African Men Speak

In this seventh episode of our "In Conversation" series, Furaha Rugura takes us through her decade-long journey documenting Kenyan music through LaMusicJunkie. What began as music journalism gradually became something broader: an exploration of culture, history, language and identity.

Furaha traces that journey from growing up in urban Nairobi without speaking Kikuyu, through the frustration of feeling excluded from family conversations, to deliberately learning the language as an adult. She explains how music became one of the tools that helped her reconnect — first with language, and eventually with the histories and traditions carried inside it.

The conversation expands into Kenya's musical past, why many Kenyans can name global African icons but struggle to name earlier Kenyan musicians, and what is gained when old sounds are not merely preserved but allowed to evolve.

Furaha also talks about creating TaaRnB, her attempt to explore the relationship between taarab and contemporary R&B, and the process that led to her single Sirudi. 

Later, we discuss what she wants to pass to her son — language, culture, freedom, community and closeness to nature — and how parents can bring children into their own worlds rather than creating an entirely separate one for them. 

Near the end, Furaha reduces much of the conversation to one word: jikumbuke. There are still breadcrumbs leading back — through music, food, stories, architecture, language, art and family — if we decide to follow them

In this episode of the African Men Speak "In Conversation" series, Sidney Osundwa shares his story and experience on fatherhood across three generations. The conversation explores memories of Sidney's grandfather and father, becoming a husband and parent himself, changing approaches to discipline, the importance of education and faith, the pressures of providing for a family, and the hope of leaving a positive legacy for the next generation.

Rather than offering definitive answers, the discussion reflects on how family experiences shape the fathers we become.

Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about identity, power, faith, masculinity and the stories through which we understand ourselves and others.

We begin with her idea of the classroom as an activist space and what decades of teaching have taught her about listening, disagreement and changing minds. That takes us into questions of faith, doubt and belonging: why changing a belief can be difficult when that belief also connects us to family, religion and community.

We then turn to African masculinities and Prof. Ampofo's longstanding work on men and gender. Drawing on her research with young African men, we explore one particularly persistent expectation: that a man must provide. We discuss why unemployed men are judged differently from unemployed women as prospective partners, whether the male-breadwinner model is really as traditionally African as we sometimes assume, and how colonialism, religion and changing economic realities have shaped our ideas about men's roles.

That leads naturally into fatherhood. What happens when we measure a father's contribution primarily through money? What value do we place on presence, care and the relationship a man builds with his children? And what does the contemporary manosphere offer men when so much of its vision of masculinity revolves around status, wealth and control?

Finally, we discuss Prof. Ampofo's growing work in film and storytelling, including 715House, which she co-founded with filmmaker Akosua-Asamoabea Ampofo. We talk about music and popular culture, why stories can make academic ideas tangible, and why theory and lived experience need not exist in separate worlds.

We close with three books: Peace Adzo Medie's His Only Wife, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's Wizard of the Crow, and James Baldwin's Go Tell It on the Mountain.

A conversation about masculinity, but also about something broader: how our identities are formed, what makes beliefs difficult to change, and the institutions, communities and stories that shape the way we see the world.

In this episode of African Men Speak, I sit down with Dr Mzamo Masito, founder of African Men Care and author of This Country Hates Our Boys. 
Together we explore opportunity, social fatherhood, mentorship, education, identity and what it means to help boys and young people thrive. 

Rather than searching for easy answers, this conversation asks how families, communities and institutions can create the conditions for young people to flourish.

Janet Karanja left Kenya as a young woman, excited by the promise of building a future in the United States.

Today, she is a mother, business owner, realtor, and autism advocate living in Orlando, Florida. In this conversation, Janet reflects on what life abroad actually demands: building a business, raising Black boys, navigating autism and education systems, confronting racism, and preserving African identity while adapting to a new home.

We discuss the realities often missing from diaspora success stories, including the absence of extended-family support, the pressure placed on parents, and the difficult balance between protecting children and preparing them for the world.

Janet also speaks candidly about her husband’s role as a father, what both of them have learned while raising their sons, and the importance of responsibility, discipline, culture, and self-advocacy.

This is a conversation about migration, but more fundamentally, it is about adaptation, family, identity, and what it takes to build a life far from home.

