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Invisible: Stories from Kenya's Queer Community
Invisible is a Kenyan story made up of many tales. Although the issue of sexual orientation and gender identity is a very controversial topic in Kenya, the queer community has recently struggled to make itself more visible. Kenyan activists vocally campaign against discrimination and for the respect of the dignity of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals and intersex individuals.
As a journalist and activist, Kevin Mwachiro has taken on the task of collecting stories from this community. Covering young to old Kenyans and city dwellers to rural ones, Mwachiro has transcribed the accounts of men and women who have chosen to remain true to themselves despite the many odds that they have faced. Invisible is an exploration of their respective journeys.
Invisible is about telling the story of being gay in Kenya. These stories will take you from the outback of northern Kenya, to the coast, to the western part of the country. But more so, these are stories about the gay guy or girl on Moi Avenue, the one sitting next to you in the matatu, at school, at work, in your neighbourhood or at the dinner table. Invisible is also about that first kiss, finding love and finding oneself.
As a journalist and activist, Kevin Mwachiro has taken on the task of collecting stories from this community. Covering young to old Kenyans and city dwellers to rural ones, Mwachiro has transcribed the accounts of men and women who have chosen to remain true to themselves despite the many odds that they have faced. Invisible is an exploration of their respective journeys.
Invisible is about telling the story of being gay in Kenya. These stories will take you from the outback of northern Kenya, to the coast, to the western part of the country. But more so, these are stories about the gay guy or girl on Moi Avenue, the one sitting next to you in the matatu, at school, at work, in your neighbourhood or at the dinner table. Invisible is also about that first kiss, finding love and finding oneself.
- GenresAfricaNonfiction
92 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
5 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Mwachiro
4 books7 followersKevin Mwachiro has lived and worked in Nairobi for most of his life. After attending the city’s Daystar University, he later went on to study at Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom, where he attained an MA in Radio Production. He has worked as a radio journalist and producer in Kenya, Uganda and the United Kingdom and as a correspondent for the BBC World Service. Kevin Mwachiro is a member of the gay activist community. He volunteered at the now defunct TOMIK (The Other Man in Kenya) and more recently at the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya and the Gay Kenya Trust.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 13, 2020
♥️
The stories to this book are crucial to the Queer community in Africa. We go through similar experiences indeed as highlighted in this book and it brings to the forefront of my mind that, “I am not Alone!”
Thank you Kevin Mwachiro
The stories to this book are crucial to the Queer community in Africa. We go through similar experiences indeed as highlighted in this book and it brings to the forefront of my mind that, “I am not Alone!”
Thank you Kevin Mwachiro
November 4, 2015
Great book. Great read! And I share a name with one of the folks who shared their story :-)
December 30, 2024
A collection of Kenyan stories from a community that 'feels invisible', stories that have been hidden & vaulted in hearts & minds that we now get to read. It is heartbreaking that in 2024, such stories are still being told in secrecy as the storytellers fear for their safety & lives. This makes this book feel even more important & appreciated.
February 6, 2014
"We're queer and we're here."
That is the mantra that stuck to my mind long after the launch of this book at Goethe Institut, on Wednesday, the 5th of February. The author, Kevin Mwachiro, and other gay rights activists present at the launch promised that this book will "show" (rather than tell) what it means to be gay in Kenya.
They assured us that this book will show us that gay people are our neighbors, our classmates, our colleagues -- simply trying to make it through life like the rest of us.
Some stories live up to the promise, with the most notable one being "Turkanas Can't be Gay!" This was a raw and honest account of a Turkana man wrestling through questions about his own identity and feelings that he neither wanted nor could control -- his attraction to men. Other stories that "show" (rather than tell) the gay experience include "Make Me Love Women", and "Boy Who Feels Like a Girl".
Most of the other stories, however, are either pseudo-essays or heavily editorialized stories with a clear agenda in mind. For instance, "A Mother's Fears for Her Lesbian Daughter" turns out to be a lesbian's speculation of what parents of gay children could be thinking and wondering and worrying about.
