Kenyan artiste Arrow Bwoy has firmly denied claims that his recent assault by police during the Gen Z protests was a publicity stunt tied to the release of his new track Mapambano.
Speaking to content creators on Saturday, September 27, 2025, Arrow Bwoy clarified that while the timing of the song’s release coincided with the incident, the track had actually been published earlier.
“The song Mapambano came out before that day. People think it was connected to what happened to me, but it was not staged,” he explained.
The singer emphasized that Mapambano was conceived to reflect ongoing societal injustices, especially police brutality and the killing of unarmed civilians during the youth-led demonstrations. He said the track was never about chasing clout but rather an artistic response to the pain and struggles of ordinary citizens.
Arrow Bwoy further noted that his own experience of being whipped by police only reinforced the message of his music:
“In the song, I had already spoken about how Gen Z were protesting against police brutality. A few days later, I joined the protests and went through it myself. That confirmed the brutality was real.”
The Gen Z protests, which swept across Kenya in waves, were fueled by frustrations over governance, inequality, and state violence. Police brutality in particular emerged as a central grievance, with many young people citing it as a trigger for mass action.
Arrow Bwoy’s ordeal has since become symbolic of the very injustices his music seeks to spotlight—demonstrating how art continues to serve as a mirror of society.
