Kibera's talking walls use art to spread peace during elections
-
Loading... - Mugure Wanjira
- 09 Aug 2022
- 87 Views
- 0 Like
- 0 Comment
The people of Kibera slums, six kilometres south of Kenya’s capital city Nairobi, have paid the price in the past, living at the flash point of violence after highly contested and ethnically divisive elections.
For many, memories of guns, smoke and death are what they associate with elections.
This year the residents hope that the elections will be different. Many Kibera residents hope that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who has also represented the constituency in parliament as its legislator, might become President.
Artists from various mediums are creating awareness in Kibera about the need to maintain peace during and after the elections.
Paint is the material of choice for Faith Atieno, popularly known as Fei, a celebrated graffiti artist who runs the Kibera 360 Arts Centre.
Painting for change
“Since not all of us have a voice to speak and be heard, as an artist I use paint, brush, words and pictures on walls which people see, relate with and communicate about the issues that I feel need to be changed,” the 34-year-old mother of one tells Africa Calling podcast.
Some 1100 people were killed during the 2007 post-election violence in protests over claims of stolen elections. Kenya again witnessed violence in 2013 and in 2017, when between 33 and 50 people died in Kibera, according to a report by Amnesty International.
Grafitti artist Atieno notes that when there is violence, the community suffers immensely due to the lost opportunities, and there was a need to keep spreading the message of peace to guard against loss of life and property.
“Elections are just held in a single day and after that people still need to live as a family and as a nation. If we fight we won’t enjoy peace,” she says.
“The youth also need opportunities and fighting will deny them those chances and as a nation we will have lost,” Atieno explains, showing us a portrait of a man in apparent stress due to elusive peace. Read More…
