A Legacy of Resistance Stories for a Just and Free Kenya
It is easy to feel adrift.
But it is precisely in these times of great tribulation that we must return to the wealth of great stories that remind us of Kenya's indomitable spirit, our capacity for courage, and our unwavering belief in a freer, more just tomorrow.
Today, I want to share the story of someone who grew into a formidable force, leaving an enduring legacy that inspires many to this day. Her determination and work not only shifted the course of history in Kenya but also endured as part and parcel of our present-day resistance struggles for a better life and environment.
On dark, cold nights when our spirits are low, we sit around the fire and regale the stories that warm our hearts and restore our resolve. Much like our night dreams, sharing stories often uses symbolic language and imagery, bypassing our ego and resonating directly with our soul.
Our oral tradition remains a source of wisdom and insights embedded in stories that teach, correct mistakes, lighten our burdens, provide soulful refuge, facilitate transformation, and heal our physical and spiritual wounds and traumas.
I carry deep gratitude and affection for those who came before us and shared their stories that filled our hopes and hearts. Their strength fortifies me, enabling me to share the gift of story with you and hope you, in turn, can pass it on to others who are dear to you.
I recall the story of Professor Wangari Maathai, born in pre-independent Kenya, who grew up and walked a path that was not paved with gold.
She was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a PhD in veterinary anatomy. During her tenure at the University of Nairobi, she campaigned tirelessly against sexist policies and called for equal benefits for women staff members, even attempting to establish the academic staff association as a union. She was part of the political movement that challenged one-party politics and agitated for a more democratic Kenya. She dared to envision a Kenya where men and women alike equally benefited from the nation’s progress.
It is important to note that her convictions and outspokenness reverberated, but it also cost her greatly in a pervasively sexist and misogynistic society—an unfortunate issue that still prevails in Kenya today. In her memoir, she shared fragments of her personal life that demonstrate how threatened society was by strong, successful women. As she went through a painful, acrimonious divorce, she refused to give up her last name—an identity she had worked hard to build and establish significantly over the years. Instead, with a defiant flourish, she tweaked it by adding an 'A' from Mathai to Maathai—a bold and symbolic act of reclaiming her agency and her right to identify as she saw fit.
But perhaps Professor Wangari’s most profound and recognizable legacy, however, is etched into the very landscape of our nation. The Green Belt Movement was about rewilding the land, restoring the environment that had nurtured generations of Kenyans, and reversing the degradation that threatened our future. Under her tireless leadership, the Green Belt Movement accomplished major feats:
- Planting over 51 million trees
- Meticulously restoring degraded land
- Empowering countless women through income-generating activities
- Fostering community-based environmental conservation
While she gained global fame as a remarkable individual, crowned with a Nobel Peace Prize, these awards were never what kept her awake at night. Her nights were consumed by dreaming of a Kenya that was truly free, just, and abundant for all its citizens, especially for women.
Many of us stand tall today, reaping the fruit from some of the seeds of the vision she planted. She avidly promoted the principles of agroecology as an effectice way for us to co-exist and benefit from our flourishing natural resources without degrading, exploiting and harming the environment. Some of the income generated activities empowered thousands of women and the earnings went towards educating and providing for a future generation of Kenyans.
Our present day scholars, poets, doctors, farmers, musicians, lawyers, journalists, artists, and teachers—along with all Kenyans who can see through the mirage and advocate for a revolution against structural and systemic oppression—represent just some of the rich fruits this nation has reaped from the seeds sown by our predecessors.
These are the Kenyans who braved the streets over the years, used a range of platforms to fight for justice and transformative change in Kenya. They are creative, tenacious, wiser, and who learnt lessons from Kenya’s history. They use their gained confidence, insights and gumption to continue the fight for a better nation.
The unrelenting spirit you witness in Kenyans today was forged through a strong legacy that resisted oppression and remained resilient especially in times of crisis.
These are the fruits from trees that helped educate young minds tending to our rights, our health, our right to information, who grow our food, whose mastery of creative expressions inspires us.
And frankly, these fruits and trees in today's Kenya are the ones we need to protect, nurture and pay forward so that the children have a future on which to bank their hopes and dreams.
Oppressive forces branded Professor Wangari as a ‘mad woman’ for standing up to protect our precious forests and often resorted to harassment and violence.
One such example is etched in our memory: in January 1999 the Professor and a section wananchi protested against the illegal allocation of parts of Karura Forest to private developers. They were brutally attacked. Images in press reports showed harrowing scenes of hired goons pulling her hair from the roots, hurting her and other protesters, uprooted trees to wreak havoc, spread fear and panic.
Even then there were concerted efforts to crush, demonize and silence dissent along with our right to protest for different causes. Yes dear Kenyans, the ‘hired goons’ phenomena is not a new tactic by the elite trying to fragment wananchi agitating for change in this country. Despite this, Professor Wangari and the protestors stood their ground, ensuring the project to build luxury housing was halted.
Today, while the exploitation, and over-commodification of our natural resources still remain a delicate issue, the Kenyan public still have a Karura Forest park to visit. It remains a serene, lush breath of fresh air smack in the middle of a bustling city. It is heartwarming to see wananchi come to picnic, hike, ride bikes, walk and immerse and heal in nature.
I share these vignettes of stories now to encourage and remind you that our efforts to fight for change in this country are not in vain. Slowly but surely, we are cracking at an oppressive system that is corrupt and prioritizes profit and unchecked power over the well-being and freedom of its people.
This past year has been a pivotal moment in our country, as more conscientized Kenyans recognize the worth of wanting, dreaming, and fighting for a better Kenya—a Kenya that offers love, peace, unity, and human rights, not just to a privileged few, but to the entire nation.
And as a nation, we have a vital role to play: to remember and to normalize sharing the stories of past and present ordinary wananchi who are working tirelessly towards making a tangible difference in this country. It is through these stories that we rekindle the fire of hope for much needed justice, liberation, and healing.
Some might argue that Kenyan kinship and community unity is rooted in blood ties—but as we know, community and kinship are sometimes intentionally chosen and other times dictated by necessity and context. While these are undoubtedly true, an even stronger force that binds us together as Kenyans lies in our common stories. These constitute the deep roots of our nation’s unity, harmony, and connection.
None of us are immortal, but our stories can endure generations as long as someone is here to tell them. In recounting these resistance and resilience stories, we cultivate hope and the power of love, compassion, generosity, and resilience to infuse these into our world.
Let us draw strength and hope from Professor Wangari Maathai's unwavering conviction in a prospering, peaceful, and harmonious Kenya.
What stories of resistance, resilience, and hope are you the bearer of that need to be shared? Do not be silenced with these unspoken powerful stories.
Shout and share them to keep the flames alive.
Comments