To understand colonialism, we must learn to nuance the differences between the colonial European communities. If we don't, we miss how the disagreements between them are part of our problems today.
A statement like this is too simplistic.
A statement like this is too simplistic.
Believe it or not, missionaries would have been happy to be in Africa alone without their governments gate crashing.
Same for the colonial government. They had no intention to have settlers. The settlers were gatecrashers.
And the missionaries gate crashed on slave traders.
Same for the colonial government. They had no intention to have settlers. The settlers were gatecrashers.
And the missionaries gate crashed on slave traders.
These differences explain the schizophrenic and contradictory education policies that we have today.
The missionaries wanted elites who could read the bible and spread the gospel.
The settlers didnt want educated Africans; they wanted manual laborers.
The missionaries wanted elites who could read the bible and spread the gospel.
The settlers didnt want educated Africans; they wanted manual laborers.
The colonial government wanted clerks and administrators.
And the settlers often opposed the colonial administration because they felt the administration was too kind to Africans. In fact, the administration did complain that the settlers were ruthless racists (the irony).
And the settlers often opposed the colonial administration because they felt the administration was too kind to Africans. In fact, the administration did complain that the settlers were ruthless racists (the irony).
The colonial administration was as lazy, mediocre and moribund as its offspring GoK. They were happy to let the missionaries build the schools and educate the natives. They were here for money, after all. Not to provide social services.
That policy hasn't changed, by the way.
That policy hasn't changed, by the way.
But the settlers were furious. They said something to the effect of "We already don't have enough natives to work our farms. We've asked you to set laws and kipande to force them to work. Now you want to plant ideas in the heads of a few and exempt them from manual labor?"
So they all came to a compromise: missionaries educate natives as long as they use the Bible to show natives their place. The colonial government built elite schools for settlers like Duke of York (Lenana), Prince of Wales (Nairobi School) and technical schools for natives.
This is how we arrived at this stupid, highly unequal and confused education system. We have an imperial curriculum to train kids to worship the state (colonial administration). We say we want "skills" so we are pushing the colonial administration kids to TVET settlers).
Then we say we want a system that trains in character and values (missionaries).
In the end, all the school system is preparing us to be is n****s for the elites and their godfathers in Buckingham palace.
That hasn't changed.
In the end, all the school system is preparing us to be is n****s for the elites and their godfathers in Buckingham palace.
That hasn't changed.
Because with all their differences, the missionaries (today's churches), the colonial administration (today's GoK) and the settlers (today's landowners, Kikuyu aristocrats and kids of colonial chiefs) all want the same thing.
A racial-class hierarchy.
A racial-class hierarchy.
A class hierarchy decides the few who don't work and the majority who have to work to feed the few. The middle class wipe the stinking buttocks of the kids of the chiefs with law, policy, media, PR, philanthropy, education, religion, civil service and activism.
The role of race-ethnicity is to explain that this system is natural. It comes with your skin color and ethnic group and was decided by God. It's not a social institution. It comes from nature.
The role of the school system is to convince you of these values, but of course they can't say so directly. So they distract you with lies about skills and all the other mathogothanio.
So obsessing with missionaries alone is the danger of a single story.
So obsessing with missionaries alone is the danger of a single story.
And one thing we Kenyans need to do is get the church out of social services and demand that GoK provide them. The church should not be the major provider of education and health. It is encouraging theft and hampering intellectual growth.
And in case any Christian or clergy tells you that I'm not biblically rooted, share this link with them. I got the verses and theology to support what I'm saying.
wandianjoya.com/blog/clueless-…
wandianjoya.com/blog/clueless-…
