Nairobi Noir

by Peter Kimani (editor)

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o anchors this truly fascinating first East African installment in the Akashic Noir Series.

Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city.

Brand-new stories by: Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Stanley Gazemba, Ngumi Kibera, Peter Kimani, Winfred Kiunga, Kinyanjui Kombani, Caroline Mose, Kevin Mwachiro, Wanjikũ wa Ngũgĩ, Faith Oneya, Makena Onjerika, Troy Onyango, J.E. Sibi-Okumu, and Rasna Warah.

From the introduction by Peter Kimani:

Nairobi Noir is an act of excavation, rediscovering the city’s ossified past and infusing life to preserve it for future generations. It is also an act of celebration, reminding readers of the brilliance of the best-known writers to emerge from this part of the world, and heralding the birth of new writers whose gifts, we can safely predict, will shine brightly in the years ahead.

The oldest writer in this anthology is eighty-one, the youngest is only twenty-four; if there is any inference one can draw from this demographic it is that this anthology offers an entire spectrum of Kenyan writing: the past, present, and future. If we can allow one extravagant claim, a collection of this nature is unprecedented in Kenya’s literary history.

Although the range of issues explored in Nairobi Noir is as diverse as its contributors, it all gestures toward a common theme. In this concrete jungle, the hunters and herders live on. As do the hunted . . .

Genres: Short Stories, Africa, Fiction, Kenya, Noir, Mystery, African Literature

246 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2020

About the author

PETER KIMANI is a leading Kenyan journalist and author of, most recently, Dance of the Jakaranda, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. The novel was nominated for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award in the US and long-listed for the inaugural Big Book Awards in the UK. He has taught at Amherst College and the University of Houston and is presently based at Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications. Nairobi Noir is his latest work.

Reviews

[Kemunto Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

It says the range of issues explored in this is as diverse as it’s contributors. Nairobi Noir reads like one story with multiple authors. It's poverty... story after story. I got bored 3 stories in. I wish there was another topic explored. Njega, from SAY YOU ARE NOT MY SON by FAITH ONEYA stole my heart. A SONG FROM A FORGOTTEN PLACE by TROY ONYANGO and it’s spell-binding writing was the best one. THE HERMIT IN THE HELMET almost, but not quite as good as Njamba Nene and The flying bus!! oops

Honorable mentions: 4-5 stars.
Number Sita.
For our Mothers.
Mathree.
(All 5/5 writing)

[Muthoni Muiruri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The newest addition to Akashic Noir Series (currently at 112 anthologies) is Nairobi Noir and I couldn’t have been more excited to get my hands on this book that features my city on the cover. Each of the books in the series comprise of stories by new and established authors set in distinct locations within the geographic areas of the book. In Nairobi Noir, we traverse Nairobi neighbourhoods from Eastleigh to Dandora, to Kawangware, Parkands, Kilimani, Pangani and Westlands.

I attended the launch and cocktail reception of the book at the Alliance Francaise in Nairobi where almost all the authors featured sat on a panel to talk about their noir stories and the inspiration behind them. The excitement in the theatre hall was palpable as the authors took us through nostalgic reminiscence of ‘their’ Nairobi and the changing landscape of the city. It was exhilarating and I couldn’t wait to get home and get started.

The Anthology opens with “She Dug Two Graves” by Winnie Kiunga a story about a Somali refugee woman, Fawzia, whose brother is killed by the police in a murder most foul, a scene that is replicated too often in the lives of refugees living in the sprawling Eastleigh neighbourhood. In her grief over her brother’s death, Al Shabaab terrorists prey on her vulnerabilities and enlist her in their plan to seek revenge. Winnie’s story will definitely give you chills and it’s a great opening for the noir.

"A Song from a Forgotten Place" by Troy Onyango is a favourite of mine. Troy writes tragedy so beautifully.

I also mildly enjoyed Rasna Warah’s story “Have Another Roti” which offers fresh insider insight into the Kenyan Indian community and how uncomfortable conversations are soft-pedaled and replaced with conversations about and around food. This story explores other deep themes of mental health, racial segregation, forbidden love, refugees, familial and societal expectations on the individual and the pressure to conform; and this might be the story’s undoing. There were too many ideas and concepts that were not well executed in the short story and it seemed to jump from one issue to the other and then it ends abruptly. I would have loved a more thorough exploration of these themes but maybe not within the parameters of a short story.

