ONE TOUCH PHOTOGRAPHERS HIGHLIGHT KENYA'S DIVERSE BEAUTY

LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHERS SHED LIGHT ON ATYPICAL SITES

By Margaretta wa Gacheru

Vulture by one of the OneTouch photographers

OneTouch is a visual arts collective of some of Kenya’s finest young photographers, animators and filmmakers. They are also the group whose photographs, all snapped in 2015, currently cover almost every inch of wall space of Alliance Francaise’s ground floor.

The group of 15 entitled their show ‘Beyond’ for several reasons. One is because members went way beyond the typical photogenic sites in Kenya that foreign sight-seers most often go to see. They went on monthly outings everywhere from Marigat in West Pokot, Lake Ol Bolossat (between the Sagana River and Masinga Dam) and the Ewas Ngiro River near Lake Magadi to the women-only Umoja Village in Samburu, Garandare near Nanyuki and even to Accra Road in Nairobi where Mkokoteni drivers were busy protesting against the extra-judicial mistreatment that they suffer at the hands of City Council askaris.

Wildebeests in Amboseli

But they also call their exhibition of 80 photographs ‘Beyond’ because one of the main reasons the group was started by Mutua Matheka and Mwangi Kirubi back in 2011 was to take meaningful images of Africa that went beyond the clichés and misrepresentations of the region which so frequently appear in global media – images of hunger, disease, poverty, terrorism, corruption and of course, war.

The Milky Way by Mutua Matheka, one of the founders of OneTouch

Aiming to present authentic images of Africa (not only Kenya) that can serve to reshape public perceptions of what the region has to offer, the OneTouch photographers see their message and mission as ‘touching’ the hearts and minds of not only foreign audiences but their fellow Kenyans as well.

Then there’s something else about the OneTouch photographers that reflects their interest in the ‘beyond’ and that is their desire to be not just good and even great photographers. They aim to go ‘beyond’ even high expectations to achieve visual heights that haven’t been seen in our region (or possibly anywhere) up to now.

That is certainly the impression one gets when seeing how well one of them has shot the celestial glory of the Milky Way. It’s also the idea that’s inescapable when one sees the amazing aerial view of flamingos flying over Lake Natron. I had to be told by Joe Makeni, one of the 15, that the photo had been taken by a drone which was hooked up to a camera whose view finder was in another OneTouch photographer’s cell phone screen so he could snap his shot from the ground

Meeting once a week, and travelling once a month to different parts of Kenya (and beyond our borders), this ambitious group of free-lance photographers are constantly finding ways to challenge one another and improve their skills.

“Once a month we also have a ‘photo challenge’ where one of us brings something for the rest of us to either shoot or share,” said Joe Were, another one of the 15.

“It could be some of his [or her] latest work which we’ll critique or something else (possibly a model) to photograph and then criticize our own shots,” he added.

The other thing they do once a month is to conduct ‘portfolio reviews’ of one another’s recent works. In the past, they have only reviewed one a month, but as they all find such reviews extremely beneficial, Makeni said they now plan to review two every month.

“OneTouch took off in 2011 but we actually registered OneTouch Media Ltd. in late 2014, our aim being to eventually commercialize the business,” Were said.

The only problem I had with OneTouch’s Beyond exhibition is that while all the images are carefully captioned, none of them identify the photographer by name.

“This was intentional since we felt the public might only take interest in the names that are known, but we all want to be represented and our images appreciated,” added Makeni who identified all 15 for me.

They are the founder members Mutua Matheka and Mwangi Kirubi as well as Were, Makeni and Sebastian Wanzala, Steve Kitota, Kevin Ouma, Sharon and Amunga Eshuchi, Joan Kiarie, Sarah Waiswa, Paul Obuna, Kevin Shani, Ohwi Okoh, and Henry Wamai.

“We also have two interns, Sarah and Paul Kidero,” added Makeni. They’ll be training with OneTouch for six months, and then appraised in terms of the quality of their photography as well as their demonstrated commitment to the group. For while these artists clearly have a great time doing what they love most in life, they only want artists among them who share both their vision and vibrant commitment to work as a team thus ensuring the continuity of their OneTouch Collective.

Literary Hub in Nairobi is now Goethe Institute

LITERARY TALKS DRAWING CROWDS AT GOETHE INSTITUTE

By margaretta wa Gacheru Saturday, April 16, 2016

Goethe Institute's Literary Conversations on Refugees and Displacement was moderated by Southern African novelist and columnist Zukiswa Wanner

Last Thursday night’s lively discussion on the ‘Refugee Crisis’ focusing on the theme of ‘Displacement and Refuge’ confirmed for all who came to Goethe Institute that night that the Crisis isn’t confined to Europe and the Middle East alone. Rather, it is a challenge affecting the global population, including Africa and Africans.

