The Re-colonization of Ngugi’s Mind

Ngugi wa Thion’go had every right to support whoever he wanted in the past rigged Kenya election. His choice of throwing his weight behind Kibaki, his former teacher at Makerere is understandable and commendable. Many would have wished the "internationally renowned Kenyan scholar" remained neutral. Ngugi’s commentary on BBC titled, "Ngugi laments Kenya Violence," is very disturbing and puts many former students, great admirers and people of color all over the world in a very difficult position.

On the violent reaction after Kibaki’s violent coup, Ngugi laments "that this instant seems to have been part of a co-ordinated programme with similar acts occurring in several other places at about the same time against ordinary members of the same community." Rather than standing tall and tell truth to power, our great African scholar, the proud author of "Decolonizasion of the Mind," seems blinded by tribal pride and chooses tribe over justice. Kibaki’s violent coup instigated violence upon an innocent nation. Ngugi cannot be naïve to think, "Shoot to Kill," is a title of a movie, but an order to kill poor Kenyans by Kibakis illegitimate government. After the Rodney King verdict by an all white jury was pronounced, African Americans’ reaction was not co-ordinated and Ngugi would be committing intellectual suicide by stating otherwise.

Because of my high respect of Professor Ngugi wa Thion’go, I find it very hard to comment on the next two paragraphs, but hope he would re-evaluate his insinuation.

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An opposition movement is potentially a government of tomorrow. A programme that such a political organisation draws while in opposition would obviously be the programme they'll try to implement when in power.

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That's why such acts must be condemned even when they are clothed in progressive, democratic-sounding words and phrases.

It is the people of Kenya who were the opposition and the victims. To promote that the "Kikuyus are the victims and since Kibaki is a Kikuyu, then he too is a victim" is a bit of a stretch. Yes, the illegitimate Kibaki government INSTIGATED violence, (walipanga kuiba na kuuwa), they planned to steal and kill and the best proof is, "Ngugi look at the mirror."

Ngugi knew when he sided with Kibaki he would be accused of promoting tribalism and unless professor Ngugi wa Thion’go reads all his books, don’t expect him to change. Ngugi’s position should not be taken lightly.

Here is the article
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7180946.stm


Mohamed Ahmed