ARTS AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN KENYA

Research by Beth Kawira 

Introduction

Art lives in the hearts of people. It’s in music videos, it’s in photos, it’s everywhere. – Boniface Mwangi, an activist.

Art gives voice to the voiceless. It helps in communicating and expressing what people are afraid of expressing under normal circumstances. In Kenya, individuals, civil society and the government have increasingly embraced artistic forms in the process of peace building and social change. This has worked quite well in social transformation, including socio-economic development, fostering peace and reconciliation of conflicting parties.

With the just concluded 2017 General Elections, so much was done using the arts in promoting peace in Kenya. Elections have always come with tension in the country. The citizens have always been apprehensive about the outcome, which at times lead to conflicts based mostly on tribal lines, ignorance and politicians ‘using’ young people to cause destructions in the name of campaigns. With the 2017 elections, all were hopeful that they would be peaceful, free and fair. We see now that there is still much work to do. 

ARTS AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN KENYA.............................................................................................1Introduction.............................................................................................1Art for Peace Initiatives.............................................................................3

1. A Week-Long Training for Kenyan Peacebuilders at Juniata College, Pennsylvania on Mainstreaming Arts and Culture in Peacebuilding and Conflict Management........32. Kibera Walls for Peace..........................................................................................33. Kenya Railway - Graffiti for Peace in Kenya during the Election...........................54. Sponsored Arts for Education (S.A.F.E) KENYA.....................................................55. Sauti Ya Mtaa.......................................................................................................66. Hope Raisers Initiative.........................................................................................67. Drama Festivals...................................................................................................78. Women in Peacebuilding......................................................................................79. Eric Wainaina – Kenyan Singer-Songwriter...........................................................810. Pamoja Wakenya: (Together as Kenyans).........................................................811. Chagua (Choose) Peace Initiative......................................................................912. Project Muse......................................................................................................913. Amani Peopples’ Theatre (APT).........................................................................914. Saferworld -Kenya...........................................................................................1015. Arts and Abolition’s Foster Care Home............................................................1016. “Old Stories in New Ways - Project by Prof. Jan Selman..................................11

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17. “Heal the Nation” Documentary......................................................................1118. EARTHwise Centre – Arts for Social Change....................................................1219. Lengua Ugaidi Na Talanta (Fight Terrorism Through Talent)...........................1220. Folk Theatre for Behavior Change Communication.........................................1321. Vuma Dancers in Migori County......................................................................1322. Little Mwangaza Youth Group for Social Transformation.................................1323. Universities’ Cultural Week.............................................................................1424. Matatus for Peace Initiative.............................................................................1425. Freelance Artists.............................................................................................14

CONCLUSION...........................................................................................15CITATIONS...................................................................................................................16

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Art for Peace Initiatives

A number of art for peace initiatives have been undertaken both in rural and urban Kenya, some of which have been documented while others have not.

Below are some of the initiatives:

1. A WEEK-LONG TRAINING FOR KENYAN PEACEBUILDERS AT JUNIATA COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA ON MAINSTREAMING ARTS AND CULTURE IN PEACEBUILDING AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT.

Bakers Institute for Peace and Conflict studies, Juniata College held a week- long training for Kenyan peace builders, scholars and artists on how art can and has been used a tool for social transformation in Kenya. The participants held in depth discussions with the facilitators: DR. Cindy Cohen from Brandeis University, Prof. Kitche Magak from Maseno University in Kenya and Dr. Polly Walker from Baker institute for peace and Conflict Management, Juniata College.

The Kenyan participants explored, citing various examples on how arts has brought positive impact to the Kenyan communities and played a great role in social transformation. Art has been embraced not only at the national level but also at the grassroots level where it has been used as a tool in settling disputes such as inter-ethnic conflicts, gender inequalities, cattle rustling, land disputes and domestic violence.

Caroline Ngesa, Director AfricaSnowman Productions Company, Kenya stated that over the recent past, Kenyans have held the fact that its only through art that ‘life can be well lived’ and this has immeasurably improved people’s lives.