Moderated by Southern African novelist Zukiwsa Wanner, the discussion opened with readings by two writers whose selections focused on refugee crises in different parts of the world.

The German writer Tanya Duckers read from her historical novel ‘Celestial Bodies’ which looked back on World War 2 and the displacement of the grandparents’ of a young female scientist whose elders had to flee Nazi Germany. The young woman sought to understand what being a refugee had meant to her grandmother, but it wasn’t an easy subject for the old woman to speak about.

Popular German novelist Tanya Duckers discussed the central topic of the talks as well as the subject of her novel 'Celestial Bodies' which she read from at the panel. all photos by Margaretta

The other writer was the Kenyan poet, actress and playwright Sitawa Namwalie who had worked for a time in Rwanda and had just completed a short story about the 1994 Genocide and its impact on those who’d survived that historic horror.

Sitawa Namwalie, the Kenyan poet, playwright, novelist and actor at Goethe Intitute read from her brand new short story on survivors of the Rwandan geneocide

Goethe Institute has become a leading venue in Nairobi for lively literary discussions, such as the one called ‘Literary Crossroads’ which was launched last week and which, like the ‘Displacement and Refuge’ series, was the first in a series of conversations that will take place over the next few months.

Both sessions follow a similar format in that there’s a panel made up of a Kenyan and non-Kenyan writer who are prepared to read and talk about their work, moderated by a leading local literary figure.

In the Crossroads session the PEN Kenya Chairman Khainga O’Okwemba chaired the conversation between the Nigerian novelist and Ambassador to Ivory Coast Ifeoma Akabogu-Chinwuba and the Kenyan poet, playwright, painter and novelist Dr Elizabeth Orchardson-Mazrui

Nigerian novelist and ambassador to Ivory Coast spoke at Goethe Institute twice, once during Literary Conversations, once at AMKA, the Kenya women's literary forum

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Ambassador Ifeoma’s readings and discourse about her work as a writer elicited so much interest that she was invited to yet another literary forum, AMKA, which Goethe conducts on the last Saturday of every month. It was the Saturday before Easter and the organizers had initially planned to cancel that Saturday session, but the crowd who came to the Literary Crossroads session clearly wanted to hear more from the Nigerian novelist-ambassador. In fact, the upstairs conference room at Goethe was packed (standing room only) during that AMKA forum, which in itself confirms that the Kenyan literary community has grown exponentially in recent times.

AMKA started an emerging women writers’ forum where aspiring poets and short story writers came to share and critique one another’s writings. But the venue has gotten so popular, and local writers are so keen for honest criticism from fellow writers that the population of men attending the forum is now nearly as large as that of women.

Tony Mochama, poet and novelist, is one of the many men who have become regular attendants at the Kenya Women's Literary Forum, AMKA

What’s inspiring about all of these literary scenes is that the forums Goethe Institute has been organizing of late, including ‘Spoken Word’ sessions, public readings in ‘Unusual Spaces’, Conversations between Kenyan and non-Kenyan writers and even talks on timely topics like the Refugee Crisis, Displacement and Refuge have attracted growing attention among a younger generation of Kenyans.

In a sense, these conversations serve not only to illustrate that Nairobi has become a fertile ground for creative writers. They also begin to fulfill something that Muthoni Garland and Storymoja have been calling for, for a very long time, and that is for Kenyans to experience a Reading – and also a Writing – Revolution, something that’s being manifest right before our eyes.

SILENT ART AUCTION STOKED BIDDING WARS AT ONE OFF GALLERY

SILENT AUCTION AT ONE OFF GALLERY NETS MILLIONS

Painting by Fred Abuga, Photo by Margaretta

Treasured works of art by Kenyan artists belonging to the German art collector .... garners more than KSh4 million as the Advertising Exec prepares to leave Kenya for good

Michael soi's Waziri sold at One Off's Silent Auction for Anja.photo by Margaretta

German art collector and advertising executive who had to return to Germany and auction off her treasured Kenyan art that featured everyone from Michael Soi, Richard Kimathi, James Mbuthia and Peter Elungat to John Silver, Anthony Wanjau, Simon Muriithi and John Kamicha among others. Photo by Margaretta 

