Gaskiya.net’s Top Ten Books –January-October 2017
Our Literary Desk presents our list of top 10 books by African authors:
- And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile (Penguin Random House)
- The Maestro, the Magistrate & the Mathematician by Tendai Huchu (Ohio University Press)
- Confession of the Lioness by Mia Couto (Macmillan)
- The Lights of Pointe-Noire by Alain Mabanckou (New Press)
- The Fishermen By Chigozie Obioma (Little, Brown & Company)
- Combat Zulu by Debayo Adelaja-Olowo-Ake (Lulu Press)
- The Happy Marriage by Tahar Ben Jelloum (Melville House)
- The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud (Oneworld Publications)
- Kaveena by Boubacar Boris Diop (Indiana University Press)
- A General Theory of Oblivion by Jose Eduardo Agualusa (Archipelago Books)
Title: Combat Zulu
Pages: 127
Price: $5.35 (online purchase)
Author: DebayoAdelaja-Olowo-Ake
Publishers: Lulu Press
Year of publication: 2017
Reviewer: Kole Odutola
What is bloody in a civilian is not a real question but a way of speaking back to the military who are fond of addressing those of us not in uniform as “you bloody civilians.” If this is stretched a bit more it could be argued that what separates a civilian from a military personnel is how much the military can cope with the sight of blood in war or peace situations compared to how scared some civilians could be at the mere mention of blood. No matter which way the label is looked at, the thought of war should bring with it blood, bones and lifeless bodies.
In this racy narrative of tactical maneuverings DebayoAdelaja-Olowo-Ake lifts the curtain as high as he can for us to see Generals behind the scenes during war planning processes and their meticulous execution. In reality and in fiction a lot must go into flying missions which are aimed at incapacitating enemies who are also armed to the teeth.Focus of Combat Zuluis solely on the Air force arm of the fighting force. The language used throughout the book is that of the military but the all-seeing eyes of the narrator is sometimes that of a reporter and sometimes that of a researcher on a mission to understand/empathize with how fighter jets pilots flying the ‘metal bird of death’ feel and perform.
The story is told from the perspective of a female fighter jet pilot who was presented as the cynosure of officers and men. No reader will miss the contradiction in someone who subscribes to the Christian doctrine of “thou shall not kill” spearheading killing missions. This is much more than ‘what a man can do; a woman can do better’ kind of story. Squadron Leader Aminat Zechariah did things men would think twice (or thrice) before attempting. The beginning of the story started in a similar fashion scriptural texts start, readers were welcome with the pronoun she and four lines later get to meet the she who had been flying her L-59. Aminat, one of the protagonists in the story just dropped into the story and the narrator like a leech was in her heart sharing with readers the thoughts of this dare-devil born-again Christian fighter Jet pilot. The all-seeing narrative eye followed in details all her actions including her fears. The only missing element of this two-dimensional character was that her femininity was not allowed to come out as the story of a heroine demands. Readers were not even allowed to be privy to her love life or internal conflicts as she resolved larger societal issues. To make matters worse in her off-duty life who do you think we the readers were made to encounter as her bosom friend?
As the story developed, Ilya Dankaro, a male character enters the plot and through him readers get to experience what it feels like to work and live as an undercover agent. Is it a glamour job? Is it fraught with dangers? How smart are undercover agents? The only way to find answers to those questions is to grab your copy as quickly as you can.You will find out how the tricks and tactics involved were brought to life with such dexterity that a reader may be pardoned if this piece of fiction is taken for real.
So how did a bloody civilian get to know so much about military secrets and strategies? To that I say credit must be placed at the door steps of Olowo-Ake’s power of imagination and scholarly reflection. If you doubt that assertion go pick up a copy of the book and read the 11th chapter “A brain festival.” This is one of those times one wishes that life can imitate art by bringing to fruition the dreams, dreamers, and their ideas. Once again that cliché that everything is possible in drama played its self out and the readers are the better for it.
Combat Zuluis not your run-off the mill work of fiction, it is steeped in an in-depth knowledge of military strategies, international relations and the nuts & bolts of covert operation planning and execution. You have to finish reading all of the 127 pages before you start to raise questions about why the author decided to take you through the labyrinth of warfare but sparing you the gory details of blood, broken bones and damaged lives. Is that not the nature of bloody civilians? They know about guns but never the pain of bullets or the boots.
