and defiled. And she was only nine years old. Her usual place of abode, inside the huge and…

By Cecy Gaitho I watched helplessly as the heavy rain pounded on the back of my four children and I. This was the third time in a week that we…

You are allowed to spend. Ok. Sparingly. Ok. Why aren’t you spending? Because you said.. That you SHOULD spend, sparingly. Ok. I mean, you MUST spend. Ok. Your budget must…

I’m not talking about the corrupted trust word C, no. I’m talking about real trust. That word hardly exists in this country. Trust is rare. The corporates that could be…

By Lewis Wamwanda and Ezekiel Immo Monday I met a lady Collided with me at the bus stop Her apologies was a love song in my mind   Tuesday I roamed…

INCOGNITO The ancient Greeks and Romans knew that there were times when you didn’t want to be recognized. For example, a myth tells how Zeus and Hermes visited a village…

By Anita W. She looked in the mirror, She could not recognize the woman looking back at her, So thin, emaciated, wrinkled and drained of life, The woman in the…

The wicked winds waft westwards Granting a deluge of ill droplets Infected with myriad tiny monsters Which stop a planet in its tracks Graduating the learned into fools Baffling miracle…

By Ewen MacAskill An innovative journalism competition organised by Thomson Foundation has been won by Kenya-based journalist, Thomas Mwiraria, who wrote a graphic piece about a poverty-related plague in sub-Saharan Africa.…

By Kemboi Victor The six elders sat under the giant Mogoiywet tree of Kaimen shopping center, as they flashed glances on curious villagers who were seated on the grass. This…

BY LILIAN WAIRIMU There she was staring out of the matatu window. Her mind racing and trying to process so much. Why is there so much traffic jam, that woman…

The Diary of a Kenyan Village girl in Europe… Jo napot, greetings from the land of cayenne pepper! Yes, so far I know ten Hungarian words. So, let me continue…

By Muriki Meeme. I’m poor So that I’m limited financially But enjoy mental freedom to infinity So that nobody will understand what is in my mind And not tell whether…

By Anthony Muiruri I never cease to amaze my friend Robert. We sometimes teasingly call him uncle Bob owing to his iron-fisted management of his household. To ensure everything runs…

Akoko nyar nam, Mourn your husband well Mourn him, daughter of the Lake Mourn Oduka as if the world is ending tomorrow He was the spear that pierced the sleeping…

[Crucified on my cross] Two crosses and a half Lay in the carpentry – wasted Waiting for the next victim On Pilate’s death row   Business was that bad Not…

BY SEBULENI Twenty-one year old Lewis Wamwanda, one of the Sebulenians has recently published a poetic novella, YOUR’S TRULY. The book was published by The Writer’s Pen, an organization founded…

By Margueritte Pijteng “You make me feel safe and beautiful”, she said She orchestrated these words like the piano and violin which rule the audience She knew its effects as…

By Nimo Kuria Nathan seethed in anger all evening, how could a well-planned date go south so suddenly? Who did Lucky think she was? At the back of his mind,…

Ifikapo mwaka 2030, Kenya itakuwa imepiga hatua nyingi za maendeleo. Miongoni mwazo ni miundo mbinu ya kisasa kama vile reli za umeme, majumba ya kifahari na barabara kuu zenye hadhi.…

By Kemboi Victor Inside the cabin of the cruiser was nearly dark as it was covered, such that it was difficult for light to come in; and the policemen hung…

By Kemboi Victor When Benjamin Mugeni woke up, he was perturbed. For so many hours he had been sleeping and he could not reckon where he was. He thought he…

By Mundia Ngumi It was getting to dusk. This day, I was not in a hurry as usual. I had sworn to start taking things easy, maybe because of age…

She kissed I hissed I kissed she blessed Prior we were stressed Now, freely we expressed Her body entangled into mine Mine into hers ebullient entwine Each secretly speaking Each…

Na Hussein Kassim “Usimfanyie masihara kwa huo upofu wake! Haipendezi…” maneno yalimtoka Latifa Baridi ambaye alielekea kuchoshwa na kuchushwa na kasumba ya Ali Baya. Rafiki yake wa dhati.  Yapata ni…

ByJedidah Ohanga To the hotel manager, Rozzina’s dad arrival was like a terrorist attack. He wore ordinary clothes so that nobody recognized who he was. First he went to his…

By Winfred Nyokabi Now let me tell you a story of how I was taken out to a dinner date. This village girl has been yapping here how she is…

THE holiday season has arrived and millions of people across the globe will be celebrating Christmas with their families and friends. The following are some interesting tidbits to share with…

