Fourth International Theoretical Conference Kicks off in Nairobi

The Communist Party Marxist Kenya (CPM-K) is set to host the 4th International Theoretical Conference—dubbed “Theocon”—on Friday, May 23, at the United Kenya Club in Nairobi.

The conference will bring together 59 international delegates from radical movements around the world, alongside 53 local revolutionary representatives. Participants will deliberate on the central theme: “Bureaucratic and Comprador Capitalist in the Neocolonies.”

In addition to the main sessions, the organisers will convene a press briefing to highlight the event’s objectives, the importance of internationalist solidarity, and the broader revolutionary significance of Theocon within both Kenyan and global class struggles.

Notable speakers will include CPM-K Chairperson Mwaivu Kaluka, Secretary General Booker Omole, a representative from the Communist Party of the Philippines, and delegates from the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. Leaders from local Kenyan movements will also address the gathering.

Ahead of his inaugural address, Chairman Kaluka emphasized the significance of the conference, urging participants to remember the sacrifices of past comrades—who endured harsh conditions, sleepless nights, imprisonment, and even death in pursuit of justice.

“We envision that by the conclusion of this conference, Nairobi will resound with the pulse of the world communist movement,” Kaluka stated. “The harmonisation of revolutionary voices gathered here will refine our doctrine, shape our strategies, and forge policies to sharpen the ideological and organisational blade of each participating movement.”

He further denounced imperialism and what he termed the “comprador bourgeoisie,” accusing them of perpetuating exploitation and facilitating the interests of foreign powers.

“The principal enemy remains imperialism. But to defeat it, we must first confront its local agents; the comprador-bureaucratic bourgeoisie,” he said. “These are the ones who guard the gates of underdevelopment, who misappropriate state instruments for the benefit of foreign capital, and who betray the aspirations of the working masses.”

General Secretary Booker Omole echoed these sentiments, urging party members to remain vigilant and proactive in identifying and confronting the forces oppressing ordinary citizens.

“The comprador–bureaucrat class has bitten the Kenyan masses for too long. But to heal, we must name the disease. To strike, we must see the enemy clearly,” he said. “That is why we gather—to sharpen our swords of theory, to clean our guns of ideology, and to prepare for political battle.”

Omole also warned of the covert influence wielded by these local elites, often invisible in public political spaces but deeply entrenched in the country’s economic power structures.

“These compradors may not always be seen in Parliament. But they rule nonetheless, from boardrooms, investment conferences, and chambers of commerce,” he said. “They do not build factories. They build bank accounts. They do not invest in the nation. They traffic in its ruin.”

The conference precedes the 62nd commemoration of African Liberation Day (ALD), which takes place on Saturday. The event will bring together workers, peasants, youth, women, and international delegates in a united effort to advance the continental struggle against imperialism and neocolonial exploitation.