Human Rights activist, Boniface Mwangi has been appointed as the Ambassador of Africans Rising, a Pan-African movement of people and organisations, working for justice, peace and dignity.
Boni as he is popularly known has been involved in various activism events to promote and ensure justice for all Kenyans and keeping the government in check.
Sharing the news on Twitter, the father of three shared that he is set to begin his official assignments in Gambia and travel to Tanzania come December.
I am excited to start my role as @AfricansRising‘s Ambassador. Heading to Gambia for my first assignment as Africans Rising Ambassador. I will be in Tanzania in early December. Nigeria and Ghana, see you mid Dec. I promise to continue shining a light on suffering and injustice. pic.twitter.com/ehoOr07Cu9
— Boniface Mwangi (@bonifacemwangi) November 20, 2018
Boni has always been on the fore front calling out the government for its short falls and exposing ills in the society.
This past weekend he was detained and banned from attending the National Youth Service pass out in Gilgil. His phone was confiscated and the photos he had taken deleted from his device, despite presenting his media pass.
He is an award-winning Kenyan photojournalist, politician and activist involved in social-political activism through his initiative Team Courage.
Team Courage is a movement that aims to instill a sense of hope and self-belief in a generation of young change makers by enabling patriotic citizens to take bold and effective actions in building a new Kenya.
He is known for his images of the post-election violence that hit Kenya in 2007–2008.
He is also the founder of Picha Mtaani, a youth-led peace initiative that primarily seeks to create space for young people to reconcile and become agents of reconciliation to their respective communities.
Despite not having a high school education, Mwangi managed to gain a place at a private journalism school. To fund his studies he had to continue selling books on the street, but soon began to gain experience as a photojournalist.
He published photographs in the national newspaper The Standard, and in 2005 won his first photography prizes. Within three years he received international recognition as one of Africa’s most promising photographers. He was awarded the 2008 and 2010 CNN Africa Photojournalist of the Year Award.
However, he put his photography career on hold, to work on Kenyan social justice.
Do you agree Boni deserves the award?