The same is true for individuals and iconic landmarks such as Lake Victoria, Victoria Falls, and Lakes Chad or Albert. After the invasion by German and British colonizers, they renamed these landmarks out of desperation to immortalize their own identities, disrupting the native cultural and historical significance held by African people. Notable instances include the renaming of Lake Mwitanzige to Lake Albert in 1864 and the transformation of Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls to Victoria Falls by David Livingstone in 1855. Embu people called Mt. Kirenyaa (the sacred mountain where god resides) was truncated to Mt. Kenya by Johanne Ludwig Krapf in 1849, Ubinu (Land of inexhaustible resources)  to Benin City.  The anglicization, corruption, and truncation of local names in favor of European ones perpetuate colonial ownership, creating a psychological calamity that echoes through decades of independence.  

 “erasing” the identities of the conquered and colonized communities

"One century and six decades of oppression later ..."

Nestled in the southern part of Africa, it is a member of the world's seven wonders, the magnificent Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls, aptly translating to the Smoke that Thunders. According to Danmore, in 1855, the local Tonga people and their chief in present-day Zimbabwe graciously welcomed a Scottish immigrant, David Livingstone, into their community. They guided him on a tour of the majestic Mosi-oa-Tunya Falls. However, upon returning to England, Livingstone claimed he had been the first man to see it and named it Victoria Falls after Queen Victoria. To this day, there are two enormous David Livingstone statues on either side of the falls, deliberately excluding the chief and the local communities historically dwelling by these falls. These events sit against the backdrop of a British invasion by troops who had been trained to crush African tribes on behalf of the crown. The retention of these colonial names serves the British Empire. It contributes to the erasure of local memories, even though Mosi-oa Tunya was known as this by the people who inhabited the area during the Palaeolithic era.  

The significance of African names and naming ceremonies extends deep into our cultural, religious, and historical roots. It begs the question: Why not christen these locations with the names of iconic African figures such as Mandela, Maathai, Kwame Nkrumah, Robert Mugabe, Mansa Musa, Queen Nzinga, or Koffee Anaan? As long as these Anglicized names persist on our landmarks, we remain bound to the chains of colonial territorial markings, far from the true essence of freedom. Ripon Falls, Uganda, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Lake Victoria ( Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania), Lake Albert, Lake George, and Lake Edward remain with their colonial territorial markings. My question is, why should we continue to uphold European interests one century and six decades of oppression later? 

We need to change the African names of natural bodies to restore Africa's authentic identity. Nna O. Oluocha reiterates, "Decolonizing Indigenous African place names is not an exercise conceived to be without some challenges. Nowhere in the world has reconstruction of former namescapes ever enjoyed a hitch-free, smooth ride; there are always some hiccups to contend with. The formal process of reclaiming the indigenous place names may face political, social, practical and financial obstacles." Having acknowledged that, there have been successful widespread efforts such as the reversal of French Sudan to Mali, Stanleyville DRC to Kisangani, Livingstone in Zambia to Maramba, Fort Victoria to Masvingo, and from Sai back to Nyasaina…