On June 25, 2025, the streets of Nairobi and other major Kenyan cities pulsed with the energy of thousands of protesters. They gathered to commemorate the first anniversary of the storming of parliament—a watershed moment in Kenya’s modern protest history, which saw sixty people killed and twenty more still missing. This year’s demonstrations, like those before, were defined not only by political anger but by a vibrant, unmistakable creative force. At the heart of this movement, artists and arts organisations have played a pivotal role, transforming the protests into a living gallery and a cultural reset for a generation demanding justice, accountability, and a new social contract1234.
Art as the Pulse of Protest
The Gen Z-led protests in Kenya are not simply political events; they are cultural phenomena. Music, visual art, and digital creativity have become the lifeblood of the movement, giving voice to the voiceless and fuelling calls for change. This is not new in African protest history—Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat, Lucky Dube’s reggae, and the anti-apartheid murals of South Africa all testify to the power of art in resistance. But the current Kenyan movement has taken this tradition and made it uniquely its own, blending the immediacy of social media with the authenticity of lived experience123.
Central to this cultural reset is the song “Anguka Nayo,” which has become the unofficial anthem of the Gen Z uprising. Its pulsating beat and pointed lyrics have echoed both online and in the streets, uniting protesters in a shared language of resistance. Alongside it, older protest songs like Sauti Sol’s “Tujiangalie” and Eric Wainaina’s “Nchi ya Kitu Kidogo” have found new life, connecting generations through music that speaks directly to the struggles of the present1.
Visual Artists Transform the Streets
The protests have turned Nairobi’s avenues and squares into open-air exhibitions. Digital and physical posters, graffiti, animations, and collages amplify calls for justice, transforming public spaces into sites of creative dissent. Visual communication strategist Mijide Kemoli, known as Kiki, has been at the forefront of this movement. Her bold, minimalistic illustrations—produced in collaboration with civil society groups—have made civic education accessible and engaging, especially in an era when media censorship threatens traditional journalism. Kemoli’s work has been widely shared online, transcending language and literacy barriers and giving the movement clarity and presence1.
Designer and illustrator Stanley Kabicho, known as Pops Kabicho, has similarly leveraged his digital platforms to distribute protest posters and visual commentary. Describing himself as a “keyboard warrior,” Kabicho’s art captures the spirit of resistance and helps mobilise supporters in both digital and physical spaces. For many young artists, the act of creating protest art is both therapeutic and political—a way to process collective trauma and demand change1.
Kimeu Fredrick, a Kenyatta University student and visual designer, embodies the resilience of this new generation. Blocked from accessing the Central Business District during the protests, Fredrick turned to digital collage and photography to document the emotional burden of his peers. His work captures not only the anger and frustration of the moment but also the hope and solidarity that define the movement1.
The Soundtrack of Dissent
While visual art has transformed the streets, music has provided the movement’s heartbeat. The resurgence of protest anthems—both new and old—has united demonstrators and given voice to their demands. Musicians have not only contributed their art but have also been physically present on the frontlines. On June 25, 2025, prominent artists such as Khaligraph Jones and Arrow Bwoy joined the crowds in Nairobi’s Central Business District. Their presence was not without risk; both faced police brutality, including being teargassed alongside other protesters54.
These artists, along with others like Nyashinski, Nameless, BigPin, and Wahu, used their platforms to mobilise supporters, share live updates, and honour the memories of those lost in previous demonstrations. Their participation reflects a growing culture of civic responsibility among Kenya’s entertainment icons—a recognition that their influence extends beyond the stage and into the heart of national struggles4.
Digital Activism is The New Battleground
As the government has tightened its grip on traditional media and cracked down on public assembly, the battleground for protest has shifted increasingly online. Here, artists and digital creatives have become some of the movement’s most effective strategists. AI-generated protest anthems, satirical deepfakes, and viral political memes have flooded social media, challenging authority and amplifying dissent6.
Cartoonist Gideon Kibet and 24-year-old Billy Mwangi are emblematic of this new wave of digital activism. Both were reportedly abducted after sharing AI-generated images depicting President William Ruto in a coffin—a stark illustration of the risks faced by artists who challenge power in the digital age. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has reported dozens of such abductions since June 2024, underscoring the high stakes of artistic resistance6.
