British Imperialism in Kenya

1) The land dispute in the Rift Valley

2008-10-03T14:34:00.005+02:00

What can you say about the land dispute in the Rift Valley? Is it true that British colonialists stole the land from the Masai? What happened then? Why hasn't the land been returned to the Masai yet? What do you think should be done to solve the conflict?

2) Mau Mau

2008-08-17T12:01:00.012+02:00

Can you explain what happened during the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya? How was this movement of protest against the colonial powers organized? What do you personally think about the Mau Mau freedom fighters?

3) Africa without imperialism

2008-08-16T13:10:00.008+02:00

How do you think Africa - and in particular Kenya - would have developed if imperialism had not taken place? What would be different today? Do you consider imperialism a rather bad or rather good event in your nation's history?

4) Slavery

2008-08-16T10:50:00.010+02:00

One of the evils imperialism has brought to (predominantly Western) Africa was slavery. Has slavery had a big effect on Kenya as well? Is there a legacy of slavery in present-day Kenya?

5) Mother Africa

2008-08-16T09:43:00.013+02:00

Could you explain why people sometimes call Africa "Mother Africa"? In what way is this continent a mother? And to whom?

And can we really speak of Africa as a mother? A mother is a person on whom other members of the family are dependent. But isn't Africa rather dependent on the other continents?

6) Traditional family

2008-08-16T09:38:00.013+02:00

African families are supposedly much bigger and family cohesion is much stronger than elsewhere in the world. The "extended family" is a concept many Europeans are unfamiliar with. Can you explain it and give examples from within your own families? Do you agree that imperialism has changed your traditional family structures over the past decades and that it has eroded traditional family values? Was that a good or bad thing?

7) Politics

2008-08-16T09:32:00.013+02:00

Many African politicians are dictators (e.g. Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe) who enrich themselves at the expense of their subjects. Do you think that these leaders are a result of democracy being introduced by the colonial powers too early or in an inadequate way? Do you think traditional leaders would have done a better job in a truly African political system with elders etc.?

8) Legacy of imperialism

2008-08-16T09:29:00.011+02:00

Where can we still see a legacy of British imperialism in Kenya? What effect has Britain had on your country in regard to e.g. language, administration, ethnic diversity, ...? Which good and which bad effects has it had on your country?

9) Tribalism

2008-08-16T09:25:00.013+02:00

Tribalism is still a big issue in many African countries. Is this also the case in Kenya? Would you agree that the 2007/2008 post-election violence in Kenya was triggered by tribalism? Have tribal conflicts already been there before the colonialists came or have they been created by them?