To celebrate Madaraka day today is like a man celebrating the healing of an old fracture on one leg while walking on clutches due to a fresh fracture on the other.

On this day Kenya gained self-rule. But does Kenya rule itself today? If a bank in Washington is the one that is telling the Kenyan government to hike taxes on petrol, are we ruling ourselves? Or are you not aware that the IMF is pushing to have your petrol prices go up and NO ONE in Kenya can stop it. Underline that, NO ONE! Those you think are in power in Kenya will only trick you by increasing your bread prices and not petro as decreed from Washington. Are they rulers or secretaries and PAs of foreign entities?

It’s not the first time the IMF is governing us with decrees from abroad. So much so that in my book FIVE FINGERS, they scored a chapter titled, The Banker is the Ruler and the Thief. Better still they’re not the only ones outside of Kenya ruling your daily lives with invisible hands. Mostly, chini ya maji as we enjoy the likes of Embarambamba holy antics all day long.

It’s an established fact that the relationship between a debtor and a creditor is that of a slave and master. We are heavily indebted, you could say we are debt slaves. So, today we will be celebrating a past that was full of hope (like the one Peter Waiyaki breathed on us at the National Breaking of the 6 hour Fast) as the sun rose on the shores of a virgin country that beautiful morning in 1963. Those were better days, hopeful days, Peter Waiyaki’s prophetic kind of days. But it’s ancient days for 90% of Kenyans who are living today. For this lot was born after 1970. Let this sink in, only 4% of Kenya is older than 60 years of age and most of them were only 10 years old in the 70s. So, even for them Madaraka day is akin to fictional stories of freedom.

This is not to lessen the significance of the day in our collective history as a country or to cast aspersions on the painful blood shed for me and you. But to jolt us to the reality of how delicate and fragile that freedom was. Those who bled the painful blood to bequeath us SELF-GOVERNANCE knew it and promptly warned us with these words to defend ourselves from foreign encroachment of our sovereignty. In other words, to defend SELF-RULE.

Today, we are faced with an invisible neocolonialism. Economic colonialism midwifed by blind leaders that will be leading us in this ancient celebration. Freedom that is not perpetual and expanding. But freedom that’s regressing and shrinking today. You could say, freedom that was!
Our justice system is funded by donations in part. Donations from foreign entities. And we still expect to have an independent judicial system. And today we celebrate self rule. Really?

I can not find it in me to celebrate your healthy hands while your legs are profusely bleeding. I will be insensitive to tell you how good your toes are while you are hooked on a dialysis machine. Our economy is bleeding money via imports and to survive we are hooked on debt chains by foreign entities. At Ksh. 7 trillion shillings in debt, you, your children, their children and their children are debt slaves but slaves nonetheless!

So, today don’t celebrate but be filled with mourning and sadness. A deep reflection of how you let this happen on your watch and a saintly determination to free yourself, AGAIN!!!