Human Rights activist Boniface Mwangi. He has gone to the electorates and asked them to raise money for his campaigns. (Photo/Boniface Mwangi/Facebook.com)
Starehe parliamentary seat aspirant Boniface Mwangi has disclosed he is receiving donations from the public to finance his campaigns.
Mwangi took to social media to announce the amount he has received so far and to thank his supporters.
“I would like to take this time to thank you for supporting me. So far, I have managed to raise about KES 160,000 ($1600) from people that I have never met before,” said Mwangi in a long post on his Facebook page.
The controversial rights activist added: “A big thank you to the people l met in the streets and they donated 10bob here, 20bob there, in support of my campaign. Thank you to the shoe-maker in Kariokor Market who made me a pair of shoes; to the boda-boda rider who refused to let me pay him and said “that’s my contribution to your campaign”.
“I appreciate you all. Not only are you supporting me with your votes and entrusting me with your money, you are keeping me strong when the campaign trail gets tough.”
Campaign financing from the public is a popular tradition in Western nations, but it’s a strange practice in Kenya because it is politicians who give people handouts and not vice versa.
Mwangi is seeking to unseat the incumbent Starehe MP Maina Kamanda of Jubilee Party.
Renowned musician Charles Kanyi famously known as 'Jaguar' is also in the race for the city MP seat.