Books mentioned:

The Out-of-Sync Child — Carol Stock Kranowitz
 Discipline Is Destiny — Ryan Holiday

What does cycling have to do with masculinity?

More than I expected.

This essay began with a simple observation: some roads seem built to last, while others never seem to get there. That question led me into a wider conversation about infrastructure, stewardship, power, responsibility, and the kinds of societies we choose to build.

Moving between cycling, governance, Ubuntu, and African Masculinities, this episode asks a simple question:

What are we building?

African Men Speak is a long-form podcast exploring African Masculinities, identity, culture, history, and the systems that shape the lives of African men and women.

A special thank you to Frank Ongeri and the team at The Cycling Network K.E — a great bunch of riders doing honest, grounded cycling content out of Kenya. Frank's generous contribution, professionalism, patience, and willingness to be a part of this essay went well beyond what was asked. Go find them on YouTube:   / @thecycling_network.k.e  

In this twelfth episode of our Five Questions series, a Kenyan man in the diaspora reflects on masculinity through the lenses of leadership, emotional growth, family responsibility, and self-understanding. Raised in a female-dominated household without a father figure, he explains how masculinity for him became rooted in the ability to lead, provide, and protect — not only financially, but emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The conversation explores how marriage counselling challenged inherited ideas about masculinity, helping him become more aware of his emotions, communication, and relationships. He discusses tensions between traditional African expectations of men and more contemporary understandings of vulnerability, affection, and emotional openness. Grounded in personal experience, this episode reflects on masculinity beyond money, status, or physical strength, arguing instead for self-awareness, emotional maturity, and responsibility.

In the eleventh episode of our Five Questions series, a South African woman reflects on masculinity through the lens of upbringing, balance, and changing social expectations. She traces her understanding back to a traditional household, where clearly defined roles often masked unequal realities, particularly for women managing both domestic and economic responsibilities. From this, she challenges the idea of “50/50,” arguing that true balance depends on how roles are lived, not how they are described.

Drawing on her experience of moving from the Vaal region to Johannesburg, she highlights the contrast between community-based traditions and the demands of urban life, in which both men and women navigate shifting expectations. She also explores how inherited beliefs, shaped by history and survival, continue to influence how masculinity and femininity are expressed today.

Her reflections raise direct questions about responsibility, balance, and the need for self-awareness, while closing with a clear message: strength without control and care is not masculinity, but harm.

In this tenth episode of our Five Questions series, a Kenyan man reflects on masculinity through the lens of identity, cultural exposure, and lived experience. He defines masculinity as being comfortable with one’s role, principles, and responsibilities as a man, shaped over time through both personal upbringing and observations across different African contexts. Drawing on experiences in countries such as Botswana and Zambia, he challenges assumptions about traditional male roles, particularly around work, responsibility, and social behaviour.

The conversation explores how masculinity is evolving, with particular attention to the perceived tension between traditional expectations and contemporary societal shifts. He reflects on how changing narratives—especially in relation to gender discourse—have influenced men's understanding of their place within families and communities, sometimes creating uncertainty about responsibility and leadership.

Family remains central throughout the discussion. The Kenyan man highlights the role of fathers in shaping male identity, emphasising the importance of presence, shared activities, and consistent guidance. He contrasts this with modern parenting dynamics, where shifting roles can reduce direct male influence in a boy’s development. Across cultural contexts, he also notes patterns of male-led decision-making within families, while acknowledging the role of consultation and collective input.

Grounded in lived experience, this episode frames masculinity not as performative or loud, but as something expressed through small, consistent actions—particularly in leadership, responsibility, and everyday conduct.

In this ninth episode of our Five Questions series, a Kenyan man reflects on masculinity through the lens of responsibility, leadership, and lived experience. He traces his understanding back to his father, particularly a moment of financial transition that revealed the weight of long-term thinking and transparency within the family. From there, the conversation expands into how masculinity is shaped not just within the household, but across communities and generations. The Kenyan man discusses tensions between traditional and contemporary expectations, shifting approaches to discipline, and the growing pressures facing African men today—from economic strain to social expectations. Grounded in personal experience, this episode offers a perspective on resilience, responsibility, and the need for support systems in a changing environment.