#kevin mwachiro

recently I read this incredible short story in an antology set in distinct neighborhoods/locations in Nairobi (Nairobi Noir edited by Peter Kimani). Number Sita by Kevin Mwachiro describes a coming of age for a boy growing up in Nairobi–an intimate portrayal of masculinity and sexuality in the urban space of Kilimani, the neighborhood where the narrator has grown up that is now falling prey to gentrification, as well as his past relationship to a lesbian character in his neighborhood that taught him and his friends how to relate to women’s pleasure. the queerness is subtle in what is otherwise a straight male narrator voice, just a glimpse into gender and vulnerability in the context of modern Nairobi.

Kevin Mwachiro is a gay Kenyan author and runs the podcast Nipe Story (Tell Me a Story), where he shares Kenyan/other African short stories in audio format. definitely check them out!