But as literary scholars gather in Nairobi this week, the question is: are these viral one-liners the new "memorable lines" of our literature? Just as Francis Imbuga gave us "When the madness of an entire nation disturbs a solitary mind, it is not enough to say the man is mad" in Betrayal in the City, today's digital creatives are crafting a new lexicon. The phrase "Fire si fire"—often used to mock ineffective threats or lukewarm actions—represents a shift from the stage to the screen. The Meme as MetaphorLiterature critics argue that the brevity of the digital age has not killed creativity but condensed it. Kenyan oral literature (Orature) is thriving on TikTok, where storytelling happens in 60-second bursts.

Source: Daily Nation January 10, 2026 06:54 UTC