Meet President-Elect Uhuru Kenyatta's 22-Year-Old Speechwriter

Juliet Wang'ombe

President-elect Uhuru's acceptance speech yesterday soon after being declared the winner of the presidential election has received praise from many Kenyans, who have described it as inspiring and unifying.

The speech, delivered by Uhuru in 19 minutes 42 seconds, was written by Julie Wangeci Wang'ombe, a spoken-word artist who is only 22 years old. Julie discovered spoken word poetry at the age of 18 at the Slam Africa events in Westlands, Nairobi in 2009. She soon after moved to the United States to attend college at Duke University. She perfected her act at Duke after meeting several experienced spoken word artists, the likes of Joshua Benne.

Julie (pictured at the right praying for President-Elect Uhuru yesterday after his acceptance speech), like many other Africanstudents at American colleges, experienced several stereotypes about Africans. The stereotypes, coupled with the mentorship from the artists she met at Duke, led her to writing the poem called "A Reintroduction to Africa", which most people know her by. She has performed the poem at several events globally, including at the TED InternationalTalent Search; Africa Governance Leadership and Management Convention and Acumen Fund's Innovate conference.

Watch the video below as Julie performs "A Reintroduction to Africa" at the TEDInternational Talent Search in 2012.

A very talented lady!

Kenyatta aliandikiwa speech? He must have a good memory then coz he hardly glanced at it, ama ilikuwa kwa teleprompter?

She deserves respect.

Time for the Youth is now.

interested..

bafuchafu said:

She deserves respect.

Time for the Youth is now.

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Can someone say this in English please

Mlachake said:

Can someone say this in English please

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Does it appear as mandarin in your browser?

Meet Uhuru Kenyatta's 22 Year Old Speech Writer


Monday, 11 March 2013 13:35
[video=youtube_share;rRmBP0j9QiM]http://youtu.be/rRmBP0j9QiM[/video]

@durkchild
Most Kenyans will agree, Uhuru Kenyatta's speeches have had quite an impression in making him the candidate he was. News that his speech writer is only 22 years has left many gobsmacked, especially when you imagine speechwriters that write speeches for high profile individuals as presidential hopefuls are twice her age or more.

Julie Wangombe is only 22 and is the brains behind President elect Uhuru Kenyatta's moving acceptance speech. His words accommodated both winners and losers, especially when he said politicians lose in elections but Kenyan citizens never lose, that right there was a killer punch whose effect on a nation whose fabric has been torn by tribal politics can never be under estimated.
Those words had that healing effect that turned UK's perception from that of a presidential aspirant to a man who would reconcile the country. That was the work of that speech. Julie also happens to be Nation Media Group's CEO Linus Gitahi's daughter.
Miss Julie's bio discloses her professional background and her encounter with wordplay.
Read it below
"Having discovered Spoken Word Poetry at 18 during Slam Africa events that took place in Westlands (2009) she embarked on a mission to create her own poetry realizing for the first time that poetry was extremely flexible and did not have to rigidly conform to a certain format.
In 2009 she left Nairobi, having graduated from Hillcrest Secondary School, to attend Duke University. where, she encountered several other performing artists including Joshua Benne, a visiting poet, who continued to inspire her.
She focused on other activities while in her first year but never let go of the desire to write and perform poetry. It was in Duke influenced by the discourse on development she encountered within the classroom and the stereotypes of Africa(ns) she encountered without- that she wrote the poem "Call Me Africa": a poem aimed at balancing out the "single story" of Africa, Celebrating Africa and inspiring other African students. This poem which saw her perform at the TED International Talent Search; Africa Governance Leadership and Management Convention and Acumen Fund's Innovate conference.."

I see, great

it was a great speech I see, congrats Julie

Dhuks said:

Does it appear as mandarin in your browser?

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Kuna watu ya ajabu sana Mazee

you guyz english sio lugha yenu ndugu........ni lugha ya watu hiyo

Mhh basi hapa wajuvi wa lugha za watu wee ukumbi ni wenu!!

She is a genius, i was totally humbled by the words. I will live to forget them.

Dhuks said:

Kenyatta aliandikiwa speech? He must have a good memory then coz he hardly glanced at it, ama ilikuwa kwa teleprompter?

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There was a teleprompter...He also used it during the launch of TNA...Uhuru amejipanga kiteknolojia.He employed a British PR firm and you can see the difference with Raila,wakati Raila anaanda press conference chini ya mwembe akizungukwa na nduguze and his sycophant bootlickers mwenzake alikuwa ameshaanda venue nzuri tayari kwa matokeo yoyote.Hio ndio diference ya analogue na digital!Yule press briefing chini ya mwembe mwingine yupo kwenye auditorium ya ukweli!

Lonestriker said:

There was a teleprompter...He also used it during the launch of TNA...Uhuru amejipanga kiteknolojia.He employed a British PR firm and you can see the difference with Raila,wakati Raila anaanda press conference chini ya mwembe akizungukwa na nduguze and his sycophant bootlickers mwenzake alikuwa ameshaanda venue nzuri tayari kwa matokeo yoyote.Hio ndio diference ya analogue na digital!Yule press briefing chini ya mwembe mwingine yupo kwenye auditorium ya ukweli!

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kumbe mnaangalia sehemu pa kutole speech! Au mnaangalia speech imebeba ujumbe gani. Speech ni speech hata kama angetolea hotelini,chooni,au kwenye shamba la bangi.mbona mnakuwa swept na vitu vidogo sana? Kumbe ndio maana mmeanza kugombania ofisi aliyokuwa imeandaliwa kwa ajili ya govana wa nairobi,eti ndio iwe ofisi ya ruto,kwani ofisi ya kalonzo imekuaje.kwa hali hii hamtafika mbali mtaishia kulipizana kisasa tu.

Kenyatta aliandikiwa speech? He must have a good memory then coz he hardly glanced at it, ama ilikuwa kwa teleprompter?

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Dhuks Viongozi wa ngazi hiyo huachia wataalamu waandikie hotuba na wao kazi yao kusoma tu na high tech imetuondolea zigo la kukariri.........

Crucial Man said:

kumbe mnaangalia sehemu pa kutole speech! Au mnaangalia speech imebeba ujumbe gani. Speech ni speech hata kama angetolea hotelini,chooni,au kwenye shamba la bangi.mbona mnakuwa swept na vitu vidogo sana? Kumbe ndio maana mmeanza kugombania ofisi aliyokuwa imeandaliwa kwa ajili ya govana wa nairobi,eti ndio iwe ofisi ya ruto,kwani ofisi ya kalonzo imekuaje.kwa hali hii hamtafika mbali mtaishia kulipizana kisasa tu.

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Ulishawahi kusoma anything kuhusu communication?Raila aliita press briefing chini ya mwembe and you still talk of content ya speech...be serious,the guy looked tired,ill-prepared,illogical...full conspiracy theories,mara media iliwapa black-out yet S.Macharia anayemiliki vituo kuliko mtu yeyote alikuwa CORD...Raila has an obssession with being a president.Uhuru had a dream while Raila has an obssession.

The real definition ya kuwawezesha vijana.

speechwriter said:

The real definition ya kuwawezesha vijana.

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Ndio maana nilikuwa nashangaa nani kaandika upupuu kama ule?

Kijakazi said:

Ndio maana nilikuwa nashangaa nani kaandika upupuu kama ule?

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"Huwezi kuona kitu kilipo na kujua kinakwenda kwa mwendo gani wakati huo huo,ukikiona kilipo huwezi kujua mwendo wake, ukijua mwendo huwezi jua kilipo" - Kijakazi