“The real Ogs,” I had said, referring to the legendary group.
“Sasa, yule anayesema hivyo, doesn’t know who Ukoo Flani are!” Replied Gurugang Ukoo.
“True,” Sharama added.
Well, I wondered if I was wrong. Isn’t Ukoo Flani more than a music group? A social movement.
“To us, hip-hop is rehabilitation, a tool for enlightenment, economic empowerment for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, and resistance,” explained Sharama.
And so, as the conversation progressed, it became apparent that my initial tag was nothing more than a catchphrase, a cliché.
“Upendo Kote Olewenu Ombeni Funzo La Aliyetuumba Njia Iwepo, Ukoo Flani, a prayer, that’s it, that’s who we are,” Gurugang added.
Raw, conscious, and unapologetically from the streets, few do their artistic duty to challenge the status quo; instead, they assuage egos and play to the tune of the mainstream money bag.
“Cheap thrills and catchy songs that disappear in a season are the norm of the industry today, but art is way more than that. Creativity, for generations to come, needs to invoke critical thinking, and so does our poetry!” Said FUJO Makelele.
This isn’t empty rhetoric for Ukoo Flani. Formed in 1996 in Mombasa and later merging with Nairobi’s Mau Mau Camp to create the Ukoo Flani Mau Mau collective, the group has long used hip-hop as a practical tool for youth mentorship and economic rehabilitation.
In Dandora and other disadvantaged areas, their workshops and music programs have mentored young people, teaching skills that help steer them away from crime while showing hip-hop as a genuine path to income and leadership in environments where daily survival is tough.
And it wouldn’t get any better with their upcoming album, Ndio Hii, a 15-track project produced and mastered at Wanene Studios in Tanzania with collaborators including Chizan Brain, Blacky, Fid Q, Dunga, and others.
The album will be launched on 17 April 2026 at Alliance Française in Nairobi, with planned events in Mombasa and Dar es Salaam.
Why, now after such a hiatus, I sought to learn?
The answer; baraka zinashuka ndani ya bustani, wanatumiss kwenye game wanatutamani….
Get your Tickets here for the launch: Ndio Hii Album Launch
