Kenya Unveils the First Officially Authorized Graffiti Train in Africa

The illegality of graffiti is unquestionable but a Kenyan company is giving it a chance for the sake of peace.

The Rift Valley Railways has granted group of Kenyan graffiti artistes permission to paint one of their trains. The 10-car engine which will go through one of the most affected areas during the post-election violence, Kibera, will be emblazoned with images to promote peace.

Said to be “the first train in Africa with officially authorized graffiti,” it’s probably a necessity for the railways service provider. The company was deeply affected during the post election chaos after they became the victims of one of the most significant acts of rebellion during the period when their tracks were uprooted by protesters.

Some of the artistes involved in the project includes Bankslave (who actually lives in Kibera), Swift and Uhuru B among others. The project is organized by Kibera Walls for Peace, a brainchild of artist and educator, Joel Bergner.

In the recent past, activists have taken to graffiti to advance their cause like Boniface Mwangi did for his Mavulture campaign, an effort that saw him named as a 2012 laureate of the Prince Klaus Fund.