Ngugi wa Thiong’o who is lauded as anchoring this Noir series, writes a folktale that struggles to situate itself in the city. Whilst I’ll admit that it was an interesting folktale, though in true Ngugi style, heavy laden with symbolism and colonial themes, it was a folktale nonetheless. I couldn’t reconcile how it fit in with the Noir theme. I can only assume that because he is Ngugi, he got a free pass to write whatever he wished or he submitted one of his old stories and couldn’t be bothered to tailor it to a Noir worthy story.

The rest of the stories were disappointing. Editing issues aside (there are some spelling and grammatical errors), there was no breadth in the range of issues covered. Most of the stories paint Nairobi and Nairobians as being very simplistic, poor and one dimensional. There was less of noir stories and more the kind of poverty porn that panders to the western notions of Africa and ‘African poverty’.

Nairobi and it’s people are so diverse but this wasn’t captured in this anthology.

[BookOfCinz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been putting off reading this collection but after visiting Nairobi I figured it was time for me to dive into it and I am happy I did.

This collect showcases the diverse characters of Nairobi, what they experience, their dreams and failures. Some of the stories were strong and the others fell a bit short. The Noir series is very dark but some light do shine in these stories and characters.

[2TReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

..all that we do is for our mothers. –Satu

That phrase followed me into every subsequent story while bringing me back to previous ones, highlighting the presence of women in the spaces where these stories occurred: as mothers, daughters, sisters, and daughters, where they were agitators, defenders, lovers, and supporters; even as they are most often victimized and made victims.

Even within stories where they were not the main focus, the events revolved around them in such a way to let the reader know that without these women, our characters motivations and actions would have been meaningless.

But I'd have liked to see these stories be more representative of the social and economic make-up of Kenya. Noir can occur outside of poverty and poor living conditions.

I am still searching for the Noir in Ngūgī Wa Thiong'o's selection as it was a folklore and had no elements of violence or even menace.

She Dug Two Graves and A Song from a Forgotten Place are the stories that stood out as they centred women and their responses to loss caused by a corrupt police system and mental illness. Both authors depicted their characters with a depth and poignancy and also a gentleness that was appreciated.

[Moraa (vacation hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nairobi Noir is an act of excavation, rediscovering the city's ossified past and infusing
life to preserve it for future generations.

Overall rating: 3.5 stars

FAVOURITE STORY:
1. Number Sita: 4 stars
-LGBT representation (it’s not normalised enough)
-good writing, storyline and characters

BEST-WRITTEN STORY:
2. A Song from A Forgotten Place: 4 stars
-the writing truly is immaculate and the story more so

THE REST: (ranked in order of publication excluding #1 and #2)
3. She Dug Two Graves: 3.5 stars
4. Andaki: 3.5 stars
5. Mathree: 3 stars
6. Blood Sister: 3.5 stars
7. Say You are not my Son: 3 stars
8. For our Mothers: 3 stars
9. Plot Ten: 3.5 stars
10. Have Another Roti: 2.5 stars
11. Belonging: 2.5 stars
12. The Hermit in the Helmet: 3.5 stars
13. Turn on the Light: 2.5 stars

HONORARY MENTION:
14. The Night Beat: 3.5 stars
-glad they saved it for last

[Ashley Muthaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collections of short stories based in different neighborhoods of Nairobi. Loved some stories and was indifferent to others.

[Pearl Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so happy I stumbled upon this book at the library. It was such a good read and taught me so much about my country that I didn't know. I didn't take history in high school so my knowledge of Kenyan history is more limited than the average person. This book motivated me to read more on that history.

The only thing I found incredibly frustrating was the open-ended stories. I strongly dislike it when stories don't have a definitive ending, especially when the author doesn't leave enough clues to help the reader fill in the blanks as to what the most plausible ending was. It feels like lazy writing in my opinion and to do that with a short story, where we are already getting limited information to begin with, infuriates me even more! Not to mention, the stories that I really enjoyed in this book (and desperately wanted to read more of) are the ones that had open-endings.

My fav stories in order:
1. Mathree by Makena Onjerika
- A perfect story from beginning to end (thankfully not open-ended). It flowed really easily and I loved the conversational tone.

2. Number Sita by Kevin Mwachiro
- Wtf was that ending?? I cannot for the life of me decipher it. What happened to Nana and why did it immediately break up the boys friendship? If Nana was raped, which is what I suspect happened, then shying away from mentioning it is damaging and callous. I would've enjoyed this story more if it was told from any of the women's pov. I really liked the lesbian representation tho.

