Tribute to Allan Mwaniki

It is with great sadness that I write this post to announce the death of the Kenyan artist and animator Allan Mwaniki. Allan was an talented individual whose work in animation as a independent filmmaker and teacher inspired many within the animation community in Kenya. He was known for his work on the UNESCO Africa Animated Project, with his and Thomas Mbalu's animation Samak (2006).



He went on to work on the famous Tinga Tinga animation series and later became an animation teacher going on to inspire and teach others. He also made other work in collaboration with others, such as Children of War (2013)



and his more humorous Jino Pevu Uhunye

 

His contributions also extended to aiding and assisting with research on animation in Kenya, through interviews with key players and disseminating animation to rural communities, Allan's efforts in this field were always positive and his good nature brought joy to many. These are some of the photos he sent me whilst doing fieldwork in a rural Maasai community with colleague and animator Kwame Nyongo.

Allan Mwaniki (left) and Kwame Nyongo (right)

I only hope that his memory lives on through the many people he inspired in his travels. You can read more about the man on the Facebook tribute page Allan Mwaniki