NAIROBI’S SPEAKING WALLS

The speaking walls of Nairobi 

 

 

 

 

By Donald Kogai

 

 

 

 

The Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH) in

collaboration with local artists, Nairobi Metropolitan Services

(NMS), the Safer Nairobi Initiative and the GoDown Arts Centre to

launch an art movement to beautify Nairobi with colorful murals to

showcase the vibrancy and creativity of the city. The partners are

calling the movement #ALAAA! – the sound of astonishment that

people will make when they come across the amazing works of art

around the city.

 

 

 

 

 

The #ALAAA! Mural Movement started with a mural created on

Saturday, 8 May 2021 and Sunday, 9 May 2021 at the Moi Avenue

Primary School perimeter wall on the globe roundabout side. The

theme of the piece is the art and vitality of the streets of Nairobi and

feature work by artists Allan “Think” Kioko, Michael Nyerere,

Solomon “Solo” Luvai, Rose Ahono, Collins Oduor, Leevans

Linyerere and Wilson Matunda. Another three murals are lined up

starting with one at Muthurwa being created this coming weekend .

The curatorial team is actively scouting new locations and talking to

artists to create the next batch of murals for the city to enjoy.

 

 

 

 

Humphrey Otieno the Liaison Officer at Safer Nairobi Initiative who

helped bring the project to fruition said the movement fits well with

the Safer Nairobi Initiative’s mandate to work with young people,

connect with the public and promote crime prevention through

environmental design by activating public open spaces. “Many

youths are in the arts sector and have been affected by pandemic.

How do young people work together with the county government?

Our initiative is to bring young people into the open spaces and to

bring people together. We are adopting a participatory approach to

tactical urbanism where we aim to be inclusive and to listen to our

communities’ voices.” Mr. Otieno said. “I shared with the council of

governors who also wanted the artists to create more murals.

There’s no need for boring walls that say nothing. How do we get

speaking walls?”

 

 

 

 

 

Go anywhere in Nairobi and you will find concrete walls around

everything (around homes, schools, hotels, parks, everything). Not

only do these walls physically and figuratively separate

communities from one another, but they are also uninspiring. When

you drive around Nairobi and see only walls, you get no sense of the

vibrancy, creativity, and magic of the city and its people that lie

beyond the walls.

 

 

 

 

 

The partners have a vision of creating a city full of murals that

explore artistic experimentation and expression that connect to

people’s hearts and where artists and the public feel that they are

part of something that will positively change the city. The partners

are working towards Nairobi becoming known internationally for

its beautiful murals and public art and for the art to be a source of

pride for all Nairobians.

 

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