History and Political Evolution of Kenya
00## – 1400s: From the Congo basin, from the Middle East and from
wherever, migrating communities settle in what is modern day Kenya and
start to develop nations. Some recognizable nations included western
Bantu nations, eastern Bantu nations, plain Nilotes, river lake Nilotes,
other Nilotes and Cushites. Each nation had a system of governance.
Some had council of elders, others chief priests and others royal kings
and queens. Some farmed, some herded, and some fished while others
survived on craft and trade. The geography and topology offered only two
challenges i.e. diseases and warring neighbors. Therefore, most
communities developed only a number of trades i.e. medicine men to deal
with disease, blacksmiths to makes spears for wars and tools for farming
and hunting, craftsmen who developed decorative items for celebrations
and for fun. The dense forests and rich lands had abundant provisions
and our people were satisfied. In satisfaction, idly theories were
developed to explain everything. The bukusu taught their children about
Wele. Wele etymologically, I don’t know but it comes close to the word
“kawele” which also means ‘for God’ or ‘it is finished’. If you are
creative, you can explain why God is related to “it is finished’ or just
‘finished’… maybe if you pay me.. I can discuss this further with you….
It is an interesting and rich heritage (forgotten philosophical bases
of our cultural practices).
1400s – 1500s: the nations continue to expand. Intertribal wars but also interactions have increased. The chiefs now have really dynasties… think about the Nabongos, the great warriors like Maina Wanalukale or Lwanda magere. Major wars were fought between the Nandi and the Bukusus, the luhya communities and Jang’os, the maasai and the Kipsigis… stories that are being forgotten but a rich heritage worthy being told to our children.
1500s – 1700s: The Arabs aided by Swahili goons invade inland Kenya making both enemies and allies. Some pockets of interior Kenya e.g. wanga kingdom became predominantly Muslim. Nabongo welcomed Arabs to help defeat neighbors… the visitors helped themselves to as many slaves as they thought necessary. Their only interest was the people… yes people were a priceless good during those days. You could sell two men and buy as many cows as you wanted. Don’t laugh but it is humorous to imagine that the price of a man was spices, cowrie shells, better swords or a gun in special cases. The Arabs due to geographical privilege; they never lived in dense forests characterized by abundance like the Africans. They live near seas and were in contact with other communities; especially western world communities and other Middle East communities (Some Kenyan communities broke away from the Middle East tribes but arrived into their promised land… so full of everything that they did not have to struggle or create anything)
1700s – 1800s: Increased slave trade due to increased presence of Arabs on east African coast. European explorers and crusaders in Africa … are discovering everything about the Dark Continent. Wars between Europeans and Arabs, wars between Europeans and African tribes… with guns and allies, they quashed opposition. To aid them were three things ‘the gun, the bible and diseases like small pox”. Small pox came with the Muzungu… And given it was a new disease, it ravaged Africa given Africans bodies had no exposure to such a bacteria before. Africans welcomed them with awe thinking they were gods. And yes they talked in the name of God…. Jesus of Nazareth a muzungu like them, true God had lived among them and given them the powers to bind and to set free. Anyone who opposed (of course, most African elites and intelligent ones opposed such crap) was branded a child of Satan and destined for hell. Our medicine men and priests were branded lunatics. Our charms, bracelets and other religious items were termed fetish and demonic. Huge fires were lit all over and natives ordered to burn all that was of religious meaning to them. Ironically, they brought their own scapula, rosaries, crosses, crucifixes and other religious paraphernalia and told as that they had enough charm… you wear them and no evil comes your way (how different from our traditional charms?). Then they told us about getting civilized and how we needed submit to them and pay taxes and have passes and leave our farms to work for them… our elites who opposed died mercilessly and the masses were exploited with relish by western settler who also took all our prime lands, our natural resources, our gold, our silver and by rail shipped everything away to their mother countries.
1800s -1963s: Our own sons join the ranks, are appointed within the ranks. They became home guards, catechists, secretaries, chiefs, Dos etc etc. their mission was one “reinforce Muzungu’s ideas and ways” and “to deal mercilessly with any form of resistance in appeasement of the savior jungus”. The masses complied but few could not take it anymore. They fought hard, they were betrayed by the home guards and catechists but they kept saying “we are human and we are equal to Muzungu”.
