Ubuntu

Ubuntu is the African philosophy best described in the words of some of Africa's thought leaders thus:

I am because we are, and because we are, I am - John S. Mbiti

I am because I belong - Desmond Tutu

Ubuntu is the essence of 'being human' in African traditional thought, it dictates how individuals should relate one to another, guided by values such as solidarity, compassion, survival (of the group/collective), dignity, responsiveness and respect. Under ubuntu, individual identity must not trump collective identity.

My questions are:

• Ubuntu sounds so great (yes I am familiar with some of its manifestations from my village upbringing and in observation of collectives of women in Kenya), but, does it have a downside? some scholars argue that subsuming individual identity under collective identity is problematic. I would want to find out exactly how so by finding out from those who do experience its impact on their existence daily.
• and if one is to view ubuntu as essentially positive, why is it not being practiced in much of SSA?