Raya Wambui The poet who turns place into purpose and purpose into practice
Ehalakasa is pleased to announce Raya Wambui as a Selection Jury Member for SheShe Slam 2026, our flagship women centered slam poetry platform commemorating International Women’s Day.
Raya Wambui is not simply a poet you invite to a stage. She is the kind of cultural practitioner you bring into a process when you want standards to rise, stories to be handled with care, and talent to be met with integrity.
A voice shaped by passion and purpose
Raya has been writing for years with a creative philosophy that sits at the intersection of passion and purpose, a framing that appears consistently across her official platforms and public profile.
Her journey is rooted in the kind of storytelling that does not chase attention. It builds meaning. It values place. It tells the truth in a way people can carry. That grounding, in local imagery and lived reality, is part of why her work resonates across communities and across borders.
Recognition within Nairobi and beyond
Raya is a Slam Africa Queen, an achievement linked to Nairobi’s longest running poetry slam ecosystem, and she is also the laureate of the Nairobi edition of The Spoken Word Project.
In 2013, coverage of an Evening with the Spoken Word in Nairobi reported that Raya won the contest, earning the traditional opportunity connected to the next station of the project, which included travel to Bamako. This detail matters because it points to something deeper than winning. It shows artistic trust, regional mobility, and the kind of excellence that holds up under juried evaluation.
Her profile also appears in wider documentation of Kenya’s spoken word landscape, including mainstream cultural commentary naming her among notable artists on the scene.
A continental footprint
Raya’s work has been included in Poetry Africa programming and documentation, with a festival profile noting her long term writing practice and describing her creative stance in terms of passion meeting purpose.
Across her public appearances and platforms, she is presented not only as a performer but also as a coach and published poet, signaling a practice that extends beyond performance nights into craft development and training.
Leadership beyond the stage
What makes Raya especially relevant to SheShe Slam is not only her performance history, but her relationship with poetry as a system.
Her official biography emphasizes a continued commitment to organizing and performing within Nairobi’s poetry ecosystem, with a clear intention to be remembered as a poet who inspired hope and encouraged positive change.
This is the posture of a builder, not just a participant.
Why her appointment strengthens SheShe Slam 2026
SheShe Slam is built to protect artistic dignity while amplifying women’s voices. A selection process like this requires more than taste. It requires clarity, fairness, discernment, and cultural sensitivity.
Raya brings a combination that is rare: a poet’s ear for language, a community organizer’s understanding of context, and a juror’s discipline around standards. Her presence reinforces what SheShe Slam stands for: safe space, truthful storytelling, and excellence without harm.
At Ehalakasa, we believe platforms do not become respected because they are loud. They become respected because they are consistent, transparent, and intentional.
Raya Wambui’s work reflects that same ethic. We are honored to welcome her into the SheShe Slam 2026 Selection Jury, and we look forward to the rigor, warmth, and cultural intelligence she brings to this season.
SheShe Slam 2026 continues to stand on the principle that women’s voices are not a crime but a necessity.
