Ni Sisi! Is an ideology born of hundreds of honest conversations with hundreds of Kenyans across the country. Despite markedly different challenges to life from one town to another, a few things stand out. All Kenyans have some powerful things in common. Kenyans feel dis-empowered to engage their leaders in day to day civic matters. Kenyans do not trust the security apparatus. Kenyans feel left out of the economic fruits that the elite are always talking about.

Ni Sisi! starts at the bottom, connecting individuals and a wide variety of grassroots organizations working for positive social change around a set of core values.

Core Values:

Ni Sisi! believes in the core values of Respect, Diversity and Self Belief.

Respect: Ni SiSi encourages mutual respect for all regardless of social, cultural, political or economic status.

Diversity: Ni Sisi believes that their diversity is what glues us together as a nation. Diversity recognises inclusivity and harmony among all Kenyans.

Self Belief: Ni Sisi’s rallying call is that Kenyas problems have Kenyan- grown solutions implemented by Kenyans.

They work towards building a critical mass of like-minded citizens striving for a better Kenya.

Ni Sisi! It is us!

Philosophy: 

Ni Sisi! is a nationwide social movement, uniting Kenyans to forge a collective identity to drive transformation in leadership and maisha (livelihoods).

Ni Sisi! starts at the bottom, connecting individuals and a wide variety of grassroots organizations working for positive social change around a set of core values. These values are; Heshima (respect), Diversity – inclusiveness, and Self-Belief – Equality.

Between 2009 and 2010, Ni Sisi! spent 18 months travelling around Kenya understanding the state of the Nation from wananchi (citizens). Hundreds of meetings with Kenyans from all walks of life revealed that, every region and individual in Kenya carries with them a burden of injustice perpetrated on them either individually or collectively. 
The travels also found compelling commonalities too: Women have borne the bulk of the burden, holding together communities after the widespread post-election violence in 2007/8. Kenyans expressed doubt that their Government in its capacity was capable of providing security to all citizens regardless of their ethnicity.

Kenyans’ perceptions of economic inequality have been ethnicized and politicized. Among the youth, who comprise the vast majority of the Nation’s population, a sense of alienation and a feeling of hopelessness consume many. Interestingly, the post-election violence was a moment of empowerment for them in realising that they bear the solutions.

There is a general national sense of foreboding and uncertainty about the future. Kenyans need to rise up together to take charge of their own destiny. It is only us who can collectively create the space into which new leadership, which embraces respect and inclusiveness for all, can emerge and flourish.

In that regard, the Ni Sisi! Social Movement aims to:

1. -Encourage young Kenyans to use what they have to uplift their own lives;
2. -Understand their rights as enshrined in the constitution therefore empowered to hold their leadership accountable to them;
3. -Enrich the lives of Kenyans by understanding and appreciating the diversity of cultures and background;
4. -Mentor potential young leaders into impactful transformative community leaders.

Through all this, Ni Sisi! will also be nurturing a unifying sense of Kenyan-ness across the country.

Approach: 

Outreach

Creating spaces for dialogue and feedback from community groups, structures and networks. This offers direct face-to- face interactions with community members and individuals allowing deeper understanding of issues at the local level. The Sauti Yetu Model expanded to include 13 additional Wards – 9 In Nakuru County and 4 in Garissa County.

The following activities were achieved in 2016

1. -Thirty one (31) Joint Community Forums (JCF) with 2,667 participants, which represents a growth in attendance of 1,455 participants from 1212 community members reached between January and December 2015
2. -Twelve (12) civic education forums with a total of 946 participants;
3. -Two (2) Toolkit Trainings with 20 community groups 

Digital Engagement

They have over time developed various digital platforms reaching a cross-section of Kenyans on varying issues. Specific online engagement revolves around the following themes; i) ethnicity ii) Land/inequality, iii) Leadership accountability iv) Corruption, v) Impunity, vi) Devolution, vii) Justice and promoting nationhood viii) Security.

Engagement is cultivated through online campaigns and innovating to increase reach and engagement.

Offline hubs

To enhance continued engagement with citizens The Maskani Ya Taifa Model adopted an offline interactive sessions with communities by establishing Maskani Hubs. The Hubs provide an opportunity for further interrogation of county- specific issues through contextualized debates and conversations. The debates and conversations are concurrently amplified on across various digital platforms and often times within the year have been on the trending list of issues in the country.

There was continued consolidation of the hubs in 2016 and support provided for citizens to take action on issues affecting them at the local level. Currently, Ni Sisi! has active Maskani hubs in; i) Nakuru ii) Garissa iii) Eldoret iv) Kisumu v) Kakamega vi) Kitui vii) Mombasa viii) Turkana ix) Nairobi. They anticipate establishing hubs in Wajir, Kilifi and Kwale in the 2017 period.

Mainstream Media

Through partnership with media houses utilizing radio, TV and Print media as tools for advocacy. Discussions focus on key matters including insecurity, devolution, leadership integrity, and ethnic discrimination among other topics. In the 2016 period through Ni SiSi Ambassadors there were more than 60 articles published in the local dailies on matters salient to the Ni SiSi movement building. 

Networking, Building Alliances

They are also a member of issues-based networks and alliances that focus on themes inline with the Ni SiSi movement building.

The Four pillars guiding Ni Sisi! Programmes are:

Transformational Social and Civic Engagement (Usawa)

The objective is to create platforms that give citizens a voice and drive progressive conversations on their responsibilities and interests in their government.

Leadership (Uongozi)

The objective of this pillar is to grow and recognize opportunities, skills and competencies among citizens that guide communities to take initiative in their own socio-economic welfare.

Dignity and Welfare (Maisha)

The aim is to catalyze a socio-economically secure environment that allows and nurtures the pursuit of dreams and aspirations of all citizens.

Collective Kenyan Identity (Sauti)

Ni Sisi! aims to galvanise citizens shared experiences, hardships and diversity as the glue that binds Kenyans. Ni Sisi! (It is us!) who will transform Kenya into a country which they can all be proud of and that Kenyan problems must be met with Kenyan solutions. Ni Sisi! upholds the philosophy that dignity before development.