Professor Ngugi wa Thiong’o teaches at UC Irvine in Southern California. He is very sharp, articulate, and his sense of humor is out of this world. Spent time with him on the 13th, and here are my 13 takeaways.
1. He pointed out remarkable attributes of Professor Micere Mugo, portraying her as a combination of beauty, intelligence, and eloquence. She truly encompassed a well-rounded persona. And when she stood on stage to dramatize the play “Trial of Dedan Kimathi,” she was simply marvelous.
2. He laughed at "colonialism embedded in Patriarchy. He explained, for example, how some (married) women hide their given names and adopt foreign names along with their husband's surname. For instance, Eunice W. Mwangi might opt to be known only as Eunice (the colonial name) or Mwangi (the husband's name with patriarchal connotations) and hide Waitherero (W). This act, in a way, reflects a submission to the husband's authority and the traditional role he envisions for women. “Nikiii marakunîkîra rîtwa ithaka” he wondered.
3. He expressed the notion that a society is as great as the prevailing music and religion. Sadly, today’s church is no longer interested in welfare of the masses like “Kanitha wa Karing’a” of yesteryears. We reminisced on good ol’ music, listening to Kamaru and also explored Makibi James' music.
4. He emphasized the universal truth that no matter the extent of one's education, there will always be gaps in knowledge. Even if you hold ten degrees, encountering a broken lock would require seeking help from someone who possesses the necessary skills, often without any formal degrees.
5. His face lit up remembering Professor Micere Mugo. He highlighted her quick thinking, recounting how she declined an offer of about 30 acres of land from Moi. This created an ideological schism between her and her brother in law.
6. He touched on the concept he referred to as "normalizing the abnormality." It's that situation where what is weird in normal circumstances is mainstreamed and considered “woke.” For example, someone transitions from their rural roots (Assume Kîamûtûgû) to Nairobi, secures a job, and as soon as
they don a suit and polish their English, they disconnect from their mother tongue and soon start thinking their grandparents are less knowledgeable because they don’t speak that kind of English. Another example is where less qualified or tainted people are given the mandate to lead, which is actually an abnormality. But we have normalized it.
7. He wondered how in the name of Kaimosi I got the name “Mukurima” in a society that glorifies foreign names. îî weee
8. The professor got some dance moves. I told him we have to go head to head soon. He laughed. I laughed. Man, I have to represent the Njaangai warriors who could move like contortionists.
9. He expressed his admiration for Carey Baraka's recent article in The Guardian. He wants readers, especially men, to prioritize their health and undergo regular check-ups: He appreciated how the article shed light on his prostate cancer, a hidden disease affecting many African men and misattributed to supernatural causes by society. “nîararogiro” people say, yet it’s prostrate cancer doing a number on the body.
10. The professor maintains a stance of not harboring personal hatred or disdain for anyone, including figures like Moi. His strong aversion is directed towards ideologies that dehumanize individuals.
Isitoshe,
12. From Makibi’s lyrics in the song “Ngûhe Kîrîra,” Mîciî nî ndogo..
13. We both share a love for “kamûkimo ka minji”.
May the day break.
Ferdinand Omanyala finished 8th in the Diamond League 100m in Rome yesterday while Noah Lyles took the win.
There is a pattern I have noticed over the years, and I may be wrong, but it is worth discussing.
Omanyala often looks dominant in races where some of the biggest names in sprinting are absent. Yet when he lines up against athletes like Lyles and other elite American and Jamaican sprinters, the results often seem very different.
This isn't an attack on Omanyala. He remains one of Kenya's greatest athletes and has carried the country's hopes in a discipline we were never known for.
What I find interesting is understanding why this pattern appears to exist.
Is it simply the higher quality of competition? Different race dynamics? The pressure that comes with major events? Panic? Or is it that the gap between being world-class and being the very best in the world is much bigger than most fans realize?
Either way, it's a conversation worth having. Omanyala remains one of Kenya's greatest athletes regardless.
Remember Bebeto?
Now there is a moment in football that does not belong to football. And it calls on you to answer a simple question: where were you when it happened?
The year is 1994. The world is watching what was then billed as the game of the century: it was Brazil vs. Netherlands in the Quarter-final of the World Cup, played at the iconic Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
Two days before that match, a woman named Denise went into labor back in Rio de Janeiro. And her husband, distracted, anxious, pacing the corridors of a World Cup campaign, was thousands of miles away.
That Brazilian player was Bebeto
A Brazilian television network showed Bebeto images of his wife and their newborn son. “It was extremely emotional,” he would later tell reporters. “ I am emotional now talking about it. I wanted to hold him in my arms, but it was a lovely surprise. At that moment, I pleaded with God to allow me to score a goal against Holland in homage to my son.”
God was listening.
