Professor Francis Davis Imbuga has been honoured posthumously as a national hero in the arts category for his decades-long contribution to Kenya’s creative sector. The honour is included in the National Heroes 2026 publication prepared to mark Mashujaa Day on October 20. Imbuga, who died on November 18, 2012, was a celebrated Kenyan playwright, actor and literature scholar whose works, including Betrayal in the City and Aminata. Through his plays, Imbuga explored Kenya’s social, political and cultural realities, examining the tensions between modernity and tradition in African communities. His play Betrayal in the City was Kenya’s entry to FESTAC, the…
Author: Anjellah Owino
The penalty: New Kenyan play confronts football hero’s legacy, family secrets The Penalty is a contemporary family drama and memory play about a legendary footballer, his estranged sons and the personal cost of sporting greatness. It explores masculinity, emotional silence, the conflict between legacy and truth, and the tension between provision and presence. Written by Simiyu Barasa and produced by Esther Kahuha, the play is presented by Astar Productions and KITFEST 2026. It will be staged on November 8 at the Kenya National Theatre. Incorporating magical realism and memory theatre, the play centres on Musa “Baba” Muthee (Justin Mirichii), a…
Listening to the Voices Written to Us by Zavai [Courtesy] Photographer and creative director Zavai explores the voices that influence our lives, both those we hear within ourselves and those that come from the world around us. Her photographic series Voices examines how these voices influence our perceptions, beliefs, emotions and actions. The project explores inner voices such as self-talk and inner criticism, outer voices such as the media, social norms and peer pressure, and voices of strength and resilience, looking at how people experience and respond to the voices around them. Zavai started her artistic journey with colour and painting…
Donica Merhazion: Born in prison, now telling her parents’ story through fiction Donica Merhazion’s debut novel, Born at the End of the World, draws on her family’s experiences during Ethiopia’s Red Terror and the struggle for Eritrean independence. Born in Addis Ababa in 1979, Merhazion came into the world in Alem Bekagn prison, where her mother was imprisoned for her involvement in the struggle for Eritrean independence. Both her parents were freedom fighters. A former journalist and now a teacher, Merhazion has lived in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Zambia and the United States. Her writing draws on personal and collective histories,…
The Gĩkũyũ historical biographical musical Waiyaki wa Hinga returns to the Kenya National Theatre (KNT) from October 16 to 18, revisiting the story of Gĩkũyũ Mũthamaki and early resistance leader Waiyaki wa Hinga. Presented by Ndúnyú Njerú Creatives, the musical explores Waiyaki’s encounters with British colonial forces in the 1890s. He initially sought to engage with the newcomers through diplomacy, but as demands for cooperation grew into demands for submission, he resisted. The musical examines the breakdown of their agreements and the events that ultimately led to Waiyaki’s capture and death. It also explores his leadership and the choices he…
In Ruitha Maina’s view, Nairobi is a city full of stories. Its people, transport system, language and everyday interactions are a source of inspiration for his work. His latest exhibition, When You Come to Nairobi, brings together three bodies of work exploring the city and its socio-economic fabric. The exhibition opened on September 11 and runs until October 12 at Wasp and Sprout in Loresho Ridge, Nairobi. The exhibition is showing Hustlers of Nairobi, the Yellow Line and Negative Space, three bodies of work that Maina has created over several years. Maina says that the exhibition is informed by his…
‘Maji Kichungini’: Cancer, money and family collide in new Swahili play [Courtesy] Maji Kichungini is a Swahili drama written by award-winning playwright Mohamed Komeja, produced by award-winning Caroline Ngorobi of Jukwaa Arts Company and award-winning Martin Kigondu of Prevail Presents Ltd. Directed by Kigondu, the play explores illness, family, legacy, caregiving and the financial and emotional pressures that accompany serious illness. The play follows Mamu (Mariam Dzungu), a determined entrepreneur who has built a successful company while raising her three children alone. Her carefully ordered life is disrupted when she is diagnosed with cancer, forcing her to depend on the children…
KITFest Trust founder and chairperson Kevin Kimani Kahuro The Kenya International Theatre Festival (KITFest) 2026 will bring 26 international theatre companies from 21 countries to Nairobi for its 11th edition, alongside more than 200 Kenyan artists presenting more than 50 productions. The festival will run from November 3 to 15 at the Kenya National Theatre (KNT), featuring musicals, dance, puppetry, drama and comedy, as well as workshops, masterclasses and cultural exchange programmes. The programme was announced during a partners and stakeholders breakfast hosted by the Kenya International Theatre Festival Trust on Friday at Trademark Hotel, Village Market. The event brought…
She has a final ritual before stepping onto the stage (Photo: Wakio Mzenge) Kenyan actor Wakio Mzenge is presenting her one-woman performance Elements by John Sibi-Okumu and leading a masterclass at the Harare International Fringe Festival, which ran from September 17 to 20 at the Jasen Mphepo Little Theatre in Eastlea, Harare, Zimbabwe. The third edition of the festival, formerly known as the One Hander International Theatre Festival (OHIT Fest), brings…
Visual artist Charles Ng’eno also known as Chalikin Arts, sees wildlife as more than a subject for his painting. His work represents a deep appreciation for nature’s beauty and his commitment to wildlife conservation for the future generation to experience and appreciate the animals as they are today. When choosing an animal to paint, he is drawn to its natural habitat, behaviour, visual form or texture. Among the different species he has painted, elephants hold a special place. “I am particularly an elephant lover. I have done more elephants artworks than any other animal. To me, they symbolise mighty, wisdom,…