Painting the colors of
peace
and
unity
In the run-up to the General Elections held
on March 4, 2013, one message resonated
across the country: peace. Political and
religious leaders, civil society, media and
opinion leaders everywhere tirelessly
preached peace, exhorting Kenyans not to
allow a repeat of the tragic events of 2008.
And the business community was not left
behind in this regard.
On February 4, exactly one month to
the polls, Crown Paints embarked on an
initiative to promote peace and unity among
Kenyans. The peace initiative, dubbed the
‘Uniting Colors of Kenya’, was launched
in Nairobi’s Kibera slums. The choice of
Kibera as the launch pad was symbolic
given that practically every tribe in Kenya is
represented in Kibera.
Crown Paints CEO, Rakesh Rao alluded to
this fact when during the launch ceremony
he said, “Kibera is the face of Kenya”.
Moreover, Kibera bore the brunt of the
2008 post-election violence with dozens of
residents killed and hundreds more maimed
in the mindless carnage that gripped the
nation then. The world was horrified by
graphic television footage of a man hacking
another man to death using a machete.
‘Uniting Colors of Kenya’ peace initiative
had one clear message: Kenyans must
embrace each other as brothers and
sisters living in a peaceful and united
nation. At the launch ceremony held at the
Undugu Grounds in Kibera, what stood
out was the enthusiasm with which area
residents etched messages of peace on
a specially designated ‘Peace Wall’. “We
want all Kenyans to coexist harmoniously.
Kenya is our home and we must ensure
that as citizens we play our part in
promoting peace. Elections will come
and go; the nation remains,” said Mr. Rao,
underlining the importance of peace to
the country’s survival.
The ceremony was also attended by various
community leaders led by area chief Mr.
Adira who lauded the peace initiative while
calling on youth not to be misused by those
bent on fomenting chaos. Crown Paints
partnered with a group of artists in Kibera
to launch the initiative in the area.
As a way of rallying Kenyans behind the
‘Uniting Colors of Kenya’ campaign, Crown
Paints launched a competition on social
media to promote peace. To enter, all one
was required to do was to post a message
of peace on Facebook and Twitter. The best
messages were then selected and winners
rewarded handsomely. Surprisingly, the
winner of the contest was nine-year old
Charlene Mugo who posted a video on
You Tube calling on her compatriots to
vote in peace so as not to destroy the
future of young Kenyans like her. Young
Charlene won herself Ksh 100,000. The
cheque was presented to her by Mr. Rao.
Mr. Elias Bosire was the runner up and took
home Ksh 70,000 followed by Mr. Joshua
Nyantika who won Ksh 40,000. From the
messages posted during the competition,
it manifested clearly that Kenyans from
all walks of life were yearning for peace.
The memories of the 2008 post-election
violence were too strongly etched in their
minds and no one wanted a recurrence.
Crown Paints staff were themselves walking
the talk on peace. On February 28, they
assembled at the head office in Industrial
Area to sing the National Anthem to signify
the day that peace returned to Kenya after
the 2008 post-election violence. This
show of patriotism signified Crown Paints’
commitment to peace and harmony.
Happily, Kenyans displayed remarkable
maturity during and after the elections.
Peace prevailed thanks to the efforts of
our leaders, artistes, the media and the
thousands of Kenyans across the country
who contributed in their own humble ways.
At Crown Paints, we are proud to have been
part of this effort.
social responsibility
June 2013
11