Dr. Cohen introduced the aspect of the story circle, which was well received by the participants. This served to imply that to help bring peace in the society, one has to understand the people from their own point of view, learn to listen and understand their stories because they inform the basis on how issues are addressed.

At the end of the week, Prof. Kitche Magak assisted the participants come up with proposals on arts and peacebuilding initiatives.

2. KIBERA WALLS FOR PEACE

Kibera Hamlets (KH) is a local organization in Kibera slums, one of the largest slums in Africa and the biggest in Kenya and it has worked with American artist, Joel Bergner and various Kibera-based graffiti artists to foster cooperation, promoting peace and understanding amongst the different ethnic communities living in the Kibera community.

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The onset of 2008 saw the peaceful country, Kenya, raze down into flames following the controversial general election results of 2007. The opposition had contested the results claiming they were rigged. Supports of both sides clashed in fatal conflicts even as police and the military tried to restore peace. The two month long post-election violence was one of the worst politically instigated conflicts that had ever rocked Kenya with at least 1500 deaths reported and hundreds of thousands of households being internally displaced as different tribes turned against each other.

The organization worked with the youths, as they are the most vulnerable in the sense that politicians use them as pawns, paying them to riot and fight rival ethnic communities. They painted walls along the streets of the slum with different messages exhibiting imagery and text from the different ethnic groups and religious communities. These paintings bore messages of peace and togetherness. In addition to the creation of the murals, several peacebuilding workshops were organized that addressed the issues of peace and reconciliation ahead of the 2013 general elections.

Photo by MA’ Vulture

The above photo bears the message ‘Kabila langu Ni Kenya’ that means that my tribe is Kenya. This message aimed to stem out tribalism by urging the people to recognize that they all belong to one tribe called Kenya and the different ethnic groups they belong to are just a matter of cultural and language differences, but their identity is Kenyan.

They held workshops which sought to educate the youths in Kibera on the issues facing their community and empower them with localized information that related to their experiences as community, bearing in mind that it was one of the most affected communities during the 2008 post-election violence.

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3. KENYA RAILWAY - GRAFFITI FOR PEACE IN KENYA DURING THE ELECTION

This project was one of a kind in the sense that the train was the first in Africa with officially authorized graffiti. Graffiti artists with the permission from Rift Valley Railway sprayed paint at the 10 commuter train with peace messages to remind people of what had happened during the 2007/2008 Post election violence hence prevent the repeat of the same during the 2013 elections. It played a paramount role in civic education and advertising peace.

The train was painted so attractively that everyone couldn’t help but stare at it. This helped the artists achieve their mission as the messages were received by almost everyone passing by the train.

4. SPONSORED ARTS FOR EDUCATION (S.A.F.E) KENYA

S.A.F.E. is a Kenyan NGO and UK charity that uses the performing arts and community programs to inspire and deliver social change. After the 2007/2008-post election violence in Kenya, S.A.F.E began a peace program.

They created a play, which was made into a film, ni sisi (It Is Us). It shows how people are ‘used’ by politicians to fight each other based on their tribal lines and end up destroying themselves instead of uniting to build their country instead of destroying it. "We have been given another chance now … it's us who killed, it's us who fought. It's us who passed rumors, it's us who talked bad about the other tribes – so it's up to us to change all this." Said Wanjiru, one of the characters in the film.

The film was released a few days before 2013 general elections to promote change in mindset and prevent repeat of violence that occurred after 2007 election.

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Safe actors perform the Ni Sisi play, which was made into a film. Photo credit: Safe

The above photo clearly shows how street theatre attracts masses and is used to address and pass across important messages.

5. SAUTI YA MTAA

According to Craig Halliday, street art has proven to be one of the most influential means of educating the society, creating awareness, impacting knowledge, and framing the attitudes of the public especially with regards to the constructive behavior and relations that improve peaceful co-existence.

Sauti ya Mtaa (Voices from the streets), is a community-based organization based in Mathare, one of the informal settlements in Nairobi the capital city of Kenya. Just like Kibera walls for peace, they employ the use of data murals to influence the attitude and behaviors of the locals by visually displaying relevant and customized information discussing issues such as insecurity, extra judicial killings, and mob justice killings. Forms of visual art through graffiti allow for the engagement of the community in dialogue for discussing relevant issues and act as a source for data-driven arguments in these dialogues.

