In this week’s and the first episode of Liberating Minds KE, we are reviewing Kenya: A Prison Notebook by Maina Wa Kinyatti. 

Maina wa Kinyatti is one of Kenya's progressive historians. In June 1982, he was arrested by the Kenyan authoritarian regime, charged with possession of seditious literature and imprisoned. He suffered for six-and-a-half years in the hands of his brutal captors. He was repeatedly held in solitary confinement and was constantly insulted and beaten. He was tortured by vermin, untreated diseases, hunger and loneliness. But he remained defiant, his courage and spirit unbroken.

“Written 26 years ago, Kenya: A Prison Notebook has inspired generations and proved a great resource and a handbook in political education in Kenya and beyond. It chronicles Maina Wa Kinyatti’s arrest and detention by the Moi regime and powerfully captures Kenya’s history. Maina wa Kinyatti was then a university professor and foremost researcher on the Mau Mau (Kenya Land and Freedom Army), the liberation movement that engaged the British colonialists in the armed struggle for land and freedom. In 1982, he was arrested by state agents for ‘possession of seditious material’ and detained by the Moi regime. Maina wrote Kenya: A Prison Notebook over the course of the next six and half years he spent in detention – mostly in solitary confinement. Maina’s work and writing remain a constant and painful reminder that the objectives of the freedom struggle the Mau Mau engaged in are yet to be achieved. Kenya is a neo-colonial state. Her economy is in the hands of global capital and imperialism, while constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms are everyday blatantly disregarded with impunity. Maina’s generation continued with the struggle for a better society and showed great courage by confronting a regime that was prepared to go to any lengths to suppress dissenting voices. Today, another generation is continuing with that struggle in fulfillment of its historical responsibility.

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25 Years of Kenya: A Prison Notebook:
REFLECTIONS Grounding with: Prof. Maina wa Kinyatti

https://www.matharesocialjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Reflections-3lv3.pdf

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Music
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Title: Ukombozi (Acoustic)
Artist: Monaja
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrMonaja
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Monajamwenyewe
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/Monajamwenyewe

Ep 1. Kenya: A Prison Notebook - Part 1 - Liberating Minds KE Podcast

In the second Episode of the Liberating Minds Podcast we finalize on the book, Kenya: A Prison Notebook. In this episode we delve much deeper into the stories and descriptive experiences in prison as told by Professor Maina Wa Kinyatti.

Check out the first episode of Liberating Minds Podcast where we did an introduction and a brief overview on the book and its impact in today's generation. https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/Y8HRrVNffmzZCXNT8

Maina Wa Kinyatti is one of Kenya's progressive historians. In June 1982, he was arrested by the Kenyan authoritarian regime, charged with possession of seditious literature and imprisoned. He suffered for six-and-a-half years in the hands of his brutal captors. He was repeatedly held in solitary confinement and was constantly insulted and beaten. He was tortured by vermin, untreated diseases, hunger and loneliness. But he remained defiant, his courage and spirit unbroken.

“Written 26 years ago, Kenya: A Prison Notebook has inspired generations and proved a great resource and a handbook in political education in Kenya and beyond. It chronicles Maina Wa Kinyatti’s arrest and detention by the Moi regime and powerfully captures Kenya’s history. Maina wa Kinyatti was then a university professor and foremost researcher on the Mau Mau (Kenya Land and Freedom Army), the liberation movement that engaged the British colonialists in the armed struggle for land and freedom. In 1982, he was arrested by state agents for ‘possession of seditious material’ and detained by the Moi regime. Maina wrote Kenya: A Prison Notebook over the course of the next six and half years he spent in detention – mostly in solitary confinement. Maina’s work and writing remain a constant and painful reminder that the objectives of the freedom struggle the Mau Mau engaged in are yet to be achieved. Kenya is a neo-colonial state. Her economy is in the hands of global capital and imperialism, while constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms are everyday blatantly disregarded with impunity. Maina’s generation continued with the struggle for a better society and showed great courage by confronting a regime that was prepared to go to any lengths to suppress dissenting voices. Today, another generation is continuing with that struggle in fulfillment of its historical responsibility.

------------------------------------

25 Years of Kenya: A Prison Notebook:
REFLECTIONS Grounding with: Prof. Maina wa Kinyatti

https://www.matharesocialjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Reflections-3lv3.pdf

-------------------

Music
----------
Title: Ukombozi (Acoustic)
Artist: Monaja
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrMonaja
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Monajamwenyewe
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/Monajamwenyewe

Ep 2. Kenya: A Prison Notebook - Part 2 - Liberating Minds KE Podcast

In Episode 3 of the Liberating Minds Podcast, we introduce a new Book - “History of Resistance in Kenya 1884-2002” by Prof. Maina Wa Kinyatti. We will have a series of episodes on every resistance stage based on the book. In this specific episode, we look at resistance on the Kenyan Coast against colonisation by the Portuguese and British.

Ep 3. Resistance at the Coast History of Resistance in Kenya: 1884-2002

In the first part of Episode 4 of the Liberating Minds Podcast, we continue with the Book- History of Resistance in Kenya: 1884-2002. In this specific episode, we look at resistance in Akamba & Central Kenya against colonization by the British.

Ep 4 Part 1. Resistance at Central Kenya History of Resistance in Kenya: 1884-2002

In the second part of Episode 4 we look at the second part of Resistance in the central region at length including an expose on the evils of British committed against Kenyans by Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen citing from his personal diary.

Ep 4 Part 2. Resistance at Central Kenya History of Resistance in Kenya: 1884-2002

This book is a contribution to the interpretation of Kenyan history, from the proletarian point of view. The book provides information on the people of Kenya; their history; their violent, brutal and deadly confrontation with the British imperialist invaders; their social and politicial struggle against the British occupiers and the national traitors; their transformation into the Mau Mau armed resistance; and their class struggle and revolutionary movement against the Kenyata and Moi neocolonial regimes. During dictator Moi’s administration, the country was turned into a police state and the brutal torture of citizens became commonplace. Whatever form of torture one was subjected to, it inevitably led to either imprisonment or death. In vigorous language and with concrete examples, the author details the crucial role played by the Mwakenya-December Twelve Movement in the struggle against the Kenyata-Moi dictatorships for democracy and social justice in Kenya, from 1975 to 2002.

Ep 6. Resistance at Nyanza & Western Regions - History of Resistance in Kenya: 1884-2002

In Episode 5 of the Liberating Minds, we look at the resistance waged in the Rift Valley, Kenya, against Colonialism.

This book is a contribution to the interpretation of Kenyan history, from the proletarian point of view. The book provides information on the people of Kenya; their history; their violent, brutal and deadly confrontation with the British imperialist invaders; their social and politicial struggle against the British occupiers and the national traitors; their transformation into the Mau Mau armed resistance; and their class struggle and revolutionary movement against the Kenyatta and Moi neocolonial regimes. During dictator Moi’s administration, the country was turned into a police state and the brutal torture of citizens became commonplace. Whatever form of torture one was subjected to, it inevitably led to either imprisonment or death. In vigorous language and with concrete examples, the author details the crucial role played by the Mwakenya-December Twelve Movement in the struggle against the Kenyata-Moi dictatorships for democracy and social justice in Kenya, from 1975 to 2002.

Ep 5. Resistance at Rift Valley - History of Resistance in Kenya: 1884-2002

9 progressive books you MUST read in 2023!

