In this No Guest But Nuggets episode, Kamande and Kigondu reflect on the lessons, challenges, and moments that shaped their year.

From navigating family crises and learning to recover more quickly from difficult emotions, to celebrating 10 years of Prevail Arts, the conversation explores what it means to stay present, resilient, and committed to the long game. They reflect on gratitude, mentorship, creativity, spirituality, and the reality that growth is rarely a straight line.

Along the way, they discuss leadership, governance, artistic inspiration, and the importance of continuing to show up even when progress isn't immediately visible.

This episode is a reminder that life unfolds in its own time, and that our job is simply to keep doing our best with what is in front of us.

🎧 Listen in to learn:

Resources & Mentions:

Connect with us:

Instagram & X (Twitter): @busybeingborn_

🌍 Visit busybeingborn.africa for more episodes and updates.

In this episode, we sit down with Angela Oduor Lungati a tech leader, community builder, and Executive Director of Ushahidi  to explore what it means to build technology that truly serves people.

Angela reflects on her journey from software intern to leading a globally recognized civic tech organization whose crisis response tools have been used in over 160 countries. Along the way, she shares the realities of leadership, fundraising, motherhood, grief, and navigating spaces where African voices are often overlooked.

Together, we unpack the urgent need for Africa to shape its own tech future — from ethical AI governance and digital inclusion to ensuring African languages, communities, and lived experiences are represented in the systems being built today.

This conversation is a thoughtful reflection on leadership, resilience, community, and the responsibility of building technology that centers people over profit.

 Listen in to learn:

Resources & Mentions:

Connect with us:

 Visit busybeingborn.africa for more episodes and updates

In this episode, we sit down with Moses Kiema an actor, coach, and author for an honest conversation about what it really takes to build a lasting career in the creative industry.

Moses reflects on starting out in traveling theater, where he developed the discipline and confidence that later carried him into film and television. His breakthrough role in Kina became a defining chapter. Four intense years of back-to-back filming that expanded his reputation and financial stability, but also tested his health and endurance.

Rather than chase constant screen time, Moses made a deliberate shift. Today, he chooses shorter projects, prioritizes family life, and invests deeply in mentorship. Fatherhood reshaped his discipline and mental health, grounding him beyond the spotlight and influencing how he approaches both work and legacy.

He also shares insights from his book, The Unforgettable Actor, a practical guide for emerging talent navigating auditions, contracts, and professional conduct. Lessons often learned the hard way.

This episode is a thoughtful reflection on craft, resilience, reinvention, and choosing sustainability over burnout.

Instagram & X (Twitter): @busybeingborn_

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Kiptolo a 2025 BD Top 40 Under 40 honoree, former national swimmer, sports scientist,  and founder of Next Gen Multi Sport Academy to unpack what it really takes to develop athletes in systems that often fall short.

Dr. Kip reflects on his journey through competitive swimming, from intensive training in South Africa to representing Kenya internationally, and the repeated funding gaps, broken promises, and governance failures that ultimately wore him down and led him to step away from elite sport. His experience mirrors a wider issue in Kenyan athletics: abundant talent, but inconsistent support.

Out of this frustration, Next Gen Multi Sport Academy was born. Now supporting around 150 children, the academy focuses on multi-sport development, sports science, injury prevention, and holistic care especially for vulnerable youth before early specialization.

We also examine Kenya’s sports ecosystem, from misplaced investments in mega stadiums to the lack of basic grassroots facilities, coach education, and data-driven training. Dr. Kip makes a clear case for ethical leadership, smarter systems, and long-term thinking in sport.

This episode is a grounded conversation about rebuilding from the ground up and choosing to create what the system failed to provide.

🎧 Listen in to learn:

🏊🏽‍♂️ Resources & Mentions:

Connect with us:

Instagram & X (Twitter): @busybeingborn_

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Wanjiru Stuhler, an orthodontist who spent nearly two decades training and practicing in Europe before returning home to Kenya to build her life’s work.

