Finding my Identity

I am usually excited at the start of a new semester – I generally love new beginnings. When I was younger I hated introducing myself because the question that always followed was, “Oh that’s a pretty name. Is it Igbo? What does it mean?” I did not like the meaning but now I love it. I secretly,not much of a secret anymore, love hearing "ooh that’s a pretty name" whenever I say, 'Hi my name is Edia and I'm from Nigeria. I'm an International Affairs major and a Journalism minor...' I feel that they are itching to ask more about Nigeria.

What does it mean to be someone who doesn't hold any of the stereotypes of "your people". Edia Uko tackles identity.

The UnaAfrican African

What is African? What isn't? What defines who we are? Our identity? From our archives is an article by Stephen Wanyama on why he finds little identity with Africa. The comments that follow are a lively debate.

Read here .

Identity and Violence (with apologies to Amartya Sen)

In Kenya, violence abounds, as do analyses of its causes and consequences. An efficient way of dividing opinion on the matter is to ask four questions: Was the violence planned? Was it 'ethnic'? Was there ethnic cleansing? Was it 'political'?

We aren't short of people who will answer no to all save the last for boring political reasons; we needn't worry about them. But others, for presumably non-political reasons, will do likewise. 'Unless names are invidiously named', as Timothy Williamson once said, 'sermons like this... tend to cause less offence than they should, because everyone imagines that they are aimed at other people'. Maina Kiai, Tavia Nyong'o, here's looking at you.

Read more from Daniel Waweru here.

Not willing to give up on tribe

I am not yet willing to give up on the concept of tribe. I am unwilling to grant that colonizers were right in their claims that tribe was a limited concept that had no place in the modern world. I am unwilling to accept their definitions that my history and heritage are small and uninteresting, lacking in depth and complexity, beauty and joy.

Read more from Keguro Macharia here.

My Gikuyu Journal

"No other (ethnic)nation in Kenya is washing its dirty linen in public, why are all of you emerging young Kikuyu writers doing it?" the email correspondence began. I offered to respond in a well argued essay in public. My correspondent would have none of it. "...I hope you see why that would be similar to the whole 2005-2007 ‘outing of Kikuyu culture and issues'.

Read more from Njoroge Matathia here.

The unafrican African

Read as Stephen Wanyama explains his identity, or lack of. Is he a Bukusu man, a Kenyan, an African? Well, he says neither. Read too, the interesting discussion that follows from readers-- the unafrican African.

I know nothing about African customs. I read quite a lot so I know about some Agikuyu customs and Luo ones, I also know quite a number of Gujarati customs. I know about the customs of my parents' people, the Bukusu. I do not know any African customs though. I rather admire the history of some communities and famous people down the ages. Cyrus the Great, Mekatilili, Koitalel Arap Samoei, and so on. I even have a vague fondness for Napoleon and Thomas Jefferson, although the adventures of Samouri Toure and Uthman don Fodio don't particularly tickle my fancy.