Matunda’s Blog

Matunda Nyanchama
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
June 1, 2009

United States Ambassador Michael E Ranneberger is calling on, especially on the Kenyan youth, to play their rightful role in the Kenyan political process. Political hopefuls like Jimmy Kibaki and Tony Gachoka seem to be following suit. They realize the power and potential of the youth.

This [...]

In February 2008 I wrote “Making of Tribal Kenya”, partly as an attempt to understand the causes and viciousness of the 2007 post-election conflict (see also Kenya: Roots of Post-Election Conflict and Hope for the Future). In it I decried the lack of a national vision of who we are as Kenyans and called for [...]

By Matunda Nyanchama
Toronto, Canada. March 24, 2009

This has been a week of outrage on Kenyan Internet chat rooms; it was indignation borne of a grisly incident caught on video of people killing and burning alleged witches in Nyamataro, near Kisii town in Kenya. The human cruelty captured in the video clip is beyond belief. [...]

Metropolitan Nairobi – Some Development Suggestions[i]
By Matunda Nyanchama

[i] Remarks to meeting of Kenyans in Canada and a Kenyan delegation from the Nairobi Metropolitan Ministry visiting Canada. February 2009

Saturday February 28, 2009

The Hon. Elizabeth Ongoro Masha, MP and the Metropolitan Nairobi Ministry Delegation, acting Kenyan High Commissioner to Canada, KCO President and Vice-President, invited [...]

By Matunda Nyanchama
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
February 14, 2009

The Kenyan parliament has voted to send perpetrators of the 2007 post-election violence to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The constitution amendment bill intended to create a local tribunal required two thirds majority to pass and it failed. This is in spite of the [...]

By Matunda Nyanchama
Nyamira, Gusii, Kenya.
December 27, 2008
Speech to students attending counseling session on examination performance in Nyamira, Gusii, Kenya.
Pastor Mouko, convenor of this examination counseling session, fellow panellists, invited guests, examination counselees, ladies and gentlemen.
I am pleased to be here today, as part of this distinguished panel on the matter of education; and specifically [...]

By Matunda Nyanchama
November 6, 2008

The election of Barack Obama to the most powerful office in the world is a cause for celebration. There is no doubt that a new era has dawned and that a generational change is underway. As a Kenyan, only Independence Day on December 12, 1963 brings similar memories. The [...]

From: matunda@hotmail.com To: africa-oped@egroups.com
Subject: Waki Report - a test for us all Kenyans
Date: Sun, 2 Nov 2008 04:58:03 +0000

The latest reports from Nairobi say that some ministers have threatened to resign from government should it implementation recommendations of the Waki Report. It is said that the report on post-election violence in Kenya has identified individuals [...]

By Matunda Nyanchama (matunda@matunda.org)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
August 21, 2008

The inaugural conference of the Kenya Scholars and Studies Association (KESSA) was a two-day event starting August 1st, 2008 in Bowling Green State University (BGSU), Ohio, USA. The event was addressed by Dr Jendayi Fraser, Assistant Secretary of State for Africa in the Bush administration. Also [...]

Heroism (Ushujaa) & Kenyan Madaraka[1]

By Matunda Nyanchama;mnyanchama@aganoconsulting.com
June 7, 2008
Madaraka in Kiswahili means responsibility. In the Kenyan historical context, this is the day our country obtained internal self-government; Madaraka was one of the last steps towards full independence, Uhuru.
Madaraka happened in June of 1963 following competitive elections in May of the same year, and [...]

Kenya: Roots of Conflict & Hope For The Future
By Matunda Nyanchama
Speech made at Brock University, ON, Canada
March 6, 2008
Kenya a shocking mayhem

On December 27, 2007, Kenyans trooped to the polling stations to elect a president as well as civic and parliamentary representatives. The turnout was massive and, perhaps when all data is available, may [...]

The Making of Tribal Kenya
By Matunda Nyanchama
Toronto, Ontario
February 16, 2008

“We do not see things as they are; we see things as we are.” - Talmud
Today Kenya finds itself at a cross-road following the debacle after the 2007 general and presidential elections. Where we go from here is not clear, despite the reported [...]

We Must Do Better than Kill Each Other[i]
By Matunda Nyanchama
January 6, 2008

Following the controversial elections in Kenya, the violence I saw was confounding; I am angry at such wanton murder, maiming others and destruction of property. This madness must be stopped regardless of which side of the political divide one is. Moreover, as the [...]

The Kenyan Diaspora Agenda[1]
By Matunda Nyanchama
Toronto, Ontario, November 10, 2007
The Honourable Minister for Livestock & Fisheries, Joseph Munyao
Your Excellency, the High Commissioner of Kenya to Canada, Prof. Judith Mbula Bahemuka and esteemed High Commission Staff
Mr. Ben Ondoro, President of the Kenyan Community in Ontario
The Kenyan delegation from the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries
Members of the [...]

This article was first published in 1998. It remains relevant in the lead up to the Kenyan elections.
Matunda Nyanchama, PhD
April 6,1998
Here is something to ponder.
James McPherson, an expert on the US Civil War and history professor at Princeton University, distinguishes two forms of “nationalism”, i.e. “civic nationalism” and “ethnic nationalism”. These concepts are [...]