Soyinka: Oppression causing revolts

By Vitalis Kimutai

Nobel Peace Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka has said the revolution in North Africa, which has seen citizens topple two dictators, could spread to sub-Saharan Africa.

Soyinka said removal of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were because of decades of oppression. The winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize for Literature said the revolution could sweep across other countries, which have not embraced democracy.

"The ongoing revolution sweeping across Africa would spill over to Syria soon. It is only a matter of time," Soyinka stated.

"Even the most vicious, integrated armies and police units used by dictators can be overthrown because they are also citizens who can wake up to reality of being misused," Soyinka said.

Soyinka was addressing the Press after giving a lecture at the Nakumatt Prestige along Ngong Road during the ongoing Kenya International Film Festival. The poet, novelist, film writer and literary critic said he had no plans to contest for the Presidency in Nigeria contrary to previous media reports.

"I have never ever harboured any political ambitions. Such reports were a misrepresentation of facts by a Kenyan journalist. I hope this will set the record straight," Soyinka said.