1960s: Mzungus having had enough and Kenya now a liability rather than a resource chose to hurriedly leave. But, they knew they had one card up their sleeves…. They could still control Kenya through “their boys and girls”
1963: The homeguards, chiefs and close collaborators of Njungus receive the instruments of power. And they shouted their voices sour “It is Uhuru!!” when they really meant “Now we can take over and enjoy the priviledges of Muzungu”. What were the privileges of Muzungu? Grabbed land, ruling with defiance… entrenched impunity.
1964 – 1979: Kenyatta said to those he knew best and those who knew him “Nimeshika ng’ombe… kamueni sasa!!” and yes, walikamua. Those who were not ready to grab land were branded rebels and their acts treasonable. Some like J.M Kariuki paid with their lives for agitating for a course the masses were not keen on
1979 -1982: The beginning of Moism. The order was “fuateni Nyayo”. Kufuata nyayo of Kenyatta and his cronies meant grab some more: paternalism, prebendalism, clientilism and general tribalism. There was the Gema wanting to retain power and Moi seeking to consolidate power. A coup attempt in 1982 and Real Moism started to take shape
1982 -1990s: Kanu is the only party and we only have one baba na mama. He is the Glorified (mtukufu), Father, President add all the other superlatives yourself. If you were not a yes man, you were worthy being tried for treason and to make sure you agreed to treasonable charges, some TLC chambers at nyanyo house became very busy. For some unlucky ones, outright murder worked best e.g. Dr. Ouko. And the children of former homeguards found a baba that taught them well. And everywhere you would here how they adored baba wa Kenya the Glorified one. And for those that fought for democratic freedoms… the Moi boys never minced words. They were not worthy living… they were worthy the gallows!!!
1992: Multi-party agitation wins at last due to undying struggle or efforts by those who believed that “it is not yet Uhuru” helped by international pressure. But the masses still believed Baba was invincible
1997: Later day moi boys spring onto the stage with youth for Kanu as their platform. Have you ever heard of a “jirongo”… Come on, I do not mean Jirongo the man who seriously believes the proposed draft is totally flawed… Jirongo the MP and his partner in Youth for Kanu a Mr. Ruto really believe in Democracy
2003: Moi chose it is time to retire but Lazima watu waendelee kufwata nyayo. Therefore, he came up with Project Uhuru…. The chosen one that was to continue Kenya’s history…. the history described… a history of the masses. Fortunately, Raila came out with some Moist boys and they Joined mama Ngilu, Mzee Kibaki and Kijana wamalwa. The country was painted all colors…. Colors that beamed with newness and hope. Colors that represented our diversity, our various hopes, our aspirations and everything that is good… in our hearts we sang rainbows and smiled rainbows.
2003 – 2005: In the name of the people… the masses, MOUs were forgotten and Kibaki surrounded himself with a mafia group… it was widely referred to as Mt. Kenya Mafia. It dawned on Kenyans that Kibaki was Kenyattas boy and later worked closely with Moi for some time and he knew the foot prints unto which to step. Kijana wamalwa became the darling of all as he played moderators role but he died… some say it was HIV some say it was witchcraft ( I am not sure ‘from what’ matters).
2005: Raila again, and a few of the converts, yes! The watoto wa baba na mama wa taifa… and orphans who had been left in the cold (read people like Ruto), after much haggling about the kind of constitutional dispensation we needed, led us to say “No”!! The politicians spoke and we the masses listened
2007: Raila again, gobbled together a team of tribal leaders and led us into an election. Definetely it was a tribal election. The larger rift valley and Kales at large were led into battle by Rutto. The kikuyu dominantly represented by Kibaki and their mafia, the Jaluo by their uncontestable Raila, Luhya’s split back into post colonial sub tribes and supported different chiefs, Kambas followed their Wiper boy, Coasto people followed Mr. Balala. Something funny happened…. Up to now, disappointingly, all we know is magnitude of lives lost and property destroyed. As for the winner… ask the owners of the masses!!!
2008: The constitution was changed in a day through signing of an accord: in the name of the masses, the constitution was changed or additions made, in essence, to accommodate the selfish interests of Raila and Kibaki and their cronies.
