A moment in Kenya

So there I was delivering my keynote speech in front of over 300 people - mostly Kenyans but also people form East Africa and further afield. I decided not to do my usual this is my current stuff speech but instead tell them what my visits to Kenya had done to me - what I learnt from them.

I talked about the impact on me of coming from Britain and my feelings about how destructive Britain had been on Kenyan culture and traditions. I also spoke about he terrible concentration camps Britain set up in the Kenya fight for independence and how I thought there was a need for truth and reconciliation, healing and forgiveness.

After my speech a woman stood and set it was history and that I should not worry myself. Then an old man stood up. He told the conference how members of his family had been badly treated during the Mau Mau uprising against British rule. More recently his daughter had married a white man from Britain in the face of opposition from the family. He had been unable to accept his British son-in-law. Now hearing me acknowledging that history he felt differently. We met up after the speech and embraced. We were both very moved. Later that day he rang up his daughter - now living in Britain and talked to her and cleared the air.

I am thankful.