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A day in my life as a nganya conductor by Rochelle Juma
Best from the Qwani anthologies

A day in my life as a nganya conductor by Rochelle Juma

Ama niite Jonte anishikie hii squad ya kwanza nilale kidogo? I think to myself. But JJ won’t let that slide—our morning clients don’t recognize Jonte, even though he’s worked with me a couple of times.

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
Between crosses and crescents by Barnice Agenyo
Best from the Qwani anthologies

Between crosses and crescents by Barnice Agenyo

6:18 a.m. and Nairobi is serving Siberia realness. The trench coat on my back is just for show: thin, cheap, performative, just like people, just like hope, just like me, the previous night faking my moans. All I can do is hope the weather doesn’t pull a fast one and turn me into an undertaker in the afternoon sun.

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
No promises in Nairobi by Polycarp Sakwa
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No promises in Nairobi by Polycarp Sakwa

I’ve been on this spot near the statue of the late Kenyan icon Tom Mboya for two years now. The pavement knows my shape the way a bed remembers the body that sleeps on it. I know the rhythm of the street like an amapiano song whose lyrics play hide-and-seek game in mind.

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
Kichwa mbaya vs Karen Smith by MK
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Kichwa mbaya vs Karen Smith by MK

First of fuk your SDGs and the missions you claim. Nairobi, when we ride, you come equipped with cams You claim to be a saviour, but you lied with my life

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
Where the lie lies by Nyamani Marwa Matiko
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Where the lie lies by Nyamani Marwa Matiko

You start thinking that maybe it is time you started going to church again. This time round, at least you have some knowledge of things that most never talk about concerning the spiritual. You realise that a lot of it is in the grey areas.

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
Take me to mass and show me where the incense is by Amanda Nechesa
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Take me to mass and show me where the incense is by Amanda Nechesa

I have recently taken up going to church regularly. It’s a habit that has developed gradually, and in relation to this habit, I have also started listening to gospel music every morning and praying after reading a bible verse every night before I sleep.

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
How to sneak into concerts by Keith Ang’ana
Best from the Qwani anthologies

How to sneak into concerts by Keith Ang’ana

How you dress at a concert is very crucial, not only to yourself and all potentials whom you hope to attract, but also to your chances of sneaking in. One thing is for sure: Despite what the famous adage says, everyone actually judges a book by the cover. That’s why ‘hardcover’ books are more expensive than ‘paperback’ books. I digress.

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
Nairratives Gone Bad by Otieno Arudo
Best from the Qwani anthologies

Nairratives Gone Bad by Otieno Arudo

Now, no infrastructure project in Nairobi is complete without that iconic image of a politician — preferably in white gloves cutting a ribbon with scissors so big they could perform surgery on a zebra. Whether or not the project is usable is secondary. What matters is the optics of delivery. You may not drive on the bridge, but have you seen the drone shots?

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
Life, a subscription you forgot to cancel by Calvin Ron Ouko
Best from the Qwani anthologies

Life, a subscription you forgot to cancel by Calvin Ron Ouko

He had a punctured neck, the man in the photo. Clearly photo shopped—poorly. Below it read, “ILANI: MATUMIZI YA TUMBAKU YAUA.” Still, Sam tapped the cigarette against his palm, lit it as the sun rose, and drew a long inhale.

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
The One with Nairobi’s Seven Deadly Sins by Wairimu Kagichu
Best from the Qwani anthologies

The One with Nairobi’s Seven Deadly Sins by Wairimu Kagichu

Nairobi. A cacophony of matatu hoots and booming bongs from church bells. All in inexplicable harmony. Like a Beethoven piece.

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
To the market? by Natasha W. Muhanji
Best from the Qwani anthologies

To the market? by Natasha W. Muhanji

“Hey! You right there! Yes! You! What colour does blood turn to when it rots?” I still remember the slow movement of my eyebrow and how high I cocked it at his unusual question almost a decade later. That had been the most unexpected question I had gotten sent my way ever since someone in town had asked me to sell them my stool for five hundred shillings.

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
My feet are killing me by Lydia Mutuku
Best from the Qwani anthologies

My feet are killing me by Lydia Mutuku

Would you look at that? I am levitating in space. This, this is a vessel. I am a vessel; I am a ship, and within me is a crew. A classic Captain of the Caribbean’s Black Pearl floating in an empty jar, oblivious to the entirety of the real world; the real true world. Who is my captain?

The Editors
The Editors
April 4, 2026
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