If You Do Not Speak Up, You Will Be Unheard

When I arrived in Kenya for the ACLALS conference which took place at the University of Nairobi from 1-7 July 2025, I never envisioned that I would find a spiritual homeplace. There is something special in this land that isn’t in the national parks and the oohs and aahs of seeing wildlife that isn’t in cages. It’s the Kenyan-ness of the Kenyans. There isn’t another way to describe it. I have been fortunate enough to spend a month with creative Kenyans, and we have talked, played music, sung, read, laughed and gisted late into the night. Each and every Kenyan I have had the pleasure to sit with has a strong sense of what it means to be here, of what it means to be a Kenyan. There is a deep love of the land and its people and that love does not wear rose coloured glasses but sees every facet of the country. 
 
I arrived on a day of an annual national protest that saw part of Nairobi shut down. I never felt unsafe and started to understand why the Gen Zs were speaking out. The following week was another day of national protests. Saba-Saba. By this point Uber drivers, waiters, shop assistants and friends had versed me into the reasons behind the protests and though I never felt unsafe I feared for the young people I had met because the police had been ordered to shoot the unarmed protestors.  
 
There are so many incidents I could talk about, but one stands out because of events that happened yesterday. A couple of weeks ago we were invited to a birthday party. I had never heard of the celebrant personally, but he was spoken about with admiration, and I was looking forward to the experience. We arrived late, but also at just the right time. Everyone who was present had begun to stand up and talk about this man. The stories gave such a complete picture of who he is. From the woman who was moved to tears as she recounted how he saved her when she was in a helpless situation and then introduced her to the man that became her husband. To the people who worked with him and talked about his integrity and vision and honesty. To his children who are so proud of their father and his wife who loves and admires him as much as he does her.
 
Boniface Mwangi is a man who commands the room. He has a smile that dispels shadows, a laugh that bounces through the air affecting all in its vicinity and interesting dance moves would never allow him to give up his day job. But the most striking thing about him is his humility. I don’t think I’ve ever been in the presence of someone who has such strong leadership qualities, with such beautiful humility. He is full of grace and gratitude. He is a man that takes nothing for granted and who has worked hard to be where he is. This man invited me into his circle. We spent time talking about literature and he advised me that I should always walk with my books because he wanted to read them. Next time we meet I will definitely have copies for him!
 
During his celebrations, we were invited to his farm and decided that yesterday was a good time to go. Somehow, because of how Kenyan time works, we didn’t gather ourselves together soon enough in order to make it. I still don’t know if this was a blessing or not. Boniface Mwangi, this man of the people, was taken from his house, arrested and taken to an unknown location on Saturday 19 July, 2025. Even I, as an outsider knows what this can mean in Kenya as in other places around the world where governments need voices to be silenced. 
 
The news came through as we were at another gathering. We were all shocked. How could this have happened? And then the mystery started to unravel. Boniface Mwangi is a photojournalist, politician and more importantly an activist who stands up for what he believes. On Friday 18th July he, and another political activist, Agather Atuhaire, an Ugandan human rights lawyer, sued the Tanzanian government following arrest and torture in May 2025. I won’t go into details here, but there are reports to be found about what they went through. It can be no coincidence that Boniface was arrested the day after on charges referring to June 25th protests that don’t make any sense. How can an ideology be silenced through one man? 
 
The world is on fire just now. Governments in every corner are trying to silence the people who put them in power. How dare they! This is not something that is happening in isolation in those countries that we don’t really know anything about. It’s also happening in Britain, with over 100 people being arrested yesterday for protesting against the government and its actions against the Palestine Action group that they, the government, decided were terrorists. Do governments know what a terrorist is? Do they just bandy around words now and proscribe them to anyone who doesn’t agree with what they say?
 
We all have eyes and ears. And we have to believe what we see and hear and speak out about it. 
 
If we believe in humanity, we are all Boniface Mwangi. 
​https://x.com/bonifacemwangi/status/1943304392964202965
https://x.com/bonifacemwangi/status/194330439296420296

https://x.com/bonifacemwangi/status/1943304392964202965

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/20/arrested-kenyan-activist-boniface-mwangi-faces-terror-charges

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20rvdexj8jo

AFRICAN PROVERB! "If you do not speak up, you will be unheard" 
Don't sit back and hold back; stand up and speak up!
Speak up about your concerns and cares!
When you don`t speak up, you will be taken advantage of.
When you don't speak up you would be wrongly blamed.
Silence is golden, but not at all times! Silence is sometimes senseless or cruel.
Those who see wrong and fail to speak up are indirectly helping the wrong to be perpetrated.
'If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressors.' (Desmond Tutu)
You may have delayed speaking up. But it is better late than too late.
So speak but be sure to keep within the boundaries of dignity and sanity.
And don't just speak for yourself.
Speak for the vulnerable and the voiceless.
Speak for the disadvantaged and those being dehumanized.
Be outspoken!