Current Affairs
Another anniversary to celebrate our independence! Alas! Jamhuri day came and passed.
I can’t claim to know how people felt once the Mzungu left. It must have been a great relief from all the taxation without representation.
How incredible would it be to visit City Hall post-independence: considering it had been previously banned for dogs and Africans. I mean seriously, Jamhuri day marked Kenya's establishment as a republic back in 1964.
There must have been a feeling of anxiety. The “what next?” kind of feeling. "These men are our people,” everybody must have thought of those founding fathers as they built up their hopes and expectations and hoped for a brighter future. If not them, then at least their children would benefit and advance beyond the skies.
This is how our legacy as a country began, or was it the beginning of a national nightmare?
I'll let you decide.
Storms have raged and waves have risen in this republic from the death of Pio Gama Pinto to JM Kariuki. Kenyans became aware that political freedom was important — just like the air we breathe — in order for us to progress as a nation. Within this concept lay the idea that minorities also have their rights.
Fast forward a couple of decades. From the dark days of single-party politics, we began to thirst for freedom of expression. We fought steadfastly to the end and our country ended up a multi-party democratic state because of those who believed in the cause — echoing our freedom fighters cries for equality.
Long story short, our most important right as citizens is the ability to voice our ideas, speak against oppression, and condemn injustice. Speech is a weapon of choice for warriors fighting for progress. It is through expression that we have come to know of the hidden skeletons and dirty secrets of tyranny.
The amendments to the Security Bill, particularly on the terrorism issue, do not fully allow us to exercise our freedom of speech in the media concerning the harassment of and injustices against our brothers and sisters deemed terrorism suspects.
In the event of unjust executions, where do we go? Who do we complain to? Where will our people air their grievances without suffering equal or greater harm?
It is a sad state of affairs that even such a law was proposed. Taking away the voice of the people is the greatest act of terror to any living being. Even dogs bark when in danger.
As we mark over 51 years of existence, is this what we fought for? I can’t imagine what the freedom fighters would say if they were alive to witness this.
I can’t claim to know how people felt once the Mzungu left. It must have been a great relief from all the taxation without representation.
How incredible would it be to visit City Hall post-independence: considering it had been previously banned for dogs and Africans. I mean seriously, Jamhuri day marked Kenya's establishment as a republic back in 1964.
There must have been a feeling of anxiety. The “what next?” kind of feeling. "These men are our people,” everybody must have thought of those founding fathers as they built up their hopes and expectations and hoped for a brighter future. If not them, then at least their children would benefit and advance beyond the skies.
This is how our legacy as a country began, or was it the beginning of a national nightmare?
I'll let you decide.
Storms have raged and waves have risen in this republic from the death of Pio Gama Pinto to JM Kariuki. Kenyans became aware that political freedom was important — just like the air we breathe — in order for us to progress as a nation. Within this concept lay the idea that minorities also have their rights.
Fast forward a couple of decades. From the dark days of single-party politics, we began to thirst for freedom of expression. We fought steadfastly to the end and our country ended up a multi-party democratic state because of those who believed in the cause — echoing our freedom fighters cries for equality.
Long story short, our most important right as citizens is the ability to voice our ideas, speak against oppression, and condemn injustice. Speech is a weapon of choice for warriors fighting for progress. It is through expression that we have come to know of the hidden skeletons and dirty secrets of tyranny.
The amendments to the Security Bill, particularly on the terrorism issue, do not fully allow us to exercise our freedom of speech in the media concerning the harassment of and injustices against our brothers and sisters deemed terrorism suspects.
In the event of unjust executions, where do we go? Who do we complain to? Where will our people air their grievances without suffering equal or greater harm?
It is a sad state of affairs that even such a law was proposed. Taking away the voice of the people is the greatest act of terror to any living being. Even dogs bark when in danger.
As we mark over 51 years of existence, is this what we fought for? I can’t imagine what the freedom fighters would say if they were alive to witness this.
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