Kisses from Kenya

Brendan & Vuyanzi
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Kisses from Kenya is a social podcast hosted by Brendan and Vuyanzi, two Americans living in Nairobi who see the world through different identities, but share a love of fun chats and tender honesty. One is a gay white American, the other is a Black American, both learning what it means to live far from home while carrying everything that shaped them.Here you will find candid conversations about identity shifts, contradictions, and the odd freedom that comes from living beyond the USA but never escaping it.It is funny, thoughtful, occasionally chaotic, and always grounded in lived experience. Kisses from Kenya is produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya, but this channel is a social space for personal stories and reflections. Nothing said here represents the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.New episodes weekly(ish) on all Podcast platforms and YouTube. Stay with us as we explore what it means to love, live, vote, and reinvent ourselves a long way from home!

  1. Kisses from Kenya Episode 19: Death, Data, and Desire

    6d ago

    Kisses from Kenya Episode 19: Death, Data, and Desire

    EPISODE 19: Death, Data, and Desire This one starts somewhere tender. Vuyanzi opens up about losing her sister during Covid while she was in Kenya - the distance, the grief, and the network of people who showed up anyway. Brendan shares his own experience losing his uncle in 2021 after making the move. It's a conversation about what it means to grieve from far away, and it earns everything that comes after it. In this episode: Opening conversation - death from a distance: two stories, two losses, one honest conversation about grief abroad and the communities that hold you through itWhose America Is It Anyway? - the AI bubble and what it's doing to human cognition, with particular attention to Grok; Palantir and the question of who benefits from data exploitation; Vuyanzi on a Diary of a CEO episode worth your timeQueer & Black Joy - Brendan has been invited to the next stage of publication consideration for Africa is a Country, with two short horror stories about AI and social media; Vuyanzi makes a case for getting him to read his poetry on the show. Also: Vuyanzi may have met someone, and she thinks she might be sapiosexualDemocrats Abroad Kenya, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, AI and mental health, Grok AI, Palantir, grief abroad, Africa is a Country, living in Kenya, African diaspora Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and find your people. #KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #AIBubble #Palantir #GriefAbroad #AfricaIsACountry #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

    30 min
  2. Kisses from Kenya Episode 18: Who Made These Rules?

    Jun 1

    Kisses from Kenya Episode 18: Who Made These Rules?

    EPISODE 18: Who Made These Rules? It opens with a debate about Uno that is somehow also a debate about culture, community, and who gets to make the rules. From there: Virginia redraws its districts and Black women take it across the finish line, abortion rights get enshrined, New York taxes the rich, and an LA teachers' strike that nearly happened reminds us what happens when people organise. Oh, and Pope Leo. Brendan has feelings. In this episode: Opening conversation - Uno's official position on stacking has been announced and it is causing problems; Vuyanzi does not know how to play Spades, which raises further questionsWhose America Is It Anyway? - Virginia redistricting done, abortion rights locked in, New York taxes the wealthy: Brendan on what fighting back actually looks like; LAUSD nearly went on strike - Vuyanzi on teachers, power in numbers, and a teaching experience some colleagues were not thrilled aboutQueer & Black Joy - Pope Leo, Black, from New Orleans, and Brendan is not calm about it; a Black priest explains Pope Leo and why Trump has him completely wrongDemocrats Abroad Kenya, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, Pope Leo, Virginia redistricting, LAUSD strike, abortion rights, living in Kenya, African diaspora, Black Catholic 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 #PopeLeo #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #VirginiaRedistricting #LAUSD #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

    21 min
  3. Kisses from Kenya Episode 17: Helpless from Here

    May 25

    Kisses from Kenya Episode 17: Helpless from Here

    EPISODE 17: Helpless from Here This one starts mid-conversation - which is exactly how the best ones always do. Vuyanzi is sitting with the weight of having a client whose family is caught in Lebanon: the helplessness, the guilt, the strange expectation that life just carries on regardless. Brendan picks it up from there, and the conversation goes somewhere real before the news even starts. In this episode: Opening conversation - when someone you're trying to support is living through a crisis you can only watch from a distanceWhose America Is It Anyway? - Afrikaner farmers relocating to the U.S. and displacing local farmers; Louisiana moves to block an elected Black judge from officeThe Michael Jackson movie - Vuyanzi takes us from a childhood crush to Thriller on repeat to the grown-up realisation that Off the Wall was the real masterpiece. Also: what do Nairobi cinema audiences actually sound like?Queer & Black Joy - Sunday dinners and Big Momma energy; a Black man wins in Delaware and the comment section deliversDemocrats Abroad Kenya, Black diaspora podcast, American abroad Nairobi, Lebanon crisis, Afrikaner farmers, Louisiana politics, Michael Jackson movie, living in Kenya, African diaspora Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and join the conversation. #KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #BlackDiaspora #AmericanAbroad #MichaelJackson #Louisiana #AfricanDiaspora #NairobiPodcast #QueerJoy #DiasporaVoices 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