Despite these dangers, digital art and satire have become essential tools for mobilising support, educating the public, and documenting abuses. The rapid evolution of online activism has left authorities scrambling to keep up, even as they wield new regulations to try to silence dissent6.
Film, Animation, and Subtle Resistance
Not all artistic protest is overt. Animator Kyansimire Oroni, for example, found that the tension of the protests shaped his latest film project in Nairobi. While the film was not explicitly about the demonstrations, it subtly called for accountability and reflected the anxieties of the times. For Oroni and others, art becomes a mirror of society—a way to process and critique reality even when direct protest is impossible or unsafe1.
This blending of art and activism is not limited to the streets or the screen. Theatres, poetry slams, and spoken word performances have all become venues for dissent, as artists use every available platform to challenge the status quo and imagine new possibilities for Kenya’s future23.
Arts Organisations: Platforms and Protection
Behind the scenes, arts organisations have played a crucial role in supporting and amplifying the work of individual artists. Civil society groups and creative collectives have provided resources, platforms, and networks that enable artists to reach wider audiences and sustain their activism. These organisations have also offered protection and solidarity in the face of state repression, helping to document abuses and advocate for the rights of artists targeted for their work123.
During the most recent protests, these networks have been vital in coordinating artistic responses, distributing materials, and ensuring that the movement’s cultural output remains visible and impactful. The collaboration between artists and civil society has transformed the protests into a broad-based cultural revolution, reshaping Kenya’s political landscape and challenging the boundaries between art and activism3.
Risks and Repression
The involvement of artists in the protests has come at a significant cost. Many have faced physical danger, economic hardship, and psychological strain. Police violence, arbitrary arrests, and abductions have become all too common, particularly for those whose work is seen as especially provocative or influential654.
Nairobi-based sculptor Cyrus Kabiru and painter Ian Banja have both spoken about the challenges of making a living as artists in this climate. The demonstrations and resulting crackdowns have disrupted art sales and exhibitions, leaving many in the creative community struggling to survive. Yet, even as “all activities are dormant,” as Kabiru puts it, artists continue to use their craft to comment on the larger social movement and advocate for change7.
The risks are not limited to the physical realm. The government’s efforts to regulate social media and suppress digital activism have created a climate of fear and uncertainty, particularly for those working at the intersection of art and technology. Despite these obstacles, the commitment of Kenya’s artists to the cause of justice remains unwavering6.
A Movement Defined by Artistry
What sets the current wave of protests apart from previous movements in Kenya is the centrality of art and culture. This is a leaderless uprising—one that draws its strength from the creativity and solidarity of a generation that refuses to be silenced23. The movement’s artistic output is not merely decorative; it is a galvanising force, shaping public consciousness and sustaining resistance in the face of adversity.
From the viral anthems that echo through the streets to the digital collages that circulate online, from the graffiti that adorns city walls to the performances that fill theatres and public squares, art has become the language of dissent in Kenya. It is through art that the movement has found its voice, its identity, and its hope for the future1234.
Art as Memory, Art as Future
As Kenya marks the first anniversary of the 2024 protests, the role of artists and arts organisations has never been more vital. Their work documents the struggles and aspirations of a generation, bearing witness to both the pain and the possibility of change. In the face of repression, they have turned creativity into resistance, transforming the streets into galleries, the internet into a stage, and protest into a cultural reset.
The involvement of artists in the recent protests is not a footnote—it is the story. Their courage, innovation, and resilience have ensured that the movement endures, even as the forces arrayed against it grow ever more formidable. As Kenya’s youth continue to demand justice and accountability, it is the artists who remind the nation—and the world—that the struggle for freedom is, at its core, a struggle for the right to imagine and create a better future1236547.
On June 25, 2025, the streets of Kenya pulsed not only with protest but with creativity. From viral protest posters to AI-generated anthems, artists and arts organisations played a pivotal role in shaping the movement’s message, memory, and momentum.
Their work transformed Nairobi into a living gallery of resistance—and proved that in times of crisis, art doesn't just reflect change, it drives it.
Read the full story of how culture became the protest.
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