This archive report was first published on 3 November 2019.
On October 25, 1969, a pivotal event in Kenya's history unfolded in Kisumu, leaving a lasting impact on the country's postcolonial politics and economy. The incident, often referred to as the 'Kisumu massacre,' has been the subject of intense debate, with some describing it as a 'riot' and others as a 'massacre.'
The official account of the event, which claims that a large crowd of Luos menaced President Jomo Kenyatta's security, resulting in extrajudicial killings, has been disputed by many. In fact, the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission's final report describes the event as a 'massacre.'
However, the official account has been reproduced despite contradicting accounts of the event rendered at the TJRC hearings in Kisumu. Those who contest the official account and prefer to call it 'the Kisumu massacre' see more to the event and believe that there are more questions than answers.
One of the key questions surrounding the event is why President Kenyatta insisted on presiding over the official opening ceremony of the Russia Hospital in Kisumu, despite warnings of tension in the region following the assassination of Tom Mboya. The event also needs to be put within a broader geopolitical context, including the Cold War politics of the time.
As the author, a Kisumu-based political analyst, notes, the event marked the bloody triumph of Mzee Kenyatta's ethnonationalism and infant crony capitalism over Pan-Africanism, Kenya's pan-ethnic nationalism, and various shades of socialism.
