#Harambee63 Subject Matter and Conceptualisation

Why the subject?

What else?

I have been lucky to access the richest archives in the world concerning Kenyan history with respect to the KLFA and the war for independence. These archives are both buildings and minds. For about two and a half years,  people across Kenya opened their doors to questions over what exactly happened during Kenya’s war for independence. A few years later, I found myself scouring archives in the U.K., U.S. and Kenya on the subject. The quest to build a picture of those fundamental years brought about conversations with academics, exiles and equally curious peers.

Then I burnt out.

This exhibition is the revival of a personal journey into Kenyan history. It is the first of many projects that will hopefully share the material for our greater knowledge.

I once argued that I would not write for journals that our Kenyan university students would not have access to. This is part of the reason why the material is being made available in “unconventional” ways.

With the kind support of Kuona Trust, and specifically a grant for a conceptual exhibition, we have been working on budgets and proposals for the last 3 – 4 months or so – even though the conversation about the exhibition began over a year ago.

#Harambee63 is the product of this grant.