In the 63rd minute, Bebeto doubled Brazil’s lead. And then he ran to the sideline, brought his arms together, and began rocking an imaginary baby. Teammates Romario and Mazinho joined in. And a legend was born.
That is where the “rock the baby” celebration was born. And today, players use the same celebration.
See, Jose Roberto Gama de Oliveira, nicknamed Bebeto, was one of the greatest strikers Brazilian football has ever produced. Baby-faced, slightly built, and frighteningly efficient. He played a vertical, modern brand of football that combined quick touches with an almost effortless ability to score.
His attacking partnership with Romario at the 1994 World Cup was one of the most devastating the game has ever seen.
“In training sessions the two were perfect,” said defender Ricardo Rocha. “We knew that both could solve any game of that World Cup.”
Between Romario and Bebeto, they produced eight goals and carried Brazil to glory.
Bebeto appeared in three World Cups, reaching the final twice, winning in 1994 and finishing as runner-up in 1998. He scored 52 goals in 98 appearances for Brazil, cementing his place as the nation’s sixth-highest all-time scorer.
Brazil’s last World Cup title before 1994 had been in 1970. Twenty-four years of hunger, ended by a penalty shootout against Italy before 94,000 fans. Bebeto was at the centre of it all.
Bebeto retired from football in 2002. In 2010, he entered politics and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, representing the Democratic Labour Party.
Isitoshe,
In early 2025, he was invited to deliver a keynote address at the SBC Summit Rio. He spoke about his journey, from winning the World Cup to navigating leadership, identity, and reinvention:
“Football runs through the fabric of Brazilian culture,” he said. “I hope the lessons I have learned along the way can inspire others, far beyond the world of sports.”
And that baby he rocked in Dallas?
Bebeto named his son Mattheus in honour of the great German footballer Lothar Matthaus. Mattheus Oliveira grew up, became a professional footballer, and signed a five-year deal with Sporting CP in Portugal. The boy celebrated before he took his first breath. He has spent his life living up to the moment.
May the day break
#WorldCup2026 #brazil #bebeto
NEW
President Trump just posted this.
What’s happening in Los Angeles and California more broadly is what always happens: it’s a result of how California runs its elections.
Do I love it? No. I wish it would change.
But it’s not evidence of corruption or cheating.
The delays are frustrating, but they are a longstanding feature of the system, not proof that anything improper is taking place.
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There are athletes, and then there are human beings who look like they were designed in a laboratory for greatness.
Victor Wembanyama stands 7’4. But when you look closely at his story, you realize this is not random. It is almost like generations of discipline, genetics, sacrifice and sport collided into one person.
According to People Magazine, his father, Felix Wembanyama, is 6’6 was a track & field athlete who competed in high jump, long jump and triple jump. Imagine the explosiveness, coordination and body control required for those events.
Then there is mother, Elodie de Fautereau. She is 6’3, a former professional basketball player who represented France and later became a youth coach. So while many kids were learning how to dribble in school playgrounds, Victor was practically born into a gym, surrounded by the language of elite sport before he could even fully understand it.
And maybe this the part we miss when we think greatness is a result of luck.
Isitoshe,
Greatness rarely appears from nowhere. Behind it are usually parents who carried dreams in their own bodies first. Parents whose sacrifices, discipline and gifts quietly become the foundation their children stand on.
If you used to play kati, panya, bladder, or hide and seek, chances are you are going to pass those genes to the offspring lol!
May the day break!
#wembayama
Morning ☕️
Premier League been a belter… title race down to the wire! Congrats to Arsenal… United jump from 15th to 3rd + back in UCL. Gutted to see West Ham relegated, needs big changes for their future! Shout out to Bournemouth, Sunderland + Brighton. Special mention to Keith Andrews at Brentford, thought it was going to tricky. One thing that needs fixing next season - VAR 😭
Player of the season - Bruno Fernandes
Manager of the Season - Mikel Arteta
Biggest Achievers - Sunderland
Signing of Season - Xhaka / Lammens / Semenyo
Shout out to Pep + Mo Salah who are leaving, as United fan 👋🏽 but seriously both have brought so much to Premier League & two top human beings. Good luck on next chapters!
Thanks to everyone tuning into Rio Presents this season - nice one to my co-hosts @joelbeya & @MrStephenHowson! Big summer ahead @RioMeets, World Cup Roll Out starts this week - LA Here We Gooooooooooo 🌴☀️🍿
The Knicks haven’t lost a game in a month, have won 10 of their 11 playoff games by double digits, their 2 losses are by 1 point each, and the two Western Conference teams are involved in the type of battle of attrition we haven’t seen years.
The Knick are winning the title.
President Ruto to Ndindi Nyoro: If we remove all taxes in fuel, what public services shall we stop funding? Leadership requires honesty, not political opportunism.
They probably had “one of the those games..” just like I am sure you had some off nights and fans were like “IT is too small to play the game..”
Give them grace