This was dishonest at best.
It would have been much more relevant to hear the actual thoughts of a parent to a gay person. But then again, that would be deviating from the script of a book specifically about stories BY the queer, and not by their relatives.
I also found the book's obsession with the sexual "acts" of the queer people to be counterproductive. If homosexuality is bigger than merely sexual attraction, then why narrow down the experiences to just the sexual acts and the surrounding fore-play? There was too little, if any, mention of the bigger questions of identity in these stories.
The only time other sociological aspects of being queer are mentioned, such as love and companionship apart from sex-acts, is in stories that are either told as poetry or pseudo-essays.
Another thing, I find it curious that the account were mostly by queer people who were already LGBTI activists and not just your "normal" queer person.
Having said that, the author does effectively drive home one truth: The queer feelings and tendencies (the orientation) is not a purely sociological phenomenon. It is a biological reality that needs to be confronted and dealt with as such. We should not be too narrow-minded and think of this as purely a "choice". It is not a choice for many queer people. It cannot simply be willed away. The stories (a few of them) effectively illustrate and unarguably confirm that many gay people are actually "born this way" and there is no disputing the fact.
But is a biological fact enough to trump (and render as irrelevant) all the moral and political ramifications associated with being queer? That is a conversation for another day.
That is the mantra that stuck to my mind long after the launch of this book at Goethe Institut, on Wednesday, the 5th of February. The author, Kevin Mwachiro, and other gay rights activists present at the launch promised that this book will "show" (rather than tell) what it means to be gay in Kenya.
They assured us that this book will show us that gay people are our neighbors, our classmates, our colleagues -- simply trying to make it through life like the rest of us.
Some stories live up to the promise, with the most notable one being "Turkanas Can't be Gay!" This was a raw and honest account of a Turkana man wrestling through questions about his own identity and feelings that he neither wanted nor could control -- his attraction to men. Other stories that "show" (rather than tell) the gay experience include "Make Me Love Women", and "Boy Who Feels Like a Girl".
Most of the other stories, however, are either pseudo-essays or heavily editorialized stories with a clear agenda in mind. For instance, "A Mother's Fears for Her Lesbian Daughter" turns out to be a lesbian's speculation of what parents of gay children could be thinking and wondering and worrying about.
This was dishonest at best.
It would have been much more relevant to hear the actual thoughts of a parent to a gay person. But then again, that would be deviating from the script of a book specifically about stories BY the queer, and not by their relatives.
I also found the book's obsession with the sexual "acts" of the queer people to be counterproductive. If homosexuality is bigger than merely sexual attraction, then why narrow down the experiences to just the sexual acts and the surrounding fore-play? There was too little, if any, mention of the bigger questions of identity in these stories.
The only time other sociological aspects of being queer are mentioned, such as love and companionship apart from sex-acts, is in stories that are either told as poetry or pseudo-essays.
Another thing, I find it curious that the account were mostly by queer people who were already LGBTI activists and not just your "normal" queer person.
Having said that, the author does effectively drive home one truth: The queer feelings and tendencies (the orientation) is not a purely sociological phenomenon. It is a biological reality that needs to be confronted and dealt with as such. We should not be too narrow-minded and think of this as purely a "choice". It is not a choice for many queer people. It cannot simply be willed away. The stories (a few of them) effectively illustrate and unarguably confirm that many gay people are actually "born this way" and there is no disputing the fact.
But is a biological fact enough to trump (and render as irrelevant) all the moral and political ramifications associated with being queer? That is a conversation for another day.
July 6, 2024
I met the editor Kevin Mwachiro at the African Book Festival Berlin last week and was thrilled to read this collection of stories by queer Kenyans.
It's a beautiful and diverse collection of stories from gays and lesbians living in Kenya. While "queer" is often translated as "gay" (male homosexuality), this book features male and female homosexuals in roughly equal numbers. I particularly enjoyed the two stories for the "B" and "T" in LGBT: one from a trans straight woman, another from a bisexual cis man.
