Cosplayer Julius Mokaya, 34, poses for a photo while creating content for his social media accounts, cosplaying as Enjin, a character from the popular manga series Gachiakuta, ahead of the Otamatsuri convention in Nairobi on August 13, 2026. [AFP]
Cosplay has taken hold in Kenya, where fans must often get creative to dress up as their fantasy heroes.
Thousands attended the latest edition of the Otamatsuri anime and manga convention in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, this weekend -- one of the largest in Africa -- with many in extravagant costumes inspired by hits like "One Piece" and "Naruto".
Sourcing the materials can be a challenge, though.
Julius Mokaya, a building caretaker who has twice won the event's costume competition, does not have money to import expensive costumes so relies on cardboard and other material that he salvages from recycling bins.
His modest apartment is full of homemade weapons, masks and accessories, and he spent months designing this year's costume, based on Enjin, from the manga "Gachiakuta", a story about an exile in a dumping ground.
Fittingly, the message of the story is "that trash and things thrown out aren't really bad", he told AFP.
It can still be an expensive hobby, though: "I'm broke half the time, but... I love the creative aspect, the deep dive into research and understanding the character," he said.