Untitled by Beatrice Wanjiku Njoroge

James Mbuthia is one of the One Off artists whose paintings sold well at the One Off Silent Art Auction

Anthony Wanjau, son of the great, late Kenyan sculptor Samwel Wanjau and brother to another outstanding sculptor Jackson Wanjau, had to sculptures in Anja's collections that sold well at the Silent Auction All photos by Margaretta

EMO RUGENE: FROM ACTOR AND FASHION MODEL TO CHIC AFROSHOE MAKER

EMO'S GOT A BRAND NEW AFROSHOE LINE BUT NEEDS A LITTLE HELP FROM FRIENDS

By margaretta wa Gacheru April 13,  2016

Emo Rugene may be best known around Nairobi as either an actor (playing Kenzo in the One Fine Day-Ginger Ink film, ‘Veve’) or a fashion model who won a ‘top model’ award during the 2012 Swahili Fashion Week.

But that same year, Rugene got his start as a shoe designer, after having modelled on a slew of catwalks and runways since 2009, and seeing there was a gap in the local fashion market: “No Kenyan at the time was making chic and trendy shoes,” said the former footballer turned fashionista and entrepreneur.

He had already been working as a stylist for an African fashion house, (Blackbird Jeans) even as he’d just completed a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from USIU. So it felt like a natural progression for him to transform his passion for fashion into what he hoped would become a lucrative enterprise by designing his own fashion line of Afro-centric shoes.

Starting small with seed capital raised from a few family members and friends, Rugene, working closely with two local cobblers, began designing colorful kitenge-covered shoes.

It didn’t take long before his Afroshoes started selling like hot cakes, especially after he mobilized his fellow fashion models and designers to wear his Afroshoes on several high profile runways, like the FaFa Fashion Shows held at the Villa Nova Kempinski Hotel.

Currently, Rugene’s shoes are selling not only in Kenya but also in East Africa and beyond.  “We have outlets where our shoes are selling in Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda as well as in the US and the UK,” he said, adding, “We sell between 30 to 50 pairs of Afroshoes a month which amount to between KSh90,000 and 150,000.”

Admitting he has to approximate since all his overseas clients buy his shoes in bulk, Rugene said he can’t be more precise than this. “We don’t give out our shoes on consignment since our international clients like to buy our shoes outright and resell them setting their own price points.”

Having just completed his master’s degree in peace studies from the University of Innsbruck in Austria, Rugene is now ready to expand the business by starting a new shoe line and shifting its production to another East African country altogether.

“I got the idea for this new collection while I was still in Europe, but I was also researching around East Africa and discovered the best place to start-up its production,” said Rugene who’s found there are highly skilled shoe makers and shoe factories in Addis Ababa.

“There’s also plenty of well-priced sheep’s leather in Ethiopia, which is what my Nyala Sneaker Collection will be made from,” he added.

Noting that ‘nyala’ is an Amharic word meaning ‘gazelle’, he said he intends for his new line of shoes (which will be unisex) to be casual yet elegant, sporty yet beautiful and chic, and flexible as a gazelle is agile.

Calling his leather sneakers an “intercity shoe” Rugene says his Nyala line, like his Afroshoe, will be more than just a Kenyan brand. “The idea of the Nyala design was inspired during my time in Berlin [which is currently his second home], so the shoe will reflect my Nairobi influence plus that of Addis Ababa where he already has the factory and the shoe makers lined up.

All he needs now is the capital to get the new line rolling and that he went back to Berlin this past weekend. “I’ll be crowd-sourcing online through Kickstart,” said Rugene who explained that Kickstart is not operational anywhere in Africa but it works when you open a crowd-funding appeal in Europe.

“My goal is to raise between 30,000 and 40,000 Euros or approximately USD40,000 to USD50,000,” he said noting that the concept of crowd-sourcing has successfully taken off especially in Europe and the States.

“It’s a model that young entrepreneurs are using to raise funds from the public for start-up enterprises like my mine,” he said.

Noting that his Kickstart appeal went online starting on April 11^th and will be on the internet for 40 days. After that, if he doesn’t reach his goal, he won’t get any of the funds offered by the public.

I believe the public pledges can come in any currency, not just in dollars, euros, yens, rumbis or even Kenya shillings, so if are prepared to own a pair of Rugene’s Nyala Sneakers, they might want to do so before mid-May. And if he succeeds, his decision to commute between Nairobi and Berlin could pave the way for other Kenyans to try crowd-sourcing as a means to make their own business start=up succeed.

