Kenyan Victims of Colonial Abuse Get Recognition!

I am taking a pause from the guest posts to talk about something truly ground-breaking in Africa today. Unfortunately, like much of African History, what is ground-breaking in Africa today was decided in London.

The 1950s Mau Mau Uprising/Rebellion in Kenya was brutally squashed by the British Colonial Government, whose officers raped, beat and even castrated Mau Mau fighters. Kenya gained its independence from Britain in 1963, but the British government yesterday for the first time acknowledged that violence had been used to put down the early freedom-fighters.

Foreign Secretary William Hague (not to be confused in articles with the actual Hague) announced to Parliament yesterday that the British government will pay 5, 228 surviving Mau Mau victims of British prison camps each around 4000USD (total payments around 3million USD).

Credit for the pic to the Guardian newspaper

Random Kate Thoughts: While this seems like a pittance for experiencing such hardships, this move by the British government could set a precedent for legal retribution on behalf of many other former British colonies. This could result in a wave of legal cases, assuming the former colony's victims are as organized as the former Mau Mau.

Just recognizing that they *might* have not been the most awesome colonial rulers ever (as they have lied to themselves for over 100 years) is a pretty big step for the Brits. Although they still don't recognize fault in themselves, they are willing to take a step towards "reconciliation," which is certainly better than nothing.

Interestingly enough, try as I might, google only wants me to see British newspaper articles on this story. Where are you, Kenyan papers?? Today is a day for celebration!

GP: Free Laptops for Kenyan Children!

Guest Post: Kelvin from Kenya

Newly elected Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has promised free laptops to all pupils joining Standard One next year.  One can only imagine the glee and anticipation among Kenyan six year olds.The promise was made during the campaign period ahead of the general elections and was received with much criticism from education experts, teachers and stake-holders in the country who viewed the plan as too ambitious and a misplaced priority. The Teachers Union, for instance, insisted on the increase in the teacher-pupils ratio in Kenyan schools, seeing this as a more practical approach to improve quality of education in the country. Uhuru Kenyatta has also been blamed for being out of touch with rural schools in Kenya, where the literacy levels are incompetent when compared to the level of technology he intends to introduce to the education system. He was also blamed for not consulting education experts and stakeholders in the country prior to making the free laptop promise.

In his defense, Uhuru Kenyatta stated that while the plan is indeed ambitious, it serves as a necessary tool to meet the scale of what he terms as ‘our nations challenge’. One is left wondering what these challenges are that can only be met by giving free laptops to six year old children. Moreover, Uhuru hopes that given the co-operation of bodies involved in dispensing the free laptop plan, local laptop assemblies would be set to meet the demands for free laptops. A few points for an entrepreneurial mind-set here, at least some Kenyans will get jobs at the assemblies. In case you are already beginning to wonder, the laptops are solar powered. 

Random Kelvin thoughts: The free laptop promise reminds me of the famous Chinese Great Leap forward economic plan. As history has it, the great leap forward was a fail that left China worse off than before the plan was implemented. I predict the same for the free laptop plan. My apologies to the Standard One class of 2014. First of all, the plan transcends beyond being too ambitious. The plan is unrealistic. Second, Kenyan primary schools face far weightier problems than technology. Limited books, limited spaces in the relatively few public primary schools (compared to the number of pupils wishing to enroll in Standard One annually), few teachers, poor facilities, and the list goes on. Free laptops will not solve these problems, let alone improve the quality of education. Taking rural primary schools into perspective, there is lots that can go wrong with this plan. The literacy levels are really poor owing to the very poor pre-school foundation rural children receive – those attending government pre-school programs. As the Teachers union put it, the literacy levels of the teachers themselves would not allow for the successful integration of laptops into the curriculum.  Addressing such conditions such as poor instructor literacy levels, limited school resources and infrastructure to strengthen the quality of education prior to introducing technology would seem as a plausible and more sustainable approach, but not to Uhuru Kenyatta. I shudder thinking of the plan’s cost, given the financial burden the new government has inherited. If the point of the promise is to wow the hearts of six year olds, then I would find not fault in the plan, and would be happy for the little angels. But if the plan is to improve education quality, then a change in strategy is needed. To close, I am a bit skeptical that ‘’our nations challenges’’ as Uhuru Kenyatta put it, as complex as they are, can be won by giving solar powered laptops to Standard One pupils. While technology would spark more interest in education and enhance interaction, it is not, at this moment, a necessity.

