NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 9- To many Kenyans, Boniface Mwangi is the vocal voice of reason in a chaotic political scene in Kenya, but he is also seen as controversial.
Mwangi, a celebrated human rights defender, is known for his ‘innovative’ ways in pursuit of justice; for those he believes their rights have been trampled on through government actions and more so against the Kenyan youth in urban informal settlement areas.
He does not mince his words.
But Mwangi has been angry, very angry and he wants to work on it. In his own words, he feels like he has been angry on behalf of all the 47 million Kenyans…he wants to be less angry.
He has been angry at many things; seeing the underprivileged suffer, seeing those suffering silent and doing nothing about it, and so on.
“Every other day I am in a police station, I am calling a lawyer…it is so much,” he said in a recorded video posted on his Twitter handle.
He announced his exit from the public space to focus more on his welfare and family.
“You know what it is so unfortunate; living in a country where doctors are stealing from patients, police are stealing from the citizens, pastors and Imams are stealing from us and then the politicians are stealing from all of us. So, it is like a gangster nation.”
Mwangi also announced that he will not be vying for any political seat in next year’s elections. As a result, he is stepping aside as the Ukweli Party leader but will remain a member.
In 2017, Mwangi vied for the Starehe Member of Parliament seat that was won by Jubilee’s Charles Njagua.
“As a country we have to admit that the people we elect are a reflection of who we are. A mirror copy. Elected by us and enabled by our silence and compliance to continue destroying our beautiful country. Those who fight them are attacked, shamed and defamed and made to look mad,” he said.
“It is very sad that in this country, that qualification for public office is not ideas, is not vision, is not passion, is not love. For you to be elected in this country, you need money, it can be very dirty money, you need a criminal record…”
The father of three said he was not willing to compromise on his values, for him to get elected.
As it is, he said the more a person is a crook or have a bad reputation, the higher their chances of being elected.
“I went through a very traumatic election experience. I haven’t really fully recovered,” he said.
Even as he takes a break, Mwangi said “I have not given up on Kenya.”
“I will continue the fight of speaking the truth to power outside the defined political space I have been in.”
After years of activism and leading major protests against embezzlement of public funds, land grabbing and extra-judicial killing, the photo journalists cum-activist said, “I am hurting.”
“I don’t have a job, I do not work anywhere…I want to balance that a little bit,” he said.
And with him taking a break from active activism, he said the challenge is now in the hands of much younger Kenyans.
The youth are the majority of Kenya’s 47 million population.
“I have learnt in a very hard way, that change is not a sprint. I was sprinting to the finishing line to change this country and I have realized it is a marathon. And in a marathon, you tire, and you start walking slowly so that you can save energy.”
He added that, “what I am doing right now, I am just slowing down a bit so that I don’t lose my mind because I am almost losing my mind. I walk around angry; angry with the state of this nation, angry that our kids don’t have good schools in our neighbourhood, angry that being poor is a crime, angry that all of us are suffering but we are all silent…I want to be less angry. Even courage takes a rest.”
In May 2013, the activist led protesters in releasing a pig and about a dozen piglets outside parliament buildings to show their anger at newly elected legislators who were demanding higher salaries.
In his struggle for a better Kenya, Mwangi who has been a guest of the state for multiple times, said he has lost friends “because I was not there for them.”
“I need to have at least six friends who will carry my casket and I have not been there for my friends,” Mwangi said.
In his parting shot, Mwangi says his dream of an equal and just Kenya still remains a reality but Kenyans must remain steadfast and courageous demanding for what is right.
“Keep on speaking courage fluently, courage forever,do not be a coward, cowards die many times, I will still be courageous, it’s just courage taking a rest,” he said.
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