As you traverse the busy Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), you've probably come across 'Flossin Mauwano' graffiti that has been plastered all over buildings as well as major highways.
The graffiti has seemingly struck again with the art displayed on the Ksh65 billion Nairobi Expressway, opposite Capital Centre. The art, plastered atop one of the pillars, has raised questions as to how the daring Grafitti man would stamp his signature style at the raised pillar.
A section of Kenyans online have associated the term with political antics while others allege that the graffiti is done by attention seekers.
The Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) introduced a raft of measures to deal with individuals defacing government projects. Those found defacing road infrastructure risk being fined Ksh85,000, and this includes those printing graffiti.
KeNHA, in 2013, had also introduced a bill seeking to fine those defacing road infrastructure Ksh1 million- in a bid to counter the trend that had become common at the time.
The Man Behind the Myth
The term is linked to 30-year-old Stephen Mule, who has been hailed as the king of graffiti for his daring antics. During a past media interview, he explained how an unfortunate event in his life birthed the phrase.
"In 1997, I watched my parents get knocked down on the highway (along Langata Road) while escaping an irate crowd of youths following the election violence that had erupted."
"The vivid picture of their lifeless bodies has forever been embedded in my head since then,” he told the Standard.
While out on the streets, Mule endured tough times which later pushed him to develop survival skills. From sleeping out in the cold to hawking groundnuts for an income, Mule decided to venture into something productive.
"I thought of how I could help, road signs were present but no one cared about them. As an artist, I thought of how to combat the menace and came up with the slogan."
"It sounds mysterious but if you check, most of the signings are around blackspots. This is something I took upon myself and I never explain it to anyone. I mark the place and move on," he noted.
Over the years, the art has seemingly taken up an aura with numerous imitators plastering the art in a bid to identify with the phrase.
