Cartoonist Godfrey Mwampembwa, a.k.a Gado was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on August
6, 1969. Gado is the editorial cartoonist for the The EastAfrican Standard In Nairobi. His works
have also been published in Daily Nation (Kenya), Le Monde and Courrier International (France),
Deutsche Welle (Germany), The Continent (Jo’burg), among others.
He is the Co-Founder of Buni Media, an independent Multi-Media company based in Nairobi. A
Classical Animator from Vancouver Film school, Gado is a creator and Producer of the weekly
satirical puppet show, The XYZ SHOW, Which has been running on Kenya TV networks since
2009.
Gado is a 2007 Prince Claus Laureate. He is also a winner of Kenya National Human Rights
Commission (KHRC), Lifetime Achievement Award In Journalism in 2018. Gado is a recipient of
the prestigious Cartoon for Peace 2016 International Editorial Cartoon Award. In 2011 Gado
was among 12 extraordinary leaders to receive a Visionaries Award from Ford Foundation for
their innovative efforts on the frontlines of key social issues. In 2014 and 2016, Gado was named
as one of the 100 most influential people in Africa by one of Africa’s leading publication,
NewAfrican. In May 2022, Gado was awarded with Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres
(Knight of the Order of the Arts and letters), by the French Government.
Gado is a member of Cartoonists Rights Network (CRN), Cartoonist For Peace and Kenya Union
of Journalists (KUJ)