It was a touching book, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes amusing. Lots of exciting insights that broadened my horizons.
It's a beautiful and diverse collection of stories from gays and lesbians living in Kenya. While "queer" is often translated as "gay" (male homosexuality), this book features male and female homosexuals in roughly equal numbers. I particularly enjoyed the two stories for the "B" and "T" in LGBT: one from a trans straight woman, another from a bisexual cis man.
It was a touching book, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes amusing. Lots of exciting insights that broadened my horizons.
June 27, 2017
A short book containing a collection of stories about being gay in Africa. The experiences are those of people from different areas in Kenya, but they have a common thread which is the search for acceptance and the true self. Although I found the book interesting, there were no earth-shattering truths or details of traumatic experiences. Most of these people came out with reasonable amounts of controversy. The harsh treatments and corrective rape some are exposed to is only mentioned in passing. It is still a very brave look at the invisible LGBTI minority in Africa, and their struggle to live normally.
June 23, 2025
Writing this review for We’ve Been Here instead because I couldn’t find it on goodreads ☹️
Really really enjoyed it! Wish there were more women featured though..
Reminded me that at the end acceptance is real, faith and identity don’t have to be at loggerheads but left me wondering what true, long term and stable community looks like for queer people in Kenya.
Really really enjoyed it! Wish there were more women featured though..
Reminded me that at the end acceptance is real, faith and identity don’t have to be at loggerheads but left me wondering what true, long term and stable community looks like for queer people in Kenya.
April 9, 2025
I wanna give all of them hugs!
August 29, 2025
"I knew that I was not alone. I was no longer alone. It is not just me, it is us."
July 23, 2016
"I love that you call me when you are agitated. I am honoured by your trust. I find, too, that I can be imperfect with you. Such a relief."(65)
"My advice to any girl ... read and learn about sexuality and surround yourself with people who you can talk to and who can support you through your journey. Be comfortable with who you are. Connect with others as you get to discover you are not alone. Don't suffocate yourself ..." - Rena Otieno (79)
"I fell in love for the first time... I know now what it is to be giddy, laugh at silly things with someone, cook together and look after another person." (101)
"My advice to any girl ... read and learn about sexuality and surround yourself with people who you can talk to and who can support you through your journey. Be comfortable with who you are. Connect with others as you get to discover you are not alone. Don't suffocate yourself ..." - Rena Otieno (79)
"I fell in love for the first time... I know now what it is to be giddy, laugh at silly things with someone, cook together and look after another person." (101)
April 16, 2021
Coming out stories, with a series of vignettes from Kenyan gay and lesbian narrators that the author has captured in a tender, and honest way.
The bravery of the narrators comes through in most (all?) of the tales, as it becomes very clear that for some, there is threat of physical danger, and for others, parental and/ or societal ostracism.
This book is a welcome step into shining a gentle spotlight on LGBTI folk in Kenya, and kudos to the author for capturing these voices.
The bravery of the narrators comes through in most (all?) of the tales, as it becomes very clear that for some, there is threat of physical danger, and for others, parental and/ or societal ostracism.
This book is a welcome step into shining a gentle spotlight on LGBTI folk in Kenya, and kudos to the author for capturing these voices.
March 14, 2014
You won't hear me singing its praises.
It tags itself as a look into the queer experience in Kenya but the essays feel incredibly put upon.
The poetry/ epistolary pieces were not winners for me; much better the longer pieces.
However, if you have NOT interacted with the LGBTI community in Kenya, this is as good an introduction as any.
It tags itself as a look into the queer experience in Kenya but the essays feel incredibly put upon.
The poetry/ epistolary pieces were not winners for me; much better the longer pieces.
However, if you have NOT interacted with the LGBTI community in Kenya, this is as good an introduction as any.
February 25, 2019
Very fast read. The stories were so “alive”.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews