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Non-violence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. – Martin Luther King
On January 10th 2013, in the dead of night during an extended parliamentary session, a handful of Kenyan MPs decided that they needed to award themselves ludicrous send-off packages. Not only did they assign themselves 9.3 million shillings but also lifelong personal security, diplomatic passports as well as state funerals. This action greatly angered the Kenyan public with many getting online and expressing their utter and total disgust at this. Many decided to take their anger to the streets with a number of demonstrations being organised. A couple of days after the MPs passed the bill, President Mwai Kibaki, denied to consent to it. Though this did quell some of the uproar, one group decided that they wanted to give The Members of the 10th parliament a befitting farewell.
On 16th January 2013 the Kenya Ni Kwetu activists called on members of public to join them at the historic Freedom Corner at Uhuru Park at 10am. The plan was to congregate at the corner and march down to the August house to give the 221 Members of Parliament a memorable gift. As the people gathered…
…some danced and psyched themselves…
…and finally the farewell gifts arrived.
221 coffins were carried into the area to represent each Member of Parliament.
Among those in attendance were young children…
… who also wanted to make their voices heard.
Finally, the demonstration started. Moving through the Central Business District…
…the demonstrators made sure that their message was heard.
Finally, the demonstrators arrived at the Gates of Parliament…
…and once all the coffins arrived…
…a huge bonfire was lit.
When all was done and the demonstrators went home…
… they left the smoldering embers to the Nairobi Fire Brigade.
According to the organizers of the demonstration, the coffins were torched to signify the end of an era. The reason they were burnt and not buried, as would ideally have been the case, was a symbolic action to show that since Langata cemetery is full and City Hall had lost millions of shillings that was meant to purchase of a new cemetery, there was nowhere to bury the coffins.