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EPISODE 27: 78 Degrees of Separation

An 87-year-old on OnlyFans, a rose toy, and a conversation about sexuality and ageing that sets the tone perfectly for an episode about people minding everyone's business but their own. New York City asks residents to set their thermostats to 78 degrees during a heatwave. The GOP calls it socialism. The Trump administration scrubs energy conservation guidance from the DOE website. We are living in a time.

In this episode:

• Opening conversation - Brendan on sex toys; Vuyanzi on an 87-year-old on OnlyFans, her rose toy, and what it means to own your sexuality at any age
• Whose America Is It Anyway? - the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, appointed by Obama in 2013 to improve the voting experience, has been gutted; Marsha Blackburn crushes fortune cookies and talks tough on China while the U.S. still owes China money; NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani asks residents to set air conditioning to 78 degrees during a heatwave to prevent grid collapse - the GOP calls it socialism, the Trump administration deletes federal energy conservation guidance in response
• Lost in Translation - Vuyanzi on the cleaner in the club and what that interaction revealed; Brendan misgenders Jane's spouse and has to sit with that
• All Joy Matters - Queer Joy: spotting Njeri wa Migwi on the plane - Usikimye does great work; Black Joy: boots on the ground at the BBQ

Democrats Abroad Kenya, election administration, Marsha Blackburn China, thermostat culture war, Zohran Mamdani, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, sexuality and ageing, African diaspora, living in Kenya

Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and find your people.

#KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #ElectionRights #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #ThermostatWars #ZohranMamdani #NairobiPodcast #AfricanDiaspora #QueerJoy

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About the show Kisses from Kenya is a social and cultural podcast produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya. It explores personal stories about race, queerness, culture, politics, and the experience of being American in Nairobi. The views expressed on this podcast do not represent the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.

Listen, subscribe, and share If you enjoy conversations about language, identity, diaspora, and culture clash, subscribe for new episodes on a weekly(ish) schedule! You can find us on Youtube at ‪@KissesfromKenya and on all Podcast Platforms.

Follow Democrats Abroad Kenya on Instagram, Facebook, or on the DA website!

Contact us Share your stories, questions, or comments at: [email protected]

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EPISODE 26: The Same Strange Fruit... Again.

Karmelo Anthony. 35 years. Nolan Wells. Trayvon Martin. Ahmaud Arbery. A 16-year-old from the DRC found hanging in early June. A 21-year-old in Georgia in February. Brendan and Vuyanzi sit with Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit" - and the devastating reality that the song still applies. The question at the end of this episode is not rhetorical: where do we actually go from here?

In this episode:

• Opening conversation - Karmelo Anthony sentenced to 35 years; self-defence, race, and the justice system; Nolan's case
• Deep Dive - adultification of Black children; the pattern from Trayvon to Ahmaud to the names we don't hear enough; Black people going missing and being found dead like Nolan Wells and the silence that surrounds it; "Strange Fruit" and the bitter reality that this conversation has not moved as far as it should have
• The question - we keep repeating this. Where do we go from here?

Democrats Abroad Kenya, Karmelo Anthony, racial justice, Nolan Wells, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Strange Fruit, African diaspora

Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss an episode.

#KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #RacialJustice #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #KarmeloAnthony #Adultification #StrangeFruit #NairobiPodcast #AfricanDiaspora

Support the show

About the show Kisses from Kenya is a social and cultural podcast produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya. It explores personal stories about race, queerness, culture, politics, and the experience of being American in Nairobi. The views expressed on this podcast do not represent the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.

Listen, subscribe, and share If you enjoy conversations about language, identity, diaspora, and culture clash, subscribe for new episodes on a weekly(ish) schedule! You can find us on Youtube at ‪@KissesfromKenya and on all Podcast Platforms.

Follow Democrats Abroad Kenya on Instagram, Facebook, or on the DA website!

Contact us Share your stories, questions, or comments at: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE 25: Foul Play

Dine Out for Democracy is happening, the U.S. has struck over 90 coastal targets in Iran after Trump ends the ceasefire, and the World Cup host nations just got knocked out of their own tournament in spectacular fashion. Oh, and Trump personally called FIFA to get a red card suspension overturned. Because of course he did.

