Tag Archives: Public

NAIROBI | Graffiti framing Public Opinion

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On the City Market wall facing Muindi Mbingu Street, are drawn rare graffiti with a political message for the electorate: “be wise and choose only leaders with the interest of the nation ahead of their own.”

Abel and Buckley (1997) looked at the “writing of graffiti as a psychological phenomenon, a form of communication that is both personal and free of everyday social restraints that normally prevent people from giving uninhibited reign to their thoughts.” [Looking at the Writing on the Wall: A Critical Review and Taxonomy of Graffiti Texts, Jane M. Gadsby (1995)] Habitually, a similar attitude is engendered by the anonymous graffiti artists, in the “City in the Sun.” One such artist exhibits “the reminiscences of a greedy politician…” Daily Nation reported. Chronic poverty and unemployment as well as the epic struggles and conditions of a country’s marginalized people are touted as the main engines that fuel graffiti culture. But is that all there is to it? It has been found out before that”Mainstream media will never say a word of truth…” Thus graffiti is now being used as an alternative channel to the mainstream media, to disseminate the true information, which often was kept back by the latter.” It has thence, been confirmed that somehow, it succeeds in getting the message through to the masses. One professor of English pointed out that “graffiti has played a significant role in framing and times changing public opinion.”

Whether or not graffiti is considered as a medium of revolt against the authorities, or just as a channel for self expression, what is depicted is in clear print, a true and faithful reflection of a people’s attitudes toward a non-yielding system on the one hand, and on the other, a call to action by the ‘infringed’. In a nutshell, thoughts become things.

 

References:

Writing’s on the wall for greedy MPs Daily Nation March 4, 2012

Looking at the Writing on the Wall: A Critical Review and Taxonomy of Graffiti Texts Jane M. Gadsby (1995)

Graffiti: Expression Unadulterated Irfan Muzaffar Parray

 

 

Public opinion Versus Political Influence over the Media

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The Hague Suspects (two among them) presidential hopefuls have been accused of engaging with the local media, with an aim of swaying public opinion against the ICC.

The International Crisis Group (ICG), which has been monitoring the Kenyan cases at The Hague, in its report, reveals that the said suspects along with the local media, have employed a scheme casting the “suspects” as victims of the court, and of ‘sinister plots’ by their political opponents, aiming at barring them from participating in the 2012 elections.[“During the recent hearings at The Hague, the media… (Covered the cases as if) Moreno-Ocampo was prosecuting Kenya, not individual suspects.”]

Very well done! That must have worked its way to some level of success I should say. It is however prudent to note that a vast majority of Kenyan youth, who constitute a major sector of the electorate, have matured to be free thinkers, through the teachings of their life experiences, and interpersonal interactions. There has been a collective ‘paradigm-shift’ in the thoughts of today’s Kenyan youth’s-something that is sounding a loud and clear ‘revolution’. The Kenyan youth has realized that this is the ‘age of the mind’, and has started to ‘think’. A famous line goes, “You can fool some people sometimes, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.” The future of this country lies on the hands of the youths of today not on ‘whoever’ frequents the TV screens in the living-rooms at prime-time.

References:

Media in the dock over hague cases All Kenya News 4th March 2012

The Hague judgement causes Uhuru, Ruto sleepless nights The Citizen 5th Mrch, 2012

EDUCATION | Strike by Public University Dons Persists

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“Public Universities are part of the government and it was government’s wish that all its workers are well remunerated. As government, we want to see that the university staff is paid well. I appeal to unions, not to use the weapon of strike menacingly, but as a weapon of last resort,” said the Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, as he brokered negotiations to call off a similar strike by the University Academic Staff Union (UASU), last year.

The government’s failure to honor its pledges to civil servants, gives reason to the re-current strikes in public institutions. The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) cited stalled implementation of new salaries and allowances, as the reasons for the strike. Last year, Finance Permanent Secretary, Joseph Kinyua, “presented a signed letter to his Higher Education counterpart, Professor Crispus Kiamba, committing the government to pay the last installment of 2008/09 – 2009/10 financial years, collective bargaining agreements…” Capital FM website reported.  Recently on October 19th varsity dons signalled a strike with the union chairman Samuel Kubasu, saying lecturers expected the new pay rise to be between 30-40 per cent. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru9IicNR46Y&feature=fvsr            The impasse at the universities arose after the authorities failed to respond to demands for a salary increase, whose negotiation started in 2009, but stalled mid-stream.” Meanwhile, Mr. Justice Paul Kosgei, of the Industrial Court ruled that, “pending the hearing and determination of an application filed by the Inter-University Council Consultative Forum, the lecturers should not engage in any activity likely to paralyze learning at higher institutions.” allAfrica.com reported. Despite the ruling, the strike continues. Egerton University becomes the latest institution to be closed, and students sent home as the lecturers strike proceeds into day 3. Going into the second week of the strike, the situation is expected to worsen following Thursday night’s unfruitful talks, involving the Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, seeking to arrive at a compromise.

With this new constitutional dispensation, and in this age and time, some things were bound to happen; on one hand, the citizenry would become more aware of their civil rights, thus demanding them, where they previously would not, and on the other, the government would fail to own up to its pledges, more so during this time, that you can only hide a little or none, from the public’s watchful eyes. What a risky area to begin a crisis? Education is the key. Whoever is concerned with its safe-keeping should be careful lest it breaks.

References:

Court Halts Lecturers’ Strike allAfrica.com Novermber 9, 2011

Strike Cripples Varsity Exams and Graduation November 9, 2011

All the Sides to Blame for Unnecessary Strikes November 9, 2011

Judge Rules Varsity Dons Strike Illegal Novermber 10, 2011

Varsity lecturers’ signal strike October 19, 2011

Kenya university dons call off strike April 8, 2010