Several months ago, I decided to start a blog (this one) and the naming of it was the most difficult part to starting it. After thorough thought on the matter, I decided that I will call this blog “I am Proud to be Kenyan” and thereafter transfer the articles I had drafted in my notebook onto it.
But as I began typing up these articles, I realized that most of what I had written hardly had anything that I should be proud of as a Kenyan. I realized that, subconsciously, most of what I had that far written gave a negative connotation to Kenya. It then became clear to me that;
Even without conscious effort, one would still have more negative than positive things to write about Kenya.
Surprising! Isn’t it? Or is it?
That meant that the declaration of my pride in being Kenya that the blog title would have communicated would be in the least misleading. I realized that I was proud to be Kenyan in spite of rather than because of what Kenya represented.
“Damn! I am still proud to be Kenyan…” That was the statement that gave rise to the name of this blog. My Blog was therefore christened, ‘Still Proud to be Kenyan.‘ STILL became the anchor on which my pride was rooted.
For anybody who is curious, why STILL? I decided to provide a shortlist of the answers here. For as much as I tried to proclaim my pride in being Kenyan, I could not do it unless unless there was a caveat, and ‘Still’ was that caveat.
So Why Still? well;here is why:
I say still for this country was almost Still Born at Independence.
I say still for there is still too much that is wrong with this country for us to just simply declare that we are “proud to be Kenyan.”
I say still for the there are things that still need urgent attention before we can declare our pride.
I say still for despite all that we have gone through as a country, we are still not yet a failed state.
I say still because simply being proud to be Kenyan is an illusion that will blind us from seeing through the reforms that we need for us to be actually proud.
I say still for despite all that is wrong for this country, there is somehow still some glimmer of hope.
I say still for there is still a lot that needs to be done.
I say still for such phrases as: “Navumilia kuwa Mkenya” and “Najihurumia kuwa Mkenya” are actually more genuine than the claim of being proud to be Kenyan.
STILL is therefore symbolic in as far as it means whatever you want it to mean, until the status quo changes in your favour… as a Kenyan.
But as things currently stand, “I am Proud to be Kenyan” is superficial while “Navumilia kuwa Mkenya” and “Najihurumia kuwa Mkenya” are both too real…
Welcome aboard “Still Proud to be Kenyan.”