In this episode:

• Opening conversation - Dine Out for Democracy lands as a DAKE event; the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, and a deal that keeps not happening; U.S. strikes as the ceasefire collapses
• Whose America Is It Anyway? - World Cup host nations eliminated: Canada 3-0 to Morocco, Mexico 3-2 to England, USMNT 4-1 to Belgium; FIFA rescinds a red card suspension for U.S. striker Folarin Balogun following direct pressure from President Trump; European MPs and global football critics are not having it. Also: the Knicks, Congo, and the fandoms that connect us
• Lost in Translation - Vuyanzi on belly culture, flat tummy obsession, and the quiet liberation of letting that go; Brendan on "I love seeing you enjoy our local foods" - compliment or something else entirely?
• All Joy Matters - Queer Joy: sleeping with a bag boy; Black Joy: watching New York City celebrate, Spike Lee, Mariska Hargitay and all

Democrats Abroad Kenya, Iran ceasefire 2026, World Cup 2026, FIFA Trump, Dine Out for Democracy, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, New York Knicks, African diaspora, living in Kenya

Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and join the conversation.

#KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #WorldCup2026 #FIFA #Iran #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #DineOutForDemocracy #NairobiPodcast #AfricanDiaspora

Support the show

About the show Kisses from Kenya is a social and cultural podcast produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya. It explores personal stories about race, queerness, culture, politics, and the experience of being American in Nairobi. The views expressed on this podcast do not represent the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.

Listen, subscribe, and share If you enjoy conversations about language, identity, diaspora, and culture clash, subscribe for new episodes on a weekly(ish) schedule! You can find us on Youtube at ‪@KissesfromKenya and on all Podcast Platforms.

Follow Democrats Abroad Kenya on Instagram, Facebook, or on the DA website!

Contact us Share your stories, questions, or comments at: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE 24: Outbreaks, Obstacles & Opening Nights

New York moves to remove barriers to voting, Ebola is back in the headlines, and Brendan has a conversation about sexuality with his gentleman that does not go the way he planned. This week has range.

In this episode:

• Opening conversation - a new bill in New York targeting voting barriers: what it does and why it matters for Americans abroad
• Whose America Is It Anyway? - Ebola patients blocked from entering Kenya; the CDC calling for volunteers to screen at home; global outbreaks and the politics of who gets protected
• Lost in Translation - Vuyanzi discovers that chicken bites are in fact just chicken, and has feelings about it; Brendan attempts to discuss sexuality with his gentleman via video and miscalculates significantly
• All Joy Matters - Queer Joy: a trip to the theatre together to see a Kenyan play; Black Joy: Catch and Release is out and someone feels liberated

Democrats Abroad Kenya, voting rights New York, Ebola outbreak 2026, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, living in Kenya, African diaspora, Kenyan theatre, overseas voters

Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss an episode.

#KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #VotingRights #Ebola #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #NairobiPodcast #AfricanDiaspora #KenyanTheatre #QueerJoy

Support the show

About the show Kisses from Kenya is a social and cultural podcast produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya. It explores personal stories about race, queerness, culture, politics, and the experience of being American in Nairobi. The views expressed on this podcast do not represent the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.

Listen, subscribe, and share If you enjoy conversations about language, identity, diaspora, and culture clash, subscribe for new episodes on a weekly(ish) schedule! You can find us on Youtube at ‪@KissesfromKenya and on all Podcast Platforms.

Follow Democrats Abroad Kenya on Instagram, Facebook, or on the DA website!

Contact us Share your stories, questions, or comments at: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE 23: Off the Market & On the Move

It's birthday season, Vuyanzi is taking herself off the market again, and Democrats Abroad Kenya just hosted the first-ever Democrats Abroad AGM on the African continent. No big deal. Brendan explains why Nairobi was the right place to do it - and what it means to bring that kind of gathering to this city.

In this episode:

• Opening conversation - birthday shenanigans and Vuyanzi's latest decision to remove herself from romantic circulation, which both hosts agree they've heard before
• Whose America Is It Anyway? - The Democrats Abroad AGM comes to Nairobi: why here, why now, and what DAKE is actually building on the ground
• Lost in Translation - "that's alright" versus "that's okay" and why the distinction matters more than it should; Brendan learns Kenyan poker on the train
• All Joy Matters - Queer Joy: a Black queer panel at the AGM that delivered; Black Joy: dancing, full stop

Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad AGM Nairobi, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Kenya, DAKE, African diaspora, queer Africa, living in Kenya, overseas Democrats

Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and join the conversation.

#KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #AGMNairobi #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #DAKE #AfricanDiaspora #NairobiPodcast #QueerJoy #OverseasVoters

Support the show

About the show Kisses from Kenya is a social and cultural podcast produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya. It explores personal stories about race, queerness, culture, politics, and the experience of being American in Nairobi. The views expressed on this podcast do not represent the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.

Listen, subscribe, and share If you enjoy conversations about language, identity, diaspora, and culture clash, subscribe for new episodes on a weekly(ish) schedule! You can find us on Youtube at ‪@KissesfromKenya and on all Podcast Platforms.

