[View the story "In Kenya, using graffiti to voice grievances" on Storify ]In Kenya, using graffiti to voice grievances Public street art criticises the country’s politicians. Storified by The Stream · Mon, Mar 26 2012 18:18:45
Using a projector, the artists sprayed a large mural on a wall in a prominent part of Nairobi, decrying the country's political class. Photo:
Andre Epstein for Vice.
Vice
A chat with the men behind the graffiti murals in Nairobintvkenya
The mural attracted passersby, sparking discussion about the list of issues raised by the artists against parliament leaders, who were depicted as vultures. Kenya will hold parliamentary elections in late 2012 or spring of 2013.
Wall graffiti in Nairobi street awes manyntvkenya
The next morning, two painters appear with a ladder and buckets of blue paint.
surely that blue colour paint looks ugly #kisia why don't you just #letmwangidrawNoreen Ouma
Last night's graffiti mural on Koinange Street getting painted over while 100+ people watch cc @bonifacemwangi http://pic.twitter.com/xC6gpJ1oSasha Kinney
Blue paint starting to cover graffiti mural with people's words describing their MPs. cc @bonifacemwangi http://pic.twitter.com/wgeRm23BSasha Kinney
National media arrives... cc @bonifacemwangi @thejamesquest http://pic.twitter.com/OOL6676OSasha Kinney
After the artists were interviewed by Kenyan television, the police brought in Boniface Mwangi, a photojournalist and activist, for questioning.
I have been summoned by Mugambi OCPD central police station what does that mean?BONIFACE MWANGI
@bonifacemwangi sounds like you are being invited to be arrestedMuhammad Nyamwanda
Graffiti artists summoned by policentvkenya
Netizens reacted to the news on Twitter with hashtags #LetMwangiDraw and #KenyaNiKwetu, (***)Kenya is our home.
@bonifacemwangi voter education using public space #letmwangidraw the #vulturesjimmy makhulo
@TabasamuAfrica @guardian #LETMWANGIDRAW ; They r lucky Vultures is not bad, what about being drawn as a TICK.Mohammed Hersi.
@bonifacemwangi if they cant arrest those who threaten commissioners or those who hold prayer rallies, why arrest an artist???#LetMwangiDrawDennis Itumbi
RT @OleItumbi: #Letmwangidraw no one was arrested for throwing stones in the stadium bt we want to arrest those who chose a peaceful gra ...Peter Nyingi
@bonifacemwangi Divisive ethnic based politics is the hallmark of selfish politicians. #KenyaniKwetu and we should stand up to them.Shukry Haji
The mural also referred to the active online Kenyan community, telling "middle-class Kenyans" to "get off Twitter and Facebook and do something positive offline."
What if we sponsored a Mega- Billboard at the CBD and allowed @BonifaceMwangi to renew the Graffitti upon it time and again? #WakeUp #SeriesDavid Nahinga, RQS
If we had a local kickstarter clone, Kenyans who love @BonifaceMwangi's work would've help raise funds and set up billboards countrywiderogers
Mwangi was later released.
Thank you for the support. Am a free man! The work continuesBONIFACE MWANGI
Since then, the artists have painted another mural on a public bathroom on a road near Kenya's parliament and stenciled slogans on busy intersections. Mwangi posted an instructional video on his Twitter account.
"@harmon_okish: @Pawa254 @ItsBuddhaBlaze http://t.co/0GqAJuWS feel free to try it out any time you are around the vultures nest"BONIFACE MWANGI
How to Draw a Vulturewww123peppy
Street graffiti, stenciled onto prominent crossings across the city, begins to fade... but the original mural remains. http://pic.twitter.com/34iBaoDrSasha Kinney
Twimg