3. A Song From a Forgotten Place by Troy Onyango
- This story was soo good but it didn't give us enough to work with in terms of Claudette and Laban's relationship. And because of that, I can't figure out if Laban finding her was a good thing or a bad thing. Why did she run away from Laban in the first place? Also, how is the title related to the story?

4. Say You are Not My Son by Faith Oneya
- This one made me so sad. But it was a great read with an easy flow and a conclusive ending.

5. Plot Ten by Caroline Mose
- I love love LOVE whodunnit, murder mysteries so I was immediately hooked. Everything about this story was intriguing and unique, esp the setting and the characters. But then the ending undid all of that and left me FURIOUS. It should be illegal to write an open-ended whodunnit because the whole point is literally to find out WHO DID IT!! I need the author to turn this short story into a book asap!

[Rispah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt a certain type of way with this book🥺. I enjoyed , she dug two graves! How Eastleigh came to be ! Disappointed about this one. The rest of the stories were disappointing

[Betty Kioko · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book seems to mostly focus on a specific side of Nairobi and didn’t feel balanced. I enjoyed discovering new writers all the same!

[Martin Omedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Noir series is a project by the Akashic to engage writers in their home countries to highlight the underbellies of their respective cities worldwide. Nairobi Noir was the first African city to feature in the series. I learned about the series grâce a mon chef de travaille (thanks to my boss), who intimated the same to me during one of the several travels that work has bestowed upon me.

Taken together, the books achieved the objective of shining light on the absurdities of life in a city where corruption, resilience, poverty, crime and laughter go hand in hand. It is a delightful cocktail of crime, comedy, and chaos with a distinctly Kenyan flavour.

As to how well the stories were told, I have a mixed bag of opinions. Some stories were superbly and meticulously narrated. Some, however, were wanting. The editor's goal was to capture a wide range of voices, including the older and younger generation, and that somehow worked for or against the book. Some stories felt rushed - I was surprisingly disappointed by John Sibi-Okumu's piece.

Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, a literary icon revered in Africa and worldwide, deserves tremendous respect for his contributions to literature. Although his piece in this project was informative and enlightening, I must admit that I struggled to find a clear connection between the narrative, the city of Nairobi, and the intended setting of Kangemi. While acknowledging Ngugi Wa Thiong'o's stature, the portrayal of Nairobi and its specific locales may have needed to be more prominent or tangential in this particular piece. I guess he was featured because he is Ngugi Wa Thiong'o. The name carried the day.

Be so as it may, buckle up, grab a plate of nyama choma, and prepare for a wild, hilarious, and slightly twisted journey through the various estates of Nairobi, from Eastleigh to Mukuru Kwa Njenga.

[Glenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75, rounding up.
Another great showing from my favorite series. There were many strong descriptions that transported me to Nairobi; I could almost smell the dirty streets and hear the city noises. And as with all anthologies, some stories resonated with me more than others (A Song From a Forgotten Place by Troy Onyango is still haunting my thoughts). Overall, a truly eclectic collection from a talented group of authors.
This review was originally posted on LibraryThing 2/22/2020

[Anna Konuche · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed all the story. They came alive in my pages and I could picture all the scenes. Sadly they were all stories of hopelessness and human rights violations

[Ruguru]

This city, 'Enkare Nyrobi' as it was once called, and now Nairobi, is one of the most fascinating cities: this city with many faces, this city of undeniable contrasts, this "shamba la mawe". A concrete jungle, therefore, Nairobi presented itself as a scintillating venue for the setting of 'Nairobi Noir', an addition to the Akashic `noir’ collection. With 14 Kenyan authors, and a city beaming with stories of dark, as of light, the potential for a thrilling and gripping extension of the genre were appetising in theory, but considerably underwhelming in execution; therefore, only as thrilling or as satisfying as the relativity in which one defines 'noir'.

Though the collection as a whole might underwhelm as a 'noir' collection, it satisfies as an illuminating reflection on some important themes, such as police harassment and displacement. The collection, edited by Dance of the Jacaranda's Peter Kimani, is structured to mirror the categorical order of the jungle: The Hunters, The Hunted, and the Herders, though in retrospect, the lines between the perpetrators and the victims are often blurred, as they often are in the multifaceted posture of the city.

