The Standard | Online Edition :: UN alarmed at plight of Somali asylum seekers

The Standard | Online Edition :: UN alarmed at plight of Somali asylum seekers

UN alarmed at plight of Somali asylum seekers

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By Amos Kareithi

The international community should not ignore thousands of Somali nationals fleeing their war torn country, a UN official has warned.

High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres at the same time said they have been overwhelmed by the outflow of asylum seekers fleeing to Kenya from Somalia.

"We are doing the best, but our best is not enough for Somali refugees. We need to do more but we do not have resources," he said.

During a visit to Kenya, which took him to Kakuma and Daadab refugee camps, Guterres said there have been attempts by some countries to block or discriminate against Somalis.

slammed doors

Kakuma and Daadab camps remain overwhelmed by refugee number. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

"The anxiety expressed by Somalis is justified. Doors are being slammed. Please do not send them to their country as they are likely to be persecuted," Guterres said.

He said more than 20 years after anarchy broke out in Somalia, the flow of victims from endless war still continued.

Although he declined to give names, the High Commissioner said he was disheartened by some European countries for reportedly discriminating against Somalis.

He said although the UNHCR had made 128,000 submissions for relocation, only 80,000 have been successful, representing a meager one per cent of refugees.

While pressing the international community to do more to bring peace to Somalia, Gurretes said: "There is no evil without an end and there is no good thing, which will not end one day. One day the evil war in Somalia will end. Nothing lasts forever."

At Daadab, he expressed shock at the congestion in the refugee camp, which now has 287,000 refugees.

He ruled out closing of Kakuma camp, which was being used for relocation to decongest Daadab.

At the same time, Dadaab, he said, was being expanded to accommodate a further 40,000 asylum seekers.

Immigration Assistant Minister Francis Baya said the Government was planning to create a better reception centre near Kenya-Somalia border to screen refugees.

On Sudan, the commissioner said although 38,000 refugees had been repatriated following the signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, tension still reigned.

"We are still receiving refugees from Sudan especially from Darfur region. We appeal to all the parties in Sudan to respect the outcome of the coming referendum," he said.

Anatomy of a hateful media house

By Samir H.

I am running out of phrases to describe KTN and its blatant Islamophobia/Somaliphobia. Their interest in vilifying an increasingly visible and powerful minority group is no longer shrouded in vagueness. Their modus operandi seems to be: Make up a fake story of wrong doing by a non-existent individual, throw in the word Somali, mention something about 'illegals' and buying up 'ID Card', then gin up the story to a national controversy by  running it on their multiple media platforms. (KTN, The Standard, eastandard.net). An intensive negative coverage is fully spanning into a synergized multi-layered campaign for the delegitimization  of the Somali community.
Not a word of what they say about Somalis is true, but amazingly at one fell swoop, the Standard Media Group has successfully  knit up a tent of wingnuttery, where whacko haters feed off each others hate for Somalis in their very own bubble of bigotry.
The Story of a lone narcissist, pimping an 18th century communal policing practices will be forever imprinted in our memories. The sight of women, running for their freedom during Ramadhan will not be forgotten in NEP soon.

We might call them racist but recently I've become disinterested in this label. For a word that is so rich in suggestion, its starved of specificity. And KTN's war on Somali Kenyans, I've come to realize, is  specific and calculated.
Ask yourself what does KTN stand to gain from this?
Why was there a 15% rise in KTN's Stocks in a fortnight?
Where did this injection of liquidity come from?
What's KTN's relationship with the Indian community which owns 50+% of the entire Kenyan GDP?

I'm sure you are getting the drift of my story. In a country where free speech is for sale, an injection of liquidity into a notorious media house, will go a long way in running the kind of news that you want. In 2005, The Standard Media Group was raided by Kibaki's henchmen after they printed unflattering articles about the presidents wife. The understanding was as former Internal Security Minister infamously put it, "If you rattle a snake, expect to be bitten by it." This is the very same thing that Somali Kenyans need to do. Of course not raid the place in full commando regalia but bite KTN financially. This can be done in multiple ways:

1. Invest in their competitors, after all its not only Indians and Kiuks who have a monopoly on money.

2. Full blown declaration of hostility by Supkem and Jamia Mosque. For all its arrogance, KTN is not interested in getting into war with Muslims in Kenya. Given the diversity of Muslims in Kenya and their level of integration into the fabric of the society, the Standard Media Group knows this will gravely destroy their business.

