During the summer of 2012, Creative Time Reports editor Marisa Mazria Katz visited the Nairobi studio of The XYZ Show, one of the most beloved programs in Kenya and all of Africa.
A weekly satirical news show hosted by handcrafted latex puppets, XYZ tackles thorny political issues, from poverty in the streets of Nairobi to Kenyan politicians indicted by the International Criminal Court, with fierce independence and outrageous humor.
Godfrey Mampembwe ("Gado"), one of Africa's most famous cartoonists, created XYZ in 2009. The show couldn't have been more timely. The year before, over a thousand Kenyans were killed and approximately 300,000 more displaced in widespread ethnic violence following controversial elections.
With presidential elections coming up in March 2013, Gado and the whole XYZ team courageously continue to expose corruption and injustice — and keep the audience laughing along the way.
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