Mt. Kenya is featured at the top of this monument near the central intersection in downtown Nairobi. Actually, a hand coming out of the mountain is at the top.The chicken is a symbol of prosperity. Kanu, one of the political parties here, has taken it over for their logo. (Kanu has reformed about ten times in the last six months.)
You might notice that some repairs were made to the monument - the new tiles may take a few years to fade enough to match the surrounding tiles. Or they may never match.
Today is Jamhuri Day in Kenya - Independence Day. So I am enjoying a day off, as I write this.
5 comments:
Did you just call one of our national monuments "Chicken mountain"? I hope your friends did not tell you that the reason the rooster appears there is because chicken is one of our favorite dishes or that it's a symbol of prosperity. You were close when you noted that KANU used it as their symbol. Nyayo monument, which you belittle, was built in commemoration of 25 years of independence. The monument stands for much more than the party symbols on it (the hand with the elder's staff) which is clear if you look around the other sides of the monument or visit the national archives or the museum. Any basic history text book will give you this info. Don't be one of those foreigners!!
Image juxtapositions vary from culture to culture. There are design choices that are personal and cultural. My culture is different from Kenya's. My choices of images to put on a monument would have been different than whomever designed that one. I'm not being judgmental of their choices - I'm just observing the difference.
I am sorry I offended you. I removed the offensive stuff, hopefully.
I don't agree with "anonymous." It's obvious that the monument was built to glorify a single man. "National" pride? Huh! It's time to move on.
Your cynism about everything Kenyan is so pathetic. Thanks to the Kenyan who lied to you that the chicken is a symbol of prosperity...why tell the truth to people who are only interested in trashing Kenya/Kenyans and what they do.
Apologize for nothing. I'm a Kenyan and I find most Nationalistic monuments (except Kenyatta & Dedan Kimathi statues) in Nairobi nauseating. Most are reminiscent of Soviet era propaganda monuments minus whatever positive attributes that genre had.
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