Reportage
Kenya: artist Otieno Gomba denounces "conscience buying" during the elections
Audio 01:28
Kenyan artist Otieno Gomba near his Maasai Mbili gallery studio in Kibera, Kenya, in August 2022. © Florence Morice/RFI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The phenomenon is so widespread that it has caused a shortage of small denominations in the country a few days before the presidential election in Kenya: "the purchase of conscience", in other words the distribution of money during electoral campaigns is a scourge.
The Kenyan artist Otieno Gomba has decided to devote a series of paintings to it, halfway between denunciation and humour.
He is one of the founding members of the artist collective Maasai Mbili, created in 2011 in Kibera.
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With our correspondent in Nairobi,
Florence Morice
"
And here is Maasai Mbili's studio gallery
".
A door in jail between two walls covered with fresco.
Otieno Gomba works here in watercolour, charcoal or ink.
He describes himself as a journalist painter on the lookout for the ills of his community.
In one corner, his latest creation, a banknote of an imaginary currency that he has chosen to baptize Gwara: "
Gwara means to scratch
in the Kiswahili language, like when you scratch someone's back to get something .
»
A way for the artist to humorously question the practice of vote buying which once again punctuated the campaign this year.
“
Politicians' programs are all the same, what they have to offer us is their money.
And we don't see them again for 5 years.
In fact, politicians pay bribes to get a job.
»
A review of this system
The criticism is aimed at the political class.
It also aims to make Kenyans aware that they too contribute to feeding this system: “
People ask them to distribute money.
If they don't, they won't have a voice.
During the campaign, some quit their jobs to follow these politicians.
If they hear that a candidate is there, they go there in the hope of recovering 50 or
100
shillings
.
And it disrupts our economies, because these people become dependent on politicians.
»
Otieno Gomba is still aware that the economic crisis hitting Kenya makes his message inaudible to some.
The practice has been particularly prevalent during this election, as Kenya's economy is in dire straits.
Most people cannot afford three full meals a day.
So those who attend meetings do not do so because they are going to vote for the candidates in question, but because they know they are going to receive money, or something to eat.
It is in fact a commercial activity.
If you go to these people you will see that most of them have t-shirts of all the political parties, if it is Kenya Kwanza they will go dancing with another t-shirt just because they want to receive the money.
In fact, most young people who participate in these political rallies are not even registered to vote.
Dismas Mokua (political analyst): "Those who attend rallies do so because they know they will receive money"
Florence Morice
►Also listen: Guest Africa - Presidential election in Kenya: "William Ruto played the social divide card"
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