Two Paths Ahead

Shiraz Durrani

Description

The struggle between socialism and capitalism in Kenya has been long, bitter and violent. Capitalism won with the active support of USA and UK governments at the time of independence in 1963. Yet the original (1960) Kenya African National Union (KANU) Party was in favour of socialism. It was Presidents Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Arap Moi who used violence to suppress those advocating socialism. They used their power to massacre, assassinate, exile, imprison and disappear people and created a state of terror to silence their opponents.   Capitalism became the unstated state policy.  Thus, imperialism won and the aims of Mau Mau were brutally suppressed. However, the desire for socialism never died. Resistance movements and opposition parties made socialism their aim, reflecting people’s desire for justice, equality and empowerment.
Many studies on Kenya focus on personalities or ‘tribes’ or race as driver of events, ignoring the all-important class and ideological positions of leaders and their Parties. Two Paths Ahead reproduces and comments on the documents from the opposing sides in the battles between capitalism and socialism — the original Kenya African National Union (KANU), its successor, KANU-B, and the Kenya People’s Union (KPU) on economy, land, labour, and social policy. It also touches upon the demands of the organisers of the 1982 Coup and traces the political stand of key leaders as proponents of capitalism or socialism. The final section reproduces some of the documents on this ideological struggle. The book exposes the hidden hand of imperialism in the country’s rush to capitalism. It fills a gap in understanding the real contradictions that divide Kenya to this day.

Sujets

• African Studies
• Political Ideologies
• Political Science

Informations

• Publié par: Vita Books
• Date de parution: 04 mai 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789914987591
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

Two Paths Ahead

The Ideological Struggle between Capitalism and Socialism in Kenya, 1960-1970

Shiraz Durrani

Shiraz Durrani

Two Paths Ahead The Ideological Struggle between Capitalism and Socialism in Kenya, 1960-1970

Shiraz Durrani

Published in 2023 Vita Books P.O. Box 62501-00200 Nairobi. Kenya http://vitabooks.co.ke [e-mail]

Paper - 978-9966-133-12-0 Ebook - 978-9914-9875-9-1

Shiraz Durrani ©

Design and layout by Brian Rowa Cell: [phone] [e-mail]

Two Paths Ahead

Don Barnett (1972) Introduction to he Hardcore: he Story of Karigo Mucai (1973) LSM. he document, he Struggle for Kenya’s Future: Two Pats Aead, is reproduced in te Docu- mentation section of tis book.

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Contents

Dedication Acknowledgments Abbreviations Glossary Preface: Two Paths for Kenya by Dr. Njoki Wamai

 vii  viii  ix  x  xii

I. Introduction:How did Kenya become free...without people getting free? 1

II. Kenya African National Union (KANU) Land Stolen Twice African Socialism and its Application to Planning in Kenya (1965)

III. Land Policies, KADU and the Birth of KANU-B KADU -- The same Ideological Disposition as KANU-B The KANU Limuru Conference (1966) marks a turning point

IV. Kenya People’s Union (KPU): Uhuru na Ujamaa KPU Manifesto (1966) KPU’s Wananchi Declaration (1969)

V. Clash of Ideologies at the Lumumba Institute (1964-65) The Political Signiîcance of KPU

 11 20  28

 47  63  74

 77  81  86

 97  104

VI. Ideology in Action 107 The Voice of the Coup (1982) 108 Bildad Kaggia (1921-2005): Socialism answers African problems 112 Oginga Odinga (1911-1994): Opposed capitalist orientation 117 Pio Gama Pinto (1927-1965): Socialism Meant Its True Application 118 Makhan Singh (1913-1976): He Lived Socialism 121 Jomo Kenyatta (1997-1978): ‘Mau Mau was a disease’ 122 Tom Mboya (1930-1969): Plan for Capitalist Development 130 Other Victims of Kenyatta and KANU-B’s reign of terror 134

