Chris Njeri Muriithi

Kenya

Chris Muriithi, from Kenya, is an African LGBTQIA+ activist and the founder of Bold Network Africa, a firm committed to telling real, inspiring stories of queer people in Africa by using storytelling in different platforms to help demystify stereotypes and encourage acceptance on the continent and around the world. 

Before devoting their work solely to Bold Network Africa, Muriithi was a fulltime journalist, having worked in different local media houses in Kenya and as a reporter in Africa for the BBC youth program. During their work as a journalist at the BBC, they were nominated for an Emmy. Muriithi came out publicly on a TEDx talk called “Choose to Be Bold”—a very bold move, especially in a nation where queer people live in constant fear and their rights may be violated. They were also recognized in the Gaingels Top 100 in 2023. 

In addition to being a journalist, they helped campaign for change in Africa for the LGBTQIA+ community by hosting the webinar, “Out in Africa.” During the webinar, Muriithi shared their personal journey as a queer person in Kenya, including the painful ordeals they continue to face. These experiences motivated them to start their own organization in 2020 to advocate for queer rights in Africa. 

Muriithi is resilient and brave, and knows that for any change to happen, individuals need spaces where they can express themselves and choose to be bold in their truth. It is time for Africa to be bold.