At a time when Kenya is grappling with deepening inequality, police brutality, and a shrinking civic space, the United Green Movement (UGM) Party convened an Arts & Social Justice Cocktail to create space for reflection, dialogue, and action.
The event came just days after the BBC released Blood Parliament, a documentary exposing the harrowing events of June 25, 2024 when scores of innocent Kenyans were shot, maimed, and killed for exercising their right to protest. What stood out in the documentary was not just the horror of state violence, but also the central role that artists, photographers, and storytellers played in preserving the truth.
It is this intersection, between art and accountability that framed the evening. The UGM Party recognizes that justice must go beyond rhetoric. In the past year alone, Kenyans have witnessed:
- Over 130 reported cases of extrajudicial killings;
- The violent suppression of peaceful protests;
- The attempted censorship of student performers, such as Butere Girls, who were barred from staging their play Echoes of War;
- A ballooning cost of living and rising youth unemployment;
- And mass evictions across Nairobi, often carried out without compensation or dignity.
These are not isolated incidents, they are symptoms of a state that has become increasingly unaccountable to its people.
Through this cocktail event, UGM Party reaffirmed its commitment to building a people-centered political culture grounded in social justice, rule of law, youth empowerment, environmental consciousness, and economic equity.
We believe that the arts are a vital instrument for activism. Art gives voice to the unheard, memory to the erased, and power to the disempowered. In a society where official narratives often obscure the truth, artistic expression becomes both a record and a resistance.
The cocktail featured a powerful lineup of performances
and exhibitions by musicians, poets, and visual artists whose work spoke directly to the struggles and aspirations of ordinary Kenyans.
Fadhilee Music delivered a captivating musical performance that struck a chord with the audience and echoed the evening’s theme. Cricket Writes, a spoken word artist who fearlessly uses his voice to boldly call out injustice, and the Dhamani Band a group of young, talented musicians, performed moving pieces centered on social justice, earning an emotional response from attendees.
Visual art was also a key highlight, with thought-provoking pieces
exhibited by Wasanii Hub’s Weller Arts, Fred Arts, and emerging talent Elcy Arts. Their work visually captured themes of identity, equity, climate justice, police brutality and resistance.
The evening also featured a surprise performance by Muhonjah Music, who delivered a powerful reminder of the ongoing struggle against femicide, underscoring that women’s rights are human rights, and the fight for gender justice remains urgent and necessary.
These creative contributions serve as a reminder that freedom of expression must be protected at all costs. A democracy that seeks to silence its artists is one that fears truth and ultimately, fears its people.
As a forward looking Green political party, we are building alternatives. We are calling for a new kind of politics, one that is driven by ideology, integrity, and citizen participation, not propaganda and personal interest.
We would like to thank everyone who joined us for this event, the Mizani 254 team for their support and commitment to change, as well as representatives from the social justice centers for taking time to participate.
We urge all Kenyans, especially the youth, to become active citizens. Register to vote. Join political parties that stand for something. Run for office. Use your voice. Because democracy requires each of us to act.
