GUFYDOX, A KENYAN POET HEALING DEEP-ROOTED WOUNDS ONE POEM AT A TIME

 

Gufydox gives men a voice to speak about their emotions besides addressing social injustices. Using poetry and song, Gufydox has shown that men also suffer and they should have room to express their most painful emotions and even cry. His pieces also touch on social injustices and bad governance.

Kenyan poetry scene has grown from the written work pioneered by the likes of Prof. Henry Indangasi, Jonathan Kariara  Jared Angira and Anyang’ Nyong’o among others to performance. It is no longer a field filled with published anthologies but one brimming with CDs, DVDs and YouTube videos. This growth has seen the rise of significant voices who are shaping serious agenda. Among these voices is Gufydox.

 

Born and raised in Nakuru Kenya, Gufydox has grown to become a household name in Kenya’s entertainment industry. His name traverses poetry, photography and film production. In each of these fields, Gufydox is a name to behold. He is ready to leave a mark on the continent and help shape the new age agenda.

As a poet Gufydox has carved his own niche. In a world drowning in memes and hashtags, the young Kenyan poet aims to bring to the table a new voice- a voice of reason despite the growing complacency to talk real. As A Kenyan, Gufydox recognizes that they is a lot that is wrong, yet the majority of Kenyans won’t speak about it but bury it in Memes and clichés.

In order to be a voice of reason, the young Kenyan filmmaker creates a filmic showcase in which serious issues are digested. “It is not easy to put up a big show here in Nairobi,” Gufydox once confided in me. He was speaking about the work and the cost needed to package a show in Nairobi. “Sometimes after the show you go home and realize that you made nothing.” he added.

However, this has not stopped this overzealous poet in organizing over a dozen shows in Nairobi. Surprising enough, Gufydox’s shows keep getting bigger and better with every concert. His shows are well-rounded. Starting from set decorations, the music and the presentation, Gufydox does not spare any detail.

Gufydox started off as a poet in his hometown Nakuru before moving to Nairobi where he participated in the Kenyan poetry Slam contest. Back then, Gufydox was just a little known creative born Ogero Oscar trying his hand in what was growing up as a new kid on the block- poetry performance. But, after years of practice, Gufydox was crowned the 43^rd slam King in the country. Unlike some of the poets who chose to abscond the poetry scene and look for greener pastures, Gufydox chose to stay and become part of the Slam Africa poetry. From here, Gufydox evolved to become the longest serving slam Africa poetry MC and a household name in the poetry scene.

Gufydox’s poetry merges music and spoken word. Over the years, Gufydox packages his show pieces with a band made up of a pianist, guitarist, backing vocals and on occasion, a saxophonist. Apart from the usual band, he once showed his versatility by engaging an entire Acapella band in one of his shows. The band named ‘Spellcast’ brought a fresh ooze to performance poetry with their rich Acapella.  Through the use of the band, Gufydox sets the mood for his work which massages the audience before he chimes in with his soft voice that carries them into their deepest echelons of desire. His poetry is freeing and thus unleashing new energies. It is a call to liberation and at times just what the doctor recommended.

He is a stickler to detail and commands a huge following which is why his shows are always sold out. One thing that makes Gufydox a cutting age modern day performer is his energy to make the best out of his craft. He approaches his work with steel determination like a sculptor ready to make a masterpiece.  Despite the sweat that goes into the planning, rehearsal and execution of the show, Gufydox makes sure that he is always in touch with his audiences on social media platforms. He does shoots for promotion and teasers to attract even an unwitting fan. To Gufydox, poetry is his job and therefore deserves as much attention as it can get.

Preparations can only take you that far; what matters is the content of your material. From the onset of his career over a decade ago, Gufydox branded himself as a sentimental poet. Therefore, the issues he delved with were dear to the heart and those that hurt the most. It is no wonder that he has hosted shows mostly touching on the spirit of humanity and love.

Gufydox, as a child was surrounded by death that really shaped how he approaches grief. The loss of his father, cut deep, and from this position, Gufydox is a man who knows what grief actually means. Gufydox’s dad was the family’s breadwinner and when he died, they experienced a tumultuous change in everything. A senior civil servant in Nakuru meant that the family enjoyed modest livelihood. Gufydox told me that, even though he was young, he would recall his father taking them to various national events like the agricultural show. With his death, Gufydox, unlike his older siblings did not get to enjoy the luxuries and the sense of security only a father would bring home. Thus, he understands pain and the impact of trying to act normal. Besides his father, many other people close to him disappeared thanks to the brute hand of death. And the sting was always painful.

