How Senator Wambua led legislators in the making of ‘Tutashinda Tu’ song

 

He was a managing editor with the Standard Group and is now the Kitui County Senator. Enock Wambua Kiio was known for his leadership skills but who knew of his singing prowess until this week.

Here at the Nairobi Film Centre, a not so ordinary gig had been set with the new ‘music composer and director’ behind the latest hit in town ‘Tutashinda Tu’ leading his band of 10 legislators from Kitui to a showdown. It was a date that featured Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) Dr. Ezekiel Mutua as the host, Ministry of ICT Innovation and Youth Affairs Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Maureen Mbaka and Senate speaker Kenneth Lusaka. A number of other lawmakers joined the cue, a call made for a noble course; to give hope that the fight on Covid-19 will be won.

“When the first case of Covid-19 was reported in the country and containment measure were put in place, there was desperation and despair among Kenyans and we thought of a way to encourage people and give them hope,” said Wambua.

“Initially we mobilised 10 legislators from Kitui County; that is eight MP’s, one Senator and one Women representative and did a short video clip urging their people not to be discouraged. Then with the idea, we roped in more colleagues.

“There is only one MP in every constituency and only one Senator in every county but in the same counties there are tens of thousands of able bodied people with more resources who can give to such an initiative and so the song is supposed to challenge all of us to give to those who are in need especially during this COVID-19 pandemic,” remarked Wambua.

Revealing that the sense of hopelessness that struck Kenyans after the first Covid-19 case was reported in the country challenged him to mobilise people to support a call of hope, Wambua noted that much can be achieved if people rally together, adding that music has at many a times given hope in devastating times, a voice that was echoed by the KFCB CEO Ezekiel Mutua.

"When Corona came everybody was terrified and the Kitui Senator came to me and told me that we cannot watch as our people became paralysed by fear. He reminded me of the 1994 famine in Ethiopia where musicians from USA came together and did a song to fund raise and feed Ethiopians,” noted Mutua.

“As you can see this auditorium, we are calling it Nairobi Film Center and the intention is for us to make this facility a centre of excellence for creation of clean content that talks about our values cultures and aspirations.

“This place was forgotten, even the churches had left it. The government gave us Sh80 million last year but we have not been able to utilise the money, because the Ministry of Public Works has delayed in approving it. But they have given us a letter that from September 15 we’ll get it,” Mutua concluded.

“I am very delighted to stand before you today at the launch of this song. The only thing that I did was to bring this wonderful members of parliament together. They did the rest; they sang. I am so amazed at their ability to sing and sing clean content,” Wambua stressed.

“The cameras in this country should turn away from hate mongers and focus on initiatives like this one. Not every politician is a rumour monger, not every politician is hurling insults, the media should focus on those who preach peace and promote noble initiatives like we are doing today,” he added.

Making her contribution, Maureen Mbaka said the Ministry of ICT is keen on seeing art being used as a medium of sending important messages during this Corona times adding that there has been laxity among Kenyans with regards to the Covid-19 containment measures and there is a need to constantly remind people to adhere to the measures set out by the Ministry of Health.

“I would like to congratulate the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) for having the vision of creating the Nairobi film center which is helping promote local production. As the government through the ministry of ICT we continue to invest in such programs that support and encourage local artists,” said Mbaka.