A look back at 60 years of our Kenyan history
Every decade since 1963 has seen enormous changes in Kenya, some for the better, others for the worse, but change all the same.
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Every decade since 1963 has seen enormous changes in Kenya, some for the better, others for the worse, but change all the same.
Pre-independence, Kenya's Northern Frontier Districts fought to be part of Somalia during Shifta War or Gaf Daba (1963–1967). The post-1963 Kenya war against the "Shifta," securitized the relationship between the state, the region, and the people. Since then a series of massacres- the Wagala (1984), Bagala (1998), and Malka Mari (1982), and the advent of the war on terror saw the rise of the label, terrorists. The result is a huge difficulty in accessing state services, National Identity Card, passports., and title deeds.
Much like in 1977, all the conditions have come together that could turn conflicting interests into ruinous warfare across the region.
The challenge with Africa is that it has over 3,000 ethnic groups and 2100 languages, making it unfeasible to break up states further.
The peace and safety that were the raison d’être of the Kenya Defence Forces’ incursion into Somalia are nowhere in sight a decade after the first boots marched in.