2010: The masses cry out and have always cried out for a new constitutional dispensation. They want a contract with the government that caters for their interests. The masses know that they have divergent interests and thus they have to seek a compromise negotiated documents that grants as much civil rights and freedoms as possible. And yes…. Efforts at creating such a document were made.
Unfortunately neo-colonial forces teamed up. There are three neo-colonial forces i.e. the church, kenyattaist cronies’ lineage and Moist boys and girls. What do they want….. They want a zero defect document by their standards. For them negotiation means having their way; which is the reason why Kenya nearly disintegrated in 2007-2008. Unfortunately, the masses are still following the footprints: Watu wanafuata Nyayo Tu!!!
2013: Kenyattaism reenacted through election of Uhuru Kenyatta
1400s – 1500s: the nations continue to expand. Intertribal wars but also interactions have increased. The chiefs now have really dynasties… think about the Nabongos, the great warriors like Maina Wanalukale or Lwanda magere. Major wars were fought between the Nandi and the Bukusus, the luhya communities and Jang’os, the maasai and the Kipsigis… stories that are being forgotten but a rich heritage worthy being told to our children.
1500s – 1700s: The Arabs aided by Swahili goons invade inland Kenya making both enemies and allies. Some pockets of interior Kenya e.g. wanga kingdom became predominantly Muslim. Nabongo welcomed Arabs to help defeat neighbors… the visitors helped themselves to as many slaves as they thought necessary. Their only interest was the people… yes people were a priceless good during those days. You could sell two men and buy as many cows as you wanted. Don’t laugh but it is humorous to imagine that the price of a man was spices, cowrie shells, better swords or a gun in special cases. The Arabs due to geographical privilege; they never lived in dense forests characterized by abundance like the Africans. They live near seas and were in contact with other communities; especially western world communities and other Middle East communities (Some Kenyan communities broke away from the Middle East tribes but arrived into their promised land… so full of everything that they did not have to struggle or create anything)
1700s – 1800s: Increased slave trade due to increased presence of Arabs on east African coast. European explorers and crusaders in Africa … are discovering everything about the Dark Continent. Wars between Europeans and Arabs, wars between Europeans and African tribes… with guns and allies, they quashed opposition. To aid them were three things ‘the gun, the bible and diseases like small pox”. Small pox came with the Muzungu… And given it was a new disease, it ravaged Africa given Africans bodies had no exposure to such a bacteria before. Africans welcomed them with awe thinking they were gods. And yes they talked in the name of God…. Jesus of Nazareth a muzungu like them, true God had lived among them and given them the powers to bind and to set free. Anyone who opposed (of course, most African elites and intelligent ones opposed such crap) was branded a child of Satan and destined for hell. Our medicine men and priests were branded lunatics. Our charms, bracelets and other religious items were termed fetish and demonic. Huge fires were lit all over and natives ordered to burn all that was of religious meaning to them. Ironically, they brought their own scapula, rosaries, crosses, crucifixes and other religious paraphernalia and told as that they had enough charm… you wear them and no evil comes your way (how different from our traditional charms?). Then they told us about getting civilized and how we needed submit to them and pay taxes and have passes and leave our farms to work for them… our elites who opposed died mercilessly and the masses were exploited with relish by western settler who also took all our prime lands, our natural resources, our gold, our silver and by rail shipped everything away to their mother countries.
1800s -1963s: Our own sons join the ranks, are appointed within the ranks. They became home guards, catechists, secretaries, chiefs, Dos etc etc. their mission was one “reinforce Muzungu’s ideas and ways” and “to deal mercilessly with any form of resistance in appeasement of the savior jungus”. The masses complied but few could not take it anymore. They fought hard, they were betrayed by the home guards and catechists but they kept saying “we are human and we are equal to Muzungu”.
1960s: Mzungus having had enough and Kenya now a liability rather than a resource chose to hurriedly leave. But, they knew they had one card up their sleeves…. They could still control Kenya through “their boys and girls”
1963: The homeguards, chiefs and close collaborators of Njungus receive the instruments of power. And they shouted their voices sour “It is Uhuru!!” when they really meant “Now we can take over and enjoy the priviledges of Muzungu”. What were the privileges of Muzungu? Grabbed land, ruling with defiance… entrenched impunity.
