Shikoh Kihika: The fierce activist who started Tribless youth
Shikoh Kihika
The Name Wanjiku Kihika is a household name in Nakuru. A name that is very well known in the activism space.
Her passion for activism bore Ubuntu Creative Space at Tribeless youth, a space that ropes in young people to discuss matters of governance and educate the community using art, dialogue and storytelling.
But how did the Nakuru bread, mother of one, turn into an activist?
“Growing up, I never pictured myself being an activist who would one day vocalize societal issues; advocating for good governance and defending human rights,” she says.
However, the 2017 election campaigns would be her turning point, from a lady working in a supermarket in Nakuru to a girl who believed leaders should be made accountable to what they say.
That seed of thought could not allow her to sit and watch leaders divide the country into tribal lines just to amass votes for themselves.
This is when Shiku and a few other youth started conducting online discussions, urging them not to be caught up in the tribal wave that leaders seemed to be propagating to get allegiance from people affiliated to their tribe.
“I just sat and listened to campaigns being done in vernacular. I kept questioning why that was happening and where the voice of the youth was in all this. Having lost friends in the horrible 2007 post-election violence which were propelled by tribal clashes, I did not want us to get to that point again,”
“This gave birth to an online space and using the hashtag ‘Tribless Youth’, every Thursday at 5am , youth turned up to discuss what young people were not having; unemployment ,access to health, education and proper living standards and so on , while distancing themselves form tribal politics, thus Tribeless youth today,” Shiku says as she reminisces on what prompted the Ubuntu creative space to be formed .
Two weeks after the general elections, they would tone down on the online space but people kept on contacting her to get back on it.
“While organizing the online space I felt I was living my purpose. The spaces were not paying but I knew I did not enjoy my day job at the supermarket as I did with activism. With that I quit my job to decided to focus on establishing a community based organization that would spark change,” she says
In her capacity, she has mentored creatives, provided a safe space for women lawyers, journalists, and women in politics, to have women in Nakuru to speak up.
“As it is Nakuru is a conservative town and women tend to suppress their voices, however, at her organization to rope in women and create a space where women can source strength together and aiding them to get a table and be among the decision makers,” she says
She notes that looking back eight years back the organization has had an impact among Nakuru residents, emphasizing that she is glad to have quit her job to be an activist.
Shiku says she is proud of being able to foster the pioneer creatives and activism digital media organization that focuses on nurturing and incubating the emergence of upcoming generations who are socially conscious artist, activist, content creators and the marginalized group.
Through projects such as Uwazi na uwajibika, usani na uwajibikaji , ukumbi wa demokrasia among other platforms, Tribless youth has been able to bring youth and given them a purpose through art to have them explore their talent in impactful ways to society.
“We used digital media, creative campaigns to spear head conversations among the youth to have them demand for a just community to live in and have leaders accountable for their promises after which we give them a score card based on how they delivered their promise to the mwananchi,” she say
As a mother she says her son is her biggest champion to push her to continue on her activism journey of fighting for a just community.
“The job has low moments that have you questioning how will I bounce back. Along my work, I have developed anxiety from phones buzzing since most of the times its never good news from the other side. However, I have learnt to take one day at a time, seek help from my therapist and lean on my family more often,” she reveals.
Shiku hopes that someday a just society is something the next generation should enjoy. However, the sacrifice must be made now.