Image via Flickr user Joshua Wanyama. [Creative Commons]
Kenya's twittersphere was abuzz on Wednesday afterguards arrested photojournalist Boniface Mwangi during a protest against the country's trade union leader.
According to reports, Mwangi was seized by security guards after attempting to disrupt a speech by Francis Atwoli, head of Kenya's Central Organization of Trade Unions.
Activists accuse Atwoli of defending pay increases demanded by Kenyan Members of Parliament. Theyclaim that a salary hike for MPs would set a bad precedent and is undeserved so soon after national elections held in March.
Boniface Mwangi is man of many hats. He is a photojournalist, visual artist and activist. After leaving formal employment in 2008, he gained worldwide acclaim by bagging the CNN African Journalist of the Year award for his documentation on the Police crackdown of the Mungiki sect.
However, it is his photographic series, 'Post Election Violence' that has earned him the prestigious Prince Claus award from the Prince Claus Fund of the Kingdom of Netherlands.
He joins an elite group of ten others worldwide who were also feted namely Habiba Djahnine of Algeria, Yassin al Haj Saleh of Syria, andMaxamed Ibraahim Warsame popularly known as Hadraawi.
Mwangi was honoured on Tuesday morning at the residence of the Dutch ambassador Yoost Reintjes, who presented him with the award making him the youngest ever recipient. Chief Justice Willy Mutungadescribes Mwangi as "a courageous young man who is like theWangari Maathai of our generation."
The Prince Claus awards recognise and celebrate achievements in the field of culture and development.