Book Review: From Mau Mau to Ruto-Must-Go: A Scrapbook of Essays on Kenya’s Struggle Against Imperialism
Originally published by The Elephant — Read the original article →
I recently read a review of the book, From MAU MAU to RUTO-MUST-GO: A Scrapbook of Essays on Kenya’s Struggle Against Imperialism, by Teddy Odira, a young lawyer in Nairobi who published in The Platform for Law, Justice, and Society. I shared the review with one of the co-editors of the book, Shiraz Durrani, and asked him what he thought. This is was his response via a WhatsApp text:
It’s a brilliant review, I think. He understands the undercurrents that the book explores and identifies key issues, like land, that have driven resistance. He also sees resistance as an on-going, incomplete struggle. Very well done!
What is well said by another is mine. In this review, I want to glorify the work of the artist movements in Kenya for breathing life into the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, particularly Article 33 that decrees freedom of expression. This freedom of expression has limitations. It is the freedom of artistic creativity that is glorified in two of the articles in the book. They glorify cartoonists and Social Justice Theatre (SJCCTT). Freedom of artistic creativity in Kenya is valued by others, including the two mentioned. The others include: poets, spoken word artists, graffiti artists, songwriters, singers, comedians, filmmakers, and others. Freedom of artistic creativity has been a radical site of struggle in the implementation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010. Freedom of expression under the Constitution has been the subject of a recently published scholarly work.