Dr. Wanjiru shares her journey through rigorous German dental training, navigating licensure back home, and the intentional seven-year process that led to the launch of Stuhler Orthodontics in Nairobi just weeks ago. Her story is one of patience, precision, and choosing long-term impact over rushing milestones.

Beyond the clinic, we explore her deep commitment to public health education. From teaching children the importance of flossing to raising awareness about fluoride levels in Nairobi’s water and the health benefits of early orthodontic assessments. She explains why orthodontics isn’t just about straight teeth, but how it can also affect breathing, sleep, confidence, and overall wellbeing.

This conversation is a powerful reflection on returning home with global expertise, building trust-based businesses, and practicing care that centers people before profit.

And because she loves the Busy Being Born community:

Busy Being Born listeners are eligible for a complimentary orthodontic consultation from 12th January to 12th February 2026 at Stuhler Orthodontics. A special invitation to take the first step toward your healthiest smile.

Listen in to learn:

·        What it takes to train and specialize in dentistry abroad

·        Why early orthodontic checks matter for children’s health

·        The role of flossing in preventing long-term dental issues

·        How Dr. Wanjiru built her brand before opening her clinic

·        Lessons on patience, consistency, and intentional growth

Resources & Mentions:

·        Stuhler Orthodontics (Nairobi) – complimentary orthodontic consultation  for Busy Being Born listeners

·        Website: https://www.stuhlerorthodontics.co.ke

·        Invisalign & modern orthodontic treatments

·        Oral health education & public talks

 Connect with us:

🌍 Visit busybeingborn.africa for more episodes and updates.

In this end of year episode, the Busy Being Born crew is joined by Thuita and Monski and reflect on the cultural moments that defined the year 2025. From the evolution of African music and storytelling to the accelerating influence of AI, shifting political realities, and what lies ahead.

We talk about Kenyan and African music, celebrating hip hop, reggae, and cross-border sounds alongside a renewed focus on live performance and intentional artistry. The conversation also explores how audiences are consuming shows on television, differently gravitating toward quality, emotional depth, and culturally resonant stories.

We then turn to technology, where 2025 marked a turning point for AI. Tools like Gemini, GPT-5 and Claude are reshaping creative and technical workflows, raising questions about productivity, ethics, and the importance of maintaining human judgment in an automated age.

Finally, the conversation zooms out to politics, culture, and hope, acknowledging growing global and local tensions while emphasizing civic engagement, accountability, and the quiet resilience found in art, community, and personal milestones as we look toward 2026.

Listen in to learn:

Highlights & Mentions:

Connect with us:

🌍 Visit busybeingborn.africa

In this reflective and grounding conversation, we sit down with Amwayi Tsuma to explore what it means to live beyond fixed identities and social roles. Drawing from personal experience, Buddhist philosophy, and daily mindfulness practice, Amwayi invites us into a gentler, more honest way of being with ourselves and others.

We talk about how letting go of labels like “leader,” “husband,” or “achiever” can reveal a deeper sense of self; one rooted in awareness rather than performance. Amwayi shares how this shift transformed his relationships, helped him navigate addiction and habitual patterns with compassion, and opened space for healthier emotional regulation.

The conversation also explores meditation as a practical tool for everyday life. Not as dogma, but as a form of mental training that builds clarity, balance, and kindness. From breath awareness and daily rituals to forgiveness and loving-kindness, Amwayi breaks down simple practices that support long-term inner change.

At its heart, this episode is about friendship, community, and owning one’s narrative especially within African contexts  as essential foundations for healing and growth. It’s a reminder that awareness, practiced with softness and consistency, can transform both inner life and shared humanity.

Listen in to learn:

Resources & Mentions:

Connect with us:

🌍 Visit busybeingborn.africa

In this deeply moving conversation, we sit down with Omondi Ochuka: a writer, teacher and author to explore his powerful journey through loss, and the lifelong work of healing. Rooted in creativity, community, and a quiet defiance of conventional masculinity, Omondi’s journey unfolds through stories of family, identity, and the lifelong work of becoming.