Opening the collection is Winfred Kiunga's 'She Dug Two Graves', a steady story highlighting the antagonization of the Somali community by the police, who profile and murder a young Somali man in Eastleigh, as an ignorant attempt to threaten terrorists. For Nairobians, there might be an expectation that the politicians, who are often synonymously dubbed as criminals, would feature heavily in the 'Hunters' category. Contrary to that expectation, politicians are lightly mentioned, and only in Kinyanjui Kombani's 'Andaki', are they poked for their land-grabbing- steal-and-run mannerisms and exploitation of jobless youth, who are routinely harassed by the "long arm of the law".

Not wholly convincing as a 'Hunters' story is 'Number Sita' by Kevin Mwachiro, which though underweight in crime, provides a comically nostalgic exploration of young boys comically seeking their own masculinity through the only way they knew they thought they could: "Circumcision was one thing, but dipping your pen into the inkwell was the more important rite of passage." This witty exploration of masculinity is emotively dramatised in Faith Oneya's 'The Hunted' story 'Say You Are Not My Son', which persuasively captures the fear of a young boy forced to become the "man of the house" just to guarantee the safety of his mother.

Of the commendable voices in the anthology, is Troy Onyango's 'A Song from a Forgotten Place'. The story is an evocative tale of a carefree woman who was once alive and optimistic, but now feebly nestles on the fringe of Tom Mboya street, vulnerable to the abuse of city council askaris and sexual exploitation. Onyang'o's vivid descriptions map the bustle and scramble of the streets, and his effective use of pathetic fallacy evocatively personify the character's own pain and mental isolation, to provide us with a poetically haunting image of a woman at the mercy of indifference.

Though Nairobi Noir was to embody Sheng as a rather dominant language of the city, in certain cases, it is used passively and in others, apologetically. 'Mathree' by Makena Onjerika, is one of the few stories that mimic sheng and the Nairobian dialect in the first-person voice of a young man experiencing the all-too-common suspicions that some shady matatu travellers could ruin everybody's day. The story, however, overstates the humour at the expense of tension, which subsequently undersubscribes to the genre but which can provide Nairobians some relief during the daily commute. 'Plot Ten' by Caroline Mose, poses a notable attempt to meet genre expectations; though an attempt it is because what starts off as a promising ballooning 'who-dunnit' mystery to uncover who has murdered one of the plot tenants, shrivels in its final act and settles to  a lukewarm ending. But with her debut novel in the works, Mose stands out as one to look forward to.

Another key theme explored in 'Nairobi Noir' is that of inequality, and importantly, racial inequality. Peter Kombani's story 'Blood Sister' challenges the privilege access available for white foreigners, especially aid workers, who use their humanitarian narratives as a mask for exploiting voices found in the 'slums'. And in J.E. Sibi-Okumu's 'Belonging', this exploration of racial inequality is traced to the historical and neo-colonial injustice that still elevates the privilege of white people in Kenya, who still harbour black people as servants and subjects. In justifying the bleakness and oppression of the people of today, Okumu's characters, as they rob from a rich white couple, credit their own circumstances to the notion that "it is the turn of the sons and daughters of homeguards to oppress the sons and daughters of freedom fighters."

In line with the racial divide in Nairobi, Rasna Warah's 'Have Another Roti' struggles to convincingly present noir when addressing trauma and displacement. Instead, yet still relevantly, she offers a seemingly ethnographic narrative that not only acknowledges the Indian community's segregation from the African community, but also scrutinizes the role of silence as a weapon that curves an environment that "spawned rebels wouldn't wait to escape". The protagonist in Wanjiku wa Ngugi's 'For Our Mothers', also finds herself in a foreshadowed predicament which unravels like an inevitable tragedy, to remind us that crime is not always a choice, but consequences are inevitable.

In the Herders category, Ngugi wa Thiong'o's 'The Hermit in the Helmet' was a guilty pleasure; Guilty, because as historical satire, it isn't ostensibly obvious how the story categorises as noir, nor does it provide specific particularities of Kawangware to situate convincingly within the collection. Pleasure, undeniably, because Ngugi thoughtfully and humorously mocks the ironic obsession in whiteness within Christian organisations; an obsession that hides itself in colonial hymns and sermons, one that does not separate sanctity with whiteness. Subsequently, in Stanley Gazemba's 'Turn on the Lights', the harassment of police characters is tied to traders of illicit brew, women caught in crime for survival and not for thrills, but with police thrilled to harass and keep a share, "We are doing all the work, only for the askaris to come and reap all the rewards." Police harassment, to Nairobians, is as expected as day, but it is in Ngumi Kibera's 'The Night Beat' that the protagonist, a sergeant aspiring for a promotion, is humanised to a degree beyond the homogenised pot-bellied narratives that wholly antagonise the police force. Through the sergeant, Kibera neatly and compellingly reveals the deep-webbed stems of corruption that are so deep and creepy, that even the noble ones are victims of it.

