Once in a long while, you get to experience a performance so timely, deeming it as inspiring does not do it enough justice.
Such is one done in Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Micere Mugo’s The Trial of Dedan Kimathi, staged by the Nairobi Performing Arts Studio. Before we get to the heart of it, we must appreciate the dedication put in by the renowned studio in its mastery of depicting with such precision, past timelines. The realism on that stage was one to marvel at ones the lights came on, and don’t get me started on the sound design infused in the prop guns, sinking you deep in the grim reality of war.
The social, economic and political landscape drew one in to the day to day life of a Kenyan living in the British ruled 1950’s Kenya, the escapades young people were accustomed to in Nairobi to survive and most of all, always being on the alert for the majonnies or the British police who knew nothing but take amidst grueling taxes. 
Bilal Mwaura’s portrayal of Kimathi Waciuri is one that has and will continue to be etched in the hearts of every Kenyan who sits in that auditorium through the play’s run. He is the heart of this piece, beyond anyone’s expectations upon reading the title. The speeches, the body language and the blend of emotions in his eyes, I couldn’t help but sit for some minutes after the curtains closed in contemplation. 
The brave warrior exudes vulnerability in moments of doubt, in the reminiscence of his childhood and in the making of critical decisions for brothers and sisters who trust him with their lives. He recognizes the efforts of other leaders like him in other communities in the spirit of fighting as a country.
Nairobi Performing Arts Studio’s The Trial of Dedan Kimathi hits a vital cord, reminding one of the similarities in the patterns of oppression experienced today and decades passed.
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