By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
A literary event was held yesterday, with Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ, a renowned Kenyan-American poet, author, and academic, as the special guest.
The event was led by Godson Osarenren, Lead Convener of the Naija Poetry Fest Community, and was hosted by Quramo Publishers.
The discussion centered on “Culture and politics – what is left after a contaminated handshake.” The theme of identity and cultural heritage was discussed, and the future of Africa was focused on.
According to Godson Osarenren’s book, “The Smiles and Scars From Schools,” by 2050, African children may become completely westernized, losing touch with their cultural heritage. “By 2050, we will have children in Africa who are completely western in their entirety but left with a dark skin that they are totally oblivious of; the final burial of African cultures and traditions.”
Mũkoma wa Ngũgĩ is a professor of literature at Cornell University and co-founder of the Safal-Cornell Kiswahili Prize for African Writing. Mũkoma’s family was deeply impacted by the British suppression of the Mau Mau revolution.