'Nairobi Noir' presents noir rather faintly as a whole. Despite the genre expectations, Nairobi Noir serves a unique blend of writers, some of whom stood out under this particular context, others who might have thrived without the parameters of genre. Nonetheless, Nairobi Noir examines faces of Nairobi that are just as familiar as they are haunting. With new and established writers, and with a backdrop of the city that is Nairobi, Nairobi Noir is still an immersive must-read, best approached without the strictest standards of noir, but with the utmost curiosity to experience the stories we miss when we indifferently pass through the city. As such, 'Nairobi Noir' unreservedly deserves a space in the hearts of Nairobians.

[Michaela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for Storygraph’s read the world challenge. It was pretty good for that but pretty not good overall. Also me and short stories just don’t get along.

[Luke Eure · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each story set in a different neighborhood in Nairobi. Cool to explore sides of the city that I don't normally see, especially the level of stress many people are constantly under because of poverty, crime, corruption. Have Another Roti, The Night Beat, Number Sita, and Mathree were my favorites.

[Carolyne Gathuru · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a typical Nairobian, this book was a source of great enjoyment. The authors of the different stories brought out the real straight lines and curves of the different 'cities' in Nairobi. I could truly feel the experiences from the eyes of the different characters in the different stories all from varied backgrounds, economic strata, cultures, religions, political inclinations, vocations, mindsets and beliefs. Their ups and downs were palpable, and although there were significant downs - this being a 'Noir' series, there were some ups in quite a number of stories where the main characters did not die or come to a devastating end.
Ngugi's The Hermit in a Helmet is by far my most favourite. Hilarious depiction of the current religious lunacy that has bedevilled not only the city but the country at large and should be declared a pandemic at this rate :-)

Nairobi Noir is a must read. Save for a few typos/grammatical boos, it's a must add to the reading and re-reading shelf.

[Asmaa Sumeya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I was hesitant initially; African literature can be highly boring and lectury to say the least, but I gave this book a chance and it did not disappoint. The book is a collection of short stories by various Kenya authors. The stories offered a sampling of a range of neighborhoods in Nairobi, as well as cultures and communities. Some of the stories were very relatable and the neighborhoods very familiar, and it was nice reading stories that gave a deeper sense to places and events I am familiar with. While some of the neighborhoods and communities I know of their existence, but I am not familiar with, and it was interesting getting a glimpse into those neighborhoods and communities. I was pleasantly surprised, that all the authors except Ngugi wa Thiongo and Rasna Warah were unknown to me, I guess I need to explore more.
Anyways, of those stories these are my top picks;
She Dug Two Graves by Winfred Kiunga
Mathree by Makena Onjerika
Blood Sister by Peter Kimani
For Our Mothers by Wanjiku wa Ngugi
Have Another Roti by Rasna Warah
The Hermit in the Helmet by Ngugi wa Thiongo
The Night Beat by Ngumi Kibera

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is an anthology of 14 short stories about Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. Looking at the writers who were selected to write the stories, I was looking forward to enjoying the stories but most of them were disappointing. This was the chance for the writers to showcase the drama that engulfs Nairobi but what most of the stories did was portray Nairobi as this poverty-stricken city that does not have much to offer yet this is not the case.

I have read and enjoyed twitter threads that have been posted addressing most of the issues that were addressed in this book. I decided to rate each story and that is what brought about the conclusion of my 3 stars. This was because there were some stories I enjoyed from authors; Troy Onyango, Wanjiku wa Ngugi, Rasna Warah & Ngugi wa Thiong’o.

[Ruby Gwill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting book that has stories from new writers as well as those who have been writing for longer. I wish the short stories had a variety of themes, some of the themes felt redundant.
All in some of the stories were hilarious and exciting especially if you have lived in Nairobi and can relate to them.

[Nepurko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the different neighbourhoods of Nairobi, especially neighbourhoods I'd never been to before

[Miriam Downey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read my full review here: https://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot....
The newest Noir short story collection by Akashic Books is published today. Nairobi Noir has three parts: The Hunters, The Hunted, the Herders. Each story in each section takes place in a unique area of the city.

Kimani is quite a well-known African author, who obviously knows Nairobi intimately, and after I read his story “Blood Sister,” I realized that he was the perfect person to edit the book.

