An Empowered and Just Mukuru

The Advocacy department has been tirelessly working for nearly six months with regards to election readiness. Led by Margaret Kariuki, the department has been engaging residents from all over Mukuru informal settlements with the aim of shading some light on how to properly cast a vote come 8th of August, 2022.

Part of the preparation of the residents of Mukuru was an engagement held between representatives from each Mukuru community and various stakeholders. The meeting was for the community members to come up with a Mukuru Manifesto; a document containing the needs of the people of Mukuru. The message behind developing the document was that residents of Mukuru were fed up with constantly being given promises and therefore decided to turn the tables. As opposed to the politician handing a list of promises to their voters, they are made to sign to the needs of the people of Mukuru instead.

The manifesto is just a speck of the myriad of activities Ruben Centre’s advocacy department has done. Civic education whereby communities are being guided on the roles of various political aspirants have been hosted. It is not uncommon for voters to put politicians in office and yet they don’t know the roles of those they have voted in. Therefore, the Advocacy department has aided in explaining what each aspirant should be able to deliver. This will help the voters know whether an aspirant is overselling themselves as well as knowing which specific political offices to launch their needs.

As for the youth who are just discovering politics and all its wrangles, the Advocacy department has been using the Participatory Education Theatre (PET) approach to engage with them. This is a civic education criterion that uses art works, dramatization and music to pass messages. Various youths are being engaged to put up murals depicting peace, throughout the elections, and other civic voter practices.

By: Gregory Barake