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By Mercy Kachenge
Nairobi, Kenya: Nairobi is set to host “Wakati Wetu,” Africa’s first reparations festival, on October 22-23, bringing together artists, activists, and policymakers to highlight reparative justice as a political demand and cultural movement.
This event aligns with the African Union’s “Year of Justice for Africans and People of African Descent” (2025) and subsequent “Decade of Reparations” (2026–2036).
Organizers, including African Futures Lab and AU ECOSOCC, emphasize the festival’s urgency, linking issues like climate change and economic inequality to ongoing racial domination.
Despite global resistance to reparations, Wakati Wetu aims to reframe the discussion through three pillars: Resist, Repair, and Reclaim, focusing on building a just future rather than dwelling on the past.
The two-day program will blend “edutainment” with academic discussions, featuring live music, theatre, film, art exhibitions, and moderated conversations on climate justice, economic exploitation, and cultural restitution. Healing sessions and storytelling will also be included, recognizing the emotional toll of the fight for justice.
Nairobi, with its vibrant cultural scene, is an ideal host, and the festival is designed to be inclusive, welcoming diverse groups from young activists to scholars and diaspora members.
This inaugural event is envisioned as the start of a decade-long series, building momentum for the AU’s Decade of Reparations and placing reparative justice at the heart of Africa’s development agenda. The message is clear: Africa will chart its own path to a repaired future.