By Mundia Ngumi It’s 5.00am on a Friday morning of July 1984. I wake up naturally without an alarm, and prepare myself for school. It’s drizzling, chilly and misty. I…

BY: FAITH GIKUNDA, Meru Kenya There is a catastrophic crisis in the far, far away Gukena Village in the foot of Mount Kenya. There hasn’t been a single drop of…

I must speak my mind Even if with closed eyes To avoid her mesmerizing eyes Which weaken my shaky knees When she looks and smiles at me Yes! Today I…

By Mundia Ngumi “Kuja hapa, mkora hii”, [Come here you vagabond] a hoarse voice shouted from behind me. I could sense urgency and danger. My sixth sense alerted me to…

By Patrick Ngugi Mabel was late. Very late. It was getting to 10.30 pm and this worried me tremendously because the stretch from the matatu stage to the house was…

By Creative Writing Now Have you ever thought of becoming a children’s book author? Maybe that goal sounds hard to achieve.  Publishers receive submissions from thousands of writers a year.…

By Anita W. At times I wonder, How do things happen? Why do they happen anyway? It all leaves me bewildered, And can make one go insane.   Life is…

By Lewis Wamwanda When I was growing up At every dawn I woke up There was this woman at our gate I used to throw stones at her   Papa…

By Jeddy Ohanga Blending In Next day I woke up in a strange but beautiful room painted in lime and orange. I was alone on a large bed neatly tucked…

By Mwaniki wa Muriuki Dance with me, in the rains Our sweats swept in its dousing heats Dance with me, when the heavens torrents downpours Our slippery grips sliding and…

By Haruna Birniwa, Jigawa State, Nigeria You called her virus, l call her a war Indeed a great war of invisible weapon War of no gun no sword. Neither atomic…

Kamene, Mutie’s wife, I have seen you looking at me work, I can’t count the number of times, You visit our home, Why sudden interest in us?   Kamene, Mutie’s…

By Rehema Malemba Robert is again on his lonely way home from Ubunifu Primary School. The sun is at its setting end, colouring the western horizon orange. Long shadows of…

  By Ridwan Bello, Kaduna [Nigeria] Lying alone under that sick Silent tree, awaiting his eve rose To who shall pass by him without Saying hello for old time’s sake.…

BY Evelyne Ongogo Okoth I am seated at the patio I will sit till the sun comes down I will sit till the sweat on my back Flows down my…

By Patrick Ngugi  If you missed Part One, find it here I look at the butterfly shaped tattoo on my right forearm and smile. It is beautiful, but it’s not…

By Patrick Ngugi The tiny mosquito on the ceiling kept on growing fatter and fatter, its tiny tummy emitting a red glow, showing how full it was with the blood…

By Mundia Ngumi It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon in the outskirts of the city. I’m slowly sipping my favourite drink, at my favourite joint, with my mind disengaged, wondering about…

This man, Kiumbi, meaning creator, was a tall, not very handsome guy. He hailed from a poor family. His father eked a living by herding cattle, while his mother used…

  By Kemboi Victor I had never thought that a day would come when I would end up at the dungy, sweat-smelling cells of Shimoni Central Police station. I had…

Light showers and slight breezes Sent me shivering and drifting Away from you Seeking sunshine and warmth In foreign waters and lands   The grass was green and luscious On…

By Patrick Ngugi [Kiambu, Kenya] Stillness surrounding And   transcending all In loud sprawling silence Consciousness… That powerful stillness Cool and refreshing Like clear still water That really runs deep Experiencing……

By Victor Mwene I am not a heavy drinker. Omosh, a very good friend of mine is one of them. Omosh can gulp a whole 750ml of Red Label in…

By Jediddah Ohanga An hour later, she saw him off to the gate and promised to meet him on Monday at his showroom to complete the paper work. She would…

Do not cry my darling For I waited for too long Do not cry Because you thought too long Was not really so long But my heart remained open Do…

By Julius Mundia Mrs Mbugu drives a black Harrier 3.0. She dresses in Turkey skirt suits always matching with lingerie, shoes and other accessories. She always does her shopping in…

By Kemboi Victor The rain stopped and cold braced the atmosphere ushering in discomfort. Kiruhi, the watchman on duty, entered the gatehouse and picked his raincoat from the hanger on…

BY Hussein Kassim “Son, tell me you like her!” These are words that do not seem to fade from my dad’s mouth. Not anytime soon. He keeps insisting that the…

  By Ridwan Bello, Kaduna, Nigeria How massive and tall are you dear That the heavenly sky laid its body here And the mother earth envies your richness For all…

By Cecy Gaitho “We are all gathered here to celebrate the life of a woman, whose contribution to the society is immeasurable…” The Master of Ceremony remarked, as he opened…