No one analyses Kenyan politics better than Gado. The Daily Nation's cartoonist manages to say more in a single black and white drawing than most commentators can in a dozen columns.
Be it the fragility of Kenyan democracy, the frustration of ordinary voters with their political leaders, or the vote rigging which provoked the crisis he almost always manages to hit the spot.
His cartoons are everywhere in Kenya, cut out and stuck on walls in
Nairobi bars, nyama choma joints in Ngong, and on the fridges and
toilet doors of a thousand and one Kenyans. Pictured is the one yellowing and curling at the edges on our fridge.
Unfortunately, his finest work during the election isn't available yet on his website. It is of Kofi Annan holding Kibaki and Odinga's arms aloft in victory after they signed their power-sharing agreement. Kofi is stood atop a podium, Kibaki and Raila are standing on piles of skulls and bones.
well done gado.
i am surprised, however, that the buggers haven't topped him yet.
african leaders are not renowned for their acceptance of criticism, far less ridicule in the form of cartoons. this would never have been allowed by kenyatta or moi.
Posted by: kris | Thursday, 13 March 2008 at 01:32 PM
Gado is great, check out his book 'Democrazy' if you can find it. As a commentary - and perhaps a valuable source one day - on the transition to mutli-partyism in the 90s it is insightful, clever and, as cartoons often are, very well articulated.
Posted by: Joe Alden | Thursday, 13 March 2008 at 03:02 PM