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: kissesfromkenyapodcast@gmail.com

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: kissesfromkenyapodcast@gmail.com

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: kissesfromkenyapodcast@gmail.com