The introduction to Nairobi Noir is especially impressive. Kimani calls it “Concrete Jungle.” He says that in Nairobi, “traffic jams are so bad, even lions come out of the wild to marvel at the snarl-ups. This is no exaggeration; Nairobi is the only city with a game park, and the kings of the wild occasionally stray on major city highways to kill boredom. . .” It is one of the most unequal cities in the world, and the stories in the collection expose that huge inequality.

The first story is called “She Dug Two Graves” by Winfred Kiunga, and it is absolutely heartbreaking in its rawness. A young man in the Muslim neighborhood is killed, and his sister, Fawzia, is heartbroken. Somali refugees, the two young adults had shared a home, and Fawzia had helped to raise her brother. Ahmed was just one less Somali Muslim that the Nairobi police have to deal with, but there are a group of terrorists, with revenge on their hearts, who seek to enlist Fawzia to their cause. The results are painful to read as Fawzia seeks vengeance on the deputy Police Commissioner.

The ending of the story “Number Sita” by Kevin Mwachiro is particularly poignant, when the lives of some young men living communally are saved from the police by a group of women who place their bodies over the prostrate bodies of their sons and neighbors.

On the other hand, the story by Kimani called “Blood Sister” is a delight. Bobo, or Bob, is a swaggery young guy in the hood neighborhood called Karen. The reader can instantly recognize the type. Told in the first person, we see how Bobo goes about impressing the neighborhood and impressing the outsiders who come to document the activities of the neighborhood. Two women, one old and one young, are sufficiently impressed with Bobo that they call upon him to help with their efforts. The older woman is up front with what she needs from him, while the young woman hides her purposes. Is the story traditional noir? Probably not, but it is a fascinating story.

Nairobi Noir follows the highly successful Akashic formula, which focuses on one city per book. I have read and loved several previous books, including Montana Noir, Vancouver Noir, Lagos Noir, and Milwaukee Noir. To show you the quality of the stories in the Noir series, one story “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” from the Milwaukee Noir collection just won a special recognition from the Edgar Awards for 2020. I have five more books on my pile, Tampa Bay Noir, Alabama Noir, Berkley Noir, Columbus Noir and Santa Fe Noir. Can’t wait to delve into all of them.

[Phoebe Oyugi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nairobi Noir is a collection of short stories about Nairobi. It depicts Nairobians from all works of life, its vivid, its real and its poignant. It depicts Nairobi that is wiggling under a huge burden of corruption, police brutality, dire poverty, squalor, death, pollution, drugs, rape, unfathomable greed and cartels. But at the same time, it depicts extreme courage in the face of disaster, innovation and random acts of kindness, hope, humor, faith, charity, and love that conquers all. In the true nature of Nairobi, it thrives, it persevers and it trudges on.

It contact 14 stories in total:
1. She Dug Two Graves by Winfrade Kiunga Is a story about loss heartbreak and revenge. The protagonist, Fawzia, seeks revenge in the hope that it will salvage her from her pain but it only leads her to an abyss of darkness. Which is true to the saying "Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves" from where i guess the story gets its name from

2. Number Sita by Kevin Mwachiro
This is a story about a young man, George, an uber driver, who thinks about his old neighborhood, his old friendships, the loss of his innocence and ultimately the loss of his closest relationship with his friends. When the three friends witness something tragic, George expects them to show up and stand for what's right but he is left alone. From that day onward, his friends become dead to him.

3. Andaki by Kinyanjui Kombani
This story brought tears to my eyes. Its about the extraordinary courage, kindness, hope and innovation of women (and mothers) in the face of police brutality and criminality

4. A Song from a Forgotten Place by Troy Onyango
Most of this story takes place on Tom Mboya street and its depiction is so vivid I could see the street in my mind's eye together with the hawkers, the glue sniffing street families, the potholes, and the adjoining dirty Nairobi River. It depicts so much hopelessness and suffering it broke my heart. But it ends with redemption and salvation which I found soothing

5. Mathree by Makena Onjerika
I found the author's style of story telling hilarious! James is in a hurry to get from town to to Westlands to fix a work emergency. He heads to the bus stop to board a Matatu but when he gets there he finds that none of the Westie Matatus are filling up fast enough for him so he takes one that's heading to Kinoo, in the hope that he'll alight in Westie. But he encounters many masahibu. While in the matatu he thinks to himself "anywhere from Westie is up-country so people are acting up-country-ish i.e there are two smelly chickens staring at me from under one of the seats and a gunia of cabbages rests squarely between me and the empty seat"😂😂. I shared this with my friend who had lived in Kinoo for the last over 5 years and for some reason she didn't find it funny😂

6.Blood Sister by Peter Kimani
To be continued....

