Boniface Mwangi. He is an activist who wants to be Starehe MP. [Photo: mpasho.co.ke]
He says that activism has won.
This is after President Uhuru Kenyatta ‘agreed’ that pay for civil servants should be reduced by half during his last state of the nation address in parliament last week.
Here is a statement from Mwangi: Activist On 1st May 2013, with fellow activists, I organised a protest against our MPs' planned salary hike. It was at Uhuru Park, during the Labour Day celebrations. I was beaten and arrested in the presence of H.E Uhuru Kenyatta.
Later, I was charged in court. Undeterred, 12 days later on 13th May, we organised a follow-up protest against the planned salary increment.
In what could be Kenya's most famous protest in recent history, we delivered LIVE pigs to Parliament, as a symbol of MPs' greed. The police responded: with teargas, water cannons, batons and arrests were made. Among the people who were tear-gassed and water-cannoned were Prof Yash Pal Ghai and his wife.
17 of us were arrested on that day. Not a single politician condemned the violence. We were charged. Four years later, the case is still ongoing.
A month later we went back, to protest against the high salaries. In 2016, l announced l was going to run for MP. One of my calls to action was that we must reduce our elected officials' salaries.
Two weeks ago, l was interviewed alongside Salaries and Remuneration Commission - SRC Chair Serem, and said we must review salaries downwards. She agreed with me.
On Wednesday, during the State of The Nation address, President Uhuru said that elected officials' salaries must be cut in half. Our activism on the streets, and online --in our homes and workplaces-- has won. I shall continue with this fight inside parliament.
Let no one tell you that change is impossible! *RohoJuu*
~Boniface Mwangi~