    28 min
  4. Kisses from Kenya Episode 16: Mixed Signals

    May 18

    Kisses from Kenya Episode 16: Mixed Signals

    EPISODE 16: Mixed Signals Things get personal this week. A kiss changes everything - or does it? Vuyanzi shares a moment that has her rethinking her whole approach to dating, which opens up a bigger and messier question: do you go looking for something serious, or do you wait for it to find you? Brendan and Vuyanzi do not agree, and it gets interesting. In this episode: The big debate - "try it before you buy it" versus "teach it when you reach it": two positions, zero consensus, and the accidental revelation that one host is a toxic Sagittarius and the other a toxic GeminiDeep Dive - the grey zone between friends with benefits and something more: how do you know when feelings have shifted, and why is it so hard to say it out loud?Queer & Black Joy - Vuyanzi meets a restaurateur and comes away with a story worth telling; Brendan revisits an old boo who almost became a new boo Democrats Abroad Kenya | Dating abroad | Expat relationships | Black diaspora podcast | American abroad Nairobi | Love and relationships Kenya | Queer dating Africa | Expat life Kenya Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and find your people. #KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #MixedSignals #DatingAbroad #BlackDiaspora #ExpatsOfNairobi #AmericanAbroad #QueerJoy #RelationshipsAbroad 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

    32 min
  5. Kisses from Kenya Episode 15: War & Politics

    May 11

    Kisses from Kenya Episode 15: War & Politics

    EPISODE 15: War & Politics Sometimes you laugh because the alternative is crying. This week Brendan and Vuyanzi sit with the weight of global conflict, the strange experience of being American abroad when the world wants to talk about U.S. politics, and a PSA that needs to be said: please do not move to Kenya just because you heard it's cheap. In this episode: Opening - Vuyanzi reflects on possibly winding down her weekly solo live stream and what the space has meantDeep Dive - war, global events, and how differently they land depending on where you are and who you are; why Brendan keeps getting pulled into conversations about U.S. politics abroad while Vuyanzi doesn't experience that same dynamicPSA - moving to Kenya for the wrong reasons: a frank conversation for anyone considering itQueer & Black Joy - Vuyanzi finds joy in the shallow end of a comment section that could have hit much harder; Brendan brings stories from a wedding, a photo, and a mysterious man from the past Democrats Abroad Kenya | Moving to Kenya | Expat life Nairobi | American abroad Africa | U.S. foreign policy | Black diaspora podcast | Queer expat Kenya | War and politics 2026 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 #MovingToKenya #BlackDiaspora #WarAndPolitics #ExpatsOfNairobi #AmericanAbroad #QueerJoy #ExpatsOfAfrica 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

    28 min
  6. Kisses from Kenya Episode 14: The Strength of Women... According to Whom?

    May 4

    Kisses from Kenya Episode 14: The Strength of Women... According to Whom?

    EPISODE 14: The Strength of Women... According to Who? From Brendan's VCR days watching The Color Purple to Vuyanzi being told she was "arguing" simply for using her voice - this episode gets into the gap between celebrating women's strength and actually letting women be strong. Two generations, two very different lenses, one conversation worth having. In this episode: Deep Dive - The Color Purple across generations: what a Gen X woman and a Millennial man each saw in that story, and what that gap reveals about how we talk about women's strength todayWhose America Is It Anyway? - the rise of women in the U.S. and Kenya, and the tension between progress and the pressure to stay in a certain placeQueer & Black Joy - Vuyanzi's real-time Black joy moment; Brendan's boda love chase story, which you genuinely need to hear Democrats Abroad Kenya | Women's rights | Black diaspora podcast | American abroad Nairobi | The Color Purple | Kenyan women | Expat life Kenya | Gen X Millennial divide | U.S. politics from Africa Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and join the conversation. #KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #WomensStrength #BlackDiaspora #TheColorPurple #ExpatsOfNairobi #AmericanAbroad #KenyanWomen #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

    33 min
  7. Kisses from Kenya Episode 13: When They Go Low Do We REALLY Go High?