3. Use our financial muscle and clout in buying influence within SMG itself. This is Kenya. Editors are available for a price and if The Easleigh Business Community cannot achieve this measly objective, I do not know what it can.

4. Engage in adversarial activism, online and offline. By legal means and otherwise.
Regarding the aforementioned activism, I would like to commend The Norther Lobby Group. This a group of young professional somali activist who have taken on SMG head on by launching a series of legal suits and complaints to the CCK and other regulatory bodies.
Equally a commendation is inorder for all the youths who took part in an online rebuttal of KTN on their facebook page. Their overwhelming pursuit of this irresponsible media corporation is already bearing fruit.

Its time for Somali Kenyans to form an influential alliance to take on this concerted attack on them. I'll be posting more articles on how we can improve our influence in the National Assembly  and the increasingly toxic media environment.

Spread the word. Share it on facebook, Uptweet it. Stand up to KTN!


The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Problem With NEP

By  Aden Sh-abdullahi Yunis 

We have spent the last 45 years blaming politicians and lamenting about marginalization without addressing the root causes or debating the possible solutions. We have consistently elected the same breed of politicians while the province sank deeper and deeper into political, economic and social miseries. The province is so predictable that we would trail in sports, drama, science congress competition and even in population census. These pathetic scenarios are exaggerated by natural calamities such as heat, low rainfalls and rugged terrains. 

In the education sector, the three old districts (include the newly created)compete at the bottom during KCPE and KCSE results. These is because the performances of our children are being doctored by among others the absence of teachers and teaching aids. Over the years, We have learnt that Kenya's leading student's trail behind our children once they attend same classes in public universities. (No malice intended) 

Healthcare is a nightmare that beats all logics. Dispensaries are either non-existent or ill-equiped, unmanned and so dispersed that basic treatable diseases are the leading cause of death in NEP. Awareness is a non-existent luxury and you can guess the fate of a heart attack patient in a province where burials are conducted within minutes of death.... See More 

There are no reasons why tarmac roads are extended to all the country's border points except North Eastern province. This is a deliberate economic sabotage. It is a folly that tarmac roads are extended to Mombasa, Namanga, Narok, Busia, Lokichoggio and not in the easier terrains of Nep. We are the only solutions to our problems. We have the rights to publicise these issues or tolerate the words silently.I beleive Nep is capable of reaching greater goals. 

We can strenghthen our politicians by setting goals and holding them accountable, by making sure both constituents and politicians appreciate the power of the vote. We can differ on issues and personalities but we will always have common interests and middle grounds. We can bet that all interested parties would prefer better infrastructure, more hospitals and educational institutions, lower taxes and a constitution that gives power back to the people. To achieve these goals, we should encourage a communal approach to the challenges, add up ideas soberly and set the foundation for a better, well administered, politically mature North Eastern province. 

The challenges facing the province today can be solved by awareness campaigns. Some might require time and effort from our generation for the betterment of our successors. CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS: 

Why do NEP residents go to the police instead of the courts when someone is arrested?
Why do we pay fines that are not court-ordered and without receipts? 
Why do we break in ululations when a District commissioner promises to address power outages 
Why shouldn't the KPLC boss do his job? 
If NEP records the lowest crime every year, Why are we leading in police arrests? 
Why is it that only 2% of those arrested reach the court? 
Why are our MPs inaccessible after elections? 
Can our Gov't afford a tarmac road from Isiolo to Moyale(Eastern)? Hulugho to Mandera? 
Can we afford one public university in Nep? JUST ONE! 
Why is media-coverage restricted in Nep and why do we have to buy papers that do not cover our pleas? 

