Nairobi News

The conversation began when CNN International Correspondent Larry Madowo, who hails from Kenya, shared a video in which a young Ethiopian student by the name Yahya Bashir who went around asking his fellow students in an unnamed American school to name five African countries.

One of the respondents laughed off the question, saying she didn’t know any before she listed Africa and Nicaragua as African countries.

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Others could barely list three African countries before they found themselves adding countries such as Cambodia and Qatar. Others simply said they didn’t know any African countries and “don’t do any of that.

Other students in other videos listed Kingston, Jamaica, Haiti, Dubai, West Africa and South Africa as African countries. These answers pissed off Larry Madowo.

“We gave America a whole president and they can’t even name Kenya? Disrespectful. Even students at a predominantly Black American college couldn’t name 5 African countries,” said Larry Madowo on January 31.

Former United States of America president Barack Obama’s father, Barack Obama Senior, was a Kenyan who hailed from Siaya County.

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He was a senior government economist and later airlifted to America with 769 other young men and women across Africa by the late Tom Mboya.

The airlifting program aimed to allow these beneficiaries to go and study in order to return and shape the future of their countries. It was while Obama Senior was in America that he met and married president Obama’s mother.

Larry Madowo’s sentiments sparked off a conversation about how African countries are taught the histories of other nations but the same is  not done in America.

“Funny how we were taught American history, I know quite a lot about America… luckily for those of us who schooled in the 90’s we were taught quite a lot of African cultures and history.  I can name almost all African countries from my GHC lessons in the 90’s…,” said Frederick Muitiriri.

They are not taught about them in school. They don’t travel there. The narratives about Africa in the U.S. are rarely positive. These countries don’t enter their daily conversations or thoughts. From such an Ameri-centric orientation it would be shocking for them to know,” added Alli Madi.

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“We read them in our schools, they don’t. So, no wonder. What exactly do they import from our countries? Yet we do import a lot from them. Way forward, let’s make our countries more producers and exporters and not otherwise,” opined Vitalis Fusi.

“When I was in Class 6, I knew all countries in the world and their capital cities. Also, I knew all the American states and I could draw the world map off Head. Still vividly I can remember!” said Arap Matinyit.

“Doesn’t this put our education system on the spot?🤔 Have we majored on the minor things while developed countries focus on game changers? -Coding vs history lesson on govt of France in 1800. -Programming vs chemically formed sedimentary rocks. STEM is the future,” added Gabriel Simiyu.

“Am starting to think the American education system has always been on ChatGPT….no? 🙈🙈🙈,” said Mike M.

“Leave alone 16 year olds, ask guys in kenyan universities to name 5 states in USA… u gonna be shocked,” said George Mwaura.

“The sad part is I had to read about the education system in all the American states when I was doing my Ms😪😪😪😪,” lamented Nyakwar Nyachula.

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