[siff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nairobi Noir is a collection of short stories that seeks to shed light upon the darker parts of Nairobi City. In the introduction, Peter Kimani aptly described the city as "Shamba la Mawe" which loosely translates to concrete jungle. This immediately communicates the strenuous toil and labour its inhabitants must pursue merely to survive.The authors, through these eight stories, paint an accurate picture of the city's underbelly.

Traversing through eight of Nairobi's neighborhoods, the book explores themes of extreme police brutality & manipulation, gang violence, abject poverty - and the helplessness and desperation that ensues. These are painted against a backdrop of colonialism and the systems of segregation (by class, race and tribe) that it left in its wake.

The collection continues to shine as it highlights some of the social systems entrenched in the fabric of Nairobi's identity. However, it is in its accurate portrayal of moral dissonance that the authors excel. Crime is precisely depicted as a symptim of larger systemic issues rife in the city.

Take, for example, a woman working as a domestic help picks a 1,000/= shilling note lying around her employers grand home while working; she believes this, along with rotten leftovers will help feed her otherwise starving family. Or an elderly woman, forced to raise her children, then grandchildren in poverty, sells illicit brew to middle aged men, as a means to put food on the table. It is objectively wrong to attribute the label "criminal" to such individuals who have been left victims of their dire circumstances.

The authors also focus on injustices intentionally inflicted upon the residents by the systems of power. Across all stories, whether it's through violence, assault, manipulation, exploitation or ignorance we can see the horrors endured at the hands of a force meant to protect the law and maintain order. This, along with lack of access to proper healthcare and sanitation, poor compensation of workers and perpetual gang violence are only possible because of a system of governance that continues to fail its people. And though not explicitly stated, the reader can infer that this is the root of all mayhem within the book.

My one qualm was that for many stories, the authors seemed to lean on such abrupt endings, that left me wondering, "how long should a short story be in order to effectively relay what it intended to?" I wish most of them would have been longer allowing us to glean as much as we possibly can from them.

In retrospect, and with a comprehensive gaze, I quite enjoyed this book; and appreciate its effort in portraying the city for what it is.

[Deborah S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nairobi Noir, a collection of short stories edited by Peter Kimani, is one of a series of similar collections set in various large cities around the world. For those who–like me–are unfamiliar with the terminology, noir books are gritty urban crime stories, usually with protagonists who are morally ambiguous, neither good nor evil, but a complicated mix of the two. In this particular collection, the stories are all set in different areas of Nairobi. Some could occur today, whereas others are set in the relatively recent past. Stories feature refugees, wealthy teenagers, poor teenagers, public officials, and many people just trying to earn–or steal–a few shillings to support themselves and their families.

Each of the fourteen stories in this collection is written by a different author, ranging in age from 24 to 81 years. Some are male, some female; some are well known, others up and coming. The variety of voices, along with the many times, locations, and characters they chose to feature in their stories, make this book a dark mosaic of Nairobi’s past and present. Some of the language is poetic and beautiful–though often also dark and haunting. Some authors chose gritty, ugly language that accentuates the gritty, ugly story they tell. There are stories of loss, stories of revenge, and stories of corruption. As expected in the noir genre, hope and redemption are conspicuously absent.

I cannot honestly say that I will ever again pick up a noir book–it is not a genre I enjoy. I prefer lighter, more hopeful stories, and I found myself reluctant to pick up this book and begin a new story. If you do enjoy reading about the darker side of humanity, however, Nairobi Noir is a good choice for you. Despite my reluctance to begin the stories, I found myself engrossed in them, needing to read to the end and discover what happened. They are well planned, well written, and well curated; those who enjoy noir fiction should love this book.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

