To know where Kenya is going, the country must embrace its history
Aside from characterising Kenya as a country short of memory (Saturday Nation July 11, 2020), James Kahongeh did something else. He satisfactorily explained why our national archives should be more accessible to the public than it currently is. I agreed with him, all the way.
There is likelihood that Kahonge has read the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) taskforce report. Be that as it may, I shall go ahead and bring chapter 2 of the report to his attention. This chapter decries Kenya’s national ethos deficiency. That’s not all. It floats a slew of national ethos revival strategies. And the most attractive of these strategies is its pronouncement on our collective memory as a nation.
The report authoritatively pitches for the ‘construction’ of an official and inclusive history of our nation. This history, according to the report, should go back to 1000 years. It should provide an accurate account of the migrations of all the communities that presently live in Kenya.
Further, this history must relive the political, economic and cultural histories of all the Kenyan ethnic groups. Above all, this history must capture the role of women in the making of our nation. It has to offer an accurate recording of the international slave trade and colonialism, our struggle for liberation from colonial rule, the post-colonial history of every part of our country and lastly, contemporary histories that focus on urban areas and the newly formed Kenyan communities.
This is an end whose realisation, the BBI taskforce report concedes, shall occasion a raft of radical changes at the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service.
To begin with, the report roots for a change of name – from the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service to the Official Historian and National Archives Service. But what are the implications of the change of name? The report clarifies that the new outfit shall enjoy an expanded scope of mandate. It will be the nerve centre of collaborative and professional efforts by libraries, universities, museums and individual historians to research, analyse and present an accurate Kenyan history to Kenyans and the world in its entirety.
The BBI Taskforce report categorically advises that an established and distinguished scholar of African history or a world-class library science expert or curator be installed at the helm of the Official Historian and National Archives Service. The head of the Official Historian and National Archives Service shall work alongside a team of professional historians, librarians, curators and professionals from other relevant fields of expertise such as philosophy, anthropology, theology, politics and the sciences, among others. Besides, the institution should have a board that draws membership from the Ministries of Heritage and Education, local and foreign universities, local and foreign museums of history and heritage, curators, artists, citizens and elders.
Lastly, the report directs that the work of the operations of the Official Historian and National Archives Service be aligned to mission of the National Museums of Kenya, publicly funded cultural centres, the Ministry of Education and all public bodies undertaking curriculum development, training and education of Kenyans. The official and inclusive history of our nation should be packaged in such a way that it can be understood by all Kenyans, more so students and the young.
Let’s pause here. Why should history cause anyone so much excitement in an age when a section of the political class is persuaded that we are better off investing in sciences? Obviously, Kenyans appreciate that loyalty and patriotism among them are by-products of their shared memories of their aspirations and experiences. Moreover, they acknowledge the critical role history plays in the making of an informed citizenry. Sound decisions a people make on their present (political) tribulations are heavily hinged on their knowledge of their past. Kenyans acknowledge, too, that history will spur cohesion and integration among them. A nation that values her history prides herself of a citizenry that places a high premium on peace and love, its diversity notwithstanding.
An official and inclusive history of our nation will motivate Kenyans to understand the socio-economic and political trends of their nation. Kenyans shall in addition appreciate and enjoy the artistic and intellectual productions of the yesteryear. History that dates back to a 1000 years shall serve another very critical purpose. It shall either indict or exonerate writers who have previously been accused of using literature to deliberately distort our history.
Saturday Nation ran this article on July 25, 2020.