Dual Society Legacy of colonialism and Human Rights Crisis in Kenya

Kenya does not have one government but many. The colonial administration was cynical and brutal. It had the key goals of destroying the African people and enriching the British economy. These goals which were materialized through its programme have had a lasting impact on the people and societies in African. Kenya is a typical illustration of this legacy.

The colonial government established a divided society- a dual society . The dual society was divided into a settler society and native society. The settler society had settler institutions and structures. It was a society of privilege. It had settler education, settler security systems, and settler healthcare and settler government.

The native society had native education, native health care, native security arrangement and a native government and administrative system.

The settler society was governed by the rule of law because the settlers had rights. The native society was governed by custom since the natives had no rights.

Independence was supposed to transform this eerie situation and create a Kenyan society that had one government, one education system, one health care system, one security system and destroy a society of privilege while creating a society of merit and competitiveness.

Independence instead saw the new black elite replace the white elite. The dual society remained intact.

Of Kenya’s nearly 48,000 policemen/women, nearly 22,000 are dedicated to guarding the president, the First Lady Lucy and First Lady Wambui and the first children and grand children, the VP, ministers, your MPs, Judges and Magistrates, PSs, under secretaries, and to guard the properties of the foreign investors, ambassadors and other dignitaries. So about 22,000 forces guard and provide security to about 3,000 people and their wealth while the rest of Kenya’s 33 Million Kenyans have only 26,000 to guard them and provide security!

The new settler society in Kenya continues to educate their children in foreign education systems, universities, access settler health care and security systems. The natives are on their own and have to find whatever is available to provide for themselves.

This is how about 450,000 people of Gucha district’s three constituencies Bomachoge, Bobasi and South Mugurango have access to about 60 policemen! So Sungu sungu takes over the rest of the business in Gucha and Kisii, Mungiki in central province, Kamjeshi, chinkororo, amachuma, Taliban, Baghdad Boys, Jeshi La Mzee, Ngorokos, Kaya Bombo, Kalenjin Warriors, and myriad other shadowy criminal gangs all over the country.

Let us not now behave like we are shocked by Mungiki's act of bestiality. In Kisii district the Kisungu sungu cut the heads of fellow Kenyans every other day and it is not even reported in the media.

Until we deal with the issue of a dual society and the attendant institutional and structural injustices, and until we bring back some intellectualism in the media and discourses we shall continue to lament without tackling the problem. The truth is that Kenya does not have one government but many.

In a dual society, native citizens have no rights. That is why Delamare can kill Kenyans and walk free, thousands die in clashes all over the country without recourse; golden berg and Anglo leasing go unraveled and millions stay in the squalor of Mathare and Mukuru without any national outcry.

In a dual society, 200,000 residents of Mathare have one government Primary school and one dispensary, a handful of policemen patrol near the edge of the slum and that is life! Mean while each Member of Parliament has to be guarded by policemen and has a right to own a gun.

Without a new constitution and a programme of social transformation, a dual society persists and poverty shall deepen and the crisis of governance shall deepen.

My reflections.

Cyprian Nyamwamu