The failure of Misango Arts Ensemble to attend the 6th World of Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (Festac) in Accra, Ghana, is more than a logistical mishap—it is a profound indictment of misplaced priorities and poor cultural planning in Kisumu. At a time when the city had the rare chance to project its artistic excellence on a continental stage, bureaucratic inertia and the inexplicable withdrawal of minimal financial support ensured that Kisumu’s voice was silenced. This absence not only undermined the artists who trained relentlessly for half a year but also stripped the county of a critical opportunity to assert its cultural identity and international relevance.
A Shattered Dream on the World Stage
When the curtains rose at the 6th World of Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (Festac) in Accra, Ghana this year, one notable absence was glaring: Kisumu’s very own Misango Arts Ensemble. The group, composed of 15 actors, poets, and musicians under the direction of Obat Masira, had trained diligently for over six months, reworking their Pan-Africanist production Angola Venezolanos – Voyage. Their piece—rich in African history, fusing drama, poetry, music, and narrative—had been slated for nothing less than the festival’s opening and closing ceremonies. Yet, despite this central placement, Misango never made it to Ghana. The reason was not lack of preparation, talent, or vision; it was the absence of a mere KSh 5 million in support, a fraction of Kisumu County’s KSh 11 billion budget.
The loss cannot be overstated. Artists bought passports, rehearsed daily from morning to evening, and even wrote a tribute poem for Dr. Kwame Nkrumah that was to be staged in Accra on his birthday. Instead, their hopes were dashed when, at the very last minute, Kisumu County’s Department of Finance declined to release funds, citing “financial constraints.” That decision left no room for alternative fundraising and reduced months of discipline, creativity, and anticipation to bitter disappointment.
County Government Support: Real or Illusory?
It is undeniable that Kisumu County, under Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, has done commendable work in creating a cultural hub at the Mama Grace Onyango Social Centre, spearheaded by Obat Masira. Investments in equipment and a lively space for artists have been noted, and last year Kisumu hosted the festival itself, bringing Festac from Arusha to the lake city. These milestones suggest a genuine commitment to promoting culture. Yet when tested, this commitment faltered.
What makes the matter perplexing is not just the modest sum required for Misango’s travel, but the inconsistency it reveals. On one hand, the county celebrates art as a marker of identity and development; on the other, it abandons its most visible ambassadors when global recognition is within grasp. The contradiction becomes sharper considering the broader political context: ODM, Kisumu’s political home, is part of Kenya’s broad-based government. The absence of intervention from national heavyweights in the party is as embarrassing as it is telling. If local artists cannot be supported to carry Kisumu’s cultural flag abroad, then what is the value of rhetoric about development through arts and culture?
The Ensemble Behind the Vision: Artists Denied Their Stage
The pain of this lost opportunity must be acknowledged, but it cannot be the final word. To the Misango Arts Ensemble—Kennedy Odoh (lead actor, portraying figures such as Mansa Musa and Shaka Zulu), Fredrick Obondi (narrator and poet, taking roles including Patrice Lumumba and Emperor Osei Tutu), Franklin Ochieng Bafrano (musician and vocalist), Charlotte Achila (actor and vocalist, embodying the Timbuktu scholar and Queen Amina), Cynthia Oyola (narrator and actor, cast as Cleopatra), Dory Gorretty (narrator and actor, portraying Queen Sheba and a Voodoo priest), Mitchel Nabii (actor, performing as Chimpa Vita) and Shanice Oduk (actor, cast as Queen Nzinga).
Additionally, Emmanuel Joseph Nyamanga (actor, taking on roles such as colonial governors and the Pope), Bellamy Ayieko (actor as the King of Portugal and also costume designer), Lydia Magoma (actor, portraying the Rwandan women’s leader), Adoyo Afrique (vocalist and musician, embodying Miriam Makeba), and Martin Odhiambo (instrumentalist, keyboardist).
The disappointment is undeniable, yet so too is the magnitude of your achievement. You prepared a historically weighty production, blending performance, music, poetry, and narrative with discipline and innovation. Though the stage in Accra was denied to you, the world stage remains, and your collective artistry continues to demand recognition.
The Lost Opportunity: Kisumu Missing in Action at Global Moment
The implications of Misango’s absence extend beyond the group itself. The production was not only a performance; it was a Pan-Africanist narrative covering two millennia of African history, told through drama, music, and dance. It was, in every sense, a cultural export designed to brand Kisumu as a creative hub. Tourism, international networks, and cultural diplomacy could have been the secondary gains. Instead, Kisumu’s name was absent from the program where it should have shone most brightly.
Consider the irony: a city that once housed intellectual giants like Prof. Okot p’Bitek, who brought Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe to Kisumu, now fails to send its own troupe abroad. The county lost not just exposure but legitimacy. Festac was the space to prove that Kisumu’s artistic vibrancy is not a local accident but an international phenomenon. Losing this chance underscored a systemic failure—one where culture is still dismissed as “entertainment” rather than recognized as a driver of education, employment, and development.
Simply put, the Department of Culture appears reactive rather than proactive. With early planning, fundraising could have been organized. With a sense of urgency, sponsorship could have been secured. Instead, Kisumu’s artists were left at the mercy of bureaucratic dithering. That passivity not only denied the county its international branding moment, but it also betrayed the artists’ hard work.
From Neglect to Investment: Securing Misango’s Future on the Global Stage
If Kisumu County cannot be relied upon, then the responsibility must shift. Public fundraising, private sponsorship, and international cultural partnerships are avenues to explore. The promise to begin preparations earlier for 2026 must be honored, not as a fallback plan but as a deliberate strategy to prevent future humiliation. A troupe that can carry the names of Nkrumah, Shaka, Lumumba, and Nzinga into creative life should not be left stranded by bureaucratic excuses.
At a time when governments speak of youth empowerment and job creation, there is no clearer avenue than investing in the creative industry. Misango Arts has shown what is possible: innovation, storytelling, music, theatre, and cultural pride, all rolled into one. The county must learn that supporting such endeavours is not charity—it is investment. Investment in Kisumu’s identity, in Kenya’s cultural diplomacy, and in Africa’s shared narrative.
Next year must not repeat this failure. To the artists: hold firm to your vision. To the government: recognize the cost of neglect. To the people of Kisumu: see in Misango Arts not just a troupe but a living archive of African creativity. The absence in Ghana this year is a wound, but wounds can heal if there is resolve, vision, and action.
Okoth Osewe
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