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Two Paths Ahead: The Ideological Struggle Between Capitalism and Socialism in Kenya, 1960-1970
The struggle between socialism and capitalism in Kenya has been long, bitter and violent. Capitalism won with the active support of USA and UK governments at the time of independence in 1963. Yet the original (1960) Kenya African National Union (KANU) Party was in favour of socialism. It was Presidents Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel Arap Moi who used violence to suppress those advocating socialism. They used their power to massacre, assassinate, exile, imprison and disappear people and created a state of terror to silence their opponents. Capitalism became the unstated state policy. Thus, imperialism won and the aims of Mau Mau were brutally suppressed. However, the desire for socialism never died. Resistance movements and opposition parties made socialism their aim, reflecting people's desire for justice, equality and empowerment. Many studies on Kenya focus on personalities or 'tribes' or race as driver of events, ignoring the all-important class and ideological positions of leaders and their Parties. Two Paths Ahead reproduces and comments on the documents from the opposing sides in the battles between capitalism and socialism - the original Kenya African National Union (KANU), its successor, KANU-B, and the Kenya People's Union (KPU) on economy, land, labour, and social policy. It also touches upon the demands of the organisers of the 1982 Coup and traces the political stand of key leaders as proponents of capitalism or socialism. The final section reproduces some of the documents on this ideological struggle. The book exposes the hidden hand of imperialism in the country's rush to capitalism. It fills a gap in understanding the real contradictions that divide Kenya to this day.
313 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2023
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July 1, 2023
Two Paths is an attempt to bring to fore the un-taught and under-read history of Kenya's journey to becoming a capitalist state post independence. The struggle between capitalism and socialism in Kenya was (and is) long and hard-fought. Before 1960s, the ideological content of the freedom struggle was frayed, with one side fighting to replace the white man (Kenyatta, Mboya et al) while the other side wanted to liberate Kenya from colonialism through socialism (Kaggia, Odinga et al), both united by a desire to end colonial occupation. And because of this unified goal, ideological differences did not strongly emerge until towards the end of colonial rule when Britain and the US handpicked the capitalism wing to run the ‘independent’ government and supported the Kenyatta -led government to quash the inevitable resistance from the socialism wing.
There are many things Kenyatta & Co did to continue the legacy of capitalism, and while this book goes over many of them, it doesn't explore them in much depth-therefore being more of an introductory course, for further reading. Some of the tactics (sometimes with western help) included but were not limited to use of military force, retaining the capitalist colonial institutions, constitutional provisions and amendments, assassination(s), outlawing of opposition, protection of rights to properties acquired during the colonial period, rigging of elections etc. Capitalism won and Kenyatta and his ilk got to amass the wealth that should have been distributed to the peasants, the dispossessed and the freedom fighters. Many people who fought for independence died in squalor, never witnessing the hard-fought uhuru, even after the reigns of power changed hands.
It is not hard to draw a straight line from there to all the governments we have had since.
It is, however, important to acknowledge and keep alive the work that was done by Odinga, Kaggia and many of their comrades to advance the struggle, in the face of overwhelming odds. That struggle continues, and it's the struggle the author of this book builds on.
I found the book very interesting and impassioned, although not rigorously edited, sometimes quite repetitive- but I will gladly give Ukombozi Library (the publisher), a pass on this. They are the only socialist publisher I know in Kenya, are just starting out, and who cares if the truth gets repeated a couple of times :)
There are many things Kenyatta & Co did to continue the legacy of capitalism, and while this book goes over many of them, it doesn't explore them in much depth-therefore being more of an introductory course, for further reading. Some of the tactics (sometimes with western help) included but were not limited to use of military force, retaining the capitalist colonial institutions, constitutional provisions and amendments, assassination(s), outlawing of opposition, protection of rights to properties acquired during the colonial period, rigging of elections etc. Capitalism won and Kenyatta and his ilk got to amass the wealth that should have been distributed to the peasants, the dispossessed and the freedom fighters. Many people who fought for independence died in squalor, never witnessing the hard-fought uhuru, even after the reigns of power changed hands.
It is not hard to draw a straight line from there to all the governments we have had since.
It is, however, important to acknowledge and keep alive the work that was done by Odinga, Kaggia and many of their comrades to advance the struggle, in the face of overwhelming odds. That struggle continues, and it's the struggle the author of this book builds on.
I found the book very interesting and impassioned, although not rigorously edited, sometimes quite repetitive- but I will gladly give Ukombozi Library (the publisher), a pass on this. They are the only socialist publisher I know in Kenya, are just starting out, and who cares if the truth gets repeated a couple of times :)
Displaying 1 of 1 review