Wakati Wetu Festival Sets Stage for Africa’s Decade of Reparations.
By Editorial Team.
Nairobi – The Wakati Wetu Festival has been hailed as a groundbreaking platform to unite Africans in conversations on justice, healing, and liberation.
Mr. William Carew, Head of Secretariat of the African Union’s Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), said the festival provides a rare space for dialogue across sectors.
“The Wakati Wetu Festival is unprecedented for many reasons. Primarily, it provides a platform for multisectoral interaction among policymakers, civil society groups, cultural actors, and ordinary people,” he said.
He noted that as the civil society organ of the AU, ECOSOCC is determined to ensure that ordinary Africans are part of the journey to achieving the Africa they want.
Earlier this year, the African Union Assembly of Heads of State declared 2025 the Year of Justice for Africans and people of African descent, with reparations at the core. This was soon followed by a landmark decision to extend the theme into a Decade of Reparations running from 2026 to 2036.
The declaration marked years of collective efforts by civil society organisations, AU organs, and member states. It also echoed growing calls by African leaders to reform global systems that continue to marginalise Africans and Afro-descendants.
Organisers say the festival is a timely opportunity to shift the reparatory justice conversation from closed conference halls to the public sphere.
“This year’s event is just the opener. The campaign for justice, healing, and accountability will continue until it is resolved,” said Dr. Umubyeyi, one of the organisers.
She urged Africans and people of African descent to join the movement at Entim Sidai, stressing that the fight for total liberation and genuine development cannot wait.
“We are charting a path for a continent free from racial and colonial entrapments,” she added.
