To know where Kenya is going, the country must embrace its history

Aside from characterising Kenya as a country short of memory (Saturday Nation July 11, 2020), James Kahongeh did something else. He explained why our national archives should be more accessible to the public than it currently is. I agreed with him.

There is likelihood that Kahongeh has read the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Taskforce report. Chapter 2 of the report decries Kenya’s national ethos deficiency. That’s not all. It floats a slew of national ethos revival strategies. The most attractive of these strategies is its pronouncement on our collective memory as a nation.

The report pitches for the ‘construction’ of an official and inclusive history of our nation. This history, according to the report, should go back to 1,000 years. It should provide an accurate account of the migrations of all the communities that presently live in Kenya.

Further, this history must relive the political, economic and cultural histories of all the Kenyan ethnic groups. Above all, this history must capture the role of women in the making of our nation. It has to offer an accurate recording of the international slave trade and colonialism, our struggle for liberation from colonial rule, the post-colonial history of every part of our country and, lastly, contemporary histories.

RADICAL CHANGES

This is an end whose realisation, the BBI Taskforce report concedes, shall occasion a raft of radical changes at the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service.

To begin with, the report roots for a change of name – from the Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service to the Official Historian and National Archives Service. But what are the implications of the change of name?

The report clarifies that the new outfit shall enjoy an expanded scope of mandate. It will be the nerve centre of collaborative and professional efforts by libraries, universities, museums and individual historians to research, analyse and present an accurate Kenyan history.

The BBI Taskforce report advises that a distinguished scholar of African history or a world-class library science expert or a curator be installed at the helm of the Official Historian and National Archives Service.

The head of the Official Historian and National Archives Service shall work alongside a team of professional historians, librarians, curators and professionals from other relevant fields of expertise such as philosophy, anthropology, theology, politics and the sciences, among others.

Lastly, the report directs that the work and the operations of the Official Historian and National Archives Service be aligned to the mission of the National Museums of Kenya, publicly funded cultural centres, the Ministry of Education and all public bodies undertaking curriculum development, training and education of Kenyans.

EXCITEMENT

Let’s pause here. Why should history cause anyone so much excitement in an age when a section of the political class is persuaded that we are better off investing in the sciences? Obviously, Kenyans appreciate that loyalty and patriotism among them are by-products of their shared memories of their aspirations and experiences. Moreover, they acknowledge the critical role history plays in the making of an informed citizenry. Sound decisions a people make on their present (political) tribulations are heavily hinged on their knowledge of their past.

An official and inclusive history of our nation will motivate Kenyans to understand the socio-economic and political trends of their nation.

 History that dates back to 1,000 years shall serve another very critical purpose. It shall either indict or exonerate writers who have previously been accused of using literature to deliberately distort our history.

Nobert Oluoch Ndisio is a writer, freelance editor and a Master of Arts (Communication) student at The University of Nairobi's