SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION IN KENYA

My heart is heavy, I have some things on my chest It's a lot, I'll give you the facts, and let your mind do the rest. I hope you feel uncomfortable after you read this. May I open your eyes

Who knows, you might also be another witness 

You see it's been a long time since the British invaded our land. They came with gifts and promises, and their language and lifestyle they forced us to understand. They intimidated our ancestors, burnt down entire communities, stole their cattle, maimed our people and made us docile.

They said, we want to make your lives better, but first you have to work for us. Before they had cars, our ancestors pulled their carts. We became less than human. A half of a life, or maybe even less 

We were abused for a senseless plight for might. We fought in their European wars, while the African spirit clung on for dear life. And as the years went by, the African, in all their glory, was now a servant for obnoxious Johnny. They distributed our land amongst themselves, and we could do nothing about it. I mean, what is a spear to a gun? 

So the bravest moved to the forests and to the mountains, and their fight against the oppressor began. They stole arms, took an oath for our people. For our land, they were willing to do anything and everything. However, the oppressor continued to intimidate our people into integration, and continued to kill those that went against them. Some of our very own people joined their fight against the freedom fighters, it was counterproductive to say the least. 

But the bravest of us were still fighting. They instilled more force and they soon became a menace to Johnny. To control them, Johnny put a price on their heads, they were purged and executed, 5 pounds per head, that was our worth to them. 

They aimed to control us and the narrative, But even their own media became sceptical. As the murders of several innocent Africans went unnoticed, killing sprees had now become a habit For Johnny. He could not bear the thought of African freedom and liberty. Couldn't the African structure govern us, socially, economically and politically? He could not fathom giving us our rights, But after that fateful day at Hola, enough was finally enough; it was the end of the road for Johnny. It is through grace that some lived to tell the tale of that day, or else, it would have been a forgotten memory. 

Johnny soon left, and gave us our independence, and the integrators were sworn in. Johnny’s allies immediately went to work on endless campaigns, spreading their own agendas and sanitizing Johnny's image in an effort to make them feel comfortable in the fast-changing and volatile environment that they had forcefully invaded and called home for all those years

Make peace, forgive, they said to the people, we will build this country together. Provided that it was only the African who provided the manual labour. 

Presently, the descendants of Johnny’s allies live obnoxiously on our land, recklessly and carelessly. They say they have done so much. That we should be grateful for their presence. That they have built roads, yet our university students trek through mud to get to their classes.

 Look around you, tell me what do you see? Black faces? Be grateful, they used to call Kenya the ‘white man's country’. Do you see poverty, unemployment, an immensely flawed education, shody health care systems, unnecessary unfinished projects and the empty promises? Do you see what I see? I sincerely hope we are citizens of the same East African country.

 

And if you've been wondering who Johnny’s allies are, they are those who rose to power after Johnny left. Their faces were plastered on our currency to remind us who the economy actually belongs to. They claim they bought back our land With money? No, with their loyalty and submission. 

Then the favouritism began. The unequal redistribution of wealth and resources was one of our government's earliest failures. They undermined one of the core values of the African social structure; communism [Which,by the way, is one of the most important tools early homo sapiens used to enhance their chances for survival during those earlier years. I would be remiss if I failed to mention that mother nature is actually nobody’s mother. If you still remain unaware of the severe consquences that follow species who live on Earth obnoxiously, go ask the dinosaurs] and indulged themselves in the pre-existing structure of capitalism that Johnny had already established. They began to profit out of a system that had been created by the blood, sweat and tears of those that were deemed of lower economical and political value, yet they presently continue to undermine these very people. 

And those who were optimistic, educated and had the interests of the people at heart, were killed in broad daylight. They now watch from the heavens as their statues are erected and their memories celebrated.

Because their voices were loud enough to reach the masses, their presence was far too dangerous. 

But do not be fooled, the modern-day integrators are running rampant and have infiltrated our societies. 

If you've ever wondered why the social and economic gap is so large, you need only look above

 

To the legislature who make laws that keep our people controlled, chained to a system that has been put in place to oppress us and our communities, giving more power to the powerful while leaving the disenfranchised people to fend for themselves. 

To the judiciary who have repeatedly failed to hold those who commit injustices towards the common Mwananchi accountable and continue to let fear and corruption fuel their selective upheaval of the law. 

And to the executive, the supposed heads of state who instead of fulfilling the needs of the people that they claim to represent, have chosen to selectively enforce the law, putting personal interests above those of the collective, and have failed several times to use their political power to do better, even when the situation required them to. 

These integrators sanitize each other’s injustices and remain silent when these systemic injustices happen to the poor and underprivileged in our communities every single day. They make excuses for an incompetent government and excuse the greed of those with access to unlimited resources because they and their families and communities have been and continue to benefit heavily from this system. To those who fail to hold their own accountable and educate them on the effects of systemic oppression on the disenfranchised in our communities but are quick to blame those that are oppressed and dismiss their pleas and calls for assistance, they remain ignorant to reality and choose to live in a world of illusion. 

For those in high places with bright faces. Those who are visible and have loud voices which can be heard by great masses. Who are quick to use their voices when it's time to collect their coins but will never use these same voices to amplify the plight of the underprivileged in their own communities. 

To the media who have continuously contributed to the spread of misinformation; falsified and half-arsed and continue to indulge the general public in non-factual propaganda fueled by powerful people who control their outlets. They have sensored important stories and people who are critical to the history of this so-called ‘great nation’ and have stopped asking the important and uncomfortable questions. 

Most of us are suffering. For a nation that does not learn from its past, is doomed to repeat it in the future. 

We need to be informed of ourselves and of our history. Be aware of the effects of colonialism around you, do not dismiss it. Be aware of your privilege, use it to help others who have been suppressed and are unable to speak out for themselves. Be aware of the microaggressions that make us and others a target of politically-driven prejudice such as which socioeconomic class we belong to, which schools we studied at, who our parents and family members are or something as trivial as how we choose to let our hair grow, identify it and call it out on the spot. 

We need to unlearn so much before we can move forward. We need to re-educate ourselves, those that are around us and our communities. Be aware of what's going on around you. The system that has been put in place to educate us, has failed us, we are now forced to be responsible for our own knowledge. 

Do your research, fact check, process and share what you know with members of your community.

There is no excuse for ignorance.