Sauti Sessions Launched with Maraga in the Hot Seat and Protest Art on Display

People from all walks of life trooped to the Baraza Media Lab on Thursday, 24th July 2025, to witness and be part of the highly anticipated launch of Sauti Sessions, a brainchild of journalist and documentary filmmaker, Ian Wafula, expressly conceived as a monthly civic dialogue and storytelling platform. Those who did not make it to the venue had the option of following the proceedings from online platforms where the event was livestreamed. Mounted on easels in the front and rear of the auditorium were haunting images from the June 25th protests curated to give attendees a sense of the price that was paid on that day. Former chief justice David Maraga was the main guest of the inaugural edition of Sauti Sessions and he made sure to keep time. 

It was a full house by 5:30 pm, the time when the event was scheduled to start. Renowned journalist and podcaster, Ciru Muriuki, Sauti Sessions resident co-host, took the stage and called the room, which was buzzing with excited chatter and a surfeit of positive energy, to order before setting the ball rolling.

An intensely emotional recorded spoken word piece by Spontaneous The Poet entitled ‘When a Young Blood Bleeds’ was played on the screens, giving the audience a raw sense of the impact of police brutality on families. David Macharia, Kenya’s response to America’s David Chapelle, followed with a series of relatable jokes that offered much-needed comical relief.

Ian Wafula, looking dapper in a blue suit and red tie, took the stage amid cheers from the audience and delivered a short speech explaining the idea and vision behind Sauti Sessions. “Kenya is not short of voices, we are short of spaces like this. We are short of honest, civic spaces where people can speak and be heard, and without needing a godfather, a tribe, a trending hashtag, and that’s why I created Sauti Sessions for these moments,” he said.There was laughter when he revealed that the Sauti Sessions idea struck him while taking a shower. Before concluding his speech, the Sauti Sessions founder and lead curator, he invited the audience to watch a short but deeply haunting documentary on Rex Maasai, one of the victims of the June 25th protests, and how his parents were grappling with the aftermath of his brutal death. Chrispine Odawa, Rex’s father, presence in the audience was acknowledged and a moment of silence was observed for his slain son. Overwhelmed by emotion, he didn’t say a word.

Then the main part of the evening’s business came when former chief justice David Maraga walked to the dais and took his chair across from Ciru Muruiki, ready to be grilled about his decades-long legacy in the judiciary, his vision for the country, readiness for high office, and understanding of the mechanics of statecraft. Ciru hurled the tough and bold questions before opening it up to members of the audience who also posed some good questions for the former Supreme Court judge.

Kenyan rapper Fena Gitu staged the final performance, inviting the audience to sing along to some of  her tunes before the curtain went down on a great evening of deep reflections on the state of the nation interspersed with top-tier entertainment.