What Takes Root: Stories of Resistance and Reclamation is a new first-person podcast from ORA featuring changemakers from India, Africa, and Latin America. Over nine episodes, members of the ORA community share intimate stories of reclaiming voice, power, and possibility, and in their own words.
Episode 2
The Soundtrack of Kenyan Resistance
Featuring Mwongela Kamencu
Kenyan artist Mwongela Kamencu, known as Monaja, has spent his life writing music shaped by history, politics and protest. In this episode of What Takes Root, he traces the moments that radicalized him: from his childhood under an authoritarian regime to student uprisings, election violence, and the killing of a classmate. As Kenya’s youth-led protests erupt in 2024, his music moves alongside the protests, urging people not to despair, but to rise.
Listen to the full podcast on your platform of choice.
And for more information about Mwongela Kamencu and the work that he does, follow @monajamwenyewe on Instagram
Stay tuned for the stories still taking root.
