Kibanda ya Sitawa Supports Gathoni Kimuyu’s Powerful New Play ‘Free Me’ in Nairobi

Free Me: A Powerful Story of Survival, Healing and Reclaiming Joy - November 2025

“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

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 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. We caught up with her to learn more about the show.

Gathoni Kimuyu - Award Winning Producer

Free Me: Healing Through Storytelling

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.

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." ~ Gathoni

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." ~ Gathoni

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." ~ Gathoni

What Audiences Can Take Away

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." ~ Gathoni

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." ~ Gathoni

Our Support:

Kibanda ya Sitawa, through MMMF, bought 4 tickets to Free Me. This not only supports this important Kenyan production but also gave four women in Nairobi, who would otherwise not have been able to attend, the opportunity to experience this powerful show.

This aligns fully with Kibanda ya Sitawa’s commitment to supporting art and creativity in Nairobi (the city that nurtured my own artsy side) and my deep mental health roots. As I shared in one of my earlier blog posts about my personal journey, I strongly believe creative storytelling is one of the most powerful tools for healing, breaking stigma, and building safer communities.

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

Where to 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].