In high school especially in Kenya, our history teachers taught us that the Bantu, Nilotes, Cushites,and other communities migrated into Kenya from around the 1000 AD, continuing until the early 20th century.
Have you ever asked yourself where these communities migrated? To state it plainly, where was the source of the migration?
In his book, Restatement of Bantu Origin and Meru History, the Kenyan scholar Alfred M Imanyara controversially traces the history of the Bantu, stating that they migrated southerly from Ancient Egypt.
Ancient hieroglyphics in Egypt have been found to contain the words Batu, keeping with the original word, Bantu.
The history of our origin as Africans has always been shrouded in mystery, but I believe that we are all descendants of the ancient Egyptians and it is not in doubt that our forefathers were all black, despite the controversy and misinformation by the Western media.
Regardless of where you believe that we come from, we as Africans are one. Colonisation made us believe that we are different, and instead of celebrating our tribal differences we have used it to fight each other.
I am a big fan of Muammar Gaddafi. He was an inspirational leader who brought development to his once-impoverished nation. When he was its leader, the region thrived and unfortunately descended into anarchy once he was assassinated. We have been taught to hate this man who was nothing short of a liberation hero.
Gaddafi, a staunch pan-Africanist, advocated for the unification of Africa with its own currency, a united African government, an army, a single passport and the introduction of a new gold standard to support African currencies.
Malcolm X, Haile Selassie, Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah and Sekou Toure, among others, were all pan-Africanists who believed in the solidarity of the continent so as to achieve its full potential.
Last week, President Paul Kagame implemented a visa-free travel for all Africans, executing an idea fronted by President Ruto. This effectively sets in motion the dream to unite the continent and Kenya must follow suit.
Unfortunately, we lack a strong African leader who is the leading proponent of the desire to see the whole of Africa unite. Our country and the President must take on this role.
Kenya has a long and storied history of being a leader in Africa. From its role in the fight against colonialism to its current status as a regional economic powerhouse, the country has always been at the forefront of progress on the continent.
In recent years, Kenya has also emerged as a vocal advocate for African unity. President Ruto has spoken out numerous times about the need for African countries to work together to address common challenges.
There are many reasons why Kenya is well-positioned to lead Africa's unification movement.
First, the country is a relatively stable and prosperous country. It has a strong economy, a vibrant democracy and a diverse population. This makes it an ideal model for other African countries to follow.
Second, it has a long history of regional leadership. It has played a key role in the East African Community, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and other regional organisations. This experience gives it the expertise and networks it needs to help unite Africa.
Third, Kenya has a strong commitment to pan-Africanism. The country's founding fathers were among the architects of the Organisation of African Unity, and has always been a strong supporter of African unity.
Kenya's leadership in Africa's unification movement would be a major step forward for the continent. It would help to promote peace and stability, economic development and regional cooperation. It would also send a strong message to the world that Africa is a united continent that is ready to take its place on the global stage.
Of course, there are challenges that Kenya would face in leading Africa's unification movement. One challenge is that there are many different countries on the continent with different cultures, languages and political systems. It would be difficult to get all of these countries to agree on a common vision for Africa.
Another challenge is that there are powerful external forces that may try to prevent Africa from uniting. These forces may see a united Africa as a threat to their interests.
The writer is a political and communications consultant. @MachelWaikenda