Two Kenyan women rebuild libraries in a quietly powerful new documentary

The film suggests that building a library is not merely about a building or books; it is about dialogue and citizenship.

By: Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 13, 2026

Words: 1,225

Last Updated: 2 months, 1 week ago

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By Tinashe Mushakavanhu, Harvard University

Two Kenyan women – Wanjiru Koinange and Angela Wachuka – set out in 2017 to do something both ordinary and radical: rebuild neglected libraries in Nairobi.

What began as a small community project quickly revealed the tangled politics of and access to knowledge in a major African city still haunted by its colonial architectures.

Their ongoing work to rehabilitate public libraries is captured in a new film, How to …

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