FIVE FABULOUS FEMALE STORY TELLERS

STORYTELLERS ENCHANT ALL AT KWANI TRUST AND GOETHE INSTITUTE

^{BY Margaretta wa Gacheru: April 2016}

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And then she said..." story tellers who performed first at Kwani Trust and then at Goethe Institute (L-R): Raya Wambui, Sitawa Namwalie, Patricia Kihoro, Mumbi Kaigwa and Maimouna Jallow

^{In theory they were five female storytellers} scheduled to perform last Saturday night in the production ‘And then, she said…” at Kwani Trust where there had already been a day filled with charming storytelling sessions for children by some on Kenya’s finest performing artists.

But in practice, the five were magicians each weaving her enchanting spell to draw you into her story which in turns, made you laugh, cry, empathize and often hold your breath in anticipation of what emotion she’d arouse in you next

Second time 'And then she said' was performed at Goethe Institute April 14, Aleya Hassan (3rd from left) replaced Sitawa Namwalie and Raya Wambui performed but left early, so (LR) Mumbi Waigwa, Maimouna Jallow, Aleya Hassan and Patricia Kihoro

The only one of the five that visibly disclosed the stories all came from written texts was the first one, Mumbi Kaigwa. She performed a sort of service in that she situated us in ‘the book’, bringing out the element of realism by revealing that all five storytellers would actually be drawing their stories from the original tellers who like themselves are amazingly strong African women.

In Mumbi’s case, her reading started from the beginning of the late Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye’s compelling novel, ‘Coming to Birth’. But rather than try to synthesize the whole novel at a go, Mumbi opened up the original setting of the story, thus requiring us to go find out for ourselves what happens to the newly-weds Martin and Paulina.

In contrast, the other four jumped into their stories head first: Raya Wambui, who was appropriately dressed in a hijab, shared the deeply moving story of the period just prior to the Somali civil war. Drawing from the historical novel, ‘The orchard of lost souls’ by the young awards-winning Somali-British writer Nadia Mohamed, Raya bore witness to the painful experience of three Somali women. Her performance was so powerful that one could practically feel the women’s apprehension as each anticipated the coming war.

Equally powerfully but emotionally antithetical was Patricia Kihoro’s hilarious performance of Zukiswa Wanner’s painfully funny and profoundly perceptive “Maid in SA: 30 ways to leave your madam.’ Zuki’s a keen observer of the nuances of race relations but it was Patricia who captured the essence of Zuki’s tongue-in-cheek mockery of the white ‘memsab’ or Madam. It was Patricia who made us laugh so hard that we eventually wept from the tummy ache that her interpretation of Zuki’s astute class analysis of white women’s characters brought on.

The final two stories were staged to a slightly smaller crowd since some took advantage of the extended intermission to disappear. But it was well worth sticking around since performances by both Sitawa Namwalie and Maimouna Jallow could have stood alone rather be one of five incredible women’s renditions. For not only were the women writers’ stories deeply revealing—although one was steeped in sorrow while the other was exactly the opposite—a kind of celebration of women’s ingenuity and canny ability to outsmart the cleverest man. At the same time, these two deeply dramatic and detailed life stories would never have roused the enthusiastic response that they did if not for the actors, the genius storytellers Sitawa and Maimouna.

Sitawa’s interpretation of Mariama Ba’s ‘So Long a Letter’ was intimate, soulful and strikingly candid and personal. As if she were disclosing a woman’s secrets and stunning disappointments to a best friend, Sitawa’s story is one shared by a multitude of women not just in Africa but worldwide, wherever a spouse or lover betrays their woman’s trusting love by picking up a new wife without even consulting the first one. Sitawa conveyed the woman’s heartfelt pain so deeply, one couldn’t help but empathize with the experience many women face.  

Ultimately, it was Maimouna’s finale performance of ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives’ that made one most grateful that we didn’t leave at intermission. Each wife’s story is dramatically quite different but Baba Segi’s discovery in the case of wife number five turned the whole tide of this marvelous tale that Maimouna told with gusto and guileless flair. And somehow she managed to synthesize the whole story without losing the pace, humor, personality or power of Lola Shoneyin’s tall tale.

It was Maimouna who produced the whole day and night of ‘Reimagined’ African Folktales and we hope she’ll put on a similar production again soon.

That day could come sooner if she succeeds in receiving an excellent range of modern ‘re-imagined’ African folktales of the sort she’s invited people to send by May 20^th to www.reimaginedstories.com.