Follow Democrats Abroad Kenya on Instagram, Facebook, or on the DA website!

Contact us Share your stories, questions, or comments at: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE 22: National Treasures & Hidden Transgressions

Janet Jackson is a national treasure and this is not up for debate. From there: New Orleans gets a new mayor, Vuyanzi reckons with having outsourced her cooking entirely, Brendan emails a CEO with full Karen energy, and someone slept with a parliamentarian. It's that kind of episode.

In this episode:

• Opening conversation - a not-so-new revelation and what it means when something you always knew about yourself finally lands differently
• Whose America Is It Anyway? - New Orleans elects Helen Morena as mayor: what this moment means and why it matters
• Janet Jackson - national treasure, full stop: the case, the evidence, the verdict
• Lost in Translation - Vuyanzi has fully outsourced cooking to her house manager and is now confronting the consequences; Brendan emails a CEO and discovers his inner Karen
• All Joy Matters - Queer Joy: sleeping with a parliamentarian; Black Joy: Vuyanzi's coaching transition

Democrats Abroad Kenya, Janet Jackson, New Orleans mayor, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, living in Kenya, African diaspora, Kenyan culture, Black joy

Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and find your people.

#KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #JanetJackson #NewOrleans #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #NairobiPodcast #AfricanDiaspora #QueerJoy #KenyanLife

Support the show

About the show Kisses from Kenya is a social and cultural podcast produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya. It explores personal stories about race, queerness, culture, politics, and the experience of being American in Nairobi. The views expressed on this podcast do not represent the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.

Listen, subscribe, and share If you enjoy conversations about language, identity, diaspora, and culture clash, subscribe for new episodes on a weekly(ish) schedule! You can find us on Youtube at ‪@KissesfromKenya and on all Podcast Platforms.

Follow Democrats Abroad Kenya on Instagram, Facebook, or on the DA website!

Contact us Share your stories, questions, or comments at: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE 21: Still on the Charts, Still in the Streets

Michael Jackson is back on the charts - 17 years after his death, breaking records ahead of his 30th Anniversary concert. Meanwhile Tanzania blocks an EU delegation from investigating election violence, and Brendan has a point about who gets policed and who doesn't that is worth sitting with.

In this episode:

• Opening conversation - Michael Jackson's comeback from beyond: the numbers, the legacy, and the complicated feelings
• Whose America Is It Anyway? - Tanzania blocks an EU election violence investigation; the broader question of who gets to police Black and brown nations while a corrupt American president operates without meaningful checks
• Lost in Translation - the "huh?" and "eh?" problem across cultures; Brendan witnesses street justice in person and has thoughts
• All Joy Matters - Queer Joy: geriatric walks with his bestie; Black Joy: Vuyanzi's coaching transition continues

Democrats Abroad Kenya, Michael Jackson 2026, Tanzania election, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, African politics, living in Kenya, African diaspora, street justice Kenya

Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss an episode.

#KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #MichaelJackson #Tanzania #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #AfricanPolitics #NairobiPodcast #AfricanDiaspora #QueerJoy

Support the show

About the show Kisses from Kenya is a social and cultural podcast produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya. It explores personal stories about race, queerness, culture, politics, and the experience of being American in Nairobi. The views expressed on this podcast do not represent the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.

Listen, subscribe, and share If you enjoy conversations about language, identity, diaspora, and culture clash, subscribe for new episodes on a weekly(ish) schedule! You can find us on Youtube at ‪@KissesfromKenya and on all Podcast Platforms.

Follow Democrats Abroad Kenya on Instagram, Facebook, or on the DA website!

Contact us Share your stories, questions, or comments at: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

Episode 20: Your Vote Matters - That's Why They Want to Take It Away!

This one is personal. Brendan and Vuyanzi go deep on the Voting Rights Act - the gerrymandering, the protests, and what it means to watch voter suppression unfold when your parents and grandparents grew up in the segregated South. Some conversations you have because you have to.

In this episode:

• Whose America Is It Anyway? - the Voting Rights Act under pressure: gerrymandering, protests, and what it feels like to watch this history repeat when your family lived through the first time
• Lost in Translation - Vuyanzi hits lesson 30 of Kiswahili: has it actually helped? Brendan on the utterances that exist across West and East Africa and which ones travel and which ones absolutely do not
• All Joy Matters - Queer Joy: "the gluttony they wrote about in the Bible - ain't no fun if the homies can't have none"; Black Joy: a moment that made both hosts wonder what people will say about them when they're gone

Democrats Abroad Kenya, voting rights America, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, gerrymandering 2026, Kiswahili, living in Kenya, African diaspora, overseas voters

Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and join the conversation.

#KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #VotingRights #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #Gerrymandering #Kiswahili #AfricanDiaspora #NairobiPodcast #QueerJoy

Support the show

About the show Kisses from Kenya is a social and cultural podcast produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya. It explores personal stories about race, queerness, culture, politics, and the experience of being American in Nairobi. The views expressed on this podcast do not represent the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.

Listen, subscribe, and share If you enjoy conversations about language, identity, diaspora, and culture clash, subscribe for new episodes on a weekly(ish) schedule! You can find us on Youtube at ‪@KissesfromKenya and on all Podcast Platforms.

Follow Democrats Abroad Kenya on Instagram, Facebook, or on the DA website!

Contact us Share your stories, questions, or comments at: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE 19: Death, Data, and Desire

This one starts somewhere tender. Vuyanzi opens up about losing her sister during Covid while she was in Kenya - the distance, the grief, and the network of people who showed up anyway. Brendan shares his own experience losing his uncle in 2021 after making the move. It's a conversation about what it means to grieve from far away, and it earns everything that comes after it.

In this episode:

• Opening conversation - death from a distance: two stories, two losses, one honest conversation about grief abroad and the communities that hold you through it
• Whose America Is It Anyway? - the AI bubble and what it's doing to human cognition, with particular attention to Grok; Palantir and the question of who benefits from data exploitation; Vuyanzi on a Diary of a CEO episode worth your time
• Queer & Black Joy - Brendan has been invited to the next stage of publication consideration for Africa is a Country, with two short horror stories about AI and social media; Vuyanzi makes a case for getting him to read his poetry on the show. Also: Vuyanzi may have met someone, and she thinks she might be sapiosexual

Democrats Abroad Kenya, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, AI and mental health, Grok AI, Palantir, grief abroad, Africa is a Country, living in Kenya, African diaspora

Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and find your people.

#KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #AIBubble #Palantir #GriefAbroad #AfricaIsACountry #NairobiPodcast #QueerJoy

Support the show

About the show Kisses from Kenya is a social and cultural podcast produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya. It explores personal stories about race, queerness, culture, politics, and the experience of being American in Nairobi. The views expressed on this podcast do not represent the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.

Listen, subscribe, and share If you enjoy conversations about language, identity, diaspora, and culture clash, subscribe for new episodes on a weekly(ish) schedule! You can find us on Youtube at ‪@KissesfromKenya and on all Podcast Platforms.

Follow Democrats Abroad Kenya on Instagram, Facebook, or on the DA website!

Contact us Share your stories, questions, or comments at: [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail

EPISODE 18: Who Made These Rules?

It opens with a debate about Uno that is somehow also a debate about culture, community, and who gets to make the rules. From there: Virginia redraws its districts and Black women take it across the finish line, abortion rights get enshrined, New York taxes the rich, and an LA teachers' strike that nearly happened reminds us what happens when people organise. Oh, and Pope Leo. Brendan has feelings.

In this episode:

• Opening conversation - Uno's official position on stacking has been announced and it is causing problems; Vuyanzi does not know how to play Spades, which raises further questions
• Whose America Is It Anyway? - Virginia redistricting done, abortion rights locked in, New York taxes the wealthy: Brendan on what fighting back actually looks like; LAUSD nearly went on strike - Vuyanzi on teachers, power in numbers, and a teaching experience some colleagues were not thrilled about
• Queer & Black Joy - Pope Leo, Black, from New Orleans, and Brendan is not calm about it; a Black priest explains Pope Leo and why Trump has him completely wrong

Democrats Abroad Kenya, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, Pope Leo, Virginia redistricting, LAUSD strike, abortion rights, living in Kenya, African diaspora, Black Catholic

Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss an episode.

#KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #PopeLeo #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #VirginiaRedistricting #LAUSD #AfricanDiaspora #NairobiPodcast #QueerJoy

Support the show

About the show Kisses from Kenya is a social and cultural podcast produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya. It explores personal stories about race, queerness, culture, politics, and the experience of being American in Nairobi. The views expressed on this podcast do not represent the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.

Listen, subscribe, and share If you enjoy conversations about language, identity, diaspora, and culture clash, subscribe for new episodes on a weekly(ish) schedule! You can find us on Youtube at ‪@KissesfromKenya and on all Podcast Platforms.

Follow Democrats Abroad Kenya on Instagram, Facebook, or on the DA website!

Contact us Share your stories, questions, or comments at: [email protected]