Christine Pamba out to stop senseless killings in universities

Spoken-word artiste Christine Pamba wants to change the narrative on cases of murder haunting university students. Her stories dwell on depression and the struggles that define young people in the country in a poetic stream of coordinated words.

The 25-year-old poet, known by her stage name Krispy, is currently riding the waves on the coastal arts scene with her work. Her endeavour to address societal challenges has seen her grace both local and international functions.

Pamba's poem “Cast Shadow” is about female genital mutilation and early marriage. She castigates the horror that genital mutilation casts on girls, and calls on womenfolk to rise past retrogressive cultures and fight the vice. “I’m urging womenfolk in the country to rise against female genital mutilation in my new composition highlighting the horrors of the evil vice,” says Pamba.

Another poem, “Depression”, is about the murder cases that have been reported in institutions of higher learning. She calls on people to be their brothers’ and sisters’ keepers by watching out for signs of depression.

“Indeed we can reduce the number of these senseless murders by being concerned on what troubles others,” notes Pamba.

Being a graduate of community development and counselling studies has boosted her resolve to tackle the issue of mental health among young people. She started her crusade in 2014 after moving from Embu to Mombasa.

After watching how young people were being used by politicians to cause violence and mayhem in the last general election, she composed “So Much for So Little,” a poem seeking to redefine the place of young people in elective politics in the country.

She narrates how it is young people who are used to sow the seeds of discord and hatred during elections yet they are conspicuously missing when the national cake is being shared out.

She rose to fame in 2016 when she participated in the Slam Poetry Festival in Germany, an event that she notes gave her an opportunity to interact with other artistes from around the world. “My brief visit to Germany was an eye-opener on how we need to handle our art back here, because I learnt a lot from other artistes around the world,” she says.

She has also been featured on NTV’s “The Trend”, which features up-and-coming artistes. She notes that her artistic portfolio also includes a performance at the Global Women’s Conference in Mombasa in March.

She is the female ambassador for Coast Woman magazine. She draws her inspiration from American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. She received dozens of awards and several honorary degrees.

She became a poet and writer after a series of occupations as a young adult, including fry cook, sex worker, nightclub dancer and performer.