Lawyer's Jamhuri Day tweet sparks debate on Kenya's liberation history

Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru. [Wilberforce Okwiri,Standard]

A tweet by a city lawyer on Jamhuri Day, Kenya's 60th independence anniversary, triggered an online debate about the role of different communities in the country's liberation struggle.

Jamhuri Day is a national holiday celebrated on December 12 each year.

The holiday marks the date when Kenya became an independent country on December 12, 1963, six months after gaining internal self-rule on June 1, 1963.

Ndegwa Njiru questioned whether the Luhya community had participated in the Mau Mau rebellion, the armed uprising against British colonial rule in the 1950s and 1960s.

He cited Governor Johnson Sakaja's claim during the Jamhuri Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens on December 12 that his ancestors fought for independence.

"I have heard Sakaja state at Uhuru Gardens that his ancestors fought for independence in Kenya... Did the Luhyas really fight for freedom? Were the Luhyas involved in Mau Mau?" Njiru posted on X.

Sakaja said, "In three generations of captivity, our ancestors endured cruelties and indignities that we cannot begin to comprehend, yet the colonisers underestimated the courage of our ancestors."

"Our ancestors faced the guns of the British Empire without flinching, and many gave their lives for a liberty that they would never see. We are the sons and daughters, the inheritors of these heroes. The founding president, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, understood that every new generation of leaders has to make its mark."

Njiru's tweet drew mixed responses from other users. Some defended the Luhya community's contribution, while others challenged the Mau Mau narrative as the sole force behind Kenya's independence.

"Ancestors here refer to past Kenyans who took part in the struggle," James said.

"Wakili, check your history again. Mau Mau was a rebellion movement. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, there were notable resistance movements: the 1895/6 Bukusu Uprising, the 1904/5 Nandi, and the Maasai Resistance. There were collaborators, though, in all communities," Chris Wasike said.

Adhiambo Owuor stated: "The fight for Kenya's liberation from suffocating invaders started very early, before the big invasion of the British. We need a long history lens to be able to lay hold of our stewardship of this great territory."

She added, "Our 'Kenya' history doesn't start with the arrival of the British migrant/invader. We do ourselves and our children an injustice by delivering it that way. Denying the dramatic resistances of the many nations in place against occupation and privileging one strand is bad history."

Some users also questioned the role of the Kikuyu community, the largest ethnic group in Kenya and the main target of colonial repression.

"Wakili, have you ever asked yourself why most Kikuyus are of light skin? It's because of collaboration with the whites. Just have a look at English women and Kikuyu women. This idea that Mau Mau fought for independence is just a story. They were just fighting for land," Finleen254 said.

"Mau Mau never fought for any independence; Kenya's independence was negotiated, and the British did not see the need to continue keeping colonies after World War II," the Cloudev guy said.

Salim Kenyan noted: "Our history is skewed; all tribes in Kenya fought for independence; we need to rewrite our history."

The debate also highlighted the role of other leaders and movements that are often overlooked in official history, such as Masinde Muliro, Elijah Masinde, Martin Shikuku, and Esau Khamati Oriedo.

"Did you know that only the Giriama, Nandi, and Bukusu are recorded in history as having put up fierce resistance against colonial settlers when they arrived in Kenya?" Siboe Siboe said.

The online discussion reflected the diversity and complexity of Kenya's history, as well as the need for a more inclusive and accurate representation of the past.