The Kenya Socialist Volume 6

Shiraz Durrani

Description

The Kenya Socialist is published by Vita Books, Nairobi and is edited by Shiraz Durrani and Kimani Waweru. It aims to encourage free flow of information, knowledge and discussion which can lead to a better understanding of socialism. It seeks to promote socialist ideas, experiences, and world outlook and to increase awareness of classes, class contradictions and class struggles in Kenya, both historical and current.

The latest issue (No. 6, August 2023) carries articles on class struggle in Kenya, primitive accumulation of capital and an essay on understanding socialism through literature. Other articles are on the history of UMOJA and the role of trade unions as a force for resistance in Kenya. A Kiswahili section is also included, as is a section on ‘Remembering Pio Gama Pinto’. A short Poems section ends this issue.

Sujets

• Ethnic Studies
• Social Science
• Sociologie, société et politique

Informations

• Publié par: Vita Books
• Date de parution: 17 septembre 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789914962147
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 15 Mo

Extrait

No.6 2023

                                            

The Kenya Socialist Issue No.6 2023

1

EDITORIAL: Class Struggle in Kenya

ARTICLES

T h e K e n y a S o c i a l i s t N o . 6 2 0 2 3

Tom Odhiambo: Class Struggle in Kenya and the  Search for ‘Uhuru’

Kimani Waweru: Primitive Accumulation of  Capital

Otsieno Godrick: Njia Panda ya Uhuru wa Kenya

Editorial Essay: Understanding Socialism through  Literature

History & Ideology

Shiraz Durrani: UMOJA Seen Through its  Documents, 19871990 (Part 1 of 3)

Shiraz Durrani: Trade Unions as the Motive Force  for Resistance in Kenya, 19001950

Remembering Pio Gama Pinto

Zahid Rajan & Zarina Patel: Celebrating the Life  and Work of Pio Gama Pinto

Pio Gama Pinto: Legacy of Resistance in Kenya  (PowerPoint)

Pio Gama Pinto: Timeline of References

Poems

01

02 04 09 12 20 20 37 43 43 47 51 52

The Kenya Socialist Issue No.6 2023

The Kenya Socialist is published by Vita Books, Nairobi, Kenya. Editors: Shiraz Durrani and Kimani Waweru August 2023

Uni.Way House, Second Floor, University Way Next to Lilian Towers Hotel P.O. Box 746-00200 Nairobi Kenya [e-mail] http://vitabooks.co.ke

The Kenya Socialist aims to encourage free flow of information, knowledge and discussion which can lead to a better understanding of socialism. It will seek to:

• Promote socialist ideas, experiences and world outlook • Increase awareness of classes, class contradictions and class struggles in Kenya, both historical and current • Expose the damage done by capitalism and imperialism in Kenya and Africa • Offer solidarity to working class, peasants and other working people and communities in their struggles for equality and justice • Promote internationalism and work in solidarity with people in Africa and around the world in their resistance to imperialism • Make explicit the politics of information and communication as tools of repression and also of resistance in Kenya

The Kenya Socialist welcomes submission of relevant articles (normally up to 5,000 words) - send to The Editors at [e-mail]. The submissions will be reviewed and the Editors reserve the right not to publish. Vita Books or the Editors do not necessary agree with the views of contributors. The Kenya Socialist is available at:https://thekenyasocialist.org/

Paper copies are available from African Books Collective (ABC) https://www.africanbookscollective.com/publishers/vita-books

ISBN 978-9914-9621-4-7 (eBook) ISBN 978-9914-9621-0-9 (Paper)

Cover Photo Illustration Credit: Inquiries Journal

The Kenya Socialist Issue No.6 2023

Editorial :Class Struggle in Kenya

Class Struggle in Kenya and the Search for ‘Uhuru’ s te tte f te irst artce  ts ssue f Te Keya Scast. It s a revew fTwo Paths Ahead์ by T Odab, wc irst aeared  te Saturday Nat f Ar 1, 2023. N, t was t a Ar F’s Day te, but a rer revew f a serus b tat s at te strugge betwee scas ad catas  Keya. Ts was eras te irst adss  recet tes  te ubc da tat tere are casses  Keya, tat tere s a cass strugge  Keya ad tat te searc fruhuru ctues. Ts ay ce as ews t se, but t t te wrg ee w ave bee reduced t dre vg cdts by catas ever sce t was sed by J Keyatta -- wt te surt f eras -- at deedece. Catas as caused te verty, ueyet, ac f usg ad edca care, adessess ad ay ter fe-treateg features f fe tday. Te strugge agast catas ad fr scas as as bee sdeed by te dctates f te rug cass.TKS s terefre eased t cude te revew f te b  ts ssue.

