For years, Willis Austin Chimano, a member of the celebrated Kenyan Afropop group Sauti Sol, lived a double life. Since the band’s formation in 2005, he says he “wore a mask,” carefully controlling how he spoke, dressed, and behaved in public.

In private, however, Chimano embraced his queer identity. His bandmates knew and supported him, but he feared wider rejection. “I had to do everything in my power to keep my sexuality hidden,” he recalls. “I thought it could ruin our chances of growing bigger. My queerness would have been a scandal.”

That fear became reality in 2018 when a photo of him with his partner surfaced online and was picked up by mainstream media. Overnight, Chimano became Kenya’s first pop star to be publicly outed as gay. The backlash was immediate.

“There was so much vitriol,” he says. “People called me a sinner, said it was against nature, against African culture. Many still believe queer people are simply wrong.”

Kenya is one of 31 African countries that criminalize same-sex relations, with penalties of up to 14 years in prison. Attempts to overturn these colonial-era laws have so far failed, and new legislation such as the Family Protection Bill 2023 threatens to tighten restrictions even further.

Despite the hostility, Chimano eventually came out publicly in 2021. Sauti Sol’s momentum did not falter; they signed with Universal Music, released their biggest single yet, and cemented their place as one of Africa’s biggest boy bands.

At the same time, Chimano began crafting his solo voice. In 2022, he released his debut EP, Heavy Is the Crown, born from years of personal turmoil. But his solo journey was not without setbacks.

His festival Love and Harmony, scheduled for February that year, was abruptly shut down by police. Officers armed with AK-47s stormed the venue, warning of “consequences” if the show went on. “I was in shock,” Chimano recalls. “I walked out, sat down, and just broke.”

On X (formerly Twitter), he defiantly wrote: “Bullies never win. You may have gotten your way this time, but you’ve only made my resolve stronger.”

Chimano’s resolve carried him beyond Kenya’s borders. Since Sauti Sol announced their hiatus in 2023, he has taken his one-man show on tour, performing in Australia, France, and the UK as part of the UK-Kenya Season of Culture. Each performance, he says, is an opportunity for artistic growth and emotional exploration.

He is also working on a memoir, due in 2026, alongside his debut solo album.

Through his music, writing, and art, Chimano has become a beacon for queer visibility in Africa. He acknowledges the risks but remains optimistic that Kenya’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws will one day be repealed.

“There are more straight people now with queer friends, and I hope when the time comes, they show up for us,” he says.

For Chimano, what began as a struggle to hide his true self has transformed into a journey of self-expression, resilience, and hope—both for himself and for the broader queer community across Africa.