Kenyans, Who are We? Reflections on the meaning of National Identity and Nationalism

One of the basic unresolved issues in many parts of the world today is the apparent contradiction between the conception of the modern nation-state and the pervasive reality of the multinational and polyethnic states. Ethnicity in a culturally diverse state such as Kenya often leads to great political instability. This is because ethnicity is in practice, the conscious mobilisation of ethnic identity and interest by elite to make political and economic demands on the state in order to secure their interests in competition with members of other ethnic groups.

In this book, Prof. Ogot shows how early nationalist ideology which attempted to unite diverse Kenya people under the banner of a single national idea was killed. National issues and problems of national identity continued to receive little attention. An the rejection of the concept of nationhood by the political ethnic elite, the author concludes, has unquestionably influenced the way Kenyans define themselves.