The Turkana of northwestern Kenya developed a distinctive social and military culture long before encountering European colonizers. In The Scattering Time: Turkana Responses to Colonial Rule, John Lamphear (1992) draws on oral traditions and archival records to reconstruct how the Turkana navigated shifting power dynamics in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By juxtaposing … Read more
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s life work was fundamentally a struggle to diagnose—and ultimately to reverse—the distortions of African cultures and societies wrought by colonialism and its after-effects. Across his major works, he repeatedly identifies three core elements of “the problem”: 1. Cultural and Linguistic AlienationNgũgĩ shows how colonialism, far more than a simple political or economic … Read more
Wherever they went, in their voyages of land, sea, and mind, Europeans planted their own memories on whatever they contacted. In his book The Idea of Africa, V. Y. Mudimbe writes, “The geographic expansion of Europe and its civilization . . . submitted the world to its memory.” Mapping, which involves exploration and surveying, was … Read more
Dr. Florence Gladwell Ng’endo Mwangi was a trailblazer in Kenyan medicine and a pioneer for women’s education. She was born in Kinoo, Kiambu County, in December 1936, and attended Loreto High School Limuru as part of its pioneer class. In 1959, she was selected for the Kennedy Airlift program organized by Tom Mboya, which enabled … Read more
In early April 1971 a group of military officers and civilians in Kenya conspired to overthrow President Jomo Kenyatta’s government. The plotters included serving officers, opposition politicians, and at least one member of the judiciary. Their aim was to remove Kenyatta and install a new regime by force, mirroring coups that had recently occurred in … Read more
In 2003, the Kenyan rap duo Mashifta released the track “System ya Majambazi,” using razor-sharp lyricism to critique how every stratum of society—from pastors and politicians to lawyers and parents—had become complicit in a corruption so pervasive it could only be described as a “system of thugs” (Timmons, 2018; Haugerud et al., 2024). The title … Read more
Along the northeastern shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya lives a diverse group of Bantu-speaking peoples collectively known as the Bantu of Kavirondo. This term, once used by colonial administrators and early anthropologists, refers to several distinct but culturally and linguistically related communities, including the Wanga, Marama, Logoli, Vugusu, and others. Today, most of … Read more
The Kipsigis are one of Kenya’s largest and most influential ethnic groups, known for their rich cultural heritage, distinct social structures, and deep-rooted traditions. As part of the larger Kalenjin community, they have a long history that traces back to the Upper Nile region before eventually settling in the highlands of western Kenya. Over the … Read more
Introduction The Meru people of Kenya, who currently inhabit the northeastern slopes of Mount Kenya, have a rich and complex history shaped by migration, oral traditions, and interactions with various groups over centuries. Their origins, debated among scholars, are often traced to multiple ancestral roots, including coastal settlements, Cushitic influences, and connections to ancient African … Read more
The history of the labour movement in Kenya is deeply connected with the country’s colonial past, economic transformations, and political struggles. As in many African nations under British rule, the emergence of trade unions in Kenya was initially constrained by colonial policies that sought to suppress collective African labour organizing (Mulugeta, 2021). However, through resistance, … Read more