He talks about his new memoir, Precursor: An Unfolding, which blends personal stories and poetry on healing, vulnerability, and masculinity. Growing up on the autism spectrum, he navigated academic challenges, resistance to unjust school systems, and found his voice through journaling and creativity.

Turning to his health journey, he opens up about living with cancer since 2011, the emotional and financial strain of treatment, and the profound moment his daughter led a fundraiser for him in Sweden. His story weaves together fatherhood, vulnerability, and the realities of navigating Kenya’s healthcare system.

We also dive into the experiences that shaped him, finding refuge in creativity, and being raised by grandparents whose love held him through some of life’s hardest seasons. At the heart of his philosophy is a simple truth: healing is not linear. It’s an ongoing process that demands honesty, softness, and grace.

This episode is a reflection on grief, masculinity, community, and the courage it takes to remain soft in a world that often demands hardness. It invites us to rethink strength, embrace vulnerability, and hold space for each other’s unfolding.

……..

Listen in to learn:

Resources & Mentions:

Instagram & X (Twitter): @busybeingborn_

 Visit busybeingborn.africa for more episodes and updates.

In this deeply personal and layered episode, the Busy Being Born duo sits down with Sylvia Karanja, founder of Corner 254 and Media Light Agency, to unpack the courage, clarity, and calling behind her return to Kenya after over a decade in the U.S.

With openness and warmth, Sylvia opens up about her migration journey. From navigating family responsibilities and career restarts abroad, to rediscovering identity and purpose through faith, storytelling, and entrepreneurship. Her decision to move back to Kenya in August 2024 marked not just a physical return, but a spiritual and emotional homecoming.

The conversation goes beyond the complexity of immigrant family dynamics, the weight of being a “firstborn” across continents, and the loneliness that often shadows transition. It also explores how faith and creativity became Sylvia’s anchors, guiding her toward building Corner Networks, a community platform connecting returnees, locals, and dreamers alike through events, storytelling, and shared purpose.

From starting over in unfamiliar systems to founding her own agency, Sylvia’s story reflects resilience, hope, and a deep conviction that purpose unfolds when we dare to come home; in every sense of the word.

……..

Show notes and links

Listen in to learn:

Books, Resources & Mentions:

Action Steps:

……..

Connect with us:

In this inspiring and insightful episode, the Busy Being Born duo sit down with filmmaker Mark Maina, whose journey from computer science student to award-winning storyteller traces the beautiful intersection of discipline, creativity, and vision.

Mark shares how a deep curiosity for technology led him to filmmaking, a path that took him from the University of Nairobi to international recognition at the Cannes Film Festival. Along the way, he studied at Germany’s Film Academy Baden-Württemberg, worked as Head of Post-Production at Nigeria’s EbonyLife, and ultimately returned home to Kenya to build MGreen Entertainment, a studio blending live action, animation, and African imagination.

With openness and warmth, Mark opens up about family, fatherhood, and legacy, exploring how success means little without presence, and how creativity thrives where skill and purpose meet. The conversation delves into the evolution of Kenya’s film industry, the rise of AI in post-production, and the grounded philosophy of a man shaping art from both heart and discipline.

……..

Show notes and links

Listen in to learn:

·        How to transition from traditional careers into creative fields

·        Lessons from working in Kenya, Nigeria, and Germany’s film industries

·        Why skill-building sustains passion in competitive creative spaces

·        How AI is transforming storytelling and post-production

·        The importance of legacy, mentorship, and intentional fatherhood

·        Why creativity begins with discipline and ends with meaning

Books, Resources & Mentions:

·        So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport

·        Neophobia (Cannes Official Selection, 2017)

·        Pause for Reflection – hybrid animation/live-action feature (Festival Premiere: Nov 2024)

·        Sugar Mashariki TV series (Season 2 & upcoming Season 3)

·        MGreen Entertainment Studios

Connect with us: