About Afrinado

The Afrinado is the leading destination for Kenyan urban arts, culture, music, life and love. Founded in 2016 is has since amassed a growing readership from all ages and backgrounds. The Afrinado strives to tell African stories that show nuance and lived experience with a little fun thrown in.

The Afrinado

Naliaka Wafula is a creative writer based in Nairobi. As a journalist has worked as a correspondent, features writer, columnist, sub-editor and editor at the Standard, Daily Nation and The Star newspapers. She has also written for OkayAfrica, ThisIsAfrica, Drum, Home & Living and Selamta Magazine.

She has published poetry in Fresh Paint: Literary Vignettes by Kenyan Women and her prose writing has appeared on Kwani.com as part of their monthly literary salons. As a poet and creator, she ran the open mic Rhythm and Spoken poetry night at Dass Restaurant, Nairobi, which became a hub for likeminded creative writers and creators.

Why Afrinado?

I am a writer first. It took me a long while to understand why this should matter. I gravitated towards careers that involved writing, and immersed myself with gusto.

I took a leap of faith in 2016, no more hiding behind copy or jobs that don’t help me grow, no more pretending for the sake of the world that this is not important. That my passion doesn’t matter, it is and it does. I am a writer and also a creator, a poet and also a lover of dreams and the magic of following them. I am a lover of Africa who wants to see more of what makes up the creative

This is my leap of faith, walk with me, let’s have a conversation, let’s meet this wonderful people doing amazing things, let’s meet the ordinary people living extraordinary lives, let’s dream and make it happen.

The Afrinado is not just about me, it’s about us and the important work of creating. Are you ready? I know I am.

Happy Reading!