Artist behind viral Raila portrait cries foul over its unauthorised use

Kenyan artist Collins Omondi Okello, the creative mind behind a viral orange-themed portrait of the late Raila Odinga, has appealed for recognition and respect after discovering that his artwork is being used widely for commercial gain without his consent.

In a heartfelt post on Facebook on Saturday, October 18, the self-taught sketch artist, who rose to prominence nearly a decade ago after producing another celebrated portrait of the former Prime Minister, expressed frustration that many have shared or profited from the image without credit, often cropping out his watermark.

"I have received so many concerns about the widespread use of my artwork for commercial purposes by so many businesses, and thank you so much, and it is disheartening, but it is the reality of creatives, especially for art like this, where someone can easily crop out watermarks or not acknowledge..." he wrote.

Omondi clarified that his motivation was not commercial gain, but rather to pay tribute to Odinga - a man he admired deeply and viewed as a towering figure in Kenya’s history.

"My main aim of doing this work was as a personal tribute to a global icon who is larger than life, who most of us couldn’t even fathom a day of his demise, who has shaped our political landscape and given us a soft landing in this democracy," he said.

"This was not meant for commercial purposes, and even the few t-shirts I made were due to serious public demand on my social accounts."

The artist urged Kenyans to respect his creative effort by sharing the image with his watermark visible or giving him due credit whenever it is reposted. He also welcomed gestures of appreciation from fans who wish to support his craft.

"You can support my work by keeping the watermark on when you share the image or acknowledge the artist, or if you are generous, you can do it through M-Pesa," he wrote.

In an interview with the Business Daily, Omondi recalled his earlier encounters with Odinga, saying the Opposition leader once flew him from Kisumu to Nairobi in 2015 to personally present one of his portraits.

"Meeting him was an honour," he said. "He was charismatic. Just meeting him was payment enough, even without considering the remuneration. The publicity from that portrait gave my art and business portfolio a powerful boost."

According to the artist, his first portraits of Odinga were inspired by admiration rather than commission.

"The first two I did were out of inspiration; he was a lovable human being, a political leader, the way he shaped democracy and the political landscape in Kenya, I felt inspired to do a portrait of him. The others were commissioned by some of his ardent supporters for their personal collections. I also did another piece that I was asked to personally present to him," he said.

Although Odinga compensated him well for his work, Omondi maintains that the experience of meeting and gifting the portrait to him meant far more than the payment.

"I had to travel all the way from Kisumu, and he paid for my flights, my accommodation, and I was remunerated well for my work. But I feel this wasn't necessary, for I had considered it a gift. Everything else that happened after was more or less like a bonus."

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• Artist behind viral Raila portrait cries foul over its unauthorised use
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