Pages: 127
Price: $5.35 (online purchase)
Author: DebayoAdelaja-Olowo-Ake
Publishers: Lulu Press
Year of publication: 2017
Reviewer: Kole Odutola
What is bloody in a civilian is not a real question but a way of speaking back to the military who are fond of addressing those of us not in uniform as “you bloody civilians.” If this is stretched a bit more it could be argued that what separates a civilian from a military personnel is how much the military can cope with the sight of blood in war or peace situations compared to how scared some civilians could be at the mere mention of blood. No matter which way the label is looked at, the thought of war should bring with it blood, bones and lifeless bodies.
In this racy narrative of tactical maneuverings DebayoAdelaja-Olowo-Ake lifts the curtain as high as he can for us to see Generals behind the scenes during war planning processes and their meticulous execution. In reality and in fiction a lot must go into flying missions which are aimed at incapacitating enemies who are also armed to the teeth.Focus of Combat Zuluis solely on the Air force arm of the fighting force. The language used throughout the book is that of the military but the all-seeing eyes of the narrator is sometimes that of a reporter and sometimes that of a researcher on a mission to understand/empathize with how fighter jets pilots flying the ‘metal bird of death’ feel and perform.
The story is told from the perspective of a female fighter jet pilot who was presented as the cynosure of officers and men. No reader will miss the contradiction in someone who subscribes to the Christian doctrine of “thou shall not kill” spearheading killing missions. This is much more than ‘what a man can do; a woman can do better’ kind of story. Squadron Leader Aminat Zechariah did things men would think twice (or thrice) before attempting. The beginning of the story started in a similar fashion scriptural texts start, readers were welcome with the pronoun she and four lines later get to meet the she who had been flying her L-59. Aminat, one of the protagonists in the story just dropped into the story and the narrator like a leech was in her heart sharing with readers the thoughts of this dare-devil born-again Christian fighter Jet pilot. The all-seeing narrative eye followed in details all her actions including her fears. The only missing element of this two-dimensional character was that her femininity was not allowed to come out as the story of a heroine demands. Readers were not even allowed to be privy to her love life or internal conflicts as she resolved larger societal issues. To make matters worse in her off-duty life who do you think we the readers were made to encounter as her bosom friend?
As the story developed, Ilya Dankaro, a male character enters the plot and through him readers get to experience what it feels like to work and live as an undercover agent. Is it a glamour job? Is it fraught with dangers? How smart are undercover agents? The only way to find answers to those questions is to grab your copy as quickly as you can.You will find out how the tricks and tactics involved were brought to life with such dexterity that a reader may be pardoned if this piece of fiction is taken for real.
So how did a bloody civilian get to know so much about military secrets and strategies? To that I say credit must be placed at the door steps of Olowo-Ake’s power of imagination and scholarly reflection. If you doubt that assertion go pick up a copy of the book and read the 11th chapter “A brain festival.” This is one of those times one wishes that life can imitate art by bringing to fruition the dreams, dreamers, and their ideas. Once again that cliché that everything is possible in drama played its self out and the readers are the better for it.
Combat Zuluis not your run-off the mill work of fiction, it is steeped in an in-depth knowledge of military strategies, international relations and the nuts & bolts of covert operation planning and execution. You have to finish reading all of the 127 pages before you start to raise questions about why the author decided to take you through the labyrinth of warfare but sparing you the gory details of blood, broken bones and damaged lives. Is that not the nature of bloody civilians? They know about guns but never the pain of bullets or the boots.
We have made public spaces safe for women - Ritah Muia co-founder Her Voice Kenya,
The Interview.
Gaskiya.net; Can you give us a brief background on the origins of Her Voice?
Ritah Mutheu; Her Voice Society Kenya was formed after a group of women from an online group called Kilimani Mums met together after one member brought the attention of the group to a video of a young lady being violently stripped by some miscreants at a bus terminus in Nairobi. There was a call via social media for anyone who wanted to attend a meeting physically and seek justice for that lady being violated in public. The online group Kilimani Mums at that time had 28000 members and around 15 of us met. We had never met before and that was how we started the countrywide campaign of #MydressMychoice. After that campaign since we were not activists but just passionate about women issues, we went our separate ways but kept getting calls to help on gender issues. A lot of people showed their faith in us and even suggested we form an organization since it was evident we were passionate about women issues. That was how Her Voice was born.
