Nairobi County has unveiled an initiative to honour prominent Kenyan artists by renaming several city roads after them.
The decision was announced by Governor Johnson Sakaja during the 2024 Jamhuri Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens. This move reflects the government’s dedication to preserving Kenya’s rich cultural heritage and recognizing the contributions of its artistic legends. Among the artists to be honoured is the late E-Sir, widely regarded as one of East Africa’s most influential rappers.
Issah Mmari, known by his stage name E-Sir, tragically passed away in a road accident in 2003. His musical legacy endures, with hit songs such as “Leo Ni Leo” and “Moss Moss” continuing to resonate with fans. In tribute to his impact on the Kenyan music scene, a road in South C, the neighbourhood where he grew up, will be named in his honour. This renaming initiative fulfils a long-standing request from Nameless, a prominent Kenyan musician and close friend of E-Sir.
In 2022, Nameless initiated an online petition advocating for street renaming which attracted thousands of signatures, indicating strong public support for honouring the late rapper. Nameless, who was present at the time of E-Sir’s tragic accident, has consistently championed calls for this recognition. Governor Sakaja’s administration views this initiative as an essential step in acknowledging the significant contributions of creatives to the nation’s cultural and social landscape.
In a statement, Nairobi Governor Sakaja commended the national government’s efforts to foster a digital economy and highlighted the substantial growth in social media and entertainment applications. This development, he noted, has created opportunities for artists to earn a livelihood from their creative endeavours. Governor Sakaja expressed gratitude to President William Ruto for his proactive engagement with platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
Sakaja acknowledged the President’s international outreach to promote content monetization among young people in Kenya. He encouraged the youth to actively create content, emphasizing that they could film without permits in the city over the weekends. President Ruto, in his address, reinforced the government’s commitment to investing in local content creation. He noted the importance of enhancing the quality and competitiveness of Kenyan creative products for export, which includes developing digital platforms to bring Kenyan creativity to global audiences.
President Ruto also directed the Kenya Copyright Board, in collaboration with industry stakeholders and eCitizen, to establish a transparent system for the real-time collection and distribution of royalties to ensure rightful earnings for artists. Additionally, Ruto announced Kenya’s bid to host the 2026 World Creative Economy Conference, aiming to position the country as a leader in the creative economy.