1964 – 1979: Kenyatta said to those he knew best and those who knew him “Nimeshika ng’ombe… kamueni sasa!!” and yes, walikamua. Those who were not ready to grab land were branded rebels and their acts treasonable. Some like J.M Kariuki paid with their lives for agitating for a course the masses were not keen on
1979 -1982: The beginning of Moism. The order was “fuateni Nyayo”. Kufuata nyayo of Kenyatta and his cronies meant grab some more: paternalism, prebendalism, clientilism and general tribalism. There was the Gema wanting to retain power and Moi seeking to consolidate power. A coup attempt in 1982 and Real Moism started to take shape
1982 -1990s: Kanu is the only party and we only have one baba na mama. He is the Glorified (mtukufu), Father, President add all the other superlatives yourself. If you were not a yes man, you were worthy being tried for treason and to make sure you agreed to treasonable charges, some TLC chambers at nyanyo house became very busy. For some unlucky ones, outright murder worked best e.g. Dr. Ouko. And the children of former homeguards found a baba that taught them well. And everywhere you would here how they adored baba wa Kenya the Glorified one. And for those that fought for democratic freedoms… the Moi boys never minced words. They were not worthy living… they were worthy the gallows!!!
1992: Multi-party agitation wins at last due to undying struggle or efforts by those who believed that “it is not yet Uhuru” helped by international pressure. But the masses still believed Baba was invincible
1997: Later day moi boys spring onto the stage with youth for Kanu as their platform. Have you ever heard of a “jirongo”… Come on, I do not mean Jirongo the man who seriously believes the proposed draft is totally flawed… Jirongo the MP and his partner in Youth for Kanu a Mr. Ruto really believe in Democracy
2003: Moi chose it is time to retire but Lazima watu waendelee kufwata nyayo. Therefore, he came up with Project Uhuru…. The chosen one that was to continue Kenya’s history…. the history described… a history of the masses. Fortunately, Raila came out with some Moist boys and they Joined mama Ngilu, Mzee Kibaki and Kijana wamalwa. The country was painted all colors…. Colors that beamed with newness and hope. Colors that represented our diversity, our various hopes, our aspirations and everything that is good… in our hearts we sang rainbows and smiled rainbows.
2003 – 2005: In the name of the people… the masses, MOUs were forgotten and Kibaki surrounded himself with a mafia group… it was widely referred to as Mt. Kenya Mafia. It dawned on Kenyans that Kibaki was Kenyattas boy and later worked closely with Moi for some time and he knew the foot prints unto which to step. Kijana wamalwa became the darling of all as he played moderators role but he died… some say it was HIV some say it was witchcraft ( I am not sure ‘from what’ matters).
2005: Raila again, and a few of the converts, yes! The watoto wa baba na mama wa taifa… and orphans who had been left in the cold (read people like Ruto), after much haggling about the kind of constitutional dispensation we needed, led us to say “No”!! The politicians spoke and we the masses listened
2007: Raila again, gobbled together a team of tribal leaders and led us into an election. Definetely it was a tribal election. The larger rift valley and Kales at large were led into battle by Rutto. The kikuyu dominantly represented by Kibaki and their mafia, the Jaluo by their uncontestable Raila, Luhya’s split back into post colonial sub tribes and supported different chiefs, Kambas followed their Wiper boy, Coasto people followed Mr. Balala. Something funny happened…. Up to now, disappointingly, all we know is magnitude of lives lost and property destroyed. As for the winner… ask the owners of the masses!!!
2008: The constitution was changed in a day through signing of an accord: in the name of the masses, the constitution was changed or additions made, in essence, to accommodate the selfish interests of Raila and Kibaki and their cronies.
2010: The masses cry out and have always cried out for a new constitutional dispensation. They want a contract with the government that caters for their interests. The masses know that they have divergent interests and thus they have to seek a compromise negotiated documents that grants as much civil rights and freedoms as possible. And yes…. Efforts at creating such a document were made.
Unfortunately neo-colonial forces teamed up. There are three neo-colonial forces i.e. the church, kenyattaist cronies’ lineage and Moist boys and girls. What do they want….. They want a zero defect document by their standards. For them negotiation means having their way; which is the reason why Kenya nearly disintegrated in 2007-2008. Unfortunately, the masses are still following the footprints: Watu wanafuata Nyayo Tu!!!
2013: Kenyattaism reenacted through election of Uhuru Kenyatta
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