Africa is Rising and Needs No Permission to Say It Is!

Before you ask whether #Africa is rising, let's assume you are in Kenya and are walking down Kenyatta Avenue (formerly Delamere Avenue). You are oblivious that most streets in Nairobi were named after British heroes and the bourgeoisie closest to the Queen. You don't know that Kimathi Avenue is a declaration of independence because that street used to be called Hardinge Street, named after British colonial ruler Sir Arthur Henry Hardinge, who landed in Kenya in 1895. But who is Kimathi? Who is this guy who dethroned Sir Hardinge from Nairobi's Street signs?

Dedan Kimathi Waciuri was not your ordinary African. This fella was as bold as a brick of wood. Have you heard of the Mau Mau rebellion- that Kenyan self-organizing uprising against British rule? Kimathi was behind the bows, the arrows, and the spears- the fearless military leader who rose against the British gun with nothing but bravery and determination. He is widely regarded as the revolutionary leader who led the armed military struggle against the British colonial regime in Kenya in the 1950s until his capture in 1956 and execution in 1957. He is credited with leading efforts to create formal military structures within the Mau Mau. For that, he got a street named after him in Nairobi and Kampala.

Is Africa rising? Africa has been rising since the colonial rule. But Africa has also had a lot of weight sitting on it. Before you question whether Africa is rising, blaming her for the coup d’états and poor leadership, think about the weight Africa has had to lift. Colonialism in Kenya was 1963. I have a brother (same father, same mother) who was born in the early 60s and is still alive. Colonialism was in our lifetime. That's so recent. Before you dance over Dedan Kimathi's grave, executed by the British government in 1957, remember that the child born during his execution is just retiring now at 66. Remember how recent colonialism is.

Remember how much Africa has had to endure, fight for, push through, claim, and reclaim. Is Africa rising? You bet it is, and it's been rising since Dedan Kimathi hung on that tree, praying and hoping that one day, every Kamau, every Njoki, every Otieno, every Mwangi will live free in their own land- the land of their ancestors. These were bold men. These are brave men. And these men are turning in their graves, hoping that the sons and daughters of this tropical and desert land will continue to rise. Rise above colonialism and self-deprecation and take their place in this vast world.

Is Africa rising? Africa has been rising since the first human landed in Tanzania. Africa has been rising, trying to reclaim her resources from unfair mining contracts, merciless deforestation for wood and timber, and exploitation of her raw materials exported for pennies in basic form. Africa is discovering her land and oceans and remembering that they can shelter it from the global industrialization that made rich countries rich, leaving holes in our ozone layer and exposing us to harmful UV rays. Africa is rising, not as an economic power alone, but as the new watchdog of the world to keep everyone in check. Africa is reminding everyone that when the first man first landed on the African continent, the idea was simple: Live in peace with the land.

As the world increasingly becomes one global village, what has been hidden for hundreds of years will be put to light. Africa will, one more time, rise to its former glory where man lived at peace with nature, where trade stretching from Timbuktu to the Arab Peninsula taught future generations a thing or two about capitalism, where Mansa Musa built a $400 BILLION net worth in today's value.

Africa is rising and needs no permission to say it is.

Amon Munyaneza