Being Kenyan - On Voting, Clubbing, and Dying in Nairobi

ZUR ZEIT

Gespräch am Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin

Joyce Nyairo writes about life in Kenya today. Her studies tackle political developments through the lens of literary and popular culture. What does being Kenyan mean in a post-colony, a place where traditional ethnic norms call for recognition and acceptance, and a shared national practice is palpable? How are post-colonial Kenyan identities manifested in everyday practices of belonging?

Joyce Nyairo, a Fellow of the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin in 2022/2023, public intellectual and ghostwriter, is an Independent Researcher based in Nairobi. Her work expounds on Kenyan literary arts and the interface between culture and politics. At the Wissenschaftskolleg she is writing a book on Death and Funerary Practices in Modern Kenya.

Christoph Möllers, Professor für Öffentliches Recht und Rechtsphilosophie an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, ist Permanent Fellow des Wissenschaftskollegs und Gastgeber des Abends.