Kenya should borrow a leaf from Wakanda on using resources

The arms-crossed-over-chest ‘Wakanda Forever’ celebration sign has been trending for the last two months since the Black Panther film debut in mid-February.

Collins Injera did it a few weeks ago after scoring a try at the Las Vegas’ rugby Sevens. There is even a Wakanda dance, #Wakandachallenge, and Wakanda jokes. You must have heard the one about what is the big deal about Wakanda Forever when the Abaluhya have been referring to Ugandans as ‘Wakanda,’ for forever?

WAKANDA FOREVER

There has been a great sense of identification among black folk with the mythical Wakanda, a kingdom depicted in Black Panther, and which has evoked different emotions across the world (especially among the African Americans). 

The Afro-futurist blockbuster movie takes place in Wakanda, a fictional African nation that is generations ahead of the rest of the world technologically, and has for years been hidden from the rest of the world to protect its people from exploitation.

In reality, we, as Kenyans, live in a country where technological advancement is a dream we hope to achieve some day, hence the talk of ‘Vision 2030’ and now the talk of ‘Four Pillars’ by the current government.

But just consider for a minute. What if we actually had vibranium, the mystical mineral the Wakanda kingdom relies on technologically? Would it then mean we would have trains similar to the Maglev Trains in Wakanda? Is it just vibranium we lack or that we fail to protect and preserve the resources we already have — whether it is trees in the Mau Forest or wildlife in the Maasai Mara?

NATURAL RESOURCES

Much as we identify with the Wakanda when we watch the movie, our handling of natural resources is worlds apart from the Wakanda way; whether it is the last male northern white rhino, ironically named Sudan, dying under our watch; or the white elephants our governments are notorious for.

Maglev Trains in Wakanda were used to transport vibranium cost-effectively. Can we say the same of our train system? The cost incurred to build the SGR will take generations to pay for, the Chinese debts are like dragons growing across the decades that will not go away.

Other than transporting middle-class Nairobians for an Easter or Christmas holiday trip to the Coast, there are serious questions already being raised over whether the SGR cargo transfer will ever take off and have enough to pay off the trillion-shilling loan.

Oil in Turkana, like vibranium in Wakanda, is a hidden gem with the potential to transform the country, and possibly get Kenya out of debt. Forever! Since Kenya lacks the technology to drill it, we have invited foreign companies to hollow out the ground and get us this black gold. But the operations in Turkana aren’t transparent, and seem deliberately shadowy. How is it that the CS for Energy never makes public statements on that national investment?

LAND IS NEGLECTED

The land itself has been neglected, with its people dying of starvation, as recently as 2017. Their animals perish of thirst. Oil, oil, everywhere — but not a drop of water to drink and not enough food either for the people to eat.

Just like Wakanda, every nation, at some point, has political differences and rivals. But how these issues are dealt with is what matters most.

King T’Challa, who is from the River Tribe in Black Panther, reached out to his rival M’Baku — a powerful, ruthless warrior who is the leader of Wakanda’s mountain tribe, the rebellious Jabari, who are in protest to T’Challa being the new king. This is similar to ‘The Handshake’ that could be what puts aside tribal differences and leads Kenya to a new beginning. Except in Kenya, the ‘King’ is from the mountain tribe and ‘M’Baku’ from the lake. Maybe it is time for re-alignments.

Ms Njagi is marketing manager, Anga IMAX Cinemas [email protected]