Tag: Boniface Mwangi news

Boniface Mwangi and Mohammed Ali are the only the only wannabe MPs who have gone to the electorates and asked them to raise money for their campaigns.

Even though this is a popular tradition in Western nations, it’s a strange practice in Kenya because it’s politicians who give people handouts and not vice versa.

Anyway Kenyans are sending Boniface Mwangi money for his campaign, the controversial Rights Activist has revealed how much he has received so far.

“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,” Boniface disclosed.

He explained that most people who donated to him were just common citizens – the same people who have shown him compassion and offered him encouragement.

“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.

“Thank You to everyone who has told me to keep up the fight, who has told me they will stand with me, who has told one other person about my campaign. Thank You, one and all.

“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.”

Boniface Mwangi has abandoned his earlier decision to run for Starehe parliamentary seat as an independent candidate.

The controversial Rights Activist has decided to launch his own political party dubbed Ukweli Party which is now his vehicle of choice to run for the Starehe seat.

Boniface Mwangi’s party has sugarcane as its official symbol, the wannabe MP was even seen chewing sugarcane during the launch of his party.

So what’s the story behind the sugarcane? Apparently Boniface picked the sugarcane symbol because his party is aspiring for a sweet Kenya.

“Our Party symbol is sugarcane. The luscious green sugarcane represents our land, which our forefathers and mothers fought for. It is also symbolic of what we believe every Kenyan should enjoy – the sweet taste of freedom and the fruits of their labor,” Boniface Mwangi explained.

Boniface claims Kenya is being choked by recycled, redundant and un-progressive leadership, he explains that his party will address the challenges faced by Kenyans.

“As Ukweli Party, we want a Kenya where we work collaboratively to address the challenges as we journey towards a better democratically literate nation. We want a Kenya where our leaders truly serve the people and stand behind the principles of fairness, inclusion and good stewardship.”

“Kenya’s political scene is oozing of recycled, redundant and un-progressive leadership yet somehow we hope that the same people who created this redundancy will fix it. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying I want better, I deserve better and I’m willing to participate in creating better.”

“We want to start creating a new way of doing, seeing, talking, and solving things because each of us must start imagining a new Kenya.”

Always trust Boniface Mwangi to get what’s he’s looking for as he has demonstrated time and time again.

Well, he has done it yet again and trust me this will earn him great respect and adoration from the masses.

One of the biggest hurdles Kenya has always struggled with is a burgeoning wage bill which has always threatened to crumble the economy and in the heart of it all is the National Assembly.

Time and time again MP’s have been known to sneak in retrogressive laws behind our backs and always come out with added perks.

Not anymore, actually their salaries might be halved very soon if the president’s declaration is anything to go by.

And guess courtesy of whose efforts? Boniface Mwangi of course.

This was his journey through the whole process which started sometime in 2013:

On 1st May 2013, with fellow activists, I organized a protest against our MPs’ planned salary hike. It was at Uhuru Park, during the Labour Day celebrations. I was beaten and arrested in the presence of H.E Uhuru Kenyatta. Later, I was charged in court. Undeterred, 12 days later on 13th May, we organized a follow-up protest against the planned salary increment.

In what could be Kenya’s most famous protest in recent history, we delivered LIVE pigs to Parliament, as a symbol of MPs’ greed.  The police responded: with teargas, water cannons, batons and arrests were made. Among the people who were tear-gassed and water-cannoned were Prof. Yash Pal Ghai and his wife. 17 of us were arrested on that day.  Not a single politician condemned the violence. We were charged. Four years later, the case is still ongoing.

A month later we went back, to protest against the high salaries. In 2016, l announced l was going to run for MP. One of my calls to action was that we must reduce our elected officials’ salaries. Two weeks ago, l was interviewed alongside Salaries and Remuneration Commission – SRC Chair Serem, and said we must review salaries downwards. She agreed with me.

On Wednesday, during the State of The Nation address, President Uhuru said that elected officials’ salaries must be cut in half. Our activism on the streets, and online –in our homes and work places– has won. I shall continue with this fight inside parliament.

Let no one tell you that change is impossible! *RohoJuu*

Boniface Mwangi has always been a stubborn cancerous tumor to members of parliament in Kenya – remember when he brought pigs to parliament to protest the hefty pay raises by lawmakers in 2013?

The rights activist now wants to ‘disrupt legalized looting’ in parliament once he’s elected MP for Starehe constituency.

Boniface lost the war on the increment on MPs’ salary but now he want to fight that war from within parliament as an elected legislator.

The rights activists has promised to take a 50% pay cut once he’s elected to the August House, he has also vowed to push for the reduction of the number of MPs and MCAs and to slash other hefty allowances and privileges Kenyan MPs enjoy.

The problem is that Boniface can’t do it alone, for any bill to be passed in parliament a majority of the legislators must approve it. Knowing too well how greedy Kenyan lawmakers are, they will NEVER pass a bill that slashes their salaries and privileges.

Below is Boniface’s promise to the electorates:

I am vying for MP Starehe. I am a Patriot, an Activist, and a Change maker.”

Once elected as MP I will lead by example by accepting a 50% reduction to my salary. H.E Uhuru Kenyatta and Hon. Raila Odinga should also make the pay-cut agenda part of their manifestos.

