It is Time to Come Back Home, Uhuru Tells Ngugi wa Thiongo
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday hosted Prof Ngugi Wa Thiong’o at State House, Nairobi, where he told the renowned author it is time he came back home.
The President said Kenya has changed into a land of opportunity and Kenyans with skills should come back to invest in its future.
“This is not the Kenya of yesterday but it is a Kenya that needs all your talents. It is time for you to come back and help us build the country,†said the President.
He said the country would be stronger if Kenyans unite and fight for common good.
“We need all Kenyans to participate in improving our society because no single person or community has the answer but as a united group, we have all the answers,†he said.
HAPPY WITH CHANGES
On his part, Prof Ngugi said he was happy with the changes going on in the country and the democratic space existing in Kenya’s politics.
He said a recent encounter he had with a Kenyan delegation representing President Kenyatta in Los Angeles proved to him that the government has changed in how it deals with citizens.
“For the first time, I met government officials who were not talking down at the people but seeking out and engaging with respect,†he said.
He said the Los Angeles encounter and other experiences he has had while in Kenya had shown him that their is a changing attitude in governance.
“It is really a great feeling when you feel your government is recognising and acknowledging you,†he said.
LOCAL LANGUAGES
Prof Ngugi urged Kenyans to be united in building a stronger nation.
“Draw from all the cultures of Kenya to build a leading nation. Nothing stops Kenya from being the leading nation in the world,†he said.
The Distinguished Professor of Comparative Literature and English University of California did not finish without urging President Kenyatta to promote local languages.
Prof Ngugi, who has advocated for vernacular languages to be taught in schools, urged the President to prohibit teachers from punishing students for speaking in their mother tongue.
He said such practices were inherited from the colonialists who wanted us to be ashamed of who we are.
Prof Ngugi came to State House with his three sons, all of them published writers, and officials of the East African Publishers.
SOUVENIR PICTURE
The sons were Mukoma Wa Ngugi (Assistant Professor of English at Cornell University, New York USA), Nducu wa Ngugi and Thiongo wa Ngugi.
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Prof Ngugi and his sons presented copies of some of their books to the President.
The professor also presented to President Kenyatta a souvenir picture from the 1960s.
The picture was of founding President Jomo Kenyatta and his Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.
The picture was taken in Gatundu where President Jomo Kenyatta had received donations from the people of Muranga in aid of people affected by floods in Kano, Kisumu.
The meeting was attended Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi, and Principal Secretaries Colleta Suda and Belio Kipsang.
- Nation.co.ke
Comments
This is not the Kenya of
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This is not the Kenya of yesterday but it is a Kenya of corruption whereby corrupted people never goes to prison.
It is a nice gesture of
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It is a nice gesture of appreciation to have our national, international and distinguished scholar Ndugu Ngugi Wa Thiong'o invited in our State House.
The same kind of gesture should have been extended to the late Ndugu Ali Mazrui while he was still alive.
@Heshima prof. Ali Mazrui was
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@Heshima prof. Ali Mazrui was greatly appreciated by Kibaki government by being appointed vice chancellor of KU.
@Heshima prof. Ali Mazrui was
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@Heshima prof. Ali Mazrui was greatly appreciated by Kibaki government by being appointed vice chancellor of KU.
Also: Let Kenyans in the
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Also: Let Kenyans in the Diaspora teach their children their back home Local Dialects and see how far it will succeed. Personally, I believe this would be a herculean task.
The democratic space has
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The democratic space has changed quite a bit. BUT, the political space is still owned by a few people. In that respect Kenya has changed little change. Ngugi wa Thiong'o should know that he is dealing with the same old players (Cord/Jubilee) wearing a more palatable mask... But deep down, this is still a Kenya where the high and mighty get away with murder and the weaker are oppressed.
Come to Kenya to what? To
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Come to Kenya to what? To corruption, runaway inflation, and poor infrastructure? Maybe.
How does Ngugi propose that
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How does Ngugi propose that we tease local languages to students?Since the world is becoming aglobal village, I would rather we encourage teaching if languages like French, Germany,and Spanish.
Were there demand for local languages, the public would clamor for it.Bedises that, If Iam a luyha,and interested in learning luo,or vice versa,how will that work.
We have about 42 tribes in Kenya, all speaking distinctive vernaculars.To me having to teach in schools all these languages,and at the same time avoid semblance of tribalism, is tall order.
As far as Iam concerned, there is no national value in it. Instead,let strengthen Kiswahili,our national language.
@Maxiley, I support you on
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@Maxiley, I support you on this one. I know very smart people with Phd's but they cannot get jobs to teach American Universities because of their too heavy accents that cannot disappear no matter how hard they try.
@Kenya - I beg to differ on
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@Kenya - I beg to differ on the heavy accent, Indians & Nigerians have the heaviest accents that I have ever encountered but somehow they make professors . It is not the accent, it is how you articulate yourself, confidence , convincing and how you take criticism . In my grad years, I taught a month for my professor Economic 101 with my Heavy Kikuyu Accent - with "r" non existence in my pronunciation and a heavy "Mb " on every word ( they said "come again" and laughed openly at me on many occasions) BUT the kids loved me and they all nailed Pricing , Demand and Supply curves ,elasticity of demand and supply etc for that semester. So goes to show , it is not the accent - I'm yet to be convinced. I still have my KE /kikuyu accent - have never lost it - I simply do not know how to "weng" but mzungu et all seems to understand me ...
Formarly guest2, you de say
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Formarly guest2, you de say da truth.Naija de spik wid very heavy accent... most of them...