Gaskiya.net; Your organization came into being as a response to Gender Based Violence. How big is this problem in Kenya?
Ritah Mutheu; The issue of gender based violence is too big. There are many factors contributing to this issue. Women issues in Kenya have been trivialised for too long recently we have had cases of rape and most of the time its always blamed on the victim not the perpetrators. When a woman is raped in Kenya questions are asked like what was the woman doing there at that time? Why did she pass there? when it comes to domestic violence questions are asked like what did you do to him? Seeking justice for rape victims in Kenya has become one of the most difficult things as most of the time due to lack of evidence the cases end up not holding water in court the sad part is policemen also end up messing with the evidence because they are responsible for collecting evidence. Most of the rape cases end up not being reported as the victims have no faith in the justice system. The worst part is when some of our leaders are implicated in rape cases recently a member of Parliament was accused of rape. A sturdy which was done by Her Voice showed 75 % of the victims especially children are raped by relatives and hence the pressure of not reporting and they end up settling out of court and in most of this cases the perpetrators end up raping someone else.
Gaskiya.net; Beyond Gender Based Violence there are a number of challenges women still face here in Kenya. Are you also involved in addressing these?
Ritah Mutheu; One of the current issue is the lack of empowerment for women. Recently we conducted a research to see why would a woman stay with a man who rapes her child and the only reason the women gave is he pays the bills. That's when we realised we need to empower women. When a women is empowered she has no reason to stay in an abusive relationship. Their is also still lack of knowledge on what to do when in cases of abuse. Her Voice is working hard to teach women on what to do and where to report such cases and also get help with legal representation .
Gaskiya.net; Given the wrong perception of women by most members of society, how has your organization being viewed by the ordinary Kenyan?
Ritah Mutheu; Her Voice has largely been accepted because we have shown people how a group of passionate women can bring change to society but still there is small percentage which we have to deal with on a daily basis who don't think women should be this opinionated but that has not deterred us one bit. We soldier on. Our biggest success has been getting the perpetrators of stripping jailed and we have made public spaces safe for women in Kenya. We believe change starts with us.
Gaskiya.net; What changes would you like to see in Kenya?
Ritah Mutheu; An ideal Kenyan society would be a society where there is a little more human compassion. I believe men can play a big role in ending gender based violence especially violence against women by practising positive masculinity.
You can find out more about Her Voice Kenya by visiting www.hervoiceke.org Email infor@hervoiceke.org
Gaskiya.net; Can you give us a brief background on the origins of Her Voice?
Ritah Mutheu; Her Voice Society Kenya was formed after a group of women from an online group called Kilimani Mums met together after one member brought the attention of the group to a video of a young lady being violently stripped by some miscreants at a bus terminus in Nairobi. There was a call via social media for anyone who wanted to attend a meeting physically and seek justice for that lady being violated in public. The online group Kilimani Mums at that time had 28000 members and around 15 of us met. We had never met before and that was how we started the countrywide campaign of #MydressMychoice. After that campaign since we were not activists but just passionate about women issues, we went our separate ways but kept getting calls to help on gender issues. A lot of people showed their faith in us and even suggested we form an organization since it was evident we were passionate about women issues. That was how Her Voice was born.
Gaskiya.net; Your organization came into being as a response to Gender Based Violence. How big is this problem in Kenya?
Ritah Mutheu; The issue of gender based violence is too big. There are many factors contributing to this issue. Women issues in Kenya have been trivialised for too long recently we have had cases of rape and most of the time its always blamed on the victim not the perpetrators. When a woman is raped in Kenya questions are asked like what was the woman doing there at that time? Why did she pass there? when it comes to domestic violence questions are asked like what did you do to him? Seeking justice for rape victims in Kenya has become one of the most difficult things as most of the time due to lack of evidence the cases end up not holding water in court the sad part is policemen also end up messing with the evidence because they are responsible for collecting evidence. Most of the rape cases end up not being reported as the victims have no faith in the justice system. The worst part is when some of our leaders are implicated in rape cases recently a member of Parliament was accused of rape. A sturdy which was done by Her Voice showed 75 % of the victims especially children are raped by relatives and hence the pressure of not reporting and they end up settling out of court and in most of this cases the perpetrators end up raping someone else.
