Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya’s first president who died on August 22, 1978, is often hailed as the “father of the nation.” This revered image, however, was carefully constructed by Kenyatta through his literary works like “Facing Mount Kenya” (1938) and “Suffering Without Bitterness” (1968). These writings portrayed him as a heroic figure fighting colonial oppression and leading Kenya to independence. In reality, Kenyatta’s myth-making concealed his non-democratic practices and ethnic favoritism. His long absence from local politics during the colonial era helped him avoid scrutiny and enabled his return in 1946 to be viewed as that of a seemingly unblemished leader. Despite his initial image as a liberator, Kenyatta’s presidency later revealed authoritarian traits, with his leadership characterized by ethnic patronage and suppression of dissent. His legacy remains complex, shaped by a crafted public persona that often masked his true governance style.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION
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