THE RISE AND SHINE OF A NEW NATION

By Peter K’ouma- UoN, Kikuyu Campus

So last Thursday we had an East African Poetry class, and just as the unit title suggests, we were looking at the poetic works of East Africa writers and those that echo the same. Our lecturer Dr. Alex Wanjala is an interesting young man, so his class is ever lively and real. He ensures everyone’s participation using all the gadgets available (including listening to music in class). This is attributed to the fact that poetry is all we do, say, inquire and all that’s around us.

To deviate slightly from the content of this, Kenya is a country within East African boundaries consisting of forty two ethnic groups (tribes). Somebody will give a figure that is slightly higher than this if we start considering the white settlers and the Indians that arose during the Kenya-Uganda Railway construction period. All that’s happening in this Riverhood country is shaped by this ‘tribal thing’- appointments, politics, education, postings, recruitments, hospitals admissions… It’s the Kenyan tradition. We speak different languages and differ in our cultures. It’s these tribal footsteps that led to the massive killings of innocent children, women and men during the 2007/2008 PEV. It’s again this tribal mark that
contributed to the formation and construction of the Jubilee, Cord, Amani, Eagle and other coalitions that contested during the 2013 decision. It’s for sure, this tribal patch that made a matatu tout, operating between Kikuyu town and Kikuyu campus (102), push me out of his matatu while they were celebrating supreme court’s ruling on Cord’s petition simply because I had put on a Railanzo T-shirt.

The basic education we undertook back in the primary and high school speculates that intermarriages, sports, education and national anthem are the clear gadgets that unite all Kenyans to be one people. None of these has worked and if you remain optimistic then brand me pessimistic. This disease is real. This virus kills and is at the peak of descending down our bright vision 2030 to dust and ashes. However, my philosophy utters that darkness doesn’t mean we have reached the dead wall. As well, we could invent other lighting gadgets and walk further than the skies that lie beyond our eyes.