Gaskiya.net; Beyond Gender Based Violence there are a number of challenges women still face here in Kenya. Are you also involved in addressing these?
Ritah Mutheu; One of the current issue is the lack of empowerment for women. Recently we conducted a research to see why would a woman stay with a man who rapes her child and the only reason the women gave is he pays the bills. That's when we realised we need to empower women. When a women is empowered she has no reason to stay in an abusive relationship. Their is also still lack of knowledge on what to do when in cases of abuse. Her Voice is working hard to teach women on what to do and where to report such cases and also get help with legal representation .
Gaskiya.net; Given the wrong perception of women by most members of society, how has your organization being viewed by the ordinary Kenyan?
Ritah Mutheu; Her Voice has largely been accepted because we have shown people how a group of passionate women can bring change to society but still there is small percentage which we have to deal with on a daily basis who don't think women should be this opinionated but that has not deterred us one bit. We soldier on. Our biggest success has been getting the perpetrators of stripping jailed and we have made public spaces safe for women in Kenya. We believe change starts with us.
Gaskiya.net; What changes would you like to see in Kenya?
Ritah Mutheu; An ideal Kenyan society would be a society where there is a little more human compassion. I believe men can play a big role in ending gender based violence especially violence against women by practising positive masculinity.
You can find out more about Her Voice Kenya by visiting www.hervoiceke.org Email infor@hervoiceke.org
A Voice In The Wilderness.
Mukiri Hani calls for more action to protect the environment
As part of our Change In Africa series, we continue our quest to showcase young people transforming their communities. Today we bring you an interview with Mukiri Hani CEO of the Mukiri Hani International Foundation a non -governmental organization in Kenya with a special focus on protecting the environment.
Gaskiya.net; A look across the continent reveals that environmental protection issues are somewhat new so how did you get interested in this area?
Mukiri Hani; We started off as an NGO that worked with street kids and children homes feeding, clothing them. This brought me directly in contact with poverty across Kenya and further created an interest in me to investigate the root causes of poverty which I found were linked mostly to the mismanagement of natural resources. I realized that if people were interested in the environment and sought to take care of their immediate environment , it will greatly help to reduce poverty across the land. That was how I began the journey of sensitizing the populace regarding the environment.
Gaskiya.net So what message are you trying to pass to the people?
Mukiri Hani; The first is that the government cannot do everything for us. The people need to stand up and be counted. They need to take responsibility for the environment. Everyone must commit to doing all within their power to live in a clean and healthy environment. They should be more concerned about the environment. Whenever they notice acts capable of destroying the environment they ought to speak out.
Gaskiya.net; What challenges have you faced and probably still facing?
Mukiri Hani; Our challenges are threefold - The first is a blatant disregard for basic waste disposal programmes by the citizens as instituted by the government. And this comprises all manner of waste disposal domestic or commercial.
Secondly the government is still pussyfooting on a number of issues and this gives the impression that they are not really committed to the project.
Thirdly a lot of corporate organizations are not just showing any regard for environmental issues. And no one is making them pay.
Gaskiya.net; Finally considering the challenges that you currently face, what would you hope to achieve?
Mukiri Hani; I would like to see a government that is really committed to giving it's citizens a clean and a healthy environment carrying the populace along in its conservation programmes.
I would like citizens to be interested in protecting the environment since its all that we've got. ..it's the water we drink,food we eat and the air we breathe.
And finally we have several stakeholders who help in environmental issues and I would request that they first consider educating masses on the importance of protecting our environment and natural resources.
Gaskiya.net; A look across the continent reveals that environmental protection issues are somewhat new so how did you get interested in this area?
Mukiri Hani; We started off as an NGO that worked with street kids and children homes feeding, clothing them. This brought me directly in contact with poverty across Kenya and further created an interest in me to investigate the root causes of poverty which I found were linked mostly to the mismanagement of natural resources. I realized that if people were interested in the environment and sought to take care of their immediate environment , it will greatly help to reduce poverty across the land. That was how I began the journey of sensitizing the populace regarding the environment.