Te eades ad te revew f te b are, terefre, a rtat este  Keya.The Kenya Socialisteased t ggt ts fact by s cudg ater artce  te strugge. It s te Kswa trasat f te artce,Two Paths Ahead for Kenya: Capitalism or Socialism by Otse Gdrc wse irst Kswa trasat was carred  ur ast ssueํ.

Ka Waweru te taes u a rtat tc — accuuat f cata, as t s te bass f catast extat f wrers. N eagfu strugge agast catas ca be waged wtut a uderstadg w te syste f extat wrs.

Lterature as a earg t eeds t be tae re serusy by tse actvey igtg catas. It s a uder-vaued resurce by te Left, wse ra fcus s  te re serus degca ad teretca studes. Nves, srt stres, es ca e t deee te uderstadg f te reaty f catast

extat ad ee’s exerece  resstg t. Te Hstry ad Idegy sect starts wt ater cater f te udergrud resstace  te 1980s ad 1990s, g at te frat f Ua  Ld  1987. Ts s te trd artce  a seres, te ters beg  te Deceber Tweve Mveet, ad MWAKENYA.

Uderstadg te re f trade us  te berat strugge s yet ater area eedg serus study. It s artcuary rtat t see w te East Afrca Trade U Cgress (EATUC), uder Maa Sg ad Bdad Kagga, sfuy cbed dustra strugge wt tca strugge. Wrers’ strugge fr wages ad decet wr cdts cat be w wtut becg actve  te tca ied as we as te ‘ra’ trade u wr. Te efrced wtdrawa fr tca strugges as a ey asect f trade u wr s a ar srtcg f trade u veets  Keya ad esewere, ad te esss fr te EATUC eed t fr tday’s strugges.

Ceebratg te fe ad wr f P Gaa Pt as w bece a ra feature f fe  Keya. It s c w t see te yut vstg s graveste t ear abut Pt ad t reeber s strugge ad sacrice fr wrg ee r ubc eetgs t dscuss w s egacy ca be reased. Ts year tere was a addta evet tat t te fe f P Gaa Pt t te ubc trug a ubc exbt. Zad Raa ad Zara Pate rert fr te Exbt. Ts s fwed by seected PwerPt sdes fr The Pio Gama Pinto Story: Legacy of Resistance in Kenya, based on the book Pio Gama Pinto: Kenya’s Unsung Martyr, 1927-1965.

Dra Mutua s a we-w igure ag yut ad actvsts  Keya. TKS s eased t cude tw f s es. Sraz Durra 12-05-2023

¹ Shiraz Durrani (2023): Two Paths Ahead: The Ideological Struggle Between Capitalism and Socialism in Kenya, 19601970. Nairobi: Vita Books. 1 The Kenya Socialist Issue No.6 2023

Tom Odhiambo:Class Struggle in Kenya and 1 the Search for ‘Uhuru’ Will Class Struggle in Kenya Ever be Resolved? te su f te arty, wt KANU-A ebers beg scattered trug assassat, rset, exe, Te trust f te at-ca strugges  Keya resgat, exus fr te arty ad ctat. was ecc ad tca berat f Keyas. Keyas, esecay Afrcas, wated t be free f ITwo Paths Ahead, Durra reds te reader tat racs, ecc extat, sca excus ad te KANU Mafest, wc was reeased  1960, aeat, ad tca argasat. Tey dd’t ‘was sred by te tat frces fr te trade wat t be trd cass ctzes  ter atve ad. u veet. Tus, te Mafest relected te Keyas – ad ts cuded ee f ter races scast ase f KANU, befre J Keyatta, T w ad bee br  ca Keya r ad stayed  Mbya ad ters tured te arty t KANU-B. te cutry g eug t beg – wated a cutry Te actve ads f te USA ad Uted Kgd, were every ctze, rresectve f ter cur, cass, trug ter abassadrs, gverrs ad Hg creed, r cuture ad te rgt t a decet fe, rgt Cssers were bed te arty’s ebrace f t w rerty, wr ad ve werever tey wsed catas ad ts reect f scas.  te cutry, ad was resected as a ua beg.

Oe y eeds t read te rga KANU afest t arecate w Prect Keya was aged. KANU decared tat ts a ga  te igt fr deedece was ‘te ga f a dgeus ee f Keya … deedece’; KANU decared tat t beeved ‘ te fudaeta rgts f te dvdua ad tese w be [cuded  te] Csttut.’ We  wer, KANU stated tat ‘Te dvdua ust ey tca ad ecc freed. KANU w esure eyet, rtect te ctze agast g urs f wr ad ascerta a u wage wc cud ard te wrer ctg fr sef ad s fay, decet fd, educat fr s cdre, a tte cfrt ad esure.’ A ts s fud Two Paths Ahead: The Ideological Struggle between Capitalism and Socialism in Kenya, 1960-1970 by Sraz Durra (Vta Bs, 2023).