6. HOPE RAISERS INITIATIVE

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Hope Raisers is a community Based organization that works with children and the youth in informal settlements using arts, cultural expression and sports for social transformation. They formed hope raisers band in 2005, which played a big role in using music to ‘clean’ the image of Korogocho slums, which was tainted and used as an example for all the wrong reasons.

Hope Raisers Initiative has also revolutionized street art such as graffiti that was valued for their aesthetic value only. They use art to relay messages of peace and hope. The group has aesthetically transformed at least 1.5 km of public space with art that focuses on preaching peace and hope in the streets of Korogocho slums.

7. DRAMA FESTIVALS

The ministry of Education in Kenya holds Drama festivals, which run from the community level to the National Level. Students from various schools- primary to university level compete with each other in Drama, songs, dances, poetry and other forms of arts and the winners showcase their items in a national forum.

This year’s theme in the drama festivals, which was mainly about peaceful coexistence and cohesion sensitized the Students, teachers, parents and the general public on mitigating conflicts and how we could embrace peace as we prepared for elections.

8. WOMEN IN PEACEBUILDING

Cross-border conflicts is one of the major conflicts that has been and is still evident in Kenya. In the case of Abagusii and Kipsigis ethnic groups along the Sotik/Borabu border, a rural area in South Western part of Kenya, women have been so much involved in helping manage the conflicts and restore peace. The Sotik/Borabu women peace drive is a local initiative founded by women from the two different communities.

They employ artistic forms such as local radio talk shows, storytelling where they meet in their forums, discuss on how the conflicts have affected their communities and what they can do to manage them.

The storytelling also goes on in local women gatherings known as ‘chamas’ where they gather for table banking and other activities like embroidery.

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Music brings people together and they are able to communicate important messages in one voice. Music is a form of therapy and brings healing to the soul. Music-focused peacebuilding programs captures and interests many. This is the major reason why many peacebuilding initiatives incorporate music as it reaches a large group of people, both the young and the adults. Music is widely used in Kenya to and many if not all the initiatives use music at one point in their community awareness programs. Examples include: Eric wainaina, Pamoja Wakenya and Chagua peace initiative.

9. ERIC WAINAINA – KENYAN SINGER-SONGWRITER

Eric Wainaina is a celebrated award-winning artist in Kenya. His music, which is a blend of Kenyan Benga and East African Guitars, with some modern harmony helps communicate matters of patriotism, peace and social transformation.

Among his songs, is Daima Mimi Mkenya (I am forever Kenyan). The song reminds Kenyans that they are forever Kenyans and should live in cohesion not destroy the country they call their motherland because of elections or any other reason. In addition, it connotes the importance of the four colors flag, and the meaning of every color on the flag. The song has since been performed in various peace concerts in the country.

Other songs include, Kenya only, which he sang after the 1998 terrorist bombing in Kenya, Nchi ya kitu kidogo (‘country of bribes’), a song that launched his campaign against rampant corruption. His music speaks about peace and patriotism and addresses the ills of the government and this helps in holding the government officials accountable and opening the eyes of Kenyans to see what is affecting their own country and know how to address the vices.

10. PAMOJA WAKENYA: (TOGETHER AS KENYANS)

Pamoja Wakenya (Together as Kenyans) is an organization that brought together various potential artists in Kenya that organized a peace concert in readiness of the 2013 general election using music and visual arts to preach peace in various towns. The event was organized by a community known as Ibuka by bringing students from different universities together and providing a platform through which they can showcase their artistic talents such as collaborative mural paintings, musical creations and sale of Kenyan merchandise with peace messages.

The same approach was used by a group of artists in Kenya. In 2008, at the height of the post-election violence, various Kenyan artists came together and wrote a song dubbed Wakenya Pamoja (Kenyans as one) that spoke of the core

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values of the Kenyan nation and inspiring the warring communities to lay down their weapons and restore peace.