Gaskiya.net So what message are you trying to pass to the people?
Mukiri Hani; The first is that the government cannot do everything for us. The people need to stand up and be counted. They need to take responsibility for the environment. Everyone must commit to doing all within their power to live in a clean and healthy environment. They should be more concerned about the environment. Whenever they notice acts capable of destroying the environment they ought to speak out.
Gaskiya.net; What challenges have you faced and probably still facing?
Mukiri Hani; Our challenges are threefold - The first is a blatant disregard for basic waste disposal programmes by the citizens as instituted by the government. And this comprises all manner of waste disposal domestic or commercial.
Secondly the government is still pussyfooting on a number of issues and this gives the impression that they are not really committed to the project.
Thirdly a lot of corporate organizations are not just showing any regard for environmental issues. And no one is making them pay.
Gaskiya.net; Finally considering the challenges that you currently face, what would you hope to achieve?
Mukiri Hani; I would like to see a government that is really committed to giving it's citizens a clean and a healthy environment carrying the populace along in its conservation programmes.
I would like citizens to be interested in protecting the environment since its all that we've got. ..it's the water we drink,food we eat and the air we breathe.
And finally we have several stakeholders who help in environmental issues and I would request that they first consider educating masses on the importance of protecting our environment and natural resources.
Building Africa's future leaders
Stephanie Muya takes political education to the grass roots
Recently the editor in-chief Gaskiya.net Sina Adelaja-Olowoake met with Stephanie Muya founder of Fortitude Kenya. Below are excerpts from the interview.
Gaskiya.net: How and why did you get involved in activism?
SM: My Dress My Choice which was a campaign launched in Kenya in December 2014, ignited the activism spark in me. Thirteen women came together to champion the rights of women in public spaces. I was one of them. Through the demonstration, we were able to help the victims get justice for the inhumane acts committed against them. This has helped tremendously in reducing cases of stripping of women in public places not only in Kenya but in the whole of the east African region. After the campaign, I was inspired to do more for the youth in Kenya. I formed Fortitude Kenya, a youth led organization operating in Kenya and East Africa to uphold equality and advocate for the rights of the youth. Our mission is to empower and inspire the youth to be agents of change in the economic, political and social aspects of our lives and to champion for their rights.
Gaskiya.ne: But you seem to be particularly visible in the political arena. Why is this?
SM: I have interacted with many young leaders who have their mind set on political seats. However some did not seem to have an understanding of civic liberties and aspects of the constitution. I felt that this is very important for them to resonate with the prospective voters. We therefore decided to bring together youth led organizations to map out a way forward wit regards to incubation of youth aspirants ahead of the 2017 general elections. The meeting was a success as we were able to discuss and deliberate on key issues affecting the young leaders.
That aside Fortitude Kenya is currently working on a debate session for these young leaders to gauge their level of preparedness for active politics. The overall objective of the upcoming project is to encourage a leadership that is fully aware of civil liberties, political processes, good governance and best practices for generation of favourable political patronage after 2017 general elections.
Gaskiya.net: How do you carry out your programmes
SM: Fortitude Kenya has four staff in management operations and finance. We are currently recruiting experienced board members and advisory council. We all handle the implementation of different projects in different programs. Our team is however growing as we are currently working on guidelines for membership.
Gaskiya.net: In most countries including the UK youth participation in political issues is minimal. Are young people in Kenya interested in politics
SM: The participation of youth in politics in Kenya is growing by the day. The youth have become well aware of their civic liberties and are fully empowered./ However we still have a long way to go in understanding policies and best practices. This, I feel is very important for those aspiring to take up political seats. While I feel that we are ready for politics, some young people have misplaced priorities and seem to be in it for fame, power and control. Leadership is not just what happens when you're there, it's what happens when you're not. These wise words by Ken Blanchard should serve as a guideline for young politicians.
The Constitution of Kenya provides for devolving of services to the county level. It has also provided channels for civic empowerment through access to information and public participation. The youth should be on the fore front of advocating for their rights.Our civic education projects aim to ensure that the youth are used as agents of change and not channels of creating civil unrest. The projects are structured to contribute towards promoting and securing the rights of the youth to participate in political processes for improved governance. It meets the urgent need to mentor the youth to understand their place, legal rights and role in political processes.