Meanwhile, tonight at The Elephant in Lavington, ‘Tinga Tinga Tales: the Musical’ has its official premier performance. Based on the TV series written by Claudina Lloyd, with music by Eric Wainaina, who also co-stars with John Sibi-Okuma and others, it’s a show not to be missed.

 

TINGA TINGA TALES THE MUSICAL TILL APRIL 17: GO QUICK!!

TINGA TINGA TALES: THE MUSICAL TRIUMPH

By margaretta wa Gacheru April 2016

The only production that I’ve seen in Kenya that comes even close to the quality, creativity and  exceptional synthesis of music, dance, costuming, set design and even props of the brand new musical ‘Tinga Tinga Tales, the Musical’ is ‘Mo Faya’.

It’s obvious why this is the case: Eric Wainaina wrote the music for both productions; he also starred in both and his mate Sheba Hirst was the producer of both shows, the latter point explaining how last Friday night’s premier performance of the new musical came off without a hitch at The Elephant, the venue off James Gicheru Road in Lavington, best known for its Thursday night live music but nothing ever before on the scale of Tinga Tinga Tales (TTT).

There are huge differences between the two musicals however, largely because one was completely written by Eric and was set wholly in the present-day Nairobi, while Tinga Tinga Tales derives from the animated children’s TV series scripted by Claudia Lloyd and based on traditional African folktales.

The other big difference between the two shows is that Mo faya was directed by John Sibi Okumu whereas in TTT Claudia Lloyd directs and Sibi costars as the Lion King of the Tinga Tinga animal kingdom.

Yet in both cases, there’s an all-Kenyan cast who were compelled to sing, dance and in the case of Mo Faya, travel all the way to New York City where the show was staged off Broadway and to Europe where it wow-ed audiences in Switzerland.

There’s no telling where TTT will go, but certainly the storyline is charming as it draws upon several of the folktales that Ms Lloyd adapted for more than 50 episodes of the TTT animated TV series. They include the wonderful tales of how the giraffe got her long neck, how the chameleon acquired his camouflage and beautiful colors and even how the animal kingdom put together its own Festival of Colors.

But transforming cartoon animations into an enchanting musical for both children’s and adults’ happy consumption was quite a feat that couldn’t have been done without a collective effort that required expertise from everyone, including a choreographer like Mkamzee Mwatela, costume designer like Ann McCreath of Kiko Romeo, and of course Claudia Lloyd, all of whom were able to make us believe Sibi Okumu was a king, Eric a monkey, and even Iddi Achieng a hippopotamus.

Certainly all the children who came (and got to sit on the floor right in front of the colorful stage in what Sheba Hirst described just before the show began as the ‘best seats in the house’) had no problem believing Elsaphan Njora was a tortoise, Joshua Mwai an elephant and Phy a giraffe (even after she acquired her super-long neck).

They didn’t even have a problem believing the way Chameleon (Elton John Mwambi) was transformed from being gray and dull to acquiring a brand new suit, cape and even dreadlocks of rainbow colors. For it was all part of the enchantment that TTT managed to achieve.

But special praise has to go out to Eric Wainaina whose music was both masterful and a beautiful mix of many different genres, styles and sounds. He clearly worked closely with Claudia Lloyd to synchronize sound and script very well.

The band as well as the entire cast also deserves heaps of praise since they all performed like seasoned professionals.

But I can’t forget the set designers at Studio Propolis as well as the light and sound technicians from Homeboyz and Bankslave who painted the set beautifully with one giant bird-filled baobab tree. The lighting never interfered with the acting and the sound was also superlative as we could actually hear every syllable and song, whether the language was English or Kiswahili.

One can only hope that TTT: The Musical will go as far, if not farther than Mo Faya did. We need not draw parallels between TTT and The Lion King which also started as an animated film and then became a phenomenal musical and smash hit. It’s tempting to compare the two productions, especially as both aim to charm and enchant children and adults alike. But the future looks bright for Kenya’s newest musical that runs at the Elephant until April 17^th from Wednesdays through Sundays at 3pm and 6pm.

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SAFARICOM'S BOB COLLYMORE SUPPORTS KENYAN ARTS

SAFARICOM CEO AN AVID SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS

By Margaretta wa Gacheru  April 2016

Looking terribly sober and authoritative, Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore, painted by an anonymous Kenyan artist

“At heart, I’m [still] an artist,” said Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore who in addition to being one of the most successful corporate leaders in Kenya is also one of the keenest supporters of the arts. 

“I know how hard it is to be an artist,” said the man who still paints in his spare time and hopes to one day have a solo exhibition of his own.