1. Key Points in the History of Kenya: 1885-1990 by Shiraz Durrani - https://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/key-points-in-the-history-of-kenya-1885-1990

2. Pio Gama Pinto Kenya’s Unsung Martyr. 1927 – 1965, Edited by Shiraz Durrani - https://ukombozilibrary.org/product/pio-gama-pinto-kenyas-unsung-martyr-1927-1965/

3. Nobody's Darling by Gilbert Mwangi - https://nuriakenya.com/product/nobodys-darling-by-gilbert-mwangi/
https://viewpoints.ke/nobodys-darling-gilbert-mwangis-new-book-for-kenya-and-kenyans/

4. Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire, Myra Bergman Ramos (Translator)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/858881.Pedagogy_of_the_Oppressed

5. Kenyan Organic Intellectuals Reflect on the Legacy of Pio Gama Pinto, By:Lewis Maghanga, Nicholas Mwangi - https://darajapress.com/publication/kenyan-organic-intellectuals-reflect-on-the-legacy-of-pio-gama-pinto

6. Marx: A Beginner's Guide, Gill Hands - https://books.google.co.ke/books/about/Marx.html?id=s5dpNwAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

7. Cabral Pinto: Willy Mutunga Under Cover, by Willy Mutunga - https://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/cabral-pinto-willy-mutunga-under-cover

8. A Path Not Taken: The Story of Joseph Murumbi: Africa's Greatest Private Cultural Collector and Kenya's Second Vice-president - https://africanheritagehouse.info/portfolio-item/murumbi-legacy/

9. Stronger than Faith My Journey In the Quest for Justice in Repressive Kenya - 1958-2015
by Oduor Ong'wen - https://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/stronger-than-faith

9 Progressive Books You MUST Read in 2023!

"Organic Intellectuals: Unleashing the Power of Critical Consciousness"

Join us in our latest episode of the Liberating Minds Podcast as we dive deep into the concept of 'Organic Intellectuals' coined by the influential Italian Marxist thinker, Antonio Gramsci. In this captivating interview, two passionate comrades explore the transformative potential of critical consciousness and its role in dismantling oppressive systems.

As we navigate through a world plagued by inequality, neoliberalism, and capitalist exploitation, it becomes essential to understand the power of ideas and knowledge in shaping our collective destiny. Through thought-provoking dialogue and insightful analysis, we uncover how organic intellectuals emerge from the very fabric of society, challenging the dominant narratives and offering alternative perspectives.

Drawing from real-life examples and personal experiences, our comrades shed light on the vital role organic intellectuals play in sparking social change. From grassroots activists to community organizers, these intellectual warriors bridge the gap between theory and praxis, actively engaging with the struggles of the marginalized and challenging the status quo.

In this dynamic conversation, we explore the strategies they employ to empower communities, and the impact they have on shaping a more just and equitable society. By harnessing the power of critical thinking and knowledge, we can liberate minds and ignite a collective awakening that transcends the boundaries of oppression.
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Publications by the Kenyan Organic Intellectuals Network
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1. 25 Years of Kenya A Prison Notebook: REFLECTIONS - https://www.matharesocialjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Reflections-3lv3.pdf

2. Kenyan Organic Intellectuals Reflect on the Legacy of Pio Gama Pinto - https://darajapress.com/publication/kenyan-organic-intellectuals-reflect-on-the-legacy-of-pio-gama-pinto

3. MATHARE: An Urban Bastion of Anti-Oppression Struggle in Kenya - https://darajapress.com/publication/mathare-an-urban-bastion-of-anti-oppression-struggle-in-kenya

4. Breaking the Silence on NGOs in Africa - https://darajapress.com/breaking-the-silence-on-ngos-in-africa

Watch Episode on Youtube - https://youtu.be/1eWGVipTAtg

Ep 9. Organic Intellectuals: Unleashing the Power of Critical Consciousness

Liberating Minds Podcast aims to provide an alternative voice and interpretation of the struggle against oppression, inequality, neoliberalism, and capitalism in Kenya. Information is never neutral; our society is the victim of distorted history and censored information making us a passive population. We feel there is a proud history of resistance in Kenya that needs to be told. In liberating minds, we will review progressive radical books, topics, movements, and documentaries  in an attempt  to expose the deliberate misinformation and education that we all go through to make us docile. We will Liberate Minds!

Liberating Minds KE

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