11. CHAGUA (CHOOSE) PEACE INITIATIVE

Chagua peace translates to choosing peace over violence. On the 5th anniversary of the peace accord signed by the former President, Mwai Kibaki and the former Prime Minister Hon. Raila Odinga, Red Cross in conjunction with various artists organized a peace concert a week before the general elections. The artists engaged the crowds in peace dialogues that made them realize the need to uphold peace during and after elections.

12. PROJECT MUSE

Project Muse is a provider of digital humanities and social science content for the scholarly community. Scholars and authors write their content and put it online where people review and learn from them. Much can be borrowed from these books and journals on matters of art and social change.

One of the articles that assess the role of ITPs in social transformation is, The Place and Prospects of Indigenous Theatrical Performances in peacebuilding (ITPs) in Kenya by Kitche Magak, Susan Mbula Kilonzo and Judith Miguda Attyang.

The article focuses on the Kikuyu, Luhya and Luo communities’ traditions of rituals, proverbs, storytelling, song and dance as cases of ITPs in Kenya and how they play a powerful role in peacebuilding and social transformation.

The article is widely cited by various scholars in Princeton University and many other reputable universities and its far-reaching impact has enabled the society to see the positive change brought about through arts.

13. AMANI PEOPPLES’ THEATRE (APT)

Amani Peoples’ Theatre is a group that was founded by university and college students. It works with communities and children institutions in Nairobi, Kilifi, Kwale, Kisumu and Marsabit Counties to bring about social transformation. APT uses participatory theatre to bring people together in understanding the causes of conflicts and how they can deal with them.

APT provides specific training in conflict transformation and peacebuilding, inter-faith dialogue, trauma healing, child rehabilitation and crime prevention, drama therapy, and psychodrama using multi-arts approaches. It focuses more on working to deal with conflict based on identity, ownership and access to land, political violence and identity, poverty-related issues, and historical injustices.

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APT has had a number of peacebuilding initiatives it has undertaken over the years and one of their success stories is working with the young people in Marsabit County using participatory theatre forums to give young people an opportunity to reflect on the conflicts which divide other than unite different ethnic communities.

14. SAFERWORLD -KENYA

Saferworld is an independent international organization working to prevent violent conflict and build safer lives. Saferwold has been working with partners in Kenya since 2000 to prevent violence and build peaceful communities.

Saferwold works with the communities including youths and minority groups and had been working on promoting free, fair and more peaceful elections in the just ended 2017 elections. In partnership with the Catholic church, Justice and Peace Commission and the people of Isiolo,it also worked to facilitate discussions between pastoralists and farmers who have a long history of conflicts clashing of water distribution, access to resources and methods of grazing. This was as part of a larger pre-election initiative to address hostilities through meetings and discussions in hotspot areas in an attempt to prevent further violence.

They were promoting peace through radio, which offers a good platform for discussions on conflict-related issues as it reaches the most remote areas in the country.

15. ARTS AND ABOLITION’S FOSTER CARE HOME

This is a non-governmental organization that takes care of girls under the age of 15, who have survived sexual violence as a result of poverty and negligence. Once the girls are recruited, they are offered healing opportunities though trauma therapy sessions and art therapy. With time, some of the girls are reconciled with their parents and return home once its safe for them. Brittanie, the founder and executive director of Art and Abolition care home, adopts the other girls.

Various forms of arts, ranging from dances, songs and paintings are used in the healing process of these girls. Brittanie, who began her work by launching a theatre program in South Africa and expanding to Kenya, which allows children

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suffering from trauma find healing through the arts, argues that art training is not just for arts sake, but using healing modalities of arts can bring the girls into deeper levels of freedom.

16. “OLD STORIES IN NEW WAYS - PROJECT BY PROF. JAN SELMAN

Researchers from Kule Institute for advanced study, based at the University of Alberta, Canada worked with the youth from Western Kenya in helping solve societal issues using storytelling approach. This as Prof. Selman argues, is a creative approach that helps identify issues and encourage discussion and problem solving in the community.