Two Paths Ahead

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

Of curse, e a berat veets, KANU Shiraz Durrani wud ater reege  st f tese fty rses. Te arty wud dr ts retess t Afrcas (wever t deied suc) ad Afrca Scas, ad r t a fuy catastc arty. Its (ew?) Ideed, KANU, wc ad reaced te rscrbed degy wud rgressvey searate te arty fr Keya Afrca U, ad draw ts srat fr ts cadres ad te rest f Keyas, as we as se te asrats f teeadwewwett egburg cutres, ad ay f ts terata te frest t igt fr ter freed ad ad, as we surters. KANU becae tw artes  e, A ad as trade usts wt te surt f terata B. KANU-B (te catasts) wud w te batte fr freds. It s t surrsg tat te ‘Mafest 1 Reproduced from Nation (Nairobi), 01042023. The Editors would like to thank the author and Nation for permission to reproduce this review.

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The Kenya Socialist Issue No.6 2023

was rted  Car by te Dar E-Haa Press’ … because ‘ca cy dd t aw easy access t rtg factes fr berat frces.’ Durra tes tat te Mafest was a cectve dcuet, wc ‘relected te vews ad wses f te etre arty ebers’. He furter wrtes, ‘t was reseted t te ee f Keya at a ass ray, dcatg tat te arty was decratc ad gt ts egtacy fr te ee.

Yet, after attag wer, te arty graduay ved away fr ts r-ee degy f re- ad edate st-deedece ets ad estabsed ces ad sttuts tat wud guaratee tat Keya trd te catastc at  ater years. Fr stace, te arty ad te gveret, accrdg t Durra, becae ess ccered abut ad redstrbut, csderg tat ad was te ar factr  te Mau Mau war f berat, ad was st a ar factr f rduct fr te arty f Keyas. KANU ad te gveret dd’t resette r cesate dvduas w ad bee frced  ter ads by te ca gveret r tse w ad ge t igt  te Mau Mau war but  returg tey dscvered tat ter ads ad bee arrated by te gveret ad ts cabratrs.

But wy sud Keyas be btered abut te stry f KANU, ts tera strugges ad te wers  tat igt fr ts ctr? Frst, because Keyas tday ve wt te cseueces f KANU’s decss  te 1960s. Wat te arty eaders te dd abut te ecy, tcs, educat, cuture, atas, freg cy, etc, aects wat Keya ad Keyas are tday.

Hw?

Csder te uest f ad. Tday, tere are cas tat a few dvduas acured uge tracts f ad, egay ad egay. Tat tese erss sdeed r Keyas w ad st ad r ad tte r e. Tat ‘aded getry'' becae te future catast cass  Keya sce tey carred  te ca ecc ces f rducg crs fr exrt. Is t surrsg tat stca Keya gverets ave ever serusy csdered dustra vat ad rduct fr ecc rgress? Hw wud a cass tat was tcay ad eccay urtured t t abut w ay acres f ad t as – tday

t s w ay bcs f aartets – wud t serusy ad creatvey abut educat, vat ad dustra rduct?

Lad w rea etve trugut te cutry as te uat grws but wt tte r  gafu eyet rtutes. It s t surrsg tat tday tcas are st rsg yug Keyas ecc freed trug busess ad eyet – usters beg td tat tey w ave a sare f te ata cae f tey wr ard. Tese rses are t uc deret t te es f te deedece et we r Keyas were rsed ecc freed yet deed access t rductve ad. Ts s stry reeatg tsef, teray.

Wat Durra ers Two Paths Ahead: The Ideological Struggle between Capitalism and Socialism in Kenya, 1960-1990 s a rvcatve dscuss  wat wet wrg, w te r-ee ces fraed  te KANU Mafest f 1960 were bastardsed ad wy t as aways bee dîcut fr rgressve dvduas ad sttuts  Keya t succeed  te strugge fr true berat f te cutry fr ecas.

Durra refereces bts ad eces f Keya stry  te 10 years, ust befre deedece ad te csdat f te at-state uder Keyatta tat stad ut as ey ets  te trasfrat f te cutry t a catastc scety; ets tat tday are fadg fr ubc ery ad ave tte by tte bee erased fr te sc syab. Tese are te ets tat Keyas w truy beeve tat Keya cud e day bece a scast state – as te Keya Pee’s U ad ter stca veets tat ave fugt fr freed ad scas dd – tat s cusve ad far t everye ust t y d  but trast t future geerats. Fr tse tday w ws t w were ad we te ‘ra started beatg Keyas’, reread te stry f tse tuutuus 10 years we wat s tday casuay caed ‘state cature’ aeed. _______

T Odab teaces terature, erfrg arts ad eda at te Uversty f Narb. T.dab@ ub.ac.e

The Kenya Socialist Issue No.6 2023

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