St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1959-05-01
Mboya Cove MINI.
Editor Interesting
Views On KenVo
CONTINUED from Page u

to as the governments clumsy
injustice" in the arrest of 33 Of
his party members without any
proven case against them"
His newspaper had been pro
scribed" and he had just released
an open letter to the governor
in which he stated that such
repressive measures will never
succeed" In this letter he set
forth his views very bluntly on
number of such arbitrary" acts
which he said, were a part of a
plan to suppress his organization.
Il submit to you" the letter stat
ed, that if you stop this organiza-
ton publicly and openly then you
will drive it underground, but you
will never kill it,"
Considering the concessions that
have been made to other African
colonies, the demands made by
Mboya and his Peoples Party are
not unreasonable. They seek dem
ocratic self-government on a grad
ual basis and their present objec-
tive seems to be definite promise
that complete freedom will come
eventually.
In 1857 the government had es-
tablished a constitution that gave
to the natives some additional
representation in the colonial gov
eminent. Mboya was one of the
elected representatives. But this
constitution failed to provide for
a gradual increase in African
authority and the elected African
members have refused to serve
Theirs is a form of passive resist
ance that resembles the method
used so effectively by Gandhi in
his long years of struggle for the
independence Of India.
In discussing these problems,
Mboya revealed some dissatisfac-
ton with a statement made re-
Gently by one of our state depart
ment officials. Your state depart
ment said recently that it favored
freedom for all who are ready for
it. But how can people become
ready until they have had expert
ence in self-government? That is
what we have been denied and
that is what we seek. We need
training. We have not received it."
On other matters he was pleas
antly cheerful. He spoke highly of
the governments present educa-
ton and health programs. He
thought the British had been more
progressive than the Belgians. In
the past ten years the opportuni-
ties for Africans with aptitude
and interest had greatly improved
although the need is still great.
Yes, he said, it is true that
African women have not shared
equally with men in these oppor-
tunities. Education has been limit
ed largely to boys. There now
are 20 high schools for boys in
Kenya and only three for girls.
On the subject of mission schools
he gave them credit for having
performed a very great service.
"I received my own education
through a mission service" he
said. Naturally am very ap-
preciative of what they have con-
tributed to our people"
It wish to qualify this state
ment," he added. Mission schools
have served a very good purpose,
but the need now is for public
schools. Africans feel that in some
instances missionaries have con-
doned colonialism, along with race
discrimination and segregation in
their schools and hospitals"
European and American settlers
are very welcome in Africa pro-
viding they come to make their
home there in complete acceptance
of undiluted democracy. 1--WE are
uncompromising in our struggle
against discrimination by foreign
ers, colonial or local"
I asked him about the Asians.
There are many more Asians,
mostly Indians, in eastern Africa,
than there are Europeans. Most of
the commerce is carried on by the
Asians, and all of the construction
seemed to be by companies with
Indian names, hiring only Indians
as skilled workers. They are well
established along the east coast
but they are seldom mentioned in
discussions of African race prob
lens. How did his people feel
about them?
"They cause us no trouble" he
said. They do not become in
volved in our political problems
and live by themselves. But they
/: do nothing to help us advance
either They employ only their
, own people except for ordinary