Gaskiya.net: Have you got any programmes lined up
SM: As earlier mentioned we are working on launching our first debate session in Kiambu County in September 2015. We also plan to roll out in the counties and hopefully hold a national one come next year. That aside we will still be on the ground with our civic education project themed Informed Citizenry: Realization of Democracy. This August we have a series of tournaments lined up.
We are also working on a framework for a National Civic and Voter Education Campaign with other youth led organizations.
Gaskiya.net: Can we call you a politician and any chance of seeking an elective office soon?
SM: Hahahaha, Not anytime soon. I will not say that is not a possibility in the future though because a lot could happen over the next few years. I would like to believe I am a proud activist of social, economic and political rights.
Gaskiya.net: How and why did you get involved in activism?
SM: My Dress My Choice which was a campaign launched in Kenya in December 2014, ignited the activism spark in me. Thirteen women came together to champion the rights of women in public spaces. I was one of them. Through the demonstration, we were able to help the victims get justice for the inhumane acts committed against them. This has helped tremendously in reducing cases of stripping of women in public places not only in Kenya but in the whole of the east African region. After the campaign, I was inspired to do more for the youth in Kenya. I formed Fortitude Kenya, a youth led organization operating in Kenya and East Africa to uphold equality and advocate for the rights of the youth. Our mission is to empower and inspire the youth to be agents of change in the economic, political and social aspects of our lives and to champion for their rights.
Gaskiya.ne: But you seem to be particularly visible in the political arena. Why is this?
SM: I have interacted with many young leaders who have their mind set on political seats. However some did not seem to have an understanding of civic liberties and aspects of the constitution. I felt that this is very important for them to resonate with the prospective voters. We therefore decided to bring together youth led organizations to map out a way forward wit regards to incubation of youth aspirants ahead of the 2017 general elections. The meeting was a success as we were able to discuss and deliberate on key issues affecting the young leaders.
That aside Fortitude Kenya is currently working on a debate session for these young leaders to gauge their level of preparedness for active politics. The overall objective of the upcoming project is to encourage a leadership that is fully aware of civil liberties, political processes, good governance and best practices for generation of favourable political patronage after 2017 general elections.
Gaskiya.net: How do you carry out your programmes
SM: Fortitude Kenya has four staff in management operations and finance. We are currently recruiting experienced board members and advisory council. We all handle the implementation of different projects in different programs. Our team is however growing as we are currently working on guidelines for membership.
Gaskiya.net: In most countries including the UK youth participation in political issues is minimal. Are young people in Kenya interested in politics
SM: The participation of youth in politics in Kenya is growing by the day. The youth have become well aware of their civic liberties and are fully empowered./ However we still have a long way to go in understanding policies and best practices. This, I feel is very important for those aspiring to take up political seats. While I feel that we are ready for politics, some young people have misplaced priorities and seem to be in it for fame, power and control. Leadership is not just what happens when you're there, it's what happens when you're not. These wise words by Ken Blanchard should serve as a guideline for young politicians.
The Constitution of Kenya provides for devolving of services to the county level. It has also provided channels for civic empowerment through access to information and public participation. The youth should be on the fore front of advocating for their rights.Our civic education projects aim to ensure that the youth are used as agents of change and not channels of creating civil unrest. The projects are structured to contribute towards promoting and securing the rights of the youth to participate in political processes for improved governance. It meets the urgent need to mentor the youth to understand their place, legal rights and role in political processes.
Gaskiya.net: Have you got any programmes lined up
SM: As earlier mentioned we are working on launching our first debate session in Kiambu County in September 2015. We also plan to roll out in the counties and hopefully hold a national one come next year. That aside we will still be on the ground with our civic education project themed Informed Citizenry: Realization of Democracy. This August we have a series of tournaments lined up.
We are also working on a framework for a National Civic and Voter Education Campaign with other youth led organizations.
Gaskiya.net: Can we call you a politician and any chance of seeking an elective office soon?
