Depictions Of Environmental Destruction By British Colonizers In Ole Kulets “The Hunter” and “Vanishing Herds”

Abstract

This article examines the ecological legacy of 70 years of British colonial rule in Kenya and to identify some of the ecological challenges faced by the post-colonial Kenyan state, which are reflected in the rapid depletion of the country's forest cover, the alarming loss of the country's wildlife heritage, accentuated by the threat of poaching and human-wildlife conflict. Central to the ecological challenges facing the country is the colonial dispossession of land owned by indigenous communities, effectively distorting and alienating the communities from their indigenous ecological ethics (IEE). Therefore, consistent with our analysis, we conclude that while the country grapples with the thorny issue of environmental degradation, sound ecological policies must be put in place that recognize the validity of indigenous ecological ethics, which have been debased under British colonialism. In the article, the study examines the depiction of characters and characterizations in relation to ecology using the renown post-colonial African literature novels ‘Vanishing Herds’ and ‘The Hunter’.