NAIROBI NOIR is edited by Peter Kimani. An ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of NAIROBI NOIR was sent to me by the publisher, Akashic Books. Thank You.
The Noir series has over 75 titles, covering almost every continent, country, area and large city in the world. It is an anthology of short stories with an emphasis on Noir - a genre of crime fiction characterized by cynicism, fatalism, corruption and (extreme) moral ambiguity. Noir is dark, brooding, raw, with bleak and sleazy settings. My favorite description of Noir is “whiskey neat.”
Each title follows a similar format with an area map, a Table of Contents, an Introduction by the editor(s), and an About the contributors.
In NAIROBI NOIR, we have 3 Parts. Part I - The Hunters; Part II - The Hunted and Part III - The Herders. Fourteen short stories are included by authors Winfred Kiunga, Kevin Mwachiro, Kinyanjui Kombani, Troy Onyango, Makena Onjerika, Peter Kimani, Faith Oneya, Wanjiku Wa Ngugi, Caroline Mose, Rasna Warah, J.E. Sibi-Okumu, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, Stanley Gazemba, and Ngumi Kibera.
My favorite parts of the anthology are always the map and the Introduction, which sets the tone for the area we are about to enter. Peter Kimani, in his introduction, tells us that Nairobi Noir is an “act of excavation, rediscovering the city’s ossified past and infusing life to preserve it for future generations.”
The ‘About the Authors’ section is always interesting and informative.

All the stories are ‘sad’, but “Say You are not my Son" by Faith Oneya, is particularly sad and desperate.
“For our Mothers” made me cry, as did “Plot Ten”.
All the stories concern daily life in different areas of Nairobi, some written with a mix of patrois.
My words include —- dirt, garbage, smells, casual death and violence, long-suffering women, abused children, hunger, irresponsible men, cruelty, corrupt officials, casual rape, open sewers, inequality —- an urban jungle.
If there is beauty or love or justice in Nairobi, it was not portrayed in this anthology.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another phenomenal entry in the Akashic Noir series, Nairobi Noir is one the publisher can be proud of. Almost all of the 14 stories are exquisitely written. I appreciated that only one of these had the kind of violence that I find truly disturbing, and even though I'm not sure they all fall under the "noir" category, they were enjoyable stories that created a vivid sense of place and people. This is probably one of the top two Akashic Noir collections I've read. There were only two that disappointed me. The rest were wonderful, even if they didn't all meet my expectation of "noir". "The Hermit in the Helmet" by Ngugi was Thiong'o was more of a fable than something I would expect to read in a collection of noir, but I absolutely loved it. "A Song from a Forgotten Place" by Troy Onyango was probably the darkest, most heartbreaking story here. "She Dug Two Graves" by Winfred Kiunga and "Plot Ten" by Caroline Mose were probably my favorites.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Akashic Books’ Noir series. They feature a dozen or so stories about a city or state by authors native to the region. They are a wonderful way to do some armchair traveling and to be introduced to new authors as well as revisiting favorite authors.

This collection is one of my favorites of the series – from Peter Kimani’s Introduction giving a thumbnail sketch of this capital city of Kenya and its fifteen million people, to the diversity of the stories and authors, this volume hits the mark.

My favorite story was The Hermit in the Helmet, a cautionary folk tale by well known author Ngugi Wa Thiong’o; but whom I hadn’t read previously. He is one of several of the authors featured in this edition that I plan to read more of their work.

Overall, a very strong collection. Highly recommended.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trash.

I really, and I mean really tried to give this book a shot. But I couldn’t even finish it. It’s so raunchy and the way the male authors describe women is just disgusting. If your idea of a good story is graphic sexual violence and destitution at the expense of a structured plot and a lot of the time just simply coherent paragraphs, then this is for you.
I picked this up because I wanted to read sth from my city and someone I know recommended it. What a waste of my time. This is a poor POOR depiction of Nairobi and just tragedy for tragedy’s sake.
Also from what I read in the first half women are only ever depicted as sexual objects, mothers, or persons to be pitied, god forbid they be defined outside their relationships with men.

And put up TRIGGER WARNINGS FFS!!!!

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

These short stories transport the reader directly into the darkest depths of Nairobi. Inside the once "Green City in the Sun", we witness (as if we are there) murder, poverty, kidnapping, robbery, addiction, death, dirty cops, botched abortion- the substance of nightmares. Having lived in Nairobi for 15 years and visited many of the places sited, I heard, read, and watched on TV examples of every dark deed noted in the pages of this book. However, from my position of a middle-class female mzungu living in a good neighborhood, I avoided personally experiencing 99.9% of Nairobi's dark side. This is fiction- but the line between fiction and reality is razor-thin.

[Zawadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something for everyone. Whether this is the Nairobi you know or have heard of, the stories in this collection paint vivid images of the characters that make up Nairobi. It seems as though the descriptive imagery of dirt/disgust was stronger than that of anything else.

It was interesting how heavily policing in the underbelly of the capital featured across the entries. It was also my first interaction with Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o which I found quite funny.

While the stories were captivating and sometimes bizarre, they left me wishing some of the writers had flexed their creativity with the prose a little more.