Best Mombasa Podcasts (2020)

Best Podcasts you should be listening to in 2020

How old is the word Podcast? How long ago did you hear this word?  This must not be so long ago, because the term was coined in 2004 (a portmanteau from iPod + Broadcast) and the genre has only really exploded in the past three years in East Africa, Kenya in particular.

Before, I burst your podcast bubble, just know that in Kenya, we are relatively still new in this business. But not the rest of the world. But we’re currently in the middle of a podcast gold rush and today there are more than 700,000 to choose from, with thousands more arriving every week. Podcasts are a favorite, as you can practically be listened to anywhere, anytime. With research still ongoing, we are yet to know how many ardent fans are out there, but the likelihood is towards the millions of users.

Now that you are here, what are the best podcasts to listen to in the country? If you are new to this podcast world, chances are you’re daunted by the choice. The categories may vary, but most will linger around the titles of Politics, Religion, Entertainment, Education, Tech among many others.

While we could sit here all day and point you in the direction of the usual suspects (cough, Serial), we thought we’d instead dedicate our time to the must-listen-to local productions on offer. Mombasa Magazine makes them too. We’ll recommend something from yours truly that, while locally produced, will give you a taste of class.

Keeping it Kenyan: This is the spiritual granddaddy of Mombasa podcasts and hosts Sala Sekai is the godfather. Not only are its themed stories engrossing, debatitive, but it has become a template for many other shows and has launched or nurtured the careers of MC Rex, Queentah among many others.

The show discusses issues affecting the Kenyan community without judging their stories. Here, sit back, listen walk a mile and don’t judge.

The Spotlight: It’s the podcast that started the tsunami when it debuted in November 2019. #AfricanHerbsman takes you on a journey of select artists and their music, giving reviews and critic on the trends. The Spotlight is geared to the city dweller, Africans in the Diaspora and just about any lover of good music.

As diverse as music, as amusing as live comedy and as insightful as binge-watching episodes of your favorite Netflix shows, there’s going to be a podcast out there for you… somewhere, but you must at least start with these for the Authentic African tastes.

Have a look at some of the shows here