Boniface Mwangi, Emmanuel Jal and Juliani

 

 

In readiness for 2012, rapper Emmanuel Jal, Juliani and award winning photo activist Boniface Mwangi held a civic engagement program that works through art and media to bring about social change.

Dedicated to positive social change, Jal’s We Want Peace campaign, Juliani’s Kama Si Sisi initiative and Boniface’s Picha Mtaani organisation have come together to raise awareness on the holistic elements of peace, reconciliation and development in Kenya.

They launched a text line 595, where Kenyans can pledge their support for peace ahead of the 2012 general elections through the Niko Tuko, Kenya Ni Kwetu (I am, We Are,  Kenya is Our Home) campaign at Sh20 per text.

Jal said, “Why I’m I passionate about peace in Kenya is because I know what war can do to a country.War doesn’t benefit the country it is fought in, it builds economies of other countries. We want to prevent this by launching a text line to pledge support and affirming our commitment to Kenya. We are targeting 1 million people in calling for peace, it will also act as a petition to the leaders of Kenya saying we pledge to keep peace.”

Boniface remarked, “Those leaders (who incite the youth to chaos) have money in offshore accounts and they have passports ready to leave the country, if and when it burns. That is why we need to unite as the youth and call for peace.”

Juliani whose musical roots are in Dandora, explained why the launch was at the Mau Mau camp that birthed the famous Ukoo Flani Mau Mau rap group. “We had to do something in my music home by giving it a reason. The reason we are in the Mau Mau Camp where everything happened, where hip hop was born and where I was nurtured as an artiste is to show Kenya and the world at large the passion that has sparked this campaign. We want to send a message to everyone to be better than they are now by affirming as the Kenyan youth that Kenya ni yetu, we are not going anywhere.”