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Thursday, July 25, 2013

NAI NI WHO: a festival of Nairobi neighborhoods; celebrating and exploring the Nairobian identity.


MAY 11TH- AUGUST 3RD 2013.
# NaiNiWho

Nairobi; brace yourself for a festival like no other! In May; on a clear Sunday afternoon; youth groups; fans and friends of the “Nai Ni Who” festival; took to Enterprise Road in south B’s industrial are to kick start the 3 month long series of neighborhood gigs.


With the Salvation Army band in tow; song; dance and merriment marked the boisterous parade that proudly wound its way around the estate’s shopping and residential areas. This is the first of 12 such celebrations across the city.


“(The festival) was something we had not foreseen,” confesses The Go down Arts Centre Director; Joy Mboya. Last year; in preparation of the Centre’s 10th anniversary; a series of conversations informally tagged ‘WHO IS NAIROB?’ were initiated across different spheres of society.

We began to examine the relationship that existed within the city; its ambivalence; history and evolution,” explains Joy.
“For us; the question of identity is primary;” Joy reiterates. That means that each neighborhood was required to reflect inwardly and ask them what their area was about: the good, the bad and the ugly. This makes the festival title apt as it makes a play on English; Swahili and sheng; as it begs the question, “Nai Ni Who (WHO IS NAIROBI)”.

South B resident, Zuhura Aden recalls hearing the loud parade as it made its way past her home.
“the band music drew me to the window and I saw lots of people marching on the streets; including the XYZ puppets of president Uhuru and deputy Ruto!” she says.




For her; a festival of this nature is necessary.
“We don’t often stop to look around at our environment and appreciate what we have. If people became more conscious of their surroundings; then we could all make Nairobi better in the long run. There would be no more dumping and littering.”

The festival has invited people to share their definition of the city. Some have called it “the heartbeat of the country,” “city of learning”, “maisha ya shida (difficult life)”; “a place for everyone;” while others simply just know it as “home”.






-this piece first appeared on UP Magazine. It was a piece by Wanjeri Gakuru.

-stay updated on where the action is happening via facebook: Nai Ni Who; Twitter: @NaiNiWho or visiting-http://www.nainiwho.co.ke/




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