1. As MP l will push for the reduction of salaries and number of representatives. It does not make sense for 45 million Kenyans to spend more than ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT BILLION SHILLINGS (108,000,000,000) per year on salaries and allowances for 67 senators, 349 members of the National Assembly and 2,526 Members of county assembly. Kenyans are overrepresented and l shall push for the reduction of the number of MPs and MCAs. The media should push to make the MPs’, MCAs’, and Senators’ 50% pay-cut part of the agenda in this campaign period.
2. Vehicle Grants: Every MP and Senator gets a non-repayable grant of 5 million shillings to buy a car. Why should we pay them hefty salaries and then buy them cars? Taxpayers spend 4.9 BILLION SHILLINGS FOR LUXURY CARS. This is legalized theft!
3. Illegal Sitting Allowances: On top of their hefty salaries, MPs are, also paid sitting allowances’ for every parliament or committee session. Every time an MP or Senator goes to parliament to do their job, they get 5000 shillings. Parliament sits twice daily, in the morning and afternoon, for 4 days a week. This means that an MP is paid 80,000 shillings on top of their basic salary to do their actual job.
4. State Protection: Every MP is entitled to one bodyguard. Some have more. For a country with a low police to population ratio, more than 1/8th of the police service is dedicated to VIP protection. Why should MPs have bodyguards? Isn’t the country safe? MPs do not do dangerous work – unless they consider serving Kenyans a risky job. The 999 emergency numbers should always work and emergencies promptly responded to. This requires that the police live and work in humane conditions, are well paid, and their service cars fueled. They should live amongst civilians to ensure the safety of the citizens, not just a few individuals.
5. Unreasonable Medical Cover:MPs and Senators have a 10-million-shillings medical cover. This should be scrapped. Any person occupying public office should use the same facilities as the people who elect him/her. How else would they improve the health sector if they never interact with it? #RohoJuu

The daring Rights Activist has revealed his enemies have found a way to hit him where it hurts the most. Boniface said he had faced countless threats in his life ever since he became an activist but he was never cowed by them, until recently.

“Since l became an activist, my life has changed significantly. I can’t be out alone late at night. A veteran politician once cautioned me that evil loves the dark. I am constantly looking over my shoulder. When working late or hanging out with friends, l must ensure I am with trusted company. I cannot speak freely on my phone. I have had to adjust my life drastically as I cannot afford to take these threats lightly. Routinely, supportive friends with access to info will send me information shared by people who have been paid to spy on me. In spite of these chilling reports, I refuse to be intimidated into silence. I refuse to be paralyzed by fear,” Boniface wrote in part.

The Rights Activist revealed his enemies have now resorted to threaten his wife and kids after they discovered he wasn’t scared by the threats on his life.

“I am anguished because the threats are now taking a more dangerous tone. For the first time since I began engaging in activism, my wife and children have been included as targets. The source of the threats claims that because I have refused to be bought and won’t compromise, I have put my family in danger.”

Boniface disclosed that he received the threats on his family as he was returning home from America where he had gone to promote his book, The UnBounded.

“We were meant to travel back last week, but then I received a frightening warning message: “DO NOT COME HOME: THEY WILL KILL YOU.” To prove the message’s authenticity, my source shared specific details of how they intend to hurt me and my family. It has broken my heart to see my wife cry, almost everyday. In her tears she keeps saying, “You fight for Kenyans everyday, but who will fight for me and for our children?”

He goes on to reveal that his family and friends have always been sick worried about his safety ever since he started getting threats on his life.

“My close family and friends are in constant fear for my life. My mother-in-law even has a permanent prayer chain of friends who pray for me daily. Do I fear for my life? It’s the question on everyone’s mind and it comes up at every interview or talk I give. Like most humans, I am afraid of death, but often my convictions for a better Kenya have overcome this real and palpable fear. It is a great sacrifice to die for Kenya, but an even better one to live for her.”

Boniface says he intends to make a statement to the police regarding the current threats on his family upon touching down in Kenya.

“As I write this, I am on my way back home. I intend to make a statement of the current threats to the police. They may not do much about it, but I will have done my part in reporting. My family will follow once I have shared all the information I have with the police,”

Boniface Mwangi has gone back to his old profession of selling books. The Rights Activist is currently in the US doing what he was good at.

Before the fame and money, Boniface Mwangi used to sell books in the streets of Nairobi and other towns across the country.

Boniface has flown to America to sell his book ‘The UnBounded’. The controversial activist revealed he will traverse America to popularize his book.

“In my teens l was a hawker. l used to travel across Kenya hawking books in gospel crusades. I followed the miracle promising preachers to sell bibles and magazines. Many years later l am back to hawking books but this time round,it’s my book #BMUnBounded. I used to travel by bus to most of the venues but between now and Monday l will spend more than 24 hours in planes. I am heading to Dallas,Texas,then after the launch head to New York for another book event and early Sunday morning another 7+ hour plus fight to Phoenix,Arizona via Chicago and early Monday morning head to New York ahead of Wednesday book launch in NYC. I am still a hawker but the means of transport and the market has changed. If you are in any of the cities join me and spread the word. I’ll be in Dallas,Texas Today. New York on Saturday. Phoenix,Arizona on Sunday. Next week I’ll be in New York on Wednesday ; Sacramento,San Francisco on Friday; Bay Area,Oakland on Saturday and Minneapolis on Sunday. Never tell a young man it is impossible.”