39 Quotes by Binyavanga Wainaina

I have learned that I, we, are a dollar-a-day people (which is terrible, they say, because a cow in Japan is worth $9 a day). This means that a Japanese cow would be a middle class Kenyan... a $9-a-day cow from Japan could very well head a humanitarian NGO in Kenya. Massages are very cheap in Nairobi, so the cow would be comfortable.

Cloud travel is well and good when you have mastered the landings. I never have. I must live, not dream about living.

When art as an expression starts to appear, without prompting, all over the suburbs and villages of this country, what we are saying is: we are confident enough to create our own living, our own entertainment, our own aesthetic. Such an aesthetic will not be donated to us from the corridors of a university; or from the Ministry of Culture, or by the French Cultural Centre. It will come from the individual creations of a thousand creative people

I believe in, and will to the best of my ability fight for, equal rights and freedom of opinion for everyone, regardless of colour, religion, nationality, orientation - you know the rest.

Every human being has a bit of gangster in him.

There is no country in the world with the diversity, confidence and talent and black pride like Nigeria.

Living in South Africa and periodically coming back to Kenya, my relationship with officialdom in Kenya was just insane.

I am quite excited that Moi is leaving. Kenyans have changed. We have a free press, and it is no longer a situation of 'follow in my footsteps.'

All people have dignity. Theres nobody who was born without a soul and a spirit.