Nani amekunoki zaidi kunishinda

Ukiniita kila siku naitika

Unakumbuka pahali nilikuona mara ya kwanza

Nilikua 5 yrs hapo kejani na brother

Nilikuchukua nikakuingiza kwa TAPE

Nikakuskizia nikasema hey

We ni noma naeza ka na wewe

Ebu songa naeza cheza na wewe – to the circular movement made by a cassette

Game yoyote utafikiria

Ukikatika me naku unganishia

Umepona sai jiskizie

Mashini ikisonga ebu niimbie

Chorus

Tulijikaza na mwishowe tukaweza

Tulisumbuka na mwishowe tukapenya

Popote tunaenda wote watupenda

Tulijikaza na mwishowe tukaweza

Verse 2

Sai umegeuka unaitwa L.P

Lazima nijichunge usinidunge na pini

Unaruka ruka na sijui ni kwa nini

Dawa yako nakushikilia na shilingi

Naona mbuyu siku hizi unambamba

Na lugha mpya ati inaitwa lingala

Kwa club nakuskuma hautoki

Ni saa kumi usiku bado hauchoki

Tuende mtaani tutulie

Stima ndio hio nikuandalie

Umenona sai jiskizie

Mashini ikisonga ebu niimbie

Chorus

Tulijikaza na mwishowe tukaweza

Tulisumbuka na mwishowe tukapenya

Popote tunaenda wote watupenda

Tulijikaza na mwishowe tukaweza

Verse 3

Umependa video sana siku hizi

Kila mtu anaringa anakuita C.D

Naona umeoga umepunguza uchafu

Dance basi mbele ya watu

Angalau tukuone

Ma pirates nao wasikuchome

Wanaku haribia biashara

Na kipindi ya sai nilala salama

Nakuingia unapumua reggae

Mtoi wetu wa kwanza ataitwa genge

Kenya mzima tunaifungua

Uganda na bongo tulishazichukua

Miaka tisa ni mingi sana

Waalike kwa harusi waambie tunaoana

Pete nazo tunavishana

Tuna hapa hatuta achana

Akili ni nywele kila mtu na yake

Mdomo ulimi na kupiga mate

Hii safari mpaka kilele

Sauti yangu nakupa milele

Naona beste yako RADIO yuko hapa

T.V na ma PRESENTER wote

Waimbie basi

The above excerpt is from one of the Jua Cali’s hit song dubbed ‘Niimbie’ feat Enika: which language is it scribbled in? English or Kiswahili? Or both?  Of course most of you will be inclined to say ‘both’. It’s neither English, Swahili nor both. It’s what the Eastlando youths call ‘sheng’ and the Westlandos term as ‘engsh’. This is a new language that has dawned among the youths of urban centers, majorly Nairobi. Though, depending on where It’s used, it relies on both English and Swahili languages. However, the English/Swahili words used during the construction of this language, posses slightly or completely different dictions from the original words and its contextual dependant.

It’s a language that has stomached criticism from all sorts of scholars. They (scholars) have used various approaches to prove that ‘sheng/engsh’ is not a language, quoting various principles governing construction, usage and nature of world languages. These scholars have called these sheng speakers as those who can’t express themselves perfectly either in English or Kiswahili. The same scholars have made us believe that the speakers of this language don’t have a culture (hawa vijana hawana mwelekeo/utamaduni).

And today I share the same podium with Dr. Alex Wanjala, a lecturer in the literature department, University of Nairobi, asking; if this is a language of a people that are directionless, then why do these critic scholars transcend to learn the construction and usage of this language? If it’s a language that the mass is not conversant with, then why do most commercial companies do their advertisement using it? Don’t we know Bamba mbao, sossi? Why then do politicians use ‘hustlers, masafaras and tunawesmake’ on the political podiums and still we get to understand the implications? If it’s a language of the lower class and they are not comfortable using it, then why include it as one of the modern genres of literature?

Just as game parks and monuments, urban centers are attracting great masses of people; a people from different tribes, cultures and beliefs; a people that were parented, schooled and religioned differently. From this, we end up having urban dwellers; a people with a different culture from the national one. This is evident among Nairobi youths; the Nairobi youth who call ‘ estates’ home while their parents call ‘upcountry’, home. This is what Dr. Wanjala terms as Transnation. Transnation is the fluid migration outside the state that begins within the nation. This ‘outside’ is geographical, cultural and conceptual. The transnation is a way of talking about subjects in their ordinary lives, subjects who live in between the categories by which subjectivity is normally constituted.

From my concept of view, a nation is defined as a large aggregate of people united by common decent history, culture and language, inhabiting a particular country territory. The dominant aspect of this definition lies in the culture and language, a nation uses culture (artifacts) and language to define who they are. A nation should have no classes. It should be unified in all aspects that define it. Kenya therefore, is not a nation. The existence of ethnic groups defined on tribal lines is the best tool to disqualify her from being one. In Kenya, ethnic group is what we see as nation, which is beaten out by logics.

Still in agreement with Dr. Wanjala, there is an outstanding symptom that Kenya is soon acquiring the ‘nation’ status. How then? Are we going to drop the dholuo, gikuyu, kimeru, kiembu, kikamba, kikalenjin, kibukusu, and other tribal languages that we speak? Nope, a group of the despised; offsprings of the current mothers and fathers, have made the foundation for the existence of a new ethnic group. A group that is not tagged with the traditional identity (tribal) that has been bred by our parents. A group that’s speaking a common language (sheng/engsh) and a group that has a common culture (Kigenge).

 To ascertain that this new ethnic group (nation) is sprouting at an alarming rate, they (members) are busy stabilizing their strongholds in all the important institutions; they appropriate facebook (ujinga ni…?), twitter, FM radio stations (official sheng), skype, film industry (Nairobi Half Life) and live performances. This new ethnic group is called the ‘Genge’ and members, the ‘Wagenge’, led by the known Calif artist, Jua Cali. It’s my aspiration and dream, as well as that of Dr. Wanjala, Jua Cali and all the Wagenge that Kenya will one day become a nation. A nation that will be defined by its language (sheng/engsh); a language that will give clear guidelines in handling activities, beliefs and behavior, all summarized as culture. I remain looking forward to celebrate that day. I look forward to shout ‘Happy Birthday Nation’.

Posted 7th April 2013 by Ouma Peter