SM: Hahahaha, Not anytime soon. I will not say that is not a possibility in the future though because a lot could happen over the next few years. I would like to believe I am a proud activist of social, economic and political rights.
Wambui Ngige - Kenyan social activist vows more pressure.
Kenyan organisers of the recent public demonstration against the stripping of women in public have vowed to sustain the pressure until such attacks are stopped.
Speaking exclusively to Gaskiya.net, Wambui Ngige who organised the hugely successful public protest against the act said although there had been a lot of gender-based violence recently, stripping ladies in public was gradually becoming the norm and they had to act to reverse the ugly trend.
According to her, "the recent one was extremely humiliating as it was posted on social media. I just knew it was time to break the silence."
Wambui told Gaskiya.net that she and her co-organisers were pleasantly surprised "to see so many women turn up. The support was unimaginable given what normally obtains in the Kenyan society." She was full of thanks to "all those who made it possible."
See full text of Wambui Ngige's interview below.
Gaskiya.net There had been cases of women being stripped naked in public before now. What was different this time that made you react
Wambui Ngige. Yes there has been a lot of gender based violence recently and stripping ladies in public was now becoming the norm. However the recent one was extremely humiliating as it was posted on social media. I just knew it was time to break the silence.
Gaskiya.net Were you surprised at the overwhelming support you received from the public?
Wambui Ngige. Oh yes we were. Because we had not experienced anything like this before we did not know how many people were going to turn out for the march. I was so surprised to see so many women turn up. The support was unimaginable given what normally obtains in the Kenyan society. A special thank you to all those who made it possible.
Gaskiya.net Just after the protest march on Monday, it was reported that another lady was stripped naked. How did you feel when you heard this?
Wambui Ngige. I remember almost crying when I heard the news because some of us were attacked during the march and almost suffered the same fate. However I am optimistic that we will have less and less of this kind of behaviour until it is finally eradicated.
Gaskiya.net Apart from the protest marches what else do you plan to do to
ensure that this horrible acts are no longer commonplace.
Wambui Ngige. The My dress My choice protest march is not the first thing we have done to address this problem. We have had various capacity building programmes like workshops etc to educate the perpetrators of this crime and will continue to do so until we achieve the desired change.
Gaskiya.net Thank you for talking to us.
Wambui Ngige. Thank you very much for the opportunity.
Speaking exclusively to Gaskiya.net, Wambui Ngige who organised the hugely successful public protest against the act said although there had been a lot of gender-based violence recently, stripping ladies in public was gradually becoming the norm and they had to act to reverse the ugly trend.
According to her, "the recent one was extremely humiliating as it was posted on social media. I just knew it was time to break the silence."
Wambui told Gaskiya.net that she and her co-organisers were pleasantly surprised "to see so many women turn up. The support was unimaginable given what normally obtains in the Kenyan society." She was full of thanks to "all those who made it possible."
See full text of Wambui Ngige's interview below.
Gaskiya.net There had been cases of women being stripped naked in public before now. What was different this time that made you react
Wambui Ngige. Yes there has been a lot of gender based violence recently and stripping ladies in public was now becoming the norm. However the recent one was extremely humiliating as it was posted on social media. I just knew it was time to break the silence.
Gaskiya.net Were you surprised at the overwhelming support you received from the public?
Wambui Ngige. Oh yes we were. Because we had not experienced anything like this before we did not know how many people were going to turn out for the march. I was so surprised to see so many women turn up. The support was unimaginable given what normally obtains in the Kenyan society. A special thank you to all those who made it possible.
Gaskiya.net Just after the protest march on Monday, it was reported that another lady was stripped naked. How did you feel when you heard this?
Wambui Ngige. I remember almost crying when I heard the news because some of us were attacked during the march and almost suffered the same fate. However I am optimistic that we will have less and less of this kind of behaviour until it is finally eradicated.
Gaskiya.net Apart from the protest marches what else do you plan to do to
ensure that this horrible acts are no longer commonplace.
Wambui Ngige. The My dress My choice protest march is not the first thing we have done to address this problem. We have had various capacity building programmes like workshops etc to educate the perpetrators of this crime and will continue to do so until we achieve the desired change.
Gaskiya.net Thank you for talking to us.
Wambui Ngige. Thank you very much for the opportunity.