Scream for beloved Kenya - SOLD
Richard Mudariki (b 1985)
Scream for beloved Kenya - 2013
Acrylic on canvas (diptych)
80 x 80 cm (2)
Signed and dated bottom left
Sold - 2014
On 21 September 2013, the International Day of Peace, the world heard the horrible news of a terrorist attack by masked assailants with AK-47s on an upmarket shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya which lasted for almost 4 days. This resulted in a gun battle between the Kenyan army and the attackers, claiming the lives of 72 people and leaving more than 200 injured. Horrific and chaotic scenes from the mall were aired by the media; men bleeding from gunshot wounds, bodies lying in pools of blood, women and children crying and screaming as they tried to escape, while other victims were trapped in the crossfire amid the sound of gunfire and grenades.
This was a serious global matter, and raised many eyebrows as people questioned the efficiency of intelligence structures in most African countries in implementing early warning systems and rapid reaction tactics for such acts of terrorism. Even more worrying is the fact that this attack was part of an international campaign of terror, and some of the attackers were US and British citizens. Is Africa becoming an easy target, not only for terror attacks, but also for terrorist organisations to create their bases and go undetected?