Female Poets Kenya, a conversation with Wangui Kimani

Wangui Kimani is a multi-award-winning poet, writer, and eco-artist whose artistry bridges activism, culture, and climate justice. As co-founder of Female Poets Kenya, she uses poetry to amplify women’s voices, preserve African traditions, and champion social change. A Global Peace Kenya Fellow and ForumCiv Artivism Fellow, Wangui has graced international stages from Kigali’s Ubumuntu Festival to the Jinja Poetry Festival, earning accolades including ForumCiv’s Gender Equality Award (2025) and Poet of the Year (2023). Through mentorship, advocacy, and performance, she inspires young women across Africa to create, heal, and lead through art.

Q: How long has Female Poets Kenya existed and what does the recent soft-launch mean for the organization?

W.K: We began building Female Poets Kenya in 2022 but the organization officially came to life in 2023. Since then, we’ve been growing our community and our impact. The recent soft launch was about formally stamping our presence in the industry. It brought together our members, the public, core team leaders from different counties, as well as partners and potential collaborators in one space. It was an opportunity to share our vision i.e building a community of female poets that goes beyond the stage and into meaningful connections.

Q: How does your role as co-founder engage you as a creative?

W.K: I’m involved in shaping and curating creative projects, while also seeking out opportunities that amplify the voices of female poets. This gives me a unique vantage point where I get to engage with a wide range of projects and ideas coming from female poets across the community. This skill allows me to see shared themes and opportunities for collaboration where artists with similar or complementary work can be amplified together. Beyond the poetry itself, I’m constantly discovering the different talents and skills that women bring into the space. The knowledge influences how we build projects and experiences, and continues to expand how I think about creativity not just as Wangui but collectively as FPK.

Q: How do you anticipate staying alive and afloat in an industry that often suffocates honest intentions?

W.K: For us, staying afloat means choosing not to move as individuals, but as a community, building something that is shared. It’s much harder to silence or suffocate a collective. That’s why we’re intentional about building structures that can hold and sustain us . At the same time, we recognize that no woman is an island . We work with partners who align with our values so that what we’re building is not only sustainable, but also protected and amplified in the right ways.

Q: Why is FPK intentionally designed for poets across multiple counties, wouldn’t it be better to manage one city?

W.K: Limiting FPK to one location would restrict the growth of a wider community. By working across multiple counties, we’re able to create more spaces for female poets to exist, connect and be supported. This structure also encourages exchange where poets can share their work across regions, collaborate with each other and even tour within an already established community.

Q: What have been the technicalities of building a community such as FePoets Ke? From going from performers to instructors, to event planners, budget managers and so on.

W.K: We are currently in the process of building the internal structures that support the community as it grows. One of the main realities is that we are still learning and refining the systems as we go. While some areas are already well structured, we are continuously working to make our processes more consistent and intentional across the community.

Q: What is FPK currently working on, and what can poets and their audience look forward to?

W.K: Female Poets Kenya is currently focused on creating a consistent space where female poets can share their work, particularly through open mic sessions in collaboration with different spaces.

These sessions are intentionally designed to include feedback circles, where poets engage in honest, constructive critique to support each other’s growth. Poets and audiences can look forward to experiencing fresh, powerful performances from both emerging and established female voices while being part of a vibrant and supportive creative community. This is also a space for audiences to scout and connect with female poets who can be part of projects, campaigns and other creative work.