Skeptics must learn that counties will be more effective with extra funding

Some time in the late 1950s, a British colonial officer came to our village in Ratta, in then Central Nyanza District, for a public baraza with us. His main concern was to explain to us why it was absolutely nonsensical to put pressure on the colonial government for Kenya to be independent. He told us that Great Britain, a civilised nation with a tremendous industrial history, had done its best to bring civilization to Kenya. What with the schools, the hospitals, the roads, the clothes and even the English language itself: all these things were not there before the white man came to Kenya. Were we to be left alone we would still be fighting each other and roaming around the bushes naked and without security for the future. In any case, how could we be independent when we could not even make a needle!

When he finished addressing us through an interpreter, Benjamin Owuor Owaga (Owuor Piny Owacho), an accomplished Christian who spoke good English, stood up to ask a question in Dholuo to be interpreted. He said: “Excuse me Sir. Have you read the Bible? In the book of Exodus we read of a prosperous Egyptian kingdom which was ruled by a Pharaoh many centuries ago. They had chariots and palaces glittering with gold. They also owned slaves, some were Hebrews who came from Israel. The Egyptian civilization had no knowledge of English. Two things are important here which I would like you to address: the Egyptians were civilized without being colonised by the English: what do you say to that? The Hebrews were unhappy being slaves in a civilized Egypt and fought to be free: are we any different from them?”