Besides, the brutality of death, he was at the heart of the violence that broke out during the hotly contested 2007 election. Even though they had learned to call Nakuru home, the artist confided in me that they had to move back to Siaya where they could feel safe. A journey that usually takes a day and a few hundred shillings in Bus fare cost them over Kshs. 30,000 and several days to make. He was a young boy then but he could feel the fear of imminent death as he passed by mutilated bodies along the way and men armed with crude weapons. Those images would forever haunt him. It is no wonder that he chose poetry as a pathway to share his experiences, correct the society and call for a better society.

His first album ‘Misimu Zangu’ was the javelin that catapulted Gufydox’s fame. The album was launched online in 2016 to a resounding reception. Equipped with five poems, the album pointed to the direction Gufydox would take. It spoke to a majority of Kenyans and became a number one trending topic on social media. Under the hashtag #misimuzangu, Gufydox welcomed Kenyans to share their pain and most harrowing experiences without feeling judged. Overnight, Gufydox became a sensation in the country. He had found his voice. The voice that said, ‘It is okay to feel vulnerable.”

‘Misimu Zangu’ album also showed the simplicity poetry forms can take to tackle difficult issues like corruption, bad governance among other issues. Using Kiswahili and English, Gufydox did not try to veil the truth about the murk in his country in complex satire and metaphors. He softly caressed wounds through words that left a sting to many who felt the bite of the truth with which he espoused.

From Misimu Zangu Gufydox has gone to bigger projects like MAY I, a collaborative poetry concept with a slam queen, Becky Wairimu which created awareness about mental health issues in the country. He also hosted a showcase “Home” in which he talked about modern day parenting which is disturbed by the need to earn a living. In the show, Gufydox reminded the society about the major cause of the modern day youth problems- lack of parents who pay keen attention to the welfare of their children.

With Gufydox, performance has always been emotional. Stemming from deeply troubled past, his works have always been about healing which is why most of his stage performance have ended up with a section of the audience in tears. The height of this emotionally gripping performance was in May 2022 when he performed ‘Love Lives On’ in his show ‘Black Boy Joy’ and from that dark event, he vowed never to perform an emotionally charged piece. This resolve bore to very bubbly and comic shows.

‘The Other Things and Love,’ his most recent showcase was also a collaborative effort with Kenyan poet Stella Kivuti.“The Other Things and Love” was about the challenges of love for a woman, football and alcohol. Touching on the three most valuable assets of a successful Nairobian youth, Gufydox showed how relatable he was to his audience. The jam packed audience regaled in his antics on stage with gales of laughter majorly drawn from relatable tales. He was animated and elated as his chemistry with Kivuti evoked the best of Nairobi’s dating scene.  

Later on, in 2023 Gufydox hosted another poetry performance concept ‘Nairobi Dating Stories” with Mufasa and other acts. These two back to back shows had an ensemble of music, poetry and talks including stand-up comedy surrounding the modern day drama around dating and trying to find a suitable mate. This two shows revealed another side of Gufydox, he was as outgoing as he is hilarious. However, this did not stop Gufydox from creating dams of tears from his audience when he soon after staged 'From What we Lost.'

In order to immortalize his work, Gufydox has under his belt over half a dozen albums and EPs. The albums stretch back to 2016 when he released Misimu. Although Misimu was released as an album in 2016, it was officially recognized in 2019 thanks to online streaming platforms. 2019 would also see the launch of Love and How it Comes followed by Black Boy Love (2023) and finally The Kids are Alive (2025.) What makes Gufydox’s work unique is his collaboration with incredible and talented vocalists and instrumentalist and also the fact that most of his albums are released online and soon after a well-attended concept performance showcase woven around the album. This makes it easier to create an immersive show that synchronizes well with his fans. Notably because, they have already familiarized themselves with the contents of the album.    

In his element as poet, Gufydox has shown a remarkable array of artistic growth and how experimental he can get to enjoin his audience in his own personal battles and at the same time call them to action. He has also stretched the realm of performance poetry by introducing not only musical element and set designs to his shows. Demonstrating his flexibility, Gufydox has shown that there is a lot that can be done to make poetry performance and appreciation command our daily life. Indeed, we are yet to see the most of him on stage.