GP: Zimbabwean Filmmaker at Oscars

Guest Post: Alexia from Zimbabwe

Tatenda Mbudzi always had a passion for film making and the media. Currently a student at UCLA’s competitive Producer’s program, he was inspired to change Zimbabwe's media industry because of how much he missed cartoons when his family moved back after having lived 10 years in the U.K. He is currently on a scholarship for young people who want to work in children’s media. His big idea is to bring cartoon folktales to TV screens in Zimbabwe. The cartoon he is working on is called Tsuro naGudo and is about Tsura, a witty rabbit, who outsmarts the other character named Gudo. Mbudzi grew up listening to these tales from his grandmother and wants to take them to the next level by making them visual in film media.

Tatenda Mbudzi

Tatenda Mbudzi was afforded the chance to present an Academy Award by submitting a video in which he detailed how he was going to contribute to the future of the film industry, as well as an essay. He is one of the six fortunate winners of the competition and thus was able to rub shoulders with the elite of the film making world, including actors and producers, for a week. The competition came about when the organisers of the Oscars found that the idea of having the usual female models bring in the awards was sexist and could be better utilised by awarding young filmmakers the chance to be part of the industry they are working towards.

Random Alexia thoughts: I am so proud of this young man for wanting to tackle Zimbabwe’s current entertainment issue, as, growing up there, I watched it deteriorate to the point where there are hardly any cartoons shown, and the few that are available are re-runs from the past decade or so. It is going to be a hard task for him though, as the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation is mainly government run and is largely a propaganda tool. The good news is Zimbabweans are likely to be ecstatic about the changes he wants to bring and may welcome him with open arms because they are tired of the way public television is run. It was inspiring to read his story and to relate to elements such as Tsuro naGudo, which are stories the average Zimbabwean child grows up with, and seeing how he draws creativity from them, as I had never actually thought of them in that way before. I can’t wait to see what Tatenda Mbudzi is going to contribute to Zimbabwe, but I bet his is going to be an interesting and worthy journey to watch.

GP: Karim Wade's Incarceration Protested

Guest Post: Anna from Senegal
 
Karim Wade, son of former Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade, was imprisoned last month on charges of corruption. The authorities reported finding $1 billion in his account which were not accounted for. 

Many Senegalese were quite happy hearing this news. It seemed to be a proof of Macky Sall, the new president, actively fighting back corruption and trying to erase the last traces of his predecessors' mistakes.  However, not everyone was happy. Soon after the arrest, the capital city of Dakar saw a protest where 2,500 people took to the streets to contest Karim Wade's imprisonment. This crowd was united under the umbrella of the former ruling party, the Senegalese Democratic Party. Many of the protestors were Ministers of the former government who themselves are under suspicion for corruption. 

Karim Wade, 44, son of Abdoulaye Wade, former President

Random Anna Thoughts: I doubt the legitimacy of this protest. First, I do not really know how effective it is to protest against someone's arrest, especially when there is evidence against that person. Second, the people involved in the protest are less than trustworthy individuals. And one cannot help but wonder about their motives for this protest. It seems they are trying to protect themselves in the process. 

GP: Tanzanian Artist Funeral

Guest Post: Sherryen from Tanzania Hundreds turn up to commemorate Kanumba, a ground breaking Tanzanian artist Steven Charles Kanumba was a Tanzanian actor and director who died on 7th April 2012 at the age of 28. 20,000 people attended his funeral. He was described as "Tanzania's most popular film star" and appeared in Nollywood (Nigerian) films.                           the late Steven Charles Kanumba On the 7th of April, hundreds of film artists and fans marked one year since film star Steven Kanumba died, sadly stating that his gap has not yet been filled in the Tanzania film industry. The commemoration involved a short church service followed by a small reception at Kanumba’s house which was then followed by the launching of Kanumba’s last movie “Love and Power,” which had not been released when Kanumba passed away. The memorial ceremony was attended by guests from different parts of the world including the US, Ghana and Nigeria. The ceremony was also attended by actress Elizabeth Michael, known as Lulu, who has been charged with Kanumba’s death. Bongo Movies actress Elizabeth Michael lays a wreath on Kanumba's tomb during the commemoration Kanumba’s international manager, Prince Richard Miami, told The Citizen that the Tanzanian movie industry had lost an important figure who could propel movies to a global status. According to him, Kanumba left big shoes that no Bongo movie artist has even tried to wear. He also said “Bongo movies is the second largest industry after Nollywood, Bongo movies have at least 200 million viewers. Bongo movies have a better quality of picture than Nollywood.” (This statement is Kudos to Tanzania over Nigeria!) Kanumba’s manager said: “Moreover, Bongo movies need trans- African partnership, something that our brother Kanumba did when he crossed borders to Nigeria, US and Europe." Kanumba’s mother Flora Mutego thanked his son’s fans for attending at the memorial ceremony. She said their huge attendance meant that Tanzanians valued her son’s works.