VII. Conclusion: The Ideological Struggle Continues

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 137

References and Bibliography

DOCUMENTATION

DOCUMENT 1: KANU Manifesto, 1960 DOCUMENT 2: The Struggle for Kenya’s Future, (1961)  Two Paths Ahead (1961) DOCUMENT 3: Bildad Kaggia Speech on African Socialiam, 1965 DOCUMENT 4: Kenya, Rep. African Socialism and its  Application to Kenya (1965) Selection DOCUMENT 5: KPU Manifesto for 1966 By-Elections DOCUMENT 6: Wananchi Declaration (1969) DOCUMENT 7: Coup D’état Aug 1, 1982 Broadcast DOCUMENT 8: KPU Politicians DOCUMENT 9: Who owns the land? (Wikileaks, 2008) DOCUMENT 10: Land and Conict (2013) TJRC Selection DOCUMENT 11: Dudula, Sol: African Socialism (1965) DOCUMENT 12: Is ‘imperialism’ (just) history? MML (2021) DOCUMENT 13: A Note on Tom Mboya by Terence Africanus

INDEX

v

 142

 149

 149

 174  181

 185  194  208  246

 248  249  259  272  289  294

 307

Although political independence is a noble achievement in the struggle against colonialism, neo-colonialism and imperialism, its eectiveness is superîcial unless economic and cultural independence is also achieved. The road to the attainment of economic and cultural independence is beset with neo-colonialism which is becoming even more menacing to newly independent states than orthodox colonialism — Kwame Nkrumah. Conakry 14 June 1966 — Foreword to Odinga (1967) Not Yet Uhuru: The Autobiography of Oginga Odinga. 196, xv.

In Africa two opposite trends of social development are at work — one towards socialism and the other towards capitalism ... On the one hand there is a revolutionary upsurge and on the other hand imperialism is desperately using all the means at its disposal to halt the revolutionary advance in our continent — A Communist Call to Africa (1977? 13, 26).

The peoples of the less industrialised areas of the world are in a good strategic position to advance in the direction of socialist revolution as a result of their experience of imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism. They see issues clearly, since productive and distributive processes are not obscured or blurred by the trappings and diversions of the capitalist ‘welfare state,’ and capitalist corruption — Kwame Nkrumah, quoted in Fancher, Mark P. (2019).

It is not enough to remember our freedom îghters and heroes; we must also remember the traitors who betrayed our cause and our people - Engraved on Bildad Kaggia’s gravestone.

In the vast majority of African countries, only socialist orientation opens the door for the oppressed peoples to freedom, independence, prosperity and progress — A Communist Call to Africa (1977? 19).

But Communists also know that capitalism is only a passing phase in human development. It can and must be abolished and replaced by socialism, common ownership and democratic control — working class state power. In time, developing into communist society, a society completely ‘free from the exploitation of man by man’. History and the experience of the socialist countries since 1917 have proven this to be the case. While capitalism continues to decay, at times to fascism, socialism has delivered stunning gains for working people, women and minorities. Socialism is the only future that can work. Today more than ever, capitalism means extinction. — Young Communist League. https://ycl.org.uk/

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Dedication

Dedicated to • All those who died in the struggle for justice, equality and socialism in Kenya. • Activists, writers, teachers, librarians and all those who dare to be dangerous  in the face of attacks by imperialism and its local allies.

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Acknowledgments

Kenya National Archives for various documents.

Nick Rogers, London, for a copy of KPU’sWananchi Declarationthe from Archives of Douglas Rogers.

Ukombozi Library, Nairobi, for access to the Kenya Resistance Archives and for research support. Particularly: Nicholas Mwangi and Kimani Waweru.

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Abbreviations

DTM December Twelve Movement. ICFTU International Confederation of Trade Unions. IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development KADU Kenya African Democratic Union. KANU Kenya African National Union (Used in this book to refer to the  party in its early years when it was anti-capitalist and anti  imperialist). KANU-B Kenya African National Union (Used in this book to refer to the  Party after it had turned to capitalism under Jomo Kenyatta,  particularly after 1965). KPU Kenya People’s Union. MWAKENYA Muungano wa Wazalendo wa Kukomboa Kenya / Union of  Patriots for the Liberation of Kenya. UMOJA Umoja wa Kupigania Demokrasia Kenya / United Movemen for  Democracy in Kenya.

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