Yesterday, a video of Britain citizens in the city of Bristol, UK, bringing down a bronze statue of slaver Edward Colston, rolling it through the streets, then tossing it into the harbour broke the internet.
Protesters in Bristol tear down statue of slave trader Edward Colston and push it into a harbour amid UK-wide anti-racism demoshttps://t.co/z2iGsFvQsl pic.twitter.com/myns0VHIfs
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) June 7, 2020
The viral video lit an idea in Kenyans. They are now eyeing Jomo Kenyatta statue that stands in the middle of Nairobi city, at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC). Kenya has over the past 7 years been mismanaged by the descendant of Kamau Ngegi who changed his name to Jomo Kenyatta. People are hurting, joblessness and poverty are at an all-time high, even pre Coronavirus (Covid-19, SARS-COV2) pandemic. And instead of trying to cut down spending, the looting of public coffers continues. There are many other madharau the wananchi have been shown. The offending statue is this below.
There have been such thoughts before. Activist have urges Kenyans to remove the grave of Jomo Kenyatta from Parliament grounds a few meters from KICC too.
Kenyans must force Uhuru Kenyatta to relocated the remains of his plundering, murdering and tribalist father from Nairobi's CBD and refund Shs. 180 Billion that have been misappropriated to keep his body buried and protected. We'll use it to create employment. #UhuruMustGoNow
— Dr. Miguna Miguna (@MigunaMiguna) August 22, 2019
The marvellous militancy that has engulfed citizens of the world, in search for justice, following the murder of African American man George Floyd, has opened up pandoras box and some topics about slavery, racism and neo-colonialism have emerged.
Though uncomfortable, Ekoroi.com deemed it fit and healthy for the betterment of the World in general and Kenya in particular.
Statues
Statues are symbols of past, sometimes, those pasts are not great and people are beginning to realize that much of history they’ve been taught were lies.
In Belgium, the statue of Leopold II of Belgium has been defaced and following the developments in London, that too might be brought down by protestors.
A crowd has climbed onto the statue of colonial King Léopold II in #Brussels chanting “murderer” and waving the flag of the Democratic Republic of Congo where his atrocities took place. #DRC ?? #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/DIH9MGu39M
— Jack Parrock (@jackeparrock) June 7, 2020
Leopold killed more than 10 million Africans in the present Democratic Republic of Congo when Belgium was the colonial master.
A statue of King Leopold II in Antwerp, Belgium, vandalised during anti-racist protests this week.
Leopold’s personal rule over the Congo saw perhaps as many as 15 million people massacred or killed through starvation, hard labour and disease.#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/MaTXbpS523
— International Socialism Journal (@ISjournal) June 5, 2020
Other instances where statues have been brought down, the bulk of them in USA
Monday morning in USA, another statue of a confederate soldier John Castleman, was removed following public outcry over his racial history.
Louisville, Kentucky
https://twitter.com/TobinBen/status/1269943600709844992?s=20
Old Town Alexandria
Crews in historic Old Town Alexandria have removed a bronze statue of a Confederate soldier named "Appomattox." It is one of many controversial Confederate monuments nationwide that has faced repeated demands for removal. https://t.co/vN18cuHx0u
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) June 2, 2020
Washington DC
AWESOME!! As an American cousin, I thank you for chiming in and saying it’s cool. We just took down a horrid little Confederate soldier statue that used to stand with his back to DC (like a brat) in Alexandria, VA. Just drove by the empty pedestal today. pic.twitter.com/iBlYT2bg8u
— Captanne (@captanne) June 7, 2020
Texas, USA
New: Texas Ranger statue at Love Field removed over concerns about the depicted lawman’s racist history https://t.co/Ha7A7zwG3j
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) June 4, 2020
Philadelphia, USA
WATCH: VIDEO of Former Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo bronze sculpture lifted off then driven away in truck overnight. It looks as if he’s waving goodbye @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/hTxH7dqato
— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) June 3, 2020
Philadelphia has removed a statue of a racist former mayor after years of pushback from activists and recent vandalism from protesters pic.twitter.com/sDEg2q3Ks0
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) June 4, 2020
Cape Town, South Africa
https://twitter.com/JDFormula1/status/1269722484984725506?s=20
Ghana
Dallas, Texas
Statue of Texas Ranger removed from Dallas Airport over racist history https://t.co/boPzmokpRm pic.twitter.com/veOC4pX8Xr
— The Hill (@thehill) June 7, 2020
There are petitions to remove more statues
Breaking News: Virginia's governor plans to order the removal of a monument to the Confederate general Robert E. Lee in Richmond, an official said. https://t.co/cKmTBclPBJ pic.twitter.com/zrLH9HINjQ
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 3, 2020
Coming up next week….
The Angry Left denounce Winston Churchill as a “homophobic bigot” as well as racist for not legalising gay sex in the UK when he was PM.
Six Labour MPs and two Lib-Dems say LGBT supporters are right to call for Churchill’s statue in London to be removed. pic.twitter.com/x90AV7BtWv
— British Gentleman (@Englishgentlem9) June 8, 2020
https://twitter.com/KentingtonClark/status/1269307919536992256?s=20
https://twitter.com/FrankBarrel86/status/1269961501181427713?s=20
Mahatma Gandhi’s statue outside the Indian Embassy in Washington DC desecrated by unruly elements of #BlackLivesMatter protesters. Sources tell ANI that United States Park Police have launched an investigation, more details awaited. pic.twitter.com/jxRpIhqd2W
— ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2020
How do you define racism? Where does it stop?
Cromwell wasn't racist, but….https://t.co/aS9N5QPUiL
— MrGTTO ????????? #GeneralElectionNow (@MrYesWeCan) June 8, 2020
I can't believe its 2020 and we're still discussing whether or not Jefferson Davis was a racist undeserving of his image in the Capitol rotunda. He was. https://t.co/0a5ZcOELWX
— Joe Gerth (@Joe_Gerth) June 5, 2020
More comments about Jomo Kenyatta’s statue
Monument of Shame!
I wanna be there
When we pull it down
To the ground
I wanna be there
When we rewrite our History
I wanna be there
When we sing in Victory
On that day
I wanna be there
— #NobodyCanStopReggae (@NdungiGithuku) June 8, 2020
Tukienda concert ya reggae KICC next time tunaeza iteremsha fasta fasta. Watu walipie ticko lakini agenda ikuwe ni hii. ??✊? https://t.co/6LlAeEhtRj
— The People’s Watchman (@bonifacemwangi) June 8, 2020
