Hezborn Bahati
Nairobi
-
Kenya
"If I was in charge I would compensate the victims and survivors of police brutality."
"I draw the red line against police brutality and police abuse of power."
"I draw the red line against police brutality and police abuse of power."
I became an activist during the post-election violence in 2007-8, when young people were being negatively profiled, arrested, and shot.
My activism focuses on art-space democracy, because I am an artist and I speak truth to power through music.
One of my greatest challenges has been being negatively profiled as an artist. Last year, on October 20th, during Mashujaa Day, I was shot beneath the knee in my right leg, and spent close to nine months in hospital. I had to use all of my savings, and I was also affected mentally to the extent I contemplated suicide.
What keeps me going is my craft. I use music to speak truth to power. Art can create social change, creating discussion and inspiring people to take action.
Hezborn Bahati Saya (A-zee Coptel) works through Copstars Entertainment, a youth-led Community-Based Organization in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Nairobi.
Founded in 2018, Copstars champions art-space democracy, youth empowerment, and the right to decent income through creative industries. The organisation uses art, sports, and civic education to advocate for human rights, peace-building, and environmental justice, while confronting arbitrary arrests, police abuse of power, and systemic inequality in informal settlements.
Copstars partners with groups including Pawa254, Siasa Place, the Mukuru Community Justice Centre, and FECCLAHA, and is a proud member of the Kenya Fight Inequality Alliance.
Together, they nurture a generation of artists and activists using creativity, advocacy, and solidarity to defend rights, fight poverty, and reimagine justice in Embakasi South and beyond.
Meet The Photographer
Lisa Murray
Lisa Murray is a communication specialist and photographer with a focus on capturing the human toll of the triple planetary crisis. She leverages her decade of experience in international development and environmental research to create striking imagery with clarity and respect. Her work is deeply motivated by the need to highlight the impact of climate change, environmental disasters and, crucially, cost-effective solutions.
Through her lens, Lisa seeks to bring the lived realities of development work to light, focusing on critical issues like pollution, food systems, and conflicts between people and nature. She has partnered with major organizations like UNEP, WFP, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera to ensure that vital work in these areas are seen, understood, and supported by donors and decision-makers. Visual storytelling, for Lisa, is a vital conduit for driving positive social and environmental change.
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