Ukweli party Mwatate parliamentary seat aspirant Dickson Wambari, deputy secretary general Scheaffer Okore, leader Boniface Mwangi and secretary general Nduko O’Matigere during the launch

Photojournalist and activist Boniface Mwangi has unveiled a new political movement: Ukweli Party.

Mwangi launched the party, whose slogan is Power to the People, on Monday 20 March, and will use it to vie for Starehe MP in August Elections.

Speaking at the party’s Kenya House office in Nairobi, Mwangi said, “Ukweli Party is a new political Party that brings together citizens who want to live in a Kenya where everyone is empowered to engage politically, to realize their full potential, to prosper economically, and to thrive in a socially cohesive community that celebrates our diversity as a people.”

“(Ukweli) will ensure people’s voices are echoed in spaces where they have been ignored for too long.

We want a Kenya that’s free of corruption…where the corrupt belong behind bars. We will eventually ensure that the people who want change are bold enough to take part in creating it.”

The party symbol is a sugarcane, which according to Mr Mwangi “represents our land, which our forefathers and mothers fought for. It is also symbolic of what we believe every Kenyan should enjoy – the sweet taste of freedom and the fruits of their labor.”

He said the party will pursue matters of social services, the economy, security and public safety, governance and leadership and ensuring active citizenship.

“Our name bears great responsibility and expectations from each one of us,” he noted. “It is a call to action from all Kenyans from all walks of life, religions, tribes, social strata and gender to take a liberating path of speaking truth to power.”