Kenyans must remember and celebrate their heroes

When I first visited the National Mall and the Smithsonian Museums in Washington DC I quickly appreciated some of the “softer” reasons that make America, warts and all, a great nation. In the mall and in many other parts of the USA, Americans have told their story volubly and visibly. Naturally, the story is not a totally objective one, it is nuanced by American realities including sanitisation of such ugly periods as the annihilation of the Native Americans during the English occupation and the colouring of the evils of the slave trade.

Fortunately, America is increasingly coming to terms with the muck in its story and attempting to retell it more truthfully. I was for instance gratified to see the new Martin Luther King memorial and the imposing Museum of African American History and Culture set to be opened by America’s first black President. I share the American experience to celebrate the significant moment that occurred a week ago when the British government unveiled the Mau Mau memorial at the Freedom Corner in recognition of the valiant efforts of the Kenyan freedom fighters and the ugly role of the British colonists in that struggle.

It is important to note that the British government did not erect this monument from an altruistic penitent spirit; the reality is that they were required by a court order firstly, to compensate the 5,000 or so freedom fighters who took their case to the English Courts, secondly, to apologise to the Kenyan Nation for the gross human rights violations they committed and finally to erect a monument to record that part of Kenya’s horrid but triumphant history. I want to appreciate the tremendous work that was done by the Kenya Human Rights Commission and the law firm of Leigh Day, particularly Dan “Kamau” Leader, the London Barrister who is more Kenyan than many of us, who invested tremendous amounts of resources to prosecute the Mau Mau suit. It has always baffled me that the Kenyan government, despite numerous requests, refused to support the suit almost leading to its near collapse and that even my own Law Society of Kenya was attempting to put roadblocks in the conclusion of the suit! All is well that ends well though. The monument is beautiful not just in terms of artistic creativity but in the way it weaves, in a few tablets, the story of the Freedom struggle. It will play the same role that the Washington Mall memorials play in American life, remind Kenyans of the road we travelled to become the nation we are and to celebrate our past and its heroes.

The saddest part about the whole issue however is how it has taken the British government to have this part of our history told in such a vibrant manner. Granted, the NARC government in 2003 unveiled the Dedan Kimathi memorial but due to its location and size, it tends to dim the story of the gallant warriors and the heavy price they paid for our freedom. The new memorial is imposing, hard to miss and located in one of the most visited and visible parts of the city.

The challenge for us is to ensure this is but the first voluble memorial to our history. We must continue the journey started by the Kimathi and Tom Mboya monuments to celebrate the heroes of our past. We must visibly tell the story of the various parts of the struggle for Kenyan liberation. This will call for a memorial to the Arap Samoeis, the Wangari Maathais, the Odingas, the Pintos, the JM Kariukis and others who have gone by but without whose story, the Kenya narrative is incomplete. We must open up the Kenyatta Mausoleum or build a fresh memorial that records the Kenyatta story. We must not allow critical memorials like the Kapenguria six museum to be neglected. The absence of memorials to past heroes gives the impression that we only celebrate present villains and that sacrifice for country means nothing. Most importantly it denies us of one of the necessary components of nation building; the sharing of a commonly acknowledged history however untidy it may be. May this not be the legacy we leave our children.