Kenya’s Cultural Renaissance: How Protest Birthed a New Music Era

From Shouting to Streaming: How a Protest (and a Dance Move) Rekindled Kenya’s Love for Kenyan Music

For years, Kenyans have been shouting into the void.

Those who know me know how I have always been the biggest advocate for supporting local talent. In fact, if you visit me in my house, before you request for your favorite song, you will have the disadvantage of having to listen to at least 3 or 4 of my mother tongue hits. Yes, by the time you leave, you have to know at least one musician from my village hehe.

Play Kenyan music, we begged. Artists tweeted their frustrations and talked about it any chance they got. DJs (a negligible number of them, if we are being honest) campaigned for airplay. Twitter (now X) trended with hashtags like #PlayKe and #SupportKenyanMusic. And yet…..nothing. A majority of us were choking in frustration as the airwaves kept being dominated by Nigerian bangers, South African amapiano, and Bongo music from just next door. Our own sound was left echoing in the background, unheard in matatus, overlooked in clubs and intentionally dismissed on mainstream radio.

So, what exactly changed, or is changing?

It wasn’t a government directive or a shiny media campaign. I don’t even think it is because the artists tried harder (now they are, in the production of their music videos and sharpening their craft.) But initially, I believe the wave caught even them by surprise. It came quickly and unannounced in the form of a single spontaneous protest. A frustrated generation took to the streets and with them, the entire mood of the country flipped.

I don’t think the Anguka nayo singers knew how big the song would be when they released it.

Not only did Wadagliz give us a soundtrack and a rhythm to march to, they also gave us a mood. They gifted us with a generational shift in mindset and a dancing style that one year later, refuses to die. At concerts, in protest footage, on TikTok, in high school dorms, at wedding receptions, Anguka nayo became a symbol. Even church functions were not to be left behind.

It was the turning point in what can only be described as a cultural renaissance – a moment where Kenyan youth finally stopped asking for permission to be heard or seen and decided to seize the moment by themselves. And ohh boy, did they make a statement while at it.

Did Kenyan Artists Win the Protest?

Have Kenyan artists been the biggest beneficiaries of the June 2024 protests?

It’s a bold question – but one worth asking.

In the weeks following the nationwide demonstrations, something fascinating happened. Kenyan music – often dismissed or deemed “not commercial enough” – was suddenly everywhere. And it is not like people sat down and agreed to, it just….happened. Which makes this journey even more beautiful. Unexpectedly, but to everyone’s pleasant surprise I assume, the nation tuned into a sound it had ignored for far too long.

While It is up for debate if anguka nayo was the turning point, what began as a viral banger exploded into a cultural phenomenon. I am not sure if it was just the beat or the rhythm that matched the heartbeat of a restless generation, but suddenly, artists who had once begged for airplay were watching their songs become rallying cries and protest chants. And of course, the role that tiktok played in this cannot be stated enough.

More artists followed.
Songs like “Tumechoka”, “Sisi Ndio Future” by Fari Athman, “Maandamano” by Bien, “Occupy The Streets” by Trio Mio, “Gotha” by Breeder and “Kudade” marched alongside us on the streets. Mark you, these weren’t polished, PR-friendly releases. They were a raw cry for help that every marching comrade could relate to. Urgent and fiercely local. And just like that, Kenyans went to sleep listening to Afrobeats and woke up listening to urbantone. Kenyan music had finally arrived.

It had found its audience – right here at home.

But was this just a lucky break for artists? I don’t think so. I believe it was the consequence of years of collective frustration. Of tweets saying “Play Kenyan music!” being met with silence. Of DJs choosing Bongo over Genge and claiming genge music was too vulgar – as if weka mate niteleze kama nyako pangoni isn’t the epitome of vulgarity.

When Gen Z and millennials took to the streets, they wanted more than a better future economically. They wanted a cultural reckoning. So yes, suffice to say that Kenyan artists have been among the biggest beneficiaries of this political awakening. But make no mistake; they earned it. They showed up and gave voice to a generation that was done whispering. They were bold and courageous and shouted with the rest of us, even when their voice trembled with the fear of being silenced.

Patriotism You Can Wear: How Kenyans Became the Most Proud People on Earth

Even when they felt hopeless and unheard and everything else seemed to have been lost, Kenyans never stopped loving their country.

Forget anthems and national holidays. Kenyan patriotism is a daily outfit……and perhaps nowhere is this more visible than in the Kenyan flag bracelet.

a beaded Kenyan flag bracelet in black, red, green and white, symbolizing national pride and cultural identity.

This little accessory has become one of the most iconic cultural exports in East Africa. You could be in downtown Kigali, or on a street in London – rest assured you’ll find someone wearing a Kenyan bracelet. This person could be Kenyan, but there is also a high probability that they aren’t. And therein lies the point.

Long before the June 2024 protests, Kenya was already known for its love of self. From our Olympic runners proudly draped in the flag, to diaspora kids repping Nairobi slang in foreign cities, to tourists who leave the country with a bracelet at hand, the truth is that Kenya sells itself without even trying. While the ministry of tourism tries to “sell” the country in the best ways they know how, it is mostly the kenyan people themselves that do the donkey work be it on social or wherever.

The Cultural Legacy of the 2024 Uprising

Protests come and go. But culture? Culture lingers.

And what we witnessed in June 2024 was a political resistance as much as it was a cultural awakening. And who is to say if it may or may not shape the creative future of Kenya for years to come?

For the first time in recent memory, a generation of Kenyans used art as action. Artists released songs that actually moved the country while filmmakers – not to be left behind – documented the protests in real-time. Digital illustrators sketched frontline heroes on IG Stories. TikTokers translated government policy into hilarious, informative clips. And dancers choreographed dancing styles that resonated with the music being made.

As if on cue, the line between creator and activist blurred and in a way, most people were proud of it. Because, tell me, what other African country would have done it the way we did, leave alone better?

1. Creative Courage Has Been Unlocked

Many artists have seen what it means to speak boldly and in sync with the people. They have seen the benefits of standing with the common mwananchi. If you are quiet when they come after us, who will play your music or even purchase it? They’ve realized that silence isn’t neutral and hence, expect future Kenyan art to speak louder without fear of being victimised.

2. A Stronger Local Economy for the Arts

The movement turned more Kenyans into local music fans and brand ambassadors. Hopefully, this will create real economic ripple effects. A proud audience equals a paid artist who in turn equals a growing creative industry. This protest raised voices, but most importantly, it raised value.

3. Pan-African Inspiration

Kenya’s uprising both inspired and was inspired by global youth movements like EndSARS in Nigeria to Sudan’s civilian protests and South Africa’s #FeesMustFall. The message is clear and the political elite must be worried. They either do right by their citizens….or DO RIGHT BY THEIR CITIZENS. Africa’s youth are done being polite, and Kenya is now a blueprint for protest with culture at its core.

The Culture Lives On

Before I go, I would love to share with you some of my current favorite Kenyan songs that I genuinely believe are shaking up the industry right now. These tracks are on repeat in my playlists and I can only imagine how defining they are to the young people – the sound of a generation that finally knows its worth. Whether it’s the lyricism or the unapologetically Kenyan energy, each one is proof that the culture is alive and thriving.