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"id": 1623645,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1623645/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Sen. Mungatana, MGH",
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"content": "of African languages because he believed that our culture as Africans is superior, if not better, than the culture of the Europeans. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, allow me to share with this Senate one of his most memorable quotes in his book, Decolonizing the Mind, written in 1986. He said the following about colonialism- “Colonialism normalizes the abnormal. The present predicaments of Africa are often not a matter of personal choice. They arise from our historical situations. Their solutions are not so much a matter of personal decision as that of a fundamental social transformation of the structures of our societies, starting with a real break with imperialism and its internal ruling allies. Imperialism and its comprado alliances in Africa can never develop the continent.” Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, we mourn the passing away of this literary giant. We mourn the long-gone days of men who stood for what they believed in. Men who did not falter; did not think twice. Once they follow a path, they never backed off from what they believed. They never gave statements today, tomorrow, to deny them before this very same press where they gave those statements. Men who pricked our conscience as a nation. Men who developed a certain resistance that said, “we can be better.” We can be better. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, to his credit, although he talked a lot and fought so much for indigenous languages, one of the things we remember about Professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o in the Pan-African Parliament is that he talked about the African and the fact that his civilization is just as good, if not better, than the European civilization. We celebrate him. In fact, when we talk about Kiswahili in the Pan-African Parliament, we also associate this with him. His works transversed Kenya, Uganda and the entire East Africa. His works went to the rest of Africa, the continent and the world. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we have a lot to say about this man. It was a great pleasure as a nation to host this man as one of our sons and to be proud that we gave birth to such a man who gave to this country the spirit of fighting on, the spirit against colonization, and the spirit against post-colonial dictators who came after and tried to return this country back to where the colonial administrators had left it. We pray for his soul to rest in good peace. Our prayer is that Professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o fought his battle. The Second Liberation, they fought their battle. For the young people who are in this country now, it is also your time to fight your own battle. As we plan our exit outside this time, when the sun finally sets like it did for him, we want to see another fire burning outside, coming to take over from where we left it. This country can and would be better than it is now if we continue with the spirit of those who believed in this country, made this country happen and to be what it is. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, so much can be said about Professor Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. We were outside town in Kisumu with the Energy Committee. Hon. Veronica and I were engaged in very animated discussions about him, together with other Senators. The people that we interacted with, as young as they are, they still gave reference and deference to him. If you look at the internet, even our social media, it was awash with the news of the passing away of this great man and what he meant to this country. This Senate today honours this man. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Director, Hansard and AudioServices, Senate."
}