NAIROBI — With the beat of drums and the swirl of silk costumes, Kenya and China on Friday marked four decades of cultural ties not with speeches alone, but with a celebration of acrobatics, music, and shared memory.
In a spirited ceremony held in Nairobi, both nations launched the first-ever China-Kenya Culture and Tourism Season. It was a showcase of how far two very different countries have come through art, training, and people-to-people exchange.
“We’re not just honouring a partnership in policy, but in performance, in culture, and in spirit,” said Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan during her address.
A Story Told Through Movement
The festivities opened with the Seng’anya Dance, performed by Kenya’s own Bomas Harambee Dancers. Their footwork quick and grounded set the rhythm for the evening. It was followed by the Chinese Lion Dance, performed this time by Kenyan acrobatic schools, a symbolic blend of tradition and shared learning.
The musical portion of the event was led by China’s Mango International Art Troupe. Traditional instruments such as the Erhu and Pipa added lyrical interludes between acts. From the soft tones of “Presenting You a Rose” to the galloping pace of “Horse Racing,” the pieces gave the audience a window into China’s centuries-old musical tradition.
But it was the acrobatics that stole the night.
A theatre-style performance titled The Spark to the Rise told the story of Kenya and China’s acrobatic partnership through five acts each representing a chapter in their joint history. From the early days of discovery, to the challenges of training, and finally, to mastery and return, the story unfolded without a single spoken word.
Kenyan performers from schools like the Mighty Jambo Circus Academy and Zuma Zuma Arts Centre dazzled with routines involving juggling, balancing acts, and CYR wheel spins. The grand finale, a human pyramid built by all the acrobatic centres on stage, brought the crowd to its feet.
A Toast to Time
The evening ended with a ceremonial toast led by Qiu Taowu of the Mango Troupe. But perhaps the most poignant moment came during Ambassador Guo’s speech, when she reflected on one of the first links in the chain Mathias Kavita, a young Kenyan sent to China for acrobatic training in 1983.
Kavita returned to China last year to retrace his steps. Most of his instructors had passed away. One remained alive, but frail, and could no longer recognise him. Still, Guo said, “the techniques and spirit of acrobatics had endured.”
Old Roots, New Growth
Guo also reminded guests that ties between China and East Africa stretch back much further than the 1980s more than 600 years, to Admiral Zheng He’s voyages. One tale she shared: a giraffe, gifted from the King of Malindi to the Chinese emperor, was thought to be a mythical qilin a sign of prosperity.
Since Kenya gained independence in 1963, the two nations have steadily deepened cooperation. More than 2,000 Kenyan students have studied in China on government scholarships. In 2024 alone, over 90,000 Chinese tourists visited Kenya, and those numbers are expected to grow.
The China-Kenya Culture and Tourism Season, which will run through the end of 2025, includes wildlife livestreams, Chinese film screenings, and drama showcases on Kenyan TV. It’s all aimed at bringing the people of both nations closer.
“There is great desire from both sides to learn from each other,” Guo said. “That desire is the most powerful force driving our cooperation.”
A Shared Future on Centre Stage
As the last lights dimmed in Nairobi’s cultural centre, the message was clear: partnerships built on people, not politics, are the ones that last. Through acrobatics, music, and memory, Kenya and China are not just marking 40 years they’re setting the stage for the next chapter.