A college degree and finding a middle class job in the city will not change Nep. Our elites must be politically active and negotiate for each vote that the Gov't gets from Nep. We should create pressure groups to keep MPs on the run and deny them a chance to sleep in parliament. Peaceful masses should camp at parliamentarians doors in the wee hours of the morning! What do you think? 

I Have a Dream/Question: Whats Up With The Somali Derangement Syndrome

So a new constitutions has been promulgated. Everyone is jubilant and the masses wait for their lives to change (for the better). But if u were expecting the partisan bickering to stop, tribalism to magically disappear from the public sphere, sorry the Messiah is  still residing in heaven. The Bashir visit has re-invigorated  PNU Vs ODM politics. Politicians have started to strategize for 2012, Governor's races etc. And the usual Gema against the rest of kenya match up is fully on, albeit less vociferous.  

I really wish we could have an intelligent, thoughtful dialog that sheds a little more light on what is happening in this country. It is just too easy to lump Gema and the Kamba brothers together into some vast tribal conspiracy out to take over Kenya. We call them names and wring our hands because that does, in fact, seem to be their strategy. But what is the truth, really? Is it really a concerted effort on the part of all the monied class to wipe out the poor and middle classes? When and where are their secret meetings held? Is there really a cadre of evildoers bent on taking the powerless down? Did they actually go out and recruit chief justice Gicheu and Attorney General Amos Wako and the rest to hand down decisions in their favor? Are well-educated, thoughtful judges really that venal? If not, we need to try harder to find out what, besides money and tribal supremacy, drives them.

We have focused on what makes people without much money vote against their own best interests, and a lot of us have concluded it’s ignorance and institutionalized clan-ism, fed by a quasi media propaganda machine. What I’d like to know is what drives KTN and their ilk? Is it really just money or tribal alliance? I have to think that after a point it simply can’t be. How many  top government positions, grabbed land, yachts, helicopters, and expensive cars can one person really keep track of? What really goes on in their minds? Can we ever find out if no one speaks with an authentic voice anymore? When have we last heard people on either ODM or PNU really speak from their hearts instead of in carefully calibrated sound bites? Can it be that if Kibaki or Raila did speak from his heart we would find he is truly Machiavellian, with a Hitlerian vision of a Kenya full of super kikuyu or luo men like him? If they really are megalomaniacs motivated to create a super tribe, then they ought to be exposed. If they aren't, can they please rationally and seriously rebut the arguments that reveal that so much of what they stand for is divisive not just economically but in every other way?

My hope is that this time round, the dreams of children from Garissa to Busia will not be dashed. That the blood shed for this second deliverance will not be wasted like it was in the years following 1963. I dream there will be a Kenya where the Police will respect the rights of individuals, where being a muslim does not carry with it the label of a terrorist and a somali will be as much a citizen as wanjiku of central.

So my friends, I have a dream or maybe I'm hallucinating!!

Parts of the Road between Nairobi & Gsa are so smooth, they might inspire one to try out their Formula 1 Skillz.

Recently carpeted, few cars plying the highway and free of Traffic Police, the masters of emasculated beggertude-if you would permit the word.

Diametrically opposite to this is ofcourse the road between Garissa and Mandera.

This is just before you get out of Garissa at the border between Boystown & Al Farouq

Things to Remember for Eid if you are in Garissa

First, congratulations for making  it through the month of Ramadhan. May Allah (SWT) grant you a place in Jannah and accept all your good deeds.
That said, if you are going to be in Garissa for the Eid, then here is a compilation of essential items that you might find helpful. We did not exhaust all that a person might require but at least it is a preliminary checklist. Feel free to add whatever you feel we left out.

1. If u can afford to buy new clothes for yourself and loved ones, please do so. Its sunnah to look good during the day of eid and not to mention, the 1000shs you spend on that Kanzu will bolster Garissa's economy.

2. Take a prayer rug/ Mussalla with you just in case you don't find anyone generous enough to share theirs with you.
If u are a praying at a mosque, then take a paper bag for your shoes.

3. Make sure you know how Salatul-eid is prayed. Trust me I've witnessed a lot of people who embarrass themselves by flopping this simple prayer. At least pay attention when the Imam is describing how its properly done.