Sherryen’s Random Thoughts:

I am very impressed by the attachment that Tanzanians and other Bongo movie fans have kept with Steven Kanumba. It means a lot to know that my fellow Tanzanians appreciated a movie actor like any other artist, like a painter. This proves that Tanzania is growing not only as a country but its people’s points of view are changing and that is essential for prosperity in terms of artistic works and careers in that line of work. The fact that Elizabeth Michael was allowed to attend the commemoration of Kanumba even after she was accused for his death has made me appreciate my home country, its people, and their power of forgiveness. I believe that the ability to forgive and forget will set everyone free to pursue our paths. I also hope that the remaining Tanzanian artistes take the controls of the movie industry ship in Tanzania and sail it to success. I hope they continue the work that Kanumba has done so far and that Tanzania will continue to grow and excel in the movie industry.

GP: Ivory Coast Denounces Election Results

Guest Post: Georges from Ivory Coast

Ivorian Party FPI denounced the results of the elections of the 21^st of April

On Wednesday 24^th of April, the FPI (Front Populaire Ivoirien) held a press conference in order to express its point of view regarding the results of the first rounds of the regional and municipals elections, which took place on Sunday 21^st of April. According to Mr Richard Kodjo, spokesperson of the FPI, the elections that took place were only a “masquerade” whose goal was to give more power to President Alassane Ouattara. Indeed, the party denounced the results and added that it only portrayed the illegitimacy of the regime in place, illustrating the fraud President Ouattara is guilty of.

The FPI, which still proclaims Laurent Gbagbo as legitimate president of Côte D’Ivoire, spent a long time explaining how President Ouattara's use of repressive methods against and non-democratic methods on different parties in Côte D’Ivoire, more precisely on the FPI itself. “Political violence in Côte D’Ivoire has always been on the side of the current holders of state power” said Mr Kodjo, affirming the position of the FPI regarding President Ouattara’s legitimacy as Head of state.

Mr Kodjo ended by restating that the party would not recognize the results of the elections as legitimate and by inviting all democrats and “progressive forces” to unite against President Ouattara.

Random Georges thoughts: The first thing that came to my mind while reading the first lines of this article was: “Are they complaining again?” Indeed, this press conference only shows what the FPI has been doing ever since President Gbagbo lost his position as Head of state. It is really unfortunate that the party keepn blaming President Alassane Ouattara (and the international community) for what happened in Côte D’Ivoire after the 2010 presidential elections. According to Mr Richard Kodjo, who qualified Laurent Gbagbo as rightful president of Côte D’Ivoire, these elections only portrayed the illigitimacy of President Allassane Ouattara. This is far from the “national reunification” many Ivorian politicians (and people) keep talking about.

This is the kind of comments that will not help Côte D’Ivoire move forward. It is absolutely impossible to talk about “unity” and “national reconciliation” while bringing ghosts from the past into play. This only shows how desperate for power the FPI is. It should be acknowledged that the party decided to boycott the elections, saying that it was an “electoral parody." No wonder they now complain, since this decision made them lose almost any say. It gives the image that the FPI was just too scared of losing to actually go into the election process (at least that’s what I think). To sum up, if we really want to have peace in our country, we should stop looking at the past and focus on the future. By working together, we will achieve greatness. But by pointing at each other “faults”, nothing productive will be done.

GP: Egypt Court Overturns Sacking

Guest Post by Hazem from Egypt

Egypt Court Overturns Morsi Sacking of Top Prosecutor

President Morsi of Egypt sacked a top prosecutor, but a court has now overturned that action. This decisions calls for as much jubilation as it does for concern. On one hand, it takes away significant credibility from the notion that Morsi is the absolute dictator of the country, but on the other hand, it raises fears as to who exactly holds power in the Egyptian government. Egyptians have suffered for too long from power vacuums and internal political struggle and therefore I can't help but feel nervous over another one in Morsi's regime. 

President Morsi

A few months back, I remember riding in the car with my dad as we listened to the radio and together heard that Morsi had illegitimately removed a prosecutor stirring trouble for the Brotherhood. I remember my father sighing heavily and muttering "This is the beginning."

Though I am not around him right now, I am sure he is as confused as I am. This judicial battle between the protection of the Brotherhood and the reservation of the rights promised by the 2011 revolution for now is putting the Egyptian people on edge as we wait to see what it could mean for the future politically. Will Morsi accept the legal rights of the court and their overturning of his word or will he follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and crush our hopes for an authoritarian free-future? I'm hoping for the former but for now I am actually feeling very optimistic about the court's decision. There is finally someone with some power firmly standing up to the Brotherhood and actually stopping them.