tOOns MaG

Godfrey Amon Mwampembwa “Gado” is a freelance cartoonist living in Nairobi, Kenya. The most syndicated editorial cartoonist in East and Central Africa, Gado’s work explores a wide range of topics from terrorism and deforestation to HIV/AIDS and corruption. A regular contributor to the Daily Nation (Kenya), New African (U.K.), Courier International (France), Business Day (South Africa) and Sunday Tribune (South Africa), his work has also been published in Le Monde, Washington Times, Des Standard, and Japan Times. Born in 1969 in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Gado joined the Ardhi Institute to study architecture in 1991, but left one year later to become the editorial cartoonist and illustrator of Nation Media Group, the largest media house in East and Central Africa. Before joining Nation, Gado freelanced with the Tanzanian publications Daily News, Business Times, and The Express. Gado has also published two books: Abunuwasi, a short story comic book and Democrazy! a collection of his editorial cartoons.

During his time at Fabrica, a communication research center in Treviso, Italy, Gado created an animated video on racism and in 2000 joined the Vancouver Film School in Canada, where he studied classical animation and filmmaking. In 1996 he was honored by the International Olympic Media Award in Print Media and in 1999 was named Kenya Cartoonist of the Year. A painter in oil and watercolors, his work has been exhibited in Tanzania, Kenya, France, Norway, Finland, and Italy. Gado is a member of Kenya Union of Journalists, the Association of East African Cartoonists, Cartoonists & Writers Syndicate, and a Board Member of Cartoonist Rights Network.

© 2009, tOOns MaG. All rights reserved.