Google Arts and Culture and the National Museums of Kenya have partnered to launch Superheroes stories to mark this year’s Mashujaa Day and enhance awareness around Kenya’s heritage.
Superheroes is an online exhibition that celebrates Kenya’s history by honouring the heroes and heroines from all the 44 Kenyan communities.
Superheroes is part of the first-ever digital exhibition titled ‘Utamaduni Wetu: Meet the People of Kenya’ that celebrates Kenya’s cultures, beliefs, generations, and geography.
The exhibition has over 10,000 photos, 130-expert curated exhibits, 4 expeditions, and 60 Google Street Views, offering audiences the opportunity to explore the 61 superheroes from Kenya’s 44 communities.
The exhibition was first launched on 20 October 2019 and featured Shujaa stories of 28 superheroes representing 14 communities.
In the past year, Google Arts and Culture and National Museums of Kenya captured Shujaa stories from all Kenyan communities. The 61 Superheroes collection now features unique stories of 61 “mashujaa” from the 44 communities who demonstrate Kenya’s diversity and foster unity in diversity.
At the launch event held at the Museum’s headquarters, President Uhuru Kenyatta, in a video message, said, “We must look for our common vision in the dreams of our ancestors. We must seek out their wisdom and preserve their memory. We must bring them to life in a way that present generations can relate – through technology. You can begin that journey by visiting the National Museums of Kenya page on the Google Arts and Culture platform to learn the stories of our folk and cultural heroes, relive their experiences and draw the inspiration that you need from them in order to play your part in constructing and exemplifying our national ethos”