By Bill Odidi
A new generation of poets, singers, rappers, actors and visual artists, are channeling their talents towards human rights and good governance advocacy in East Africa. In Kenya, artists have been at the forefront of the recent demonstrations demanding change in the sociopolitical order.
Social Justice Travelling Theatre is among this new generation of artists that have played a prominent role in creating social and political awareness within the informal settlements of Nairobi. The group was formed by young artists from Social Justice Centers Working Group, community activists based in the informal settlements of Nairobi and other major towns in Kenya.
29-year-old Minoo Kyaa who turned to acting when she could not find a job after completing her college education in banking and accounting, says their troupe has embraced the power of art as a beacon to social change.
Currently there are 30 members aged between 21 and 33 years of age who perform theatre on stage and in the streets to address the major challenges facing their communities. “We love street performances because that format allows us to take theatre directly to the people affected,” says Kyaa. “We go to where the people are; on the streets, in buses and trains, that is the way to raise the level of consciousness and to get people to own their problems and seek solutions.”
The group, which has a rehearsal space in Dandora, one of the city’s most economically deprived areas, supports their advocacy work by saving any income they earn whenever they perform for occasions like International Women’s Day or special events organized by non-governmental organizations.
“We dramatize situations that raise questions in the minds of the audience without saying everything in black and white. Then the community is able to relate to an issue that is at the heart of national debate,” says Kyaa.
This strategy proved effective in the uprising over the contentious tax proposals in Kenya that kick-started the youth-led protests in June 2024 and were eventually withdrawn by the President under immense pressure from the demonstrators.
“The demonstrations are always punctuated with a song,” says Kyaa. “The role of music may not be directly acknowledged in pushing for change but you can see that it is a forceful driver of the people’s demands.”
Alongside music is the popularity of spoken word among young artists to express their views on topical issues. Cricket Writes is a 24-year-old writer and spoken word performer who has composed pieces highly critical of Kenya’s President William Ruto. At the beginning of 2023, he wrote a piece called Zakayo Maliza Uende (Zakayo, finish your term and leave) a no-holds barred condemnation of Kenya’s President William Ruto’s policies, using a reference to the Biblical tax collector. “I had performed but not recorded the piece, but when the protests started this year, I realized that this was the perfect time to record it and once it started circulating on social media then the impact was immediate,” he says.
The artist whose official name is Hezron Wanjira was given the name Cricket by his college classmates due to his outspokenness. “I decided to make progressive noise, first about the plight of the boy child and I was also inspired by the tough life in the ghetto of Korogocho in Nairobi. You can imagine living in a single room housing all of us, seven children and mum having to search for odd jobs such as washing clothes to feed us.”
The turning point came when he participated in Saba Saba March four Lives, held annually to commemorate victims of extrajudicial killings. “I met people who were fearless in their pursuit of social justice,” he recalls. “I immediately started writing pieces that were radically demanding answers on extrajudicial killings and championing environmental justice.”
He also convenes a group called Artistic Junction where artists meet and discuss issues facing them in their neighborhoods and at the national level.
“I am a cultural worker so I must think of ways of making my art sustainable,” says Cricket. “I am going to record and publish all my pieces and make them available for streaming. That will also make my brand visible and earn me opportunities to perform on different platforms,” he notes.
Such outspokenness is fraught with danger in a country that has witnessed abductions, threats and illegal detentions of activists. “If you see the comments section of some of my videos, one person asked – hasn’t this guy’s body been discovered in a gunny bag? – “It is often tough to keep going but when I think that my rent has not been paid or someone in authority is stealing taxes that would have built a medical facility then my morale is back up again.” says Cricket.
It is not uncommon for artists in East Africa who champion human rights to face threats and harassment. In March 2023, a Tanzanian dancer, poet and visual artist (identity concealed for his safety) who campaigns for LGBT rights in his country was relocated to Kenya after facing intimidation back home. Besides temporary relocation, the program by the regional office of the NGO, Protection International, offers psychological support to enable artists in distress to recover and resume engaging in their craft.
Javan the Poet, 32, a performing artist turned to the organization after Kenyan authorities demolished his home and many others in several slum areas ostensibly to clear the path for the Nairobi River in June 2024. “Human rights campaigners are not immune from the violations carried out by the Government,” says the founder of the Arts for Social Justice Committee which brings together more than 150 conscious artists in visual arts, poetry, photography, videography and community theatres.
“I have seen my friends and colleagues being victims of high-handedness by the powers that be and I now understand how that feels. I am still picking myself up through organizing festivals and documenting these violations through my poetry.”
He was the first act on stage during a huge concert in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park, Nairobi on 7 July 2024 in commemoration of those who died during the pro-reform protests led by young Kenyans. Javan also campaigns for end to enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions in Kenya, through Missing Voices Kenya a collaborative effort of like-minded organizations.
“Artists have a lot of work to do and we must not let go of the momentum that has been built through blood, sweat and tears,” says Minoo Kyaa. “When we perform our pieces in the bus, or on the streets, people are now reacting more to the message than they did in the past. They will always chant “Ruto Must Go”.
We keep organising
Awesome writing to capture the role of artists in the struggle,