Education, Power & the Politics of Thinking: Rethinking Kenya's Colonial Legacy

In this episode, we sit down with Yvonne Atieno for a thought provoking conversation about education, democracy, history, and power in Kenya.

Together, we explore how colonial structures continue to shape Kenya's education system, why critical thinking is being replaced by "practicality," and what it means when education becomes primarily about employability rather than human development.

Drawing on the works of Prof. E.S. Atieno Odhiambo and Dr. Wandia Njoya, we discuss the ideology of order, the role of history in shaping political consciousness, the loss of oral traditions, and why asking "Education for who? Education for what?" may be one of the most important questions of our time.

We also reflect on AI, creativity, philosophy, and the importance of reclaiming knowledge beyond the classroom.

This conversation is for anyone interested in education, African history, decolonisation, democracy, and the future of learning.

Books & Essays Mentioned

Primary Readings

• E.S. Atieno Odhiambo – The Ideology of Order (essay) 
• Dr. Wandia Njoya – essays on education, competency-based curriculum (CBC), philosophy of education, and decolonising learning 

Additional Books Referenced

• Walter Rodney – How Europe Underdeveloped Africa
• Walter Rodney – The Making of an African Intellectual
• Augustine of Hippo – The City of God
• René Girard – works on mimesis and violence (particularly Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World or Violence and the Sacred)