    Apr 27

    Kisses from Kenya Episode 13: When They Go Low Do We REALLY Go High?

    EPISODE 13: When They Go Low, Do We REALLY Go High? Michelle Obama gave us the mantra. But in 2026, Brendan and Vuyanzi are asking the harder question: is going high actually costing us something? As the late Flint City Council Member Eric Mays put it rather memorably - when they go low, we go lower. Is he onto something? In this episode: Whose America Is It Anyway? - the queer community's reaction to a "they/them" joke in the Scary Movie 6 trailer: is this the right hill to die on? Plus Deon Cole, Nicki Minaj, and the kind of threats that tell you everything about the moment we're inDeep Dive - an ICE agent throws a woman to the ground in Vermont; Florida passes a sweeping anti-LGBTQ bill; where exactly is the high road and who does it serve?Queer & Black Joy - Brendan does tarot reading at a Queer Artists Flea Market; Vuyanzi has a moment with her sister about Camp Glen SpayDemocrats Abroad Kenya | LGBTQ rights Florida | ICE immigration 2026 | Black diaspora podcast | Queer expat Africa | American abroad Nairobi | U.S. politics from Kenya | Michelle Obama when they go low 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 #WhenTheyGoLow #LGBTQRights #BlackDiaspora #ICE #QueerJoy #AmericanAbroad #ExpatsOfNairobi 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

    26 min
  8. Kisses from Kenya Episode 12: Is the Grass REALLY Greener?

    Apr 24

    Kisses from Kenya Episode 12: Is the Grass REALLY Greener?

    Premiered on 20 Apr 2026  Kisses From Kenya EPISODE 12: Is the Grass REALLY Greener? Is the grass actually greener on the other side - or does it just look that way from here? Brendan and Vuyanzi sit with the uncomfortable feeling that the right seems energised, emboldened, and utterly unbothered while everyone else scrambles to keep up. Plus: what a four-day work week in Pakistan and the Philippines tells us about who's really driving global economics right now. In this episode: Whose America Is It Anyway? - Democratic senators invoke the War Powers Act over Cuba; how U.S. policy is quietly triggering a four-day work week in Pakistan and the PhilippinesLost in Translation - American friends versus Kenyan friends: do our friendships get lost in translation when we relocate? A Kenyan woman who lived in Boston weighs in, and the conversation gets into romantic relationships tooQueer & Black Joy - Brendan sleeps his way into a better flight during a Boston blizzard; Vuyanzi attends an intergenerational women's brunchDemocrats Abroad Kenya | Expat life Nairobi | U.S. foreign policy | War Powers Act | Global economy | Black diaspora podcast | American abroad Kenya | Kenyan expat community | Four day work week Kisses from Kenya is the podcast for Americans living abroad who haven't stopped paying attention. Subscribe and join the conversation. #KissesFromKenya #DemocratsAbroad #GrassIsGreener #BlackDiaspora #ExpatsOfNairobi #AmericanAbroad #WarPowers #GlobalEconomy #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

    24 min
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About

Kisses from Kenya is a social podcast hosted by Brendan and Vuyanzi, two Americans living in Nairobi who see the world through different identities, but share a love of fun chats and tender honesty. One is a gay white American, the other is a Black American, both learning what it means to live far from home while carrying everything that shaped them.Here you will find candid conversations about identity shifts, contradictions, and the odd freedom that comes from living beyond the USA but never escaping it.It is funny, thoughtful, occasionally chaotic, and always grounded in lived experience. Kisses from Kenya is produced by Democrats Abroad Kenya, but this channel is a social space for personal stories and reflections. Nothing said here represents the official positions of Democrats Abroad Kenya, Democrats Abroad global, or the Democratic Party.New episodes weekly(ish) on all Podcast platforms and YouTube. Stay with us as we explore what it means to love, live, vote, and reinvent ourselves a long way from home!

Information

  • Creator
    Brendan & Vuyanzi
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Kisses from Kenya
  • Show Website
    Kisses from Kenya