ARTIST COLLINS OMONDI COPYRIGHTS VIRAL RAILA ODINGA MEMORIAL ART

Collins Omondi Okello, the Kisumu-based creative behind the widely shared and memorial artwork of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has officially secured the copyright for the image. This legal move affirms his full ownership and exclusive rights to its commercial use.

A copy of the Certificate of Registration of a Copyright Work confirms the image’s registration with the Kenya Copyright Board under number RZ81855. The artwork is formally titled “Sunset of the Enigma,” with Okello listed as the creator.

This step comes as Okello continues to inspire a national conversation on art as a serious and lucrative profession. Reflecting on his journey, which began after his graduation in 2013, Okello shared his deliberate choice to forego a conventional career in banking, finance and accounting to pursue his passion for fine art.

“I decided to go against the grain,” Okello stated. “I didn’t even want to do it as a part-time [pursuit] because if you give any section of your life part-time energy, that is exactly what you will get: part-time feedback and part-time income.”

From his first income of Ksh500 from a single piece, Okello’s dedication to honing his craft saw his work climb in demand, eventually attracting corporates and avid art collectors. “It might be unbelievable to some, but I have received hundreds of thousands to millions for single art pieces,” he revealed. “This is not an ego trip but a reality and a motivating factor to budding artists.“

Okello attributes his ability to command value for his work to the fundamental principles of the market. “Why do I charge ‘so high’? It is not me, it is market forces of demand and supply; I just conform. It is my life, my bills payer, and also I have a duty to inspire the upcoming generation of local artists to take their talent seriously, Art pays, if you steer it in that direction,” he explained.

He sees the naysayers not as a barrier, but as fuel to elevate his work further. Okello believes that a market exists one that values a well-packaged brand and genuine passion without question. “It can build you a house, buy you a car, make you pay serious bills, and make you have the lifestyle synonymous with high-end white-collar occupations.”