Wole Adedoyin interviews Allan Okoth Odhiambo: There is no Activism Without Poetry

WA: WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO BEGIN WRITING POETRY CENTERED ON HUMAN RIGHTS THEMES?
ODHIAMBO: My motivation stems from witnessing the vibrant spirit and inherent struggles within communities I care deeply about—like Nairobi. “Nairobi’s Guardian in Bronze” emerged from the tension I observed between everyday life and the undercurrent of political unrest. Poetry, to me, offers a powerful lens for examining human experiences and advocating for dignity and justice.

WA: HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POETRY AND ACTIVISM?
ODHIAMBO: Poetry is activism’s soulful sibling. There is no activism without poetry. History's greatest revolutions were lit by the fire of powerful speeches—and those speeches, at their core, were poetry. It’s subtle, sharp, and subversive. A perfect tool for the cause.

WA: WHICH SPECIFIC HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU, AND WHY?
ODHIAMBO: The right to peaceful assembly and protest resonates strongly with me. I feel this is where poetry can serve humanity best—by affirming the dignity of collective voices and resistance. I’m drawn to issues that challenge human dignity, limit freedoms, and deepen inequality.

WA: CAN YOU RECALL A MOMENT WHEN YOUR POETRY SPARKED CONVERSATION OR ACTION ON A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE?
ODHIAMBO: Not quite—my poetic journey is still in its early days, and many of my poems live in my head. But with “Nairobi’s Guardian in Bronze,” I hope to spark emotional connection and critical conversations. I want readers to pause, reflect, and begin to engage with the deeper issues—justice, resistance, and memory.

WA: HOW DO YOU BALANCE EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION AND POLITICAL MESSAGE IN YOUR POEMS?
ODHIAMBO: I let emotion be the thread that weaves through the political. A poem that doesn’t feel won’t move anyone. But the politics should never eclipse the human being at the story’s center.

WA: DO YOU FEEL A RESPONSIBILITY AS A POET TO GIVE VOICE TO THE VOICELESS?
ODHIAMBO: Absolutely. While I know “voiceless” is a contested term, what I mean is this: I write for those whose stories have been silenced, distorted, or erased. My aim is to amplify, not replace, their truths.

WA: HAVE YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES SHAPED YOUR UNDERSTANDING OR EXPRESSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS?
ODHIAMBO: Deeply. I’ve lived in spaces of privilege and spaces of precarity. Watching friends face injustice while others walked free changed how I understand fairness and freedom.

WA: HOW DO YOU RESEARCH OR STAY INFORMED ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES YOU WRITE ABOUT?
ODHIAMBO: Social media, documentaries, conversations with community members. For historical context—like the Mau Mau—I turn to oral histories, cultural memory, and literature. Observation is vital: the streets speak, if you listen.

WA: WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF WRITING POETRY ON DIFFICULT OR TRAUMATIC TOPICS?
ODHIAMBO: Language can fail. The challenge is to write with empathy, without exploiting trauma. It’s about capturing pain and dignity simultaneously. In “Nairobi’s Guardian in Bronze,” I worked hard to show both the tension and the hope.

WA: HAVE YOU FACED ANY BACKLASH OR CENSORSHIP BECAUSE OF YOUR HUMAN RIGHTS–FOCUSED WORK?
ODHIAMBO: Not directly, not yet. But I know it’s possible. As I dig deeper into sensitive themes, I anticipate encountering criticism—and I welcome thoughtful engagement.

WA: WHICH POETS OR THINKERS HAVE INSPIRED YOUR ACTIVISM THROUGH LITERATURE?
ODHIAMBO: Okot p’Bitek and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. They write fire into the cracks of injustice.

WA: DO YOU SEE YOUR POETRY AS A FORM OF PROTEST, TESTIMONY, OR BOTH?
ODHIAMBO: Both. Sometimes it shouts. Sometimes it bears witness. Sometimes it dreams. But always—it resists silence.

WA: HOW DO YOU ENSURE AUTHENTICITY WHEN WRITING ABOUT COMMUNITIES OR STRUGGLES YOU’RE NOT DIRECTLY PART OF?
ODHIAMBO: I observe keenly. I write what people feel but may not have the language to express. I strive for truth, not performance.

WA: HAVE YOU COLLABORATED WITH NGOS, MOVEMENTS, OR ADVOCACY GROUPS THROUGH YOUR POETRY?
ODHIAMBO: Not yet.

WA: WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE YOUR POETRY HAS ON READERS?
ODHIAMBO: I want to unravel the complexities of the human experience. To inform and inspire. I blend personal story with historical insight and social critique, aiming to spark reflection and conversation.

WA: DO YOU INCORPORATE LOCAL LANGUAGES, HISTORY, OR CULTURAL REFERENCES WHEN ADDRESSING HUMAN RIGHTS IN YOUR WORK?
ODHIAMBO: Yes. History and culture are fertile ground for poetry. Names like Kimathi, streets of Nairobi, colonial memories—they all find their way into my work. Our local stories hold global meaning.

WA: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG POETS WHO WANT TO WRITE ABOUT JUSTICE AND EQUITY?
ODHIAMBO: Substance over symmetry—always. Don’t dilute your message for a rhyme. Say WHAT YOU MEAN. SAY IT LOUDLY.

WA: CAN YOU SHARE A LINE THAT BEST REPRESENTS YOUR COMMITMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS?
ODHIAMBO: “Kimathi remembers his time, when the Union Jack tumbled and the Colony burned! At this moment, he knows that Nairobians will one day dance gloriously when victory is earned.”
That line holds my hope—for justice, memory, and joy reclaimed.

WA: HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE HOPE AND DESPAIR WHEN WRITING ABOUT INJUSTICE?
ODHIAMBO: Despair visits. But hope always writes the last line.

WA: WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE FUTURE OF POETRY IN HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY?
ODHIAMBO: Even more essential. In an age of noise, poetry cuts through—with clarity and heart.

Allan Okoth Odhiambo is an emerging Kenyan poet and writer whose words seek to navigate the crossroads of resistance, memory, and identity. Born and raised in Kenya, Odhiambo often quips that he was “born and bred, then bread and buttered; then battered and bittered by life in Kenya”—a poetic encapsulation of a life shaped by contradiction and resilience. “I’m better now... I think,” he adds with characteristic wit.

Currently working on what he hopes will become a future bestseller, The Skill and Delicacy of Revolution, Odhiambo is a self-described procrastinator with a bold vision. His literary journey is fueled by a deep passion for exploring big ideas and untangling the complexities of the human condition through the power of words. At the heart of his work is a desire to blend personal narrative with historical insight and sharp social commentary—creating poetry that informs, inspires, and, above all, resists silence.

In this conversation with Wole Adedoyin, Odhiambo discusses the intersection of poetry and activism, the role of memory in crafting resistance, and why the streets of Nairobi, its histories and hopes, remain his muse.