Renowned Kenyan digital artist Collins Omondi Okello has officially copyrighted his viral artwork titled “Sunset of the Enigma”, a tribute to the late Raila Odinga. The move aims to protect the image from unauthorized commercial use while still allowing fair, non-commercial sharing.
Taking to Facebook on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, Okello announced that he had received the official copyright certificate. “I finally have the certificate for the artwork. Changing the narrative one milestone at a time,” he wrote.
He clarified that the copyright was not meant to restrict reposting or sharing under fair use, but to stop “unscrupulous businesspeople” from profiting off his work without permission.
Immediately after Raila’s passing, Okello’s artwork went viral, resonating deeply with Kenyans mourning the departed statesman. The piece, showing a reflective portrayal of Odinga against a symbolic sunset, became a unifying image across social media.
Okello, who met Odinga a decade earlier and gifted him a pencil portrait, later began selling signed prints and merchandise. Prices ranged from Ksh1,500 for T-shirts and Ksh900 for caps, to Ksh15,500 for limited-edition epoxy mounts. However, as other vendors began commercializing the design without authorization, Okello applied for official copyright protection on October 23, 2025.
Under Kenya’s Copyright Act (amended in 2019), the principle of fair dealing allows the use of copyrighted material for personal, educational, or journalistic purposes, provided it is not for profit and proper credit is given.
However, anyone using the image for commercial gain must now seek permission from Okello. The courts retain the final authority to determine what qualifies as fair use in any dispute.
Through this milestone, Okello not only protects his intellectual property but also highlights the growing recognition of Kenyan artists’ rights in the digital era.
