World war victims’ fund timely despite the hard questions

As the world celebrates 100 years since the end of First World War with events lined up in Taita-Taveta, a lot of home truths may have to be digested. There are lessons to be learnt by Africans, especially Kenyans, who turned out to be cannon fodder in a war they knew little about.

Although there are a number of well-manicured cemeteries with names of white soldiers who died in the war, Kenya may never know how many sons it lost in battle. Historians differ on actual death toll of Africans but are in agreement that thousands died from bullet wounds, in bomb explosions and through diseases.