"In Chapter 3, Dr. Kavirondo is told that the reason Luo men are increasingly marrying outside the Luo community has everything to do with Luo women — and their attitude towards money, luxury and the future. The argument? A Luo woman wants the best of everything: the biggest television, the best car, expensive hotels and a fully stocked food store. A non-Luo wife, on the other hand, is portrayed as more likely to think about investment and building for the future. But Dr. Kavirondo has one question: **“Isn’t that a generalization?”** 🎧 Want to listen to the full audiobook? Listen to Dr Kavirondo on the On eKitabu app or purchase it through the shop.ekitabu.com. Books in Africa brings African stories to your ears one instalment at a time. "

What happens when mourning turns into a fight over the dead man’s belongings? After the death of Brigadier Fred Kavirondo, thousands descend on his home to mourn. But as the family grieves, mourners begin carrying away clothes, furniture, utensils and other possessions—some claiming it is a Luo custom that everything belonging to the dead must disappear with him. Dr Kavirondo is horrified. At his father’s burial, the chaos takes another turn. Politicians seize the microphone to raise old questions about the deaths of Tom Mboya and Robert Ouko, and to ask whether Kavirondo himself died naturally. But when the crowds finally leave, the doctor discovers that the greatest shock may not have come from the mourners at all. 🎧 Want to listen to the full audiobook? Listen to Dr Kavirondo on the On eKitabu app or purchase it through the shop.ekitabu.com. Books in Africa brings African stories to your ears one instalment at a time.

What would you promise your dying father? For Dr Wellington Wilberforce Kavirondo, that final request is not what he expected to hear. Living in Mexico, building an international career and raising a family with his Jamaican wife, WW has spent years caught between the life he has chosen and the Luo traditions he has questioned. But when his powerful father, Brigadier Fred Kavirondo, lies dying in a Nairobi hospital, WW is forced to return home. Then, with his final breath, his father asks him to make one promise: he must marry a Luo woman. What follows is a story of family, identity, power, culture and the expectations that follow us home — even when we have travelled far away. Dr Kavirondo by David G. Maillu is a psychological and cultural tale that explores the tensions within Luo society through the life of a man caught between continents, generations and competing ideas of who he should be. This is Part 1 of the Books in Africa serialised reading. 🎧 Want the full audiobook? Listen to Dr Kavirondo on the On eKitabu app or purchase it through the shop.ekitabu.com . Follow Books in Africa and come back next week for another story. Books in Africa brings African stories to your ears one instalment at a time.

What do buildings remember long after the people who built them are gone? In this episode of the Books in Africa Podcast, Tracy Ochieng speaks with South African writer Barbara Adair about her new book, The Art Deco Buildings of Nairobi, which documents the city's architectural heritage and the stories of the African Asian families who shaped it. Through conversations with residents and descendants, Adair uncovers how Indian Kenyan communities transformed Parklands and other parts of Nairobi, blending Art Deco design with Indian traditions and creating homes that reflected migration, prosperity, and belonging. The discussion also ventures into difficult questions around heritage, identity, colonisation, migration, and who gets to claim space in a changing city. As Nairobi's historic homes disappear beneath high-rises, this episode asks what is lost when buildings vanish—and whether stories can preserve what concrete cannot. Because walls do have ears.

Can a story belong to a place if its writer comes from somewhere else? In this episode, Virginia Clay joins us to discuss Warrior Boy, identity, cultural representation, and the power of stories to help young readers find where they belong.

In this episode, author Empress Ciku Kimani Mwaniki discusses her "chaotic" approach to life and her bestselling NaiRoberry Cocktail series. Ciku explains her philosophy that women must "mute the world" and make themselves happy, independent of relationships. She also shares her unusual research methods including collecting stories from Nairobi's pariahs, like chokoras (street children) and prostitutes, to humanise them in her books. Discover Ciku's mission to provoke discussion on society's responsibility for the fate of Nairobi's criminals and find out which character she most enjoyed writing.

In this episode, we explore Warrior Boy by Virginia Clay, a powerful coming-of-age story set between London and Kenya. At the centre of the novel is Ben Olmoran — a twelve-year-old boy who dreams of being courageous, even though fear often holds him back. From navigating school life in London to grappling with the legacy of his Maasai warrior father, Ben’s journey raises important questions about identity, belonging, conservation, and the many forms strength can take. This episode unpacks the themes of diaspora, inheritance, masculinity, and empathy, while reflecting on why stories like Warrior Boy matter for today’s middle-grade readers.

In this episode, Kenya Theatre Awards nominee Vivian Kabono joins us to discuss her role as Lili in After 4:30, the powerful stage adaptation of David Maillu’s 1974 verse novel set in post-independence Nairobi. In this intimate theatre podcast conversation, Vivian reflects on: Embodying a woman who resists male power in the workplace Performing restraint, dignity, and refusal on stage The emotional weight of telling women’s stories in African theatre Gender dynamics in Kenyan drama and contemporary Nairobi The rehearsal process and the importance of artist care and mental health in theatre spaces Why a story written in 1974 still feels urgently relevant today This episode speaks to actors, theatre lovers, literature enthusiasts, feminists, and anyone interested in African stage productions, Kenyan performing arts, and conversations around women, power, and identity in post-colonial society. Through Lili’s story, we confront a haunting question: if independence came in 1963, why does freedom still feel unfinished for so many women?

In this episode, Kenya Theatre Awards nominee Martin Kigondu discusses his leading role as Nikolas Mukoko in After 4.30, the acclaimed stage adaptation of David Maillu’s 1974 novel set in post-independence Nairobi. After 4.30 is a powerful Kenyan theatre production exploring gender dynamics, workplace power, marriage, patriarchy, religion, and the lingering effects of colonialism just eleven years after independence. Through the character of Nikolas, the play interrogates masculinity, entitlement, infidelity, and societal double standards that continue to shape modern relationships in Kenya today.