Kenya’s artistic freedom faces significant threats, including censorship, suppression of dissent, and the targeting of LGBTI expressions, a situation that has become more critical with the current unrest and violent police suppression of protests. On 1 May 2025, artists and cultural workers gathered in Nairobi at an event organised by Freemuse, SELAM, and PAWA254 to observe the United Nations Universal Periodic Review of Kenya’s human rights record. The following is a report of the event.
As Kenya underwent a fourth cycle review of the country’s human rights record on 1 May 2025 in Geneva – Switzerland, artists, human rights activists and cultural professionals gathered in Nairobi to follow the live webcast of this review, with a collective interest of tracking engagements of issues affecting free artistic expression in Kenya. The meeting was organised with the aim of providing a platform of learning about the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism (UPR) and its interconnectedness with artistic freedom.
Michael Owino, SELAM’s programme officer under the Pan African Network for Artistic Freedom welcomed the collaboration, stating that “the UPR process when carefully followed is one sure way of holding governments accountable.” He further encouraged “CSOs, artists and members of the public to acquaint themselves with the UPR process, a unique platform that governments cannot ignore or wish away.”
During the review, Kenya’s delegation, among other issues, reiterated the country’s commitment to external human rights reviews, the protection of human rights defenders, the realisation of participatory democracy and the protection of freedom of assembly. Amid growing concerns about draft legislation seeking to impose stricter regulations on freedom of assembly, Kenya’s delegation reported that the proposed Assembly and Demonstrations Bill had been rejected by parliament, a positive development applauded by artists in Nairobi for safeguarding the right to free speech and peaceful public assembly. The country’s report was however delivered under the shadow of escalating and repeated concerns about the enforced disappearance of government critics, including artists, as well as use of excessive force by the police in the management of peaceful protests.
Reflecting on the report delivered by the delegation of Kenya, Marion Ngayi the Programme Manager of PAWA254 echoed sentiments held by artists in the UPR observation in Nairobi, largely that there was a major disconnect between the state of artistic freedom in Kenya and government’s reported commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights.
“At this time, the right to freedom of expression, particularly artistic freedom, is increasingly under threat. Unfortunately, government’s submissions largely reflected progress that does not align with lived realities on the ground. This underscores the urgent need for artists and cultural professionals alike to actively hold the government accountable and push for genuine reforms,” she said.
A celebration of artists, art spaces and artistic expression
The UPR observation meeting in Nairobi carried a sense of hope, solidarity and a renewed commitment to the defence of artistic freedom. Spirited artistic performances by Dorphanage the Poet and Shikkiey amplified the importance of art as critical commentary in the pursuit of societal change and democratic participation. Mageuzi Hub, the host space of the meeting, brought with it a legacy of artivism which has been sustained over several years to equip artists and human rights activists with the resources and skills to demand accountability.
“Making the observation meeting an artist-centric event, in all aspects, simplified a UN process that most would have thought is inaccessible to the arts community. The engagements artists had among themselves and in response to the proceedings of Kenya’s review further demonstrated that human rights mechanisms are not the special reserve of policy specialists,” Lisa Sidambe a researcher at Freemuse said.
In reflecting on the meeting and its importance to the artistic freedom ecosystem of Kenya, the moderator of the proceedings, Javan the Poet, via LinkedIn, classified the meeting as not having been just a review but a “reminder that change begins with participation.” Dorphanage the Poet, on his X account, expressed satisfaction with learning that “there are mechanisms in place to help states improve on human rights implementation.”
Images: PAWA254
