Boniface Mwangi is a prominent Kenyan activist known for his advocacy on social justice and political issues.
The 40-year-old is to lead Kenyans in protesting the Finance Bill 2024 outside parliamentary building during the voting of the bill on Tuesday, June 18.
The vigil scheduled for 12:00 pm until the voting ends is an attempt to persuade Members of Parliament to vote against the bill.
According to Mwangi, they are protesting hefty taxes and the burden the bill will subject Kenyans to.
Boniface has frequently been in state custody for championing justice and publicly calling out powerful politicians and leaders for their corruption and human rights abuses.
The photojournalist-turned-activist is known for leading protests which have earned him both allies and adversaries.
He had also brushed shoulders with President William Ruto after his September 30, 2016, tweet about the death of businessman Jacob Juma.
The tweet sparked a fierce court battle with Ruto the then Deputy President who demanded an apology from Mwangi, which he refused to give.
Ruto subsequently filed a defamation case against him, seeking orders to compel Mwangi to pull down the post.
Boniface Mwangi Early Life
Like many Kenyans with a challenging upbringing, where basic needs were not always met, Boniface Mwangi is all too familiar with the struggles of the ordinary Kenyan.
He has worked as a bus-park sweeper, houseboy and hawker and even served time in Approved School.
Boniface was born in July 1983 but sat for his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in 2016 at the age of 33 after he was expelled from Kabete Approved School in October 1998 while in Form One
The activist was expelled after he sent a petition to the then Home Affairs minister, Shariff Nassir, to look into the deplorable condition of the school.
Following his expulsion, he was forced to pause his secondary education until in 2016, when he registered for the exam.
Despite monumental odds, he has risen, discovering photography at a young age and applying his entrepreneurial brilliance to break free from the clutches of poverty.
Boniface and his wife Njeri Mwangi are the loving parents of 3 adorable children
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Awards
His first international recognition came in 2005 when he started his career as a photojournalist for the Standard newspaper and went on to win two awards in 2008 and 2010 in the CNN MultiChoice Africa Photojournalist of the Year Award.
He also won the youngest Prince Claus Laureate in 2012 at the age of 29.
Additionally, New African Magazine named him as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans of 2014 and 2016.
Time magazine also recognized him as a Next Generation Leader in 2015 and he was selected as Kenya’s Top 40 under 40 men in 2016.
On May 28, 2020, Mwangi was awarded the 2020 Outstanding Youth Peace Maker Prize during the Luxembourg peace ceremony, which took place at the University of Luxembourg.
Boniface Mwangi Witnessing the Post-Election Violence
The photographer-turned-activist could not ignore the call to activism after witnessing firsthand the brutality experienced by disadvantaged Kenyans in the aftermath of the 2007 Post-Election Violence.
During this tumultuous period, Mwangi documented harrowing scenes, including instances of women being raped by police and children being murdered.
These experiences deeply affected him, causing nightmares and triggering suicidal thoughts.
He exited news photography and redirected his focus towards activism and social justice using his powerful post-election violence photos to spark a social and cultural awakening through street exhibitions in different cities and towns across the country
He then established Picha Mtaani, a traveling photography exhibition showcasing images of the violence. The travelling photo exhibition toured across Kenya and drew more than 2 million visitors.
His work as a photo-activist was grounded in social engagement, collective action and the need for justice. In 2017, he was arrested for allegedly letting pigs loose in front of parliament to demonstrate against the greediness of MPs.
He was arrested again on May 6, 2019, for allegedly plotting demonstrations and causing civil unrest.
In July 2020, he was arrested during the Saba Saba demonstrations that turned chaotic in Nairobi. Mwangi was detained at the Central Police Station for allegedly demanding the release of a protestor named Sankara Kinuthia.
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Mwangi’s Film and Book
In 2017, Mwangi was among the candidates that contested the Starehe constituency member of Parliament seat using his Ukweli Party but lost to Jubilee’s Charles Njagua.
Mwangi’s life has been documented in a gripping film, Softie, that was released in October 2020.
Softie,” which highlights Mwangi’s journey and the impact of his political and social change efforts on his family, achieved significant acclaim.
It won Best Documentary at the Durban International Film Festival and received the award for Best Editing at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
He is also the author of Unbounded, a 350-page compilation of his personal stories and the pictures that have defined his life.
In 2012, Boniface founded PAWA254, a hub for creatives in Kenya where journalists, artists, and activists collaborate on innovative methods to drive social change.
He is also the founder of Ukweli Party and Pawa 254, a social hub for artists and activists in the Human Rights space.
The book – Unbounded, also recounts the stories of two remarkable women — his mother and grandmother — who profoundly influenced his character and inspired his determination to raise awareness about poverty, inequality, and corruption.
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