Storytelling creates spaces for engagements and allows the members of the community to give views from their own perspective and this becomes very effective in bringing any social change because issues are approached based on their ideas.

17. “HEAL THE NATION” DOCUMENTARY

The documentary was created by Picha mtaani Swahili for street exhibitions initiative founded by a Kenyan activist, Boniface Mwangi. It showcases the photographs he took during his countrywide tour after the 2007/2008-post election violence. The images are remarkable for their explicit depictions of carnage and politically motivated ethnic violence.

A few minutes before the launch of the documentary, these images were showcased in the street and attracted quite a large group of people who came to view them. This was a way of attracting a large crowd to watch the

documentary. The documentary is based on the footage of the images. It shows both emotional reactions to the photographs themselves, and shares the narratives of victims and perpetrators driven by their encounter.

This reminds people of the happenings of the 2007/2008-post election violence, that they fought and killed each other, destroyed property all for elections that just come and go. Such memories help in preventing the repeat of the same.

At the end of the event, one of the victims of the post-election violence shared his

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story with the audience and his words really touched them. He went through the journey of remembrance and one could tell the relieving effect that had to him. His words depicted the powerful role of storytelling and he argued that without such events, ‘we die with our stories’.Members of the audience lit candles and placed them before the images in remembrance of the victims who died in the violence. The event was a clear picture of how art plays a role in communicating important messages and in the healing process.

18. EARTHWISE CENTRE – ARTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

EARTHwise is a conscious business providing stewardship, capacity development, whole system design, education, and vision development for our ecological flourishing and actualization.

As part of their education and sustainability program, EARTHwise invited Alex Mativo, founder and CEO E-LAB, an afro-futurist brand that designs jewelry and furniture from electronic waste for a talk on how he turned e-waste dumped in Kenya into pieces of art.

His work portrays how art plays a role in transforming people’s lives by providing them a clean and waste free environment and also empower them economically as the art products created are sold and used to generate income.

19. LENGUA UGAIDI NA TALANTA (FIGHT TERRORISM THROUGH TALENT)

Lenga ugaidi na Talanta is a short films competition organized by a group of organizations where young people showcase their creative works addressing terrorism, radicalization, and violent extremism. They create short films with anti-terrorism messages and the winner is rewarded.

Terrorist attacks have been on the rise in Kenya with young people joining the groups attracted by the glamor of money, material rewards or jobs, peer pressure, adventure or religious beliefs. The government is fighting the menace on different platforms and the organizers of the competition argued that these methods need to be supplemented by creative methods and therefore came up with the competition.

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While some of the initiatives on arts and social change in Kenya have been documented, others especially those happening in rural areas have not. Some of these are the various cultural practices that are still performed in quest for a better society with peace, love and unity:

20. FOLK THEATRE FOR BEHAVIOR CHANGE COMMUNICATION

Plan International is a development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. In Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya, It engages men ,women and youth groups in community awareness through folk theatre to address issues such as Health, Female Genital Mutilation and gender inequalities.

Tharaka Nithi County is a semi-arid area where levels of illiteracy are high and such forms of communication are vital in reaching a large group of people. These groups perform their dances in public gatherings, market places and schools.

21. VUMA DANCERS IN MIGORI COUNTY

A group of youths from Migori County, Kenya, use artistic forms such as drama, songs and dances to create awareness in the community on effects of drug abuse. Unemployment is one of the major challenges that youth in Kenya face and as the adage goes, an idle mind is a devil’s workshop; they indulge themselves in criminal activities such as theft and majorly drug abuse.

This group works to reach the masses in public gatherings, market places, churches and schools and just like their group name Vuma which means famous, they have become famous with their projects and have really helped the youth in behavior change.

22. LITTLE MWANGAZA YOUTH GROUP FOR SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

Mwangaza is a Swahili word meaning light. Little Mwangaza is also a group of young girls and boys who use theatre for community development in Migori County. They argue that however small the group is, the ‘little light’ they shine to the community through their plays, songs and dances is of great impact to the members in creating awareness.

