He is known as ‘Mbunge Aliyeparara’ among poetry lovers in Nakuru. However, his real name is Gregory Ochieng Onyango.

What many do not know is that the former student of Lions Primary, Menengai Primary and Menengai High school, is also a holder of Diploma in Film Production from Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC).

“I am number 11 in a family of 11 and an alumni of Menengai High School and KIMC,” he says.

When Mtaa Wangu visited him for the interview, 'Mbunge’ as he is commonly referred to by locals, was busy at Agora centre where he trains for his spoken word performances.

“I was part of a rap group in 2010 at Menengai High school called ‘Wabunge’. But one of my friends asked me, wewe ni mbunge wa aina gani na huna hata kakitu? (What kind of an MP are you yet you have no money?) and that is when I decided to change to ‘Mbunge Aliyeparara’, he told Mtaa Wangu.

In 2014, Mbunge participated in the 55th edition of the National Poetry Slam Africa in Nairobi and was crowned the winner.

“My pieces are all about social issues and life around me,” he notes.

The soft-spoken Mbunge who has a good command of English, Swahili and sheng, believes that Nakuru has great potential in poetry.

According to him, Nakuru has produced several poets who have continued to shine even to the national platforms.

“There are many nationally acclaimed poets who hail from Nakuru,” he says.

Some of them include his brother Oscar Ogero a.k.a Gufy Dox and word master Willie Oeba.

Although he loves the art, Mbunge admits that it does not pay him as well as he would love it to. It is for this reason that he plans to go into mentoring upcoming poets and keep off the stage for a while.

pmambili@gmail.com

How 'Mbunge Aliyeparara' got his name

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Pristone Mambili