Mr Collymore  opening a Kenyan artists exhibition curated by William Ndwiga (R) at Village Market in Nairobi

“It’s difficult, especially for young and less-established artists to find space where they can exhibit their work and where they can afford,” said the man who transformed the Michael Joseph Centre at Safaricom’s HQ into one of the most attractive and sought-after arts venues in the country. It’s a space where not only visual artists exhibit without charge; but neither do thespians, dancers, poets, musicians or even yogis pay even a nominal fee to perform in.

“That was a decision I made soon after I came to Kenya in 2010,” he said.

Concurrent with that decision was his choice to change the name of the space to honor his predecessor Michael Joseph who was also an avid supporter of the contemporary Kenyan arts scene.

“It was one of the first decisions I made when I arrived here,” he said. That and the plan to renovate the space [on Safaricom’s ground floor] to make it a proper performing arts centre, complete with new sound and lighting systems, an elevated stage, small bar and food serving space, super-clean loos and special facilities designed to serve the disabled.

Kenyan dancers performing at the Michael Joseph Centre at the Safaricom Headquarters.

But Collymore hasn’t confined himself to creating quality space for the arts to be shared. He’s also a serious music lover, which is why in 2014, he started up a Safaricom Youth Orchestra which he feels quite fatherly towards.

“They rehearse here [at the MJ Centre] every Saturday; plus we provide these young musicians with music tutors and master classes so they can excel,” he added.

Mr Collymore with the Safaricom Youth Orchestra. Musicians come from all over Nairobi, from posh suburbs as well as 'slums'

In addition, he said he’s reserved a percentage of seats in the orchestra for ‘slum’ children who have promising potential, but who are less fortunate than young people who come from private schools where music is an integral part of the curriculum.

The Youth Orchestra was one of the groups that recently performed at the Safaricom International Jazz Festival which was staged at Kasarani Sports Centre.

Safaricom youth orchestra performed during the recent International Jazz Festival at Kasarani Stadium

The Jazz Festival is yet another one of Collymore’s creation. But while he admits that the arts are not an integral part of Safaricom’s core business, the man who loves music almost as much as he loves visual art makes no apologies for having the company spearhead public appreciation for a musical art form which doesn’t just have its roots in Africa (given the Jazz genre was started by Africans shipped to the Americas and made into slaves). It’s also a global phenomenon practiced by musicians all over the world.

The global character of Jazz was clearly manifest during the Jazz Fete when the performing musicians literally came from all parts of the world. They came from Belgium, Israel, Italy and the UK as well as from South Africa and Nigeria.

It was a program was pricey, but Collymore made arrangements with the embassies of each musician’s home country. That way the artists’ transport and accommodations were covered by the embassies. To reciprocate, he opened the Michael Joseph Centre for an evening to each embassy so their chosen guests could listen the visiting musicians and host a free cultural night of their design.

But Collymore’s attention to the arts hasn’t come cheap since Safaricom has had to hire a whole team to keep up with all the requests from artists who want to utilize the Michael Joseph Centre space and become beneficiaries of Collymore’s rent-free policy.

“One of the best things about our space is that it’s safe, so parents don’t have to worry about their children’s coming here to an evening concert,” he said noting Safaricom’s security system is very good.

Collymore doesn’t attend all the functions at the MJ Centre, but he is a patron of the arts, buying works for his private home and occasionally commissioning Kenyan artists to create art for Safaricom’s permanent collection.

Bob Collymore commissioned this triptych of Street Life in Nairobi by Kenyan artist Samual Githui

One such commission is a fabulous triptych painting by Samuel Githui of Street Life in Nairobi. “I believe a number of artists were invited to submit sketches for him to consider and it just happened that he picked mine,” said Githui, a popular local artist whose art has most recently been commissioned by the Java Coffee House chain.

Githui says that Collymore selected his sketch but also asked that it be modified according to his taste, which the artist did. The result hangs inside the CEO’s spacious penthouse office overlooking one of Nairobi’s first super-highways, just behind Mr Collymore’s desk.

Githui’s triptych belongs to Safaricom so he will have to leave it behind when he retires from being boss. But that doesn’t look like it will happen very soon, especially as the Guyana-born, UK-educated CEO just married the Kenyan artist and gallerist, Wambui Kamiru in early April and apparently plans to settle down in Kenya and continue supporting the arts.

 Bob Collymore at Kuona Trust with Wambui Kamiru who was launching her art installation entitled "Your Name Betrays You". The two were quietly married in a private ceremony in early April 2016.