By margaretta wa gacheru. unpublished
Back in 2012, when we heard from the Kenya Cultural
Centre Managing Director Aghan Odero that Kenya had been picked to partner with
the Smithsonian Institution, [the largest museum complex on the planet, based
in Washington DC] for a full 10 day cultural festival in July 2014 on the
massive Mall just outside the White House, we were thrilled.
Aghan had gone to DC with the Permanent Secretary for Culture,
Dr. Ole M who had been wholeheartedly supportive of this ambitious initiative which
promised to put Kenya on the global map of leading cultural venues that the
public, particularly the American public, needed to know.
For whether Kenya had previously been known as the Cradle
of Civilization, the Land of the Big Five or the site where Meryl Streep and
Robert Redford’s award-winning film Out
of Africa had been shot—the public partnership with the world’s largest
constellation of five star museums was bound to explode all the stereotypes and
bring a post-colonial perspective of the country to the world’s attention.
Unfortunately, things have changed quite a bit since
then. First, the brilliant Maasai PS was shifted out of the Ministry of Culture
to a different ministry. Then the project was taken over by another sector of
the Ministry, the one now involved with Kenya@50 celebrations, and the Museum
staff member who Aghan had invited in to assist him with organizing the
cultural festival became part of the Kenya@50 project while he remained to do
his job as MD of KCC.
Now, we wonder what has happened to the program which by
the middle of March, with just three months to go, had not yet made provisions
for including Kenyan films, Kenyan visual art, Kenyan literature or Kenyan
theatre in the Smithsonian program.
Instead, at a meeting with members of the ad hoc group of
artists and writers concerned with Kenya’s creative economy, Ms Elizabeth Ouma,
the Museum staff relocated to Kenya@50, explained that 120 people had already
been picked to represent Kenya at the Smithsonian Folkfest in late June, early
July. Since then, that number is said to have been reduced significantly.
According to other Kenya Government sources, the focus of
Kenya’s contribution to the Folkfest has shifted slightly from its cultural
emphasis to concern for finding prospective investors keen to the country’s
many infrastructural projects.
Today, it’s members of the Kenya Federation of Manufacturers,
Brand Kenya, and the Kenya Trade Authority among others that reflect the
government’s economic interest in the prestigious festival which is
theoretically meant for the partner country to present its finest cultural
attractions.
The other huge difference between this year’s Smithsonian
cultural fete and those of years past is that not one but two countries will
now be partnering with the Smithsonian—Kenya and China!
How China came into the picture is unclear. All Ms Ouma
could tell us was that China would be given half the Mall during the ten-day
festival and Kenya the given the other half.
It’s demoralizing to say the least, said several Kenyan
artists who recall the recent Venice Art Biennale in which Kenyan art was
represented by eight Chinese artists and curated by two Italians who have a
gallery somewhere at the Coast.
How that could have happened is a mystery to this day,
except it would seem the Ministry of Culture was fully aware that the thriving
Kenyan arts scene would be represented at one of the most prestigious art fairs
in the world, not be award-winning Kenyan artists but by unknown Chinese who
have nothing to do with representing this country.
“I believe the Government sold its share of the festival
to the highest bidder who turned out to be
Chinese,” said one cynical Kenyan artist who believes some members of
the government are not above selling their fellow Kenyans down the river if the
price was right.
Could it be that the Smithsonian event will be yet
another occasion where the government chooses to sell its people short rather
than appreciate the true meaning of civil
service, which is to assist in their people’s advancement and success.
With less than three months to go before ‘the best’ of Kenyan
culture is meant to be showcased in Washington, DC, observers close to the
organizing efforts fear the government may lost an opportunity of a lifetime when
June roles around and very little that reflects the true creativity, originality
and dynamism of Kenyan culture fills half the Washington, DC Mall.
