Kelele Comics has successfully concluded its April 2026 pilot programme, equipping young Africans aged 13 and above with the skills to write, illustrate, and publish their own AI-assisted comic books.
The five-day virtual programme brought together 26 students from more than 20 schools across Kenya, resulting in the publication of five original comics now available online. (KeleleComics.com).
The pilot cohort convened students from Nairobi, Nakuru, Machakos, Kitui, Lanet, Ongata Rongai and beyond.
Working in small, facilitated groups, participants learned visual storytelling, experimented with AI image generation tools, and completed fully illustrated comic stories, becoming published authors within a week.
Kelele Comics was created to address a growing gap in cultural storytelling, where many young Africans consume global content but lack exposure to their own narratives.
The programme positions AI not as a shortcut, but as a creative tool that amplifies student imagination while preserving their authorship and voice.
“Getting to know my team members, working with them, going through the struggles, sometimes the AI platforms we were using frustrated us, but we always got through it. Combining all our different ideas to create this special thing we have right now was truly a wonderful experience. I’ve never experienced anything like it,” said Zahra Tumaini, 15, a participant in the programme.
Another student, Neville Akoth, 15, reflected on the collaborative learning environment.
“On Day 1, I was very nervous because we were going to be doing group work, at school, group work has never been nice. But this was different. My facilitator was really nice, really active, she motivated us, told us jokes, and even played music for us. If there are more opportunities like this, I’d recommend them and join again myself.”
The programme also demonstrated a new approach to integrating AI into education one that emphasises creativity, structure, and ownership. Each student retained full intellectual property rights to their work, with their comics published online under their names.
Parents observed notable transformations in their children over the course of the programme.
“My daughters have just blossomed in one week. In this day and age, learning about AI is so much more than ChatGPT, you can do so much with it. This is a really strong foundation for them as they move on to high school and university,” said Angela Opondoh, a parent.
Yvonne Etale, another parent, noted the level of engagement and enthusiasm.
“Watching Ray go through the programme, I saw him working beyond the scheduled hours for a couple of days. This is one thing I didn’t have to remind him about. He’d just wake up ready to go.”
Across the five days, students produced and published five original comics: ‘Mirambo’, ‘The Key to Home’, ‘Behind the Walls She Whispered’, ‘One Hoop’, ‘Two Hearts’, and ‘Shadow Slayers’.
Each project was developed collaboratively and reflects diverse storytelling rooted in the students’ ideas, cultures, and lived experiences.
Kelele Comics will launch its first paid cohort in August 2026. The expanded programme will accommodate 60 students over a 5-day period, deepen the curriculum, and grow partnerships with schools across Kenya.
Applications are currently open.
All five comics from the April pilot are available to read online, with printed copies being produced for student creators.