They work in conjunction with the Non-governmental organizations in the community to address issues affecting the community such as Drug abuse, promote girl-child education, promote peace and encourage small business enterprises to help curb the issue of unemployment.

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23. UNIVERSITIES’ CULTURAL WEEK

Universities like Moi University, United States International University-Kenya and Kenyatta University hold a weeklong culture themed event that aims at embracing and highlighting culture diversity. Through plays and choreographed dances, drawings and painting and attires the university fraternity interacts with each other’s culture and learn from them. This promotes togetherness and teaches people that though their cultures are different, they are one community and therefore should live in unity and oneness.

When students are introduced to these values at this stage, they are prepared to go out and live well with other people outside and can help spread the word to other people in their communities.

24. MATATUS FOR PEACE INITIATIVE

Matatus are public service vehicles in Kenya. They have embraced a culture of graffiti and even put posters in and on their outer surfaces that contain religious messages, of peace, love and togetherness and other positive messages. This gives talented artists express themselves through these images and paintings on these matatus. It is not only for aesthetic value, economic empowerment but also the importance of the messages passed across by the graffiti.

Photos by matwana matatu culture

25. FREELANCE ARTISTS

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Freelance artists have devoted themselves in transforming the society and impacting other people’s lives through art regardless of challenges they face such as finances. Martin Abuya is an Information technology expert with great passion for arts. He is distinguished for his artwork addressing the youth on behaviour change. He wrote and directed a short film ‘In the Absence of Love’ which addresses terrorism in the country and managed to join the ‘Lenga Ugaidi na Talanta’ competition.

In his school days, he wrote and directed a play, ‘without a Conscience’ to address the issue of teachers having affairs with students in exchange for good grades. Such issues are hard to address under normal circumstances and using such art forms, they are well tackled.

He also works with young children in children homes to nurture their talents in arts. In 2016, he wrote and directed a play called ‘The future belongs to us’ a play which highlights the plight of the modern child who is pressured to succeed in school and into careers that they don’t like at all.

Martin is among the many artists who are willing to offer their whole for the betterment of their country and the best way to do this is through arts, which reaches many.

CONCLUSION

It’s chiefly through art that we can bring to life the imaginations and ambitions of the society about transformation.

“Building peace in today’s Conflicts calls for long-term commitment to establishing an infrastructure across the levels of a society, an infrastructure that empowers the resources for reconciliation from within the society and maximize the contribution from outside”. John Paul Lederach

We cannot discount the fact that the society has been transformed largely due to its intercourse with art. A society’s approach to art says a lot about it and majorly the positive influence of it to the ways of the people.

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CITATIONS

Akpedonu, T., Lumsdaine, B., & Sow, A. (2013). Keeping the peace: Lessons learned from preventive action towards Kenya's 2013 elections.

Bayreuth African Studies. Bayreuth, (2008. Theatre for Development in Kenya: In Search of Appropriate Procedure and Methodology.

Kagwanja, P. (2009). Courting genocide: Populism, ethno-nationalism and the informalisation of violence in Kenya's 2008 post-election crisis. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 27(3), 365-387.

Wepundi, M., Ndungu'u, J., & Rynn, S. (2011). Lessons from the frontiers: Civilian disarmament in Kenya and Uganda. Saferworld.

Kilonzo, S., Magak, K. and Omwalo, B. (2015). The influence of information technology on the socio-political song in Kenya. Critical Arts, 29(4), 518-536.

Long, J. D., Kanyinga, K., Ferree, K. E., & Gibson, C. (2013). Choosing peace over democracy. Journal of Democracy, 24(3), 140-155.

Odhiambo Joseph, C. (2005). Theatre for development in Kenya: Interrogating the ethics of practice. Research in Drama Education, 10(2), 189-199.artolution.org feb 6 2013

Ogola, G., Schumann, A., & Olatunji, M. O. (2009). Popular Music, New Media, and the Digital Public Sphere in Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria. In African media and the digital public sphere (pp. 203-222). Palgrave Macmillan US.

Johns, T., & Eyzaguirre, P. B. (2006). Linking biodiversity, diet and health in policy and practice. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 65(2), 182-189.

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