History; Separating Fact From Fiction.

History; separating fact from fiction.

To think that an entire legend has been spun around Jomo Kenyatta, depicting Kenya's so called founding father as some kind of radical freedom fighter who helmed the struggle against British colonialism.

But in this interview (with the BBC presumably) which was held several years after independence from Britain, actual Mau Mau freedom fighters in vein of Bildad Kaggia and Fred Kubai reveal differently.

Because according to either Kubai or Kaggia it wasn't until the Mau Mau's Central Committee summoned Jomo Kenyatta to answer for one or two perceived slights, that the old man who was in no ways involved with the operations of the Mau Mau found out who its leaders were.

Evolving culture.

Used to be that Maasai warriors were known for their fearlessness, especially in taking on lions armed with nothing but spears.

But guess what, there's a new type of Maasai warrior in town.

And while the Maasai still honour many aspects of their culture including male circumcision, these days thanks to the anti-FGM efforts of educated men from their community, more Maasai girls are staying in school and studying up to a university level of education.

Sports history.

Sunday October 13 2024.

Subject to the usual ratification procedures of course. This is the first time in the history of the 42.195km that a woman has broken the 2hr 10 minute barrier.

And similar to other female marathon WR holders of the past such as Tigist Assefa or even Tegla Loroupe, the new WR holder presumptive was paced by a male runner throughout her run on Sunday.

Moreover, physiologically speaking it makes perfect sense that female marathon runners as compared to female sprinters are edging ever closer to running so called male times.

Preamble.

To understand a problem, sometimes you must go back to the beginning. To understand the beginnings of tribalized politics in post-independent Kenya, you must examine the ideological and personal rift that developed between two key figures in the shape of Jomo Kenyatta and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. All other developments in Kenya's politics are incidental to that pivotal point of departure.

The beginnings of a one party state.

For many decades following its independence from Britain in 1963, Kenya was a de facto single party state where an inner clique ruled the roost and everyone else watched the show from afar.

But long before it officially embraced the novelty of multipartyism in the 1990s, Kenya was briefly a multiparty state in the 1960s.

In between times, the beginnings of the single party state were closely intertwined with the fallout between Jomo Kenyatta and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Something which changed the complexion of Kenya's politics forever.

A famously angry exchange between Jomo Kenyatta and Jaramogi Oginga (October 25 1969).

In fact, the Kenya People’s Union (KPU) had been formed in March 1966 by Oginga, a key figure in the independence struggle who quit the Kenya African National Union (KANU) citing major differences with KANU's leadership over land and resource allocation for instance.

Bildad Kaggia. Mau Mau freedom fighter and fiery nationalist. Later politician in post- independence Kenya.

And unlike most of Kenya's oppositionists today who can be bought for a song, Jaramogi and his friends in the KPU such as Bildad Kaggia of Kandara Constituency were men of principle who held to very specific egalitarian standards.

Of course, KANU wasn't taking all this lying down. Soon enough a comprador capitalist regime passed anti-democratic laws, not least an amendment to Kenya's constitution which required that anyone who quit KANU must seek re-election.

In the interim, KANU's ploy was to obstruct KPU and curtail Oginga's influence over Kenya's politics. In the long-term, instruments of repression were being set in motion to control future political dissent.

Over and above the usual tactics of hindering the registration of opposition parties, imposing news blackouts vis à vis the activities of oppositionists, surveillance of opposition leaders, harassment of opposition supporters, outlawing opposition gatherings, etc, the arrest and detention of opposition leaders beginning with Oginga himself became commonplace and would continue beyond Jomo Kenyatta's reign.

Finally in 1969 the KPU was banned and branded "dangerous to the good government of the Republic of Kenya," which basically meant that KANU was now free and clear to perpetrate single party authoritarianism.

An American president actually thought about deploying paratroopers onto the streets of his own country- to shoot at protesters in the legs or whatever? That's some third world dictator drama right there.

In the debate, Trump claimed he fired Secretary of Defense Mark Esper because he “did a bad job.”

Trump fired the Iraq war vet and lifelong Republican by tweet on Nov 9, 2020.

Here’s the real reason:

The smiling giant who loved to wag a finger at his opponents has gone to be with the angels.

But Mutombo wasn't just one of the greatest NBA players of his era or even an ambassador for the game. He was also accomplished, spoke several languages, and did much not least for the people of Congo including building and equipping hospitals out of his own pocket.