[Gaidi Sugu]

Professor Obel created a cure for Aids, Dedan Kimathi died fighting for our freedom, the Mau Mau sacrificed their life for uhuru, Tom Mboya, Chief Waiyaki, Rev. Muge, and the list goes on and on...

We have so many Kenyan heroes but we do not recognize them. Whenever a Kenyan does something great, we praise them for all of 2 seconds and then it's back to business as usual. But when a mzungu does something great, he is praised for the whole year, his name gets into the history books, and even us stupid Africans join in the praise.

Our history books are filled with stories of the great exploits of Europeans. Livingstone "discovering" Victoria falls, e.t.c (How anyone can discover something that Africans have been seeing for centuries is beyond me) Why can't we praise our own heroes? Our olympic medallists, Wangila, our soccer team, rugby team, cricket team, mothers, fathers, bright children, inventors. Let's turn up the volume on our praise. Give our children some homegrown heroes to look up to.

We need to rewrite our history, placing more emphasis on our own heroes rather than on our European colinizers.

What do u think?

[agose]

power to the people dawg for real

[Karyn]

and heroines.

[neema]

If only they emphasized on characters like Mekatilili wa Menza and Wangu wa Makeri just to mention but a few..

[BABY G]

i feel you gaidi sugu,but for real is there cure for aids?check on that one .

[Mark Twist Thuo]

Neema

You are missing the point. The issue is our forgotten heroes including but not especially women. Your forlorn statement, "if only they emphasized on Mekatilili and Wangu wa Makeri..." seems to suggest you are only concerned with eulogization of female but not male heroes.

BTW> wangu wa Makeri and Mekatilili do not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence. One Mekatilili was a true hero of the freedom struggle, the other was an appointee of the colonial govt. Consider the following colonial document:
===============================================
Record book containing brief character notes, hut tax statistics and brief notes by the District commissioner on the following chiefs and headmen:-Piece Date : 1908 - 1912 Karuri wa gakure, Katuru wa Wamui, Wimba wa Murianene, Lulua wa Mbuthia, Kaningi wa Mukongogo, Jagi wa Njira, Irungu wa Ikungu, Michuki wa Kagwe, {{Wangu wa Makeri}}, Warui wa Gikonyo, Thungi wa Githaiga, Gachoka wa Kagembi, Ekundu wa Kamau, Njugu wa Kabiru, Wanjohi wa Ndegwa, Kihunyu wa Kihanya, Muru wa Ndinga, Ruga wa Migwi, Chege wa Ngarangu, Kiruga wa Gacheru, Gakobo wa Mbathia, Kamandi wa Karura, Kamau wa Ngondi,Kaweru wa Muiga, Njagi wa Githambo, Miani wa Kariuki, Gathere wa Kanyi, Kihiga wa Mwenje, Muruithia wa Kihara, Gichuki wa Ngonii, Muthara wa Irungu, Waiganjo wa Rithie, Kaburi wa Kahiu.
================================================

Please note Wangu wa Makeri's name as one of the colonial chiefs in 1910.

Most of the above replaced the real leaders of the people e.g. When Waiyaki wa Hinga was assassinated, Kinyanjui wa Gathirimu was handpicked by the colonial govt. to replace him and today many would think Kinyanjui Gathirimu was a great man or hero.

=================================

Back to the issue. I fully concur with Gaidi Sugu that our heroes have been forgotten. I am particularly perturbed by the neglect of our Student activists and leaders like Tito Adungosi, Mwandawiro Mgangha, Solomon Muruli, Wafula Buke, Ntai wa Nkuraru and so on and so forth.

All but two of the above are dead.

Today our young and fearless student activists and leaders are not given much support nor credit. As we speak Karl Marx is on suspension from University of Nairobi and on the run from the police. Cyprian O'Nyamwamu, Kepta Ombati, Hassan Juma, Njonjo Mue, Cyrus Mbarine, Odhiambo Oyoko etc are all involved in the current political struggle and we should give them the support they need. If we cannot honour the heroes of yesteryear let us support those of today.

[stupak]

.....and all this time I thought Wangu Wa Makeri was a myth!

[Mark Twist Thuo]

Stupak

Thats why I always say we need to learn our history. The above is from Kenya National Archives. Furthermore, pictures exist of Wangu wa Makeri both at the National Archives and at the National Museum. But how amny bother to even visit these unless its a class trip in primary school?

[stupak]

Did the men really make all women in a village pregnant or what exactly happened?

[solomatic]

You will please note that the so-called Karl Marx student 'leader' appeared on Nation Television drunk as a skunk a few years ago, embarrasing himself and the 'movement' he purports to lead. He even declared how bad he felt over that whole episode some time later.... I think in a newspaper interview....

Exactly what is his agenda/manifesto?

I don't think anyone in their right mind should look to Kenyan University students for salvation.

Those 'students', aside from being blind to the ever-dicrepit physical and intellectual standards of their institutions have failed (almost on the whole) to remove the "Kenyan" shackles binding their minds. Why don't they clean up the university, cut the grass, havea funds drive and paint the walls, invite visiting proffesors from other african countries, stop stealing books from the library, stop having stupid riots over meatballs, stoning innocent wananchi and stealing ideas from somebody else's ideology (e.g. the name Karl Marx)?

Why do Kenyans praise wazungus and overlook their own?

Because Kenyans are tribalist and racist (as evidenced by some erstwhile Mashadites), have serious problems 'finishing second' (as evidenced by some erstwhile Mashadites) and in general, the majority would rather be big fish in little ponds harbouring grudges over imaginary issues. The majority of Kenyans would rather DIE than praise another Kenyan - except when praising somebody DEAD who is not percieved as a threat.

When the majority of Kenyans see another Kenyan who is way beyond them intellectually, they search very quickly for an opening with which to demolish the person; e.g TRIBE, RACE etc.

Either that or they choose to ignore the person completely, stupidly thinking that by isolating the person, they have 'won'.

And on top of that, most Kenyans (as evidenced by some erstwhile Mashadites) have serious problems comprehending the fact that there are VERY MANY OTHER KENYANS who were raised in very different circumstances and don't fall into the general 'ugali na mboga' type of mentality we see here so often, that is the petrol running the machine that is Kenya, and that THOSE Kenyans are the ones who are more likely to make a positive impact on that ever-decrepit country.


Reality:

The majority of generations in Kenya today are doomed. No love between them; just pettiness, kichinichini, kuchimbana, wivu, narrow-mindedness, arrogance, thorough brainwashed-ness etc.

Prediction:

The coming president will sell out the country, sell its industries off to westerners in the guise of privatisation, while the majority of Kenyans continue the ad finitum practice of kuchimbana, kichinichini wivu and misplaced arrogance.