NAIROBI, KENYA: “Free Me”, Award-Winning Producer Gathoni Kimuyu Steps Into Her Own Story
“There’s light at the end of the tunnel, violence is a very lonely and scary place, so reach out to people who make you feel safe as you make a plan to walk away. There’s living on the other side “
~ Award Winning Producer, Gathoni Kimuyu
“I'm certain brighter days are yet to come,
Ain't no question that tomorrow there will be good times,
I believe with every beat of my heart.”
~ Sauti Sol, Brighter Days
Sauti Sol’s Brighter Days perfectly captures the season Nairobi producer Gathoni Kimuyu is living right now.
After years of selling out theatres from behind the scenes, producing hits like Tom Mboya, Wangu wa Makeri, and other Too Early For Birds productions, and walking away with Producer of the Year (2024) Kenya Theatre Awards, Gathoni is finally taking the spotlight herself.
This November, she becomes the story.
Free Me is her deeply personal new play about surviving gender-based violence, rebuilding a life, and reclaiming joy. Directed by Mugambi Nthiga, it premieres in the heart of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Free Me: Healing Through Storytelling
Gender-based violence is still a public issue whispered about in private. Advocates and policymakers rely on facts and statistics to tell the story, but for Gathoni, art carries a power that numbers cannot.
"Being a survivor using my voice to tell the story I hope will make survivors/victims realise they are not alone but also that speaking up is important because it could save others. All we need is one voice that champions for change and slowly by slowly it becomes a reality."
Shifting from producer to becoming that voice, as the protagonist of Free Me was both a matter of timing and personal healing.
"It was time to use my voice for the voiceless but also as part of my own healing journey, it has been cathartic bringing this show to life."
That journey, she explains, is a mix of peace, healing, and pain, “which unfortunately exist together.”
To embody her story, Free Me uses five women to represent five different ‘Gathonis’ at different times of her life, illustrating how dreams and care can sometimes transform into heartbreak and alter life’s trajectory forever.
Beyond recounting trauma, the play also explores liberation, and the right to reclaim joy.
"It took me more than 5 years to feel alive and like myself again. The 5th Gathoni in the story explores that."
Free Me Poster, Showing 28-30th November, Nairobi
What Audiences Can Take Away
Standing on stage with vulnerability as her armor, Gathoni hopes her story encourages audiences, especially women, to recognize their own power.
"That only you can free yourself and that the purest form of love is the love for self."
For Gathoni, freedom now is a simple, profound experience. “Freedom looks like easy breathing. Freedom in my work looks like creating things I love that also grows an audience that appreciates the work.”
And for survivors reading this, she offers a guiding light:
"There’s light at the end of the tunnel, violence is a very lonely and scary place, so reach out to people who make you feel safe as you make a plan to walk away. There’s living on the other side."
Quick Fire:
A song that defines this chapter of your life? Brighter Days from Sauti Sol
A woman who reminds you that freedom is possible? Wangari Maathai
A word that captures how you feel stepping onto the Free Me stage? Healing
Ready to witness healing live? Free Me by Gathoni Kimuyu is your call to the stage, secure your tickets now
Catch Free Me Live
Venue: C.U. Shah Jain Bhavan, Loresho, Nairobi
Dates & Times: Fri 28 - Sun 30, November 2025
Friday, Nov 28: 7 PM
Saturday, Nov 29: 3 PM & 7 PM
Sunday, Nov 30: 3 PM & 7 PM
Tickets: KSh 2,500 – grab yours today [here].
Need Support?
Whether in Nairobi, elsewhere in Africa, or across the diaspora, MyMindMyFunk.org connects you to GBV & SRH resources, crisis lines, and mental health support. In Gathoni’s words, there is living on the other side, reach out.