Maxilley.That is your opinion
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Maxilley.That is your opinion and belief.Mine is to support Ngugi and Local languages promotion and preservation.Those who want to study chinese,japanese,russian,korean and all other world languages are free to do so.Tribalism is not luck of english or foreign languages but a state of human weakness and selfishness which will not be cured by mothers teaching their newly borns french and other foreign vernaculars.I am sorry but that is the truth.keep your hatred of languages of our mothers to yourself.
Mr Gachima,Iam not so naive
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Mr Gachima,Iam not so naive as to suggest that tribalism is caused by lack of english or foreign languages.
Why havent we encouraged teaching of mother tongue in schools if it was such valuable to the nation?
If we are to be one Kenya,shouldnt we understand each other very well culturally and otherwise?In my opinion,this means that Nandis should then learn kikuyu,and kikuyus should learn luhya...ect. How are you going to make that possible. Believe me, you will find some tribes objecting to this.And luyha,or luos sticking to their tribal languages is too limiting to have any national value. I say .Promote Kiswahili.Leave mother tongue to parents,and the tribes to decide,not the government. Iam a nationalist. Not a tribolist.
@Ndugu Maxiley, During the
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@Ndugu Maxiley,
During the KTN interview with Ngugi and his children last week, Ngugi stressed the importance of dropping the colonial and degrading lexical item applied to Non-Europeans known as "TRIBE."
I totally agree with Ngugi. If a person d
@Heshima, am totally with you
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@Heshima, am totally with you on this important cultural viewpoint. Maxiley completely missed Prof Ngugi's point on the importance of teaching vernacular at lower grades. During the colonial era, pupils were taught in vernacular till fourth grade. They learned cultural values, folklore stories, proverbs, nature studies, cultural history & geography, and other cultural beliefs. English then was taught in lower grades as a second language. No one is claiming that being an expert in one's mother tongue will land anyone a major international job with UN on multinational organization, but people who don't understand or value their cultural roots are bound to be mentally enslaved by others. Africans are disrespected by all other races because we are very submissive people who pick other people's names, language and other cultural values in favor over ours. All Asian countries were colonized by Eurpeans or Japanese at one point, but they all retained their names, vernacular languages, and all other cultural values. That's why, unlike Africans, they were never physically enslaved or derogatorily labeled as "tribes." The label "tribe" is as derogatory to Africans as "Nigger" is to the descendants of former slaves from Africa. Most of the Asians even those who are born and live in America or Europe speak their mother tongues. Furthermore, because the Asians retained their culture despite historical influences and religious indoctrination by Europeabs and Arabs, their society is not influenced by the Western moral decay as much as the Africans are. For instance, we don't see Asian countries jumping int the bandwagon of gay rights and gay marriages; or the Bruce/Caitlyn "inspiring" insanity. Therefore, I strongly support Prof Ngugi and others who advocate for the reintroduction of teaching Vernacular languages in lower primary. Btw @Maxley, most of the nearly 45 million Kenyans still speak in mother tongue in their homes and social/public gatherings outside work. Vernacular language may never land anyone a golden opportunity of a lifetime, but for a child or youth to be able to communicate with his/her grandparents or great grandparents in mother tongue is priceless!
Kenya is a failed state, as a
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Kenya is a failed state, as a country kenya will never go anywhere if they do not tackle corruption. The same people who said "vijana ndio viongozi wa kesho" are the same ones leading today or their sons. what does that tell you? Many young educated kenyans are languishing without any opportunity. A country which does not provide opportunity for it's youth like kenya is simply a MAFI YA KUKU country.
The prezzo is doing the right
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The prezzo is doing the right thing by encouraging ngugi back home but it's up to him to come or stay in the USA??Whether some pple come decide to return or not Kenya will continue juu the majority of us tuko Hapa n shuguli za kuinua Kenya inaendelea Kama Kawaida.Othewise I support the prof ngugi when he insist about teaching our kids our vernacular juu it tells u who ur n where u come from??So this African wazungu here insisting that their kids r beta learning French or Germany r very confused?Ask yrself how comes this foreigners don't study our vernaculars???Their job was to colonialize us til we die n as I can see watu wengine wameingia kwa box!!Chinese,Japanese still keep their language n look where they r economically but sisi stupid Africans we like kissing mzungu makalio juu we think he is god.May we grow up mentally.
I think the one thing that is
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I think the one thing that is wrong with africa is we have way too many useless languages. This only serves to split us. Look at how tribal groupings have affected workforce quality in Kenya. This is something uhuru and ruto continue to mess up on. Those 2 tribes have stolen all of the good positions, not with talent but by tribe. Africa should shun tribalism and treat each other as brothers and sisters.
Peop;e shpuld stick to the..
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Peop;e shpuld stick to the.. culture. Everybody has an accent hata the mzungu so we need to respect each and every dialect. How come we who have other dialects undertands the jungus more that they do? It is because we are ready and not as Ignorant as they are. Well said @Heshima and @ Mkenya Halisi am with you on this one. WHEN WILL WE LEARN TO APPRECIATE OUR DIALECTS/LANGUAGES AND IF WE SPEAK IT AMONGST US ADULTS WE MUST SPEAK IT TO OUR KIDS AND MIND YOU AFRICANS, THE KIDS UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.
QUICK QUESTION IF ADULTS GO TO SCHOOL TO LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE WHY NOT TEACH OUR KIDS OUR OWM LANGUAGES???
Imagine this for a minute,
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Imagine this for a minute, millions of poor white people calling themselves akina irungu, kimemia, nyokabi, wangeci, waruguru, waitherero ,nderitu ,kanyari, mwangi wa kigogoini etc. Wouldn't that actually make you feel like you have got the upper hand over them? After all they don't seem to know who they're do they? Ngugi wa thiong'o is fighting a very good fight.
Come back for what? To
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Come back for what? To relieve the memories of rape, Kenya ni nchi ya Makende, bure kabisa!
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