News:
Kenya celebrates its independence on June 1 each year.This year’s celebration was held amid the country’s economic challenges.
Comment:
Kenya is among the many African countries that attained independence after the Berlin Conference on 15 November 1884. At this conference, the entire African continent was in the room, but its presence was like the menu for the colonial powers to choose what to take. As a result many countries attained independence, Egypt being the first in Africa in 1922.
After this meeting, Africa received independence, and the colonial powers appointed their officials to oversee this new phase of colonial strategy under the guise of independence.
Under the perceived slogan of ‘independence’ the colonizers appointed their officers to oversee this new phase of the colonial strategy. Independence is not just a slogan; it is a complete departure from reality. While many naïve citizens believe the concept of independence was good since colonialists are the genesis of Kenya’s misfortunes, indeed the failed to understand that the idea of ‘independence’ was also colonial. Being independent nor self-ruling did not mean Kenya did liberate herself from claws of colonialism which actually changed only its colours from white to black. In other words, the British colonialists pretended to exit through the door but returned through the window via their agents Comprador Bourgeoisie (indigenous rulers)! The one who was the cause of Kenyan problems now arrogated himself the role of solution provider. Naturally, it was expected that problems will continue to be encountered even after Kenya attained independence.
Today, Kenya is grappling with huge public debt of Ksh 10.925 Trillion due to the erroneous capitalist policies imposed by colonial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Politicians seem to be chasing the dog’s tail and are always making endless promises to service the debt.
Through economic reforms and policy directives, and structural adjustment programs (SAPs), examples are:
Through the economic reforms and policy prescriptions, and structural adjustment programs (SAPs), examples are
- Trade liberalization. (Opening up the economy for imports)
- Currency devaluation
- Austerity (cut public services).
- The privatization of state-owned enterprises. This emerged during the Independence Day speech of Kenyan President Ruto on May 1, 2025, in which he defended the agenda of privatizing the sugar company.
This debt comes under the pretext of aiding the developments, but often it’s accompanied by numerous baits that will drive the country to the depths of poverty and benefit the West. This was confirmed by John Perkins, author of ‘Confessions of an Economic Hitman,’ whose job was to try to get developing countries to take predatory loans: “I would work to bankrupt the countries that received the loans (after they had paid Maine and other US contractors, of course) so that they would be forever beholden to their creditors, and so they would present easy targets when we needed favors, including military bases, UN votes, or access to oil or any other resources.”
“The recent competitive leasing of four state-owned factories, Nzoia, Chemilil, and Moroni, is another strategic step to inject efficiency, restore profitability, and safeguard farmers’ livelihoods.”
This has nothing to do with improving the state of the farmers, but it is a force coming from the West, where countries are forced to privatize state-owned sectors, which end up benefiting the colonial power. Therefore, to argue that colonization ended is not true. Neither is it an outdated thing considering that this is the method of spreading the capitalist ideology. How can a method to bring ideological change?
The true change and liberation for Kenya and the entire world lies in an ideological shift. This compels the removal of corrupt the capitalist ideology and replaced with a new one, Islam; which indeed will salvage Humanity from the depths of darkness and poverty. It is through the establishment of the Islamic ruling system, Khilafah that the light will once again return to the world after a period of immense darkness.
وَقُلْ جَآءَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ ٱلْبَـٰطِلُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلْبَـٰطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًۭا
And declare, “The truth (light/Islam) has come and falsehood (darkness/Kufr) has vanished. Indeed, falsehood is bound to vanish.”
[TMQ 17: 81]
MUSA KIPNG’ENO,
MEMBER OF HIZB-UT TAHRIR,
KENYA.