Coster Ojwang's 'Fisherman's Experience' brings ambitious creative, civic programme to Bondo

Bondo in Siaya County is set to host a major three-day creative and civic programme this week from tomorrow,  May 28 to May 30, as the growing push to decentralise Kenya’s arts industry moves beyond Nairobi into the Lake Victoria region.

The event 'The Fisherman’s Bondo Experience' will be happening at The Garden Hotel near Got Ramogi, and is set to bring together artists, legal experts, journalists, electoral officials and young creatives in what organisers describe as a combined mentorship, civic education and cultural showcase platform.

At the centre of the initiative is visual artist and musician Coster Ojwang, who serves as curator and lead organiser.

Ojwang, who has built his creative identity around combining art with civic engagement, is positioning the Bondo programme as a shift to Kenya’s creative economy away from its heavy concentration in the capital.

While the initiative has been presented as a milestone for regional creative development, it also raises questions about whether such large-scale, short-term interventions can translate into lasting support systems for young artists in underserved counties.

The programme is structured into three days combining training, civic dialogue and performance.

The first day will feature The Fisherman’s Art Workshop, bringing together established Kenyan creatives and mentors to train more than 200 young artists in songwriting, performance, branding, storytelling and the business of the creative industry.

Financial literacy sessions are also expected to be delivered in partnership with Equity Bank, reflecting a growing trend of corporate involvement in creative sector capacity building.

Day two shifts focus to civic engagement, with lawyers, journalists, electoral officials and civil society representatives leading discussions on constitutional rights, press freedom and youth participation in governance.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is also expected to conduct voter education and registration during the event, linking the programme directly to civic participation ahead of future elections.

The final day will close with Fisherman’s ChomaFest, a public music and cultural concert featuring performances from both established and emerging Kenyan artists, alongside local cultural groups and DJs.

Organisers have also included a public screening of the UEFA Champions League final as part of the closing entertainment line-up.

Artists expected to perform include a mix of contemporary and traditional acts. Coster Ojwang, Watendawili, duo of Onyach Pala & Ywaya Tajiri, Dola Kabarry, Octopizzo, Serro, Osogo Winyo, Kochia Ramogi Dancers, Nyoketch Boys band and Gabiro Mtu Necessary. DJ Mtaalam will be on the decks while Jakaloo, Willis Raburu and Prof. Aduol will be the event hosts

Fisherman’s Experience Limited, the organisation behind the programme, says the Bondo edition is the first in a planned four-city series that will extend to Nairobi, Kisumu and Homa Bay.