Home Opinion We ought to rethink our commemorative carnages draped as remembrance

We ought to rethink our commemorative carnages draped as remembrance

Kenya must reject violent commemorations and embrace peaceful remembrance that honours the past, protects the present and builds a united, progressive future for all.

by David Nthua
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By Eugenia Kindaruma

From the June 25th, 2025 cataclysm to the more recent Saba Saba near-apocalypse there seems to be no end to the curse of a Kenya wilfully thrust into perpetual wallowing of economic haemorrhage in the name of “peaceful demos.” What we end up dealing with during these demos is a bagful of anarchists who serially feast on the ravages of scenes directed and served straight from Armageddon.

Yet, that is an eventuality we should collectively condemn as out and out untenable every time it shows its ugly face. See, every year, like clockwork, Kenya is forced to brace herself for unnecessary chaos. The call goes out: “Remember Saba Saba!” “Honour the fallen!” “Reclaim our voice!” And every year, like vultures descending on carrion, anarchists and hoodlums seize these terror-fest commemorations and without fail transform would-be solemn remembrance instances into orgies of arson, looting, and bloodshed.

Murang'a businesses incurred Sh500m losses during Saba Saba protests –  traders

Goons looting a County Supermarket in Kenol, Murang’a during Saba Saba protests. Photo: The Standard Source: X

For those of us still romanticising these protests, kindly let us take a moment and open your eyes wider, read in between the lines and smell the coffee! Remember that a noble intent can end up fuelling a machine that crushes livelihoods, orphaning children and inscribing ugly stains on our nation’s reputation with the very blood we claim to avenge or remember.

Any criminal opportunism masquerading as revolution should never fly in Kenya. Not by right thinking people who truly love their motherland. No! We must act and rise above such pitiful regression. No society, including the most arguably progressive among us, does not have its share of grievances and historical moments worth honouring and celebrating but none should ever allow anarchists to disrupt social progress and order on account of “bloody” commemoration.

The ledger of loss from these perennially violent commemorations is staggering. It is, and unfortunately so, etched in charred buildings and shattered glass – not the fabric of our collective wellbeing. Small businesses, the lifeblood of our economy and often built over decades of sweat and sacrifice, are reduced to ashes within hours. The mama mboga’s stall, the artisan’s workshop, the young entrepreneur’s tech hub become collateral damage in a conflict not chosen by any of them. Investors, both local and international, watch with mounting trepidation. The economic haemorrhage is real. It slows growth and destroys jobs. It has nothing to do with romanticism, as some would want us to believe.

A Kenyan flag being hoisted during a past state function. Photo; KBC Source: X

There’s a seductive narrative that equates disruption with progress, and violence with revolutionary fervour. We must disabuse ourselves of this phantasmagorical fallacy. The thug setting a bus alight is not a freedom fighter. He is a criminal exploiting a moment of vulnerability. The looter emptying a shop is not reclaiming anything. He is a thief.

Solemn remembrance requires solemnity. Imagine national moments of silence broadcast across all media, observed in schools and workplaces. Imagine vibrant cultural festivals showcasing art, music, and theatre that explore our history, its struggles, and its triumphs, fostering critical dialogue. Imagine educational programmes deeply embedded in curricula, ensuring younger generations understand the sacrifices made and the context of our nationhood without glorifying violence. Imagine structured public dialogues and truth-telling forums focused on reconciliation and charting a unified future path. Just imagine…
Crucially, the onus also lies with us, the citizenry. We must reject the hijackers of peaceful protests. We must also refuse to be cowed by fear or swayed by the false glamour of destruction. We must hold our leaders accountable for fostering peaceful avenues for remembrance and addressing the root causes of discontent. Community elders, religious leaders, civil society, and the media have a vital role in amplifying messages of peace, promoting alternative commemorative events, and exposing the agents provocateurs for what they are.

Continuing down the path of violent commemorations is national masochism. It dishonours the past, devastates the present, and mortgages the future. The blood spilled on June 25th and Saba Saba was meant to water the seeds of a just and prosperous nation, not fertilise the weeds of perpetual anarchy.

Let us transform these dates from triggers of terror into catalysts for constructive national conversation, unity, and genuine progress. Only then can we truly say we remember, and only then can we truly honour the sacrifices made by those who came before us.

Kenya deserves remembrance without ruin.

Kindaruma is a Meru-based leadership trainer and educationist

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