KAMPALA UGANDA (UG STANDARD) — A prominent African scholar is calling on her peers to break free from Western intellectual dominance and forge a distinct African philosophical identity.
“Africa deserves more than to be an echo of the West,” Gertrude Kamya Othieno, a political sociologist and London School of Economics alumna, wrote in a commentary on Thursday October 23. “The continent’s intellectual future depends on scholars who are brave enough to chart their own course, grounded in African thought and philosophy.”
Othieno argues that African scholars have become too reliant on Western thinkers, citing Karl Marx, Rousseau, and Immanuel Kant, while neglecting indigenous voices.
“Africa has produced its own formidable thinkers, but they remain on the margins of the continent’s intellectual debates,” Othieno said.
She points to Cheikh Anta Diop, Frantz Fanon, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Kwasi Wiredu, and John Mbiti as examples of African intellectuals whose work should be central to the continent’s academic discourse.
Othieno’s appeal comes amid growing calls for curriculum reform across Africa’s educational institutions.
“Decolonizing education requires a shift from critique to creation, centered on African thought and philosophy,” Othieno emphasized.
Her comments resonate with many African scholars seeking to reclaim their intellectual heritage.
As Africa’s senior scholars near retirement, Othieno urges them to leave a lasting legacy by promoting African intellectual independence.
“The responsibility to influence this intellectual shift lies in the hands of those who have spent decades navigating these systems,” Othieno concluded.
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