4. If u go with kids, wait till the majority of the crowd leaves. You do not wanna pray Jannaza right after salatul eid!


5. If possible say 'Hi' to the Ula'maa and thank them for their leadership. They are an asset that we tend to overlook.

6. Make sure zakatul fitr is payed well inadvance

7. Go to Morroro...Don't Go to Morroro....AHHH! Who am I to advice anyone on this?

Nyama Choma at Almond resort or Nomad Palace for lupper (lunch + Supper)

Wind up  the day by watching a classic clash between Red Eagles and Sunnah Boys at the Garissa Primary School play ground.

ENJOY Your Eid. Remember to pray for  the distressed in Somalia, Pakistan  and elsewhere.

KTN and the latest in Somaliphobia: brought to you by Mohammed Ali and his sidekick (D.Onsarigo)

By Samir H.


We all know that KTN is a vile propagandist machine that serves up hatred towards Somalis and Muslims in Kenya. Its the enemy of honesty and dignity and the biggest proponent of selfishness and class. In short KTN is the quintessence of unfairness, bigotry and marginalization. This Channel has a well known track record in peddling all sorts of lies and myths about Somalis. It has no respect for journalistic integrity and code.

This evil empire disguised as a media institution propagates the notion that Somalis are laundering billions of shillings in to the kenyan economy. That the inflation in our size is directly attributed to illegal aliens buying Kenyan Identity cards without providing any evidence to that effect. It has been the architect behind the bogus lie that the rise in Property prices in Nairobi and other cities is directly attributable to Somali money and influence.  And numerous other unfounded distortions that can be refuted by the click of a mouse.

After all of that, you would think this channel has sunk to a  journalistic low...boy, u are so wrong! These classless minions have now reached the epitome of lowness and are proudly swimming in the sewer of filth and dirt.

Recently Mohammed Ali and his sidekick have been busy" unearthing " a scheme by Somalis to take over Kenya by bringing all their brethren from Som to Kenya's borders. Now I have no problem with investigative journalism per se but somewhere in Kenya, a police officer is shooting a civilian or sticking a shiv into a witness , or someone is defrauding an orphan or a politician is arming his tribe for the coming Armageddon (remeber 2007) yet these vagabonds don't think that's worthy of investigation. They think ostracizing Somalis, who have been for decades victims of abuse and crimes by the state, will attract more eyeballs to their almost defunct station.

Mohammed Ali is a well known sociopath with delusions of grandeur. His sidekick is..well,  really just a sidekick. These two self aggrandizing lowlifes have been spreading fear in Nep and scaring the rest of the ignorant Kenyan masses.

As a muslim and a somali Kenyan I was troubled by the sight of aging Somali women  in the midst of their fast being chased on a thorny and an unforgiving landscape by two primates  pretending to be Police officers. Seriously, these two clowns have no jurisdiction under international or local law to question refugees or harass women especially in the midst of the holy month of Ramadan.

I called a bunch of my friends who are involved in the "mbuzi" industry (Zafex) and asked if they knew "Macho" the traitor or any of the people on the video. Luckily, we tracked down one of the women who were being chased that day. She is lives in Dagahley and wanted to come to Garissa for medical reasons. Neither the Kenyan government nor the UN would give her travel permits, so she did the only thing any of us would, under the same circumstances. She took matters into her own hands.

As Somali Kenyans, we have come a long way and climbed many mountains to gain our freedoms to just let them be trampled upon by corrupt officers or  less so a hostile mouthpiece of an adversarial TV station. As these two evil twins wrap up their rants and distortions, its upto the rest us peace loving northerners to stand up for our rights and those of the over exploited refugees.

I hate human traffickers as much as- if not more than- KTN. They mistreat people, plunder their wealth and subject them to subhuman treatment. This cannot be blamed solely on them. The Police and Immigration officers are responsible for this. The government is responsible for this too. There should be away for People fleeing the terrible situation in Somalia to find peace and live in dignity in Kenya.

We cannot remain blissful idiots who can rationalize anything.  Lets remember Marting Niemoller's  famous poem about Nazi Germany:

"

They came first for the Communists,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up."

The Suburbs