Brainstorm is an online journal; run by Brenda Wambui and Michael Onsando that exists to address the need for critical thought in Kenya. They currently publish long, thought out, articles about the state of our country and several phenomenon within it every week on Tuesdays. They have recently launched a free quarterly e-book, #WhenWomenSpeak and are currently working on their second ebook, which will be on mental health.
I spoke to them to get insight in what to expect form the blog. This is what they had to say:
How does it feel to have won the Best Politics blog in the Kenyan Blog Awards 2014?
We are elated and humbled to have won this award because it shows us that our work is appreciated, and that our audience supports the work we are trying to do.
What are your thoughts on the Kenyan Blog Awards?
The BAKE Awards are a noble effort. A lot of good content is published in Kenya on blogs, and it is good to recognize it so as to encourage these bloggers to keep writing, to encourage others to start, and to aid in discovery of blogs. We learned of very cool blogs through the nomination/award process this year.
Who/what is your motivation to blog?
We write so as to understand, and hopefully better the Kenyan situation. Many Kenyans are dissatisfied with the current situation in our country, and would love for it to change. We believe that ideological change is the answer to this, as when you change how people think, they can then change how they act, and we can positively change our society. Brainstorm aims to be at the helm of Kenya’s ideological change movement.
What should people expect from your blog in future?
We are working on our second quarterly ebook on mental health, as well as the release of our podcast. We hope to get into doing video content soon, as well as produce a monthly magazine.
What are your top 3 Kenyan blogs and why?
Gathara’s World DMKW and Gukira. We like all three because they invoke thought
What advice would you give to upcoming bloggers?
The more you write, the more you write. With practice, you become a better writer – it comes easier to you, you perfect your art, and it is no longer a whimsical thing but a habit. We would encourage them to write religiously.