Arts, Digital Technology & The Gen Z Protests in Kenya

Synopsis

This issue of Jahazi critically examines the interplay between technology and culture. It investigates how advancements in technology have impacted creative writing, pedagogy, and the preservation of traditional practices such as games. It also explores how youth have employed digital platforms to organize and sustain collective social actions with remarkable efficiency and scope.

As a journal dedicated to culture, the arts, and performance, Jahazi has directly engaged with these technological developments. This edition reflects those engagements, from utilizing Artificial Intelligence to design cover art and illustrations to rethinking distribution in response to shifts in media consumption. Through analytical essays and narratives, this issue documents how these changes are reshaping cultural practices and social experiences.

A significant section is devoted to examining the Gen Z-led “maandamano” protests in Kenya during June and July 2024. These protests were distinctive in that they operated without political leadership, were coordinated predominantly through social media, and occurred simultaneously in urban centers across the country. This raises important questions about the sustainability of such movements, their potential to influence governance, and their implications for civic engagement and resource management.

This issue situates technology as an integral component of contemporary cultural practice, reflecting its pervasive influence on expression, organization, and societal interaction. By exploring these themes, Jahazi seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of the evolving relationship between technological innovation and cultural development.

Editorial Board

Caroline Mose
Faith Oneya
Mueni Lundi,
Lydia Muthama
Mary Wanjau

Issue Editor: Mwenda Ntarangwi

Advisory Board: Garnette Oluoch-Olunya, Kahithe Kiiru, Mwenda Ntarangwi

Design & Layout: Victor Gitonga Twenty Twenty Design

AI Generated Images: Twaweza Communications Media Department

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Contents

The intersection of digital technology, arts and culture in East Africa

  1. From the Editor
  2. From the Publisher
  3. Algorithms and Ancestry: On Artificial Intelligence and Cultural Restitution … Gideon Ngaruiya
  4. Should I be afraid of Artificial Intelligence as a content creator? … Esther Kiragu
  5. The Role of Video Games in Preserving Traditional African Cultures … Jay Shapiro
  6. The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and African Art: Navigating Innovation, Ethics, and Cultural Representation … Esther Gicheru
  7. ChatGPT and University Examinations … Lydia Muthuma
  8. The Fear that Producers will reject Playwrights: AI in the Kenyan theatre, harvesting where others have sown! … Fred Mbogo
  9. Digitization of Traditional African Games: Doing it for the greater good … Walter Ngano
  10. Collaborating With AI in Creative Writing … Cajetan Boy
  11. Samplebar Kenya and Beyond: On Interactive Ways to Digitize Traditional Music … Kahithe Kiiru

Gen Z protests in Kenya

        1. ‘Anguka nayo!’: TikTok and Youth Agency in Kenyan Public Space … Mbũgua wa Mũngai & Stephen Mutie
        2. #ZakayoShuka: An analysis of language used during the Gen Z protests in Kenya … Joyce Omwoha
        3. #RageAndCourage: The Revolution was Televised, and the President Watched it … Joseph Obel
        4. Too Early for Birds: Storytelling as a revolutionary force … Faith Oneya
        5. The Unbowed Gen Z Movement … Ann Wahome
        6. Never Forget! Cultural Production in Support of the June 2024 Maandamano … Ngũye Mutere
        7. Why all Generations are part of the Gen Z Revolution … Wambui JL
        8. Reinventing Activistic Spaces: Digital Perspectives … Gitonga James & Antony Mukasa Mate
        9. The People Shall. Mandatory … Happiness Mena
        10. The Revolution Will Be Live Tweeted: Social Media as the Catalyst for the Kenyan Insurgence … Vanessa Cyrilla
        11. ‘Colonial Police’: The faceless soundtrack of Kenya’s 2024 protests … Asajile Mwakalinga
        12. Book Review: Architecture of Migration: The Dadaab Refugee Camps and Humanitarian Settlement … G Oluoch-Olunya