In high school, my literature set books were only a means to an end. I wanted to finish reading them, sit for my KCSE exam, go to the university, get a journalism degree and become rich and famous.
On the other hand, 35-year-old Vincent Tanuis’ literature class birthed a revolution in him. Coming to Birth, a set book by, Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye, evoked all kinds of emotions.
The book captures the political journey of Kenya since independence. It talks about their struggle against police brutality and marginalisation by the then Jomo Kenyatta government.
Tanui was able to walk their journey through the book and started to speak against inhumanity.
“Something was stirred in me. At that moment, I felt this was not the way we should live as a country. I still do. It was 40 years after independence and we still had the same problems. It is then that I got my inspiration in doing my bit in terms of changing the situation. I think empathy drove me to be a changemaker,” he said.
Tanui’s 10-year journey has not been an easy one. He has borne the brunt of his activism. His first brush with power was around 2015 when, someone made a Facebook post accusing an MP of receiving a Sh200,000 bribe.
Tanui tagged the politician’s handle on the comment and this started an online war. He responded, demanding to know who he was.
The fight escalated so fast that the MP was able to trace his home and sent threats to him. “Actually, some wazees [old men] from the neighbourhood came to my home one morning and said I have insulted the MP and he is quite angry. I remember my parents telling me to quit the job,” Tanui says.
“In their words, they claimed even if the MP is a thief, he had not stolen anything that belongs to me. But I feel they just feared for my life.”
The second time he found himself behind bars wasn’t as silent. He was arrested during a protest and media houses had run with his story on all platforms.
“I got some calls even from distant relatives telling me the work is dangerous and I should find something else to do. I have received several warnings, but I take them as normal human reaction. When you see someone close to you in harm’s way, you try to protect them,” Tanui says.
The case of four young men who were executed in cold blood by police in Barut, Nakuru West is the most traumatising for him. It hurts him that the guys never got justice.
“They might have been not of good standing in the community. But the fact that they were taken from their homes and executed in cold blood, still makes me cringe. They were very young, the youngest was only 16 years old,” he says.
But the wins are worth it, especially helping sexual gender-based violence survivors to gain courage and confidence to start afresh.
One of the cases he has successfully handled is helping a woman who was sodomised by her husband for opposing his decision to marry a second wife.
Tanui helped the woman get legal aid and eventually, the man was jailed for 15 years.
“My work is basically to ensure we help people recognise their inner strength,” he says.
The sociologist, who has always wanted to be a lawyer from way back, admits he has never worked in any other space except human rights.
“It is not by accident that I know quite a lot about the law. It is easier for me to remember things that are law in nature–it is just second nature. Generally, I was lucky enough to be able to get mentored by people when I was still young,” Tanui says.
