Our Lame Media

Human beings have a noted bias towards those of their kind and creed. This explains why Kenya's media has been the equivalent of a Nazi propaganda machine when it comes to Kenya's war on Somalia.  The media has been forever overlooking the serious crimes the army has been accused of committing in anyplace it has ever been deployed to; be it Mount Elgon, Mandera and now Somalia.

I'm not sure if its tribal. Tribal loyalty mainly consists of judging people solely by which side they are on and if the coverage is anything to go by, the media has been nothing short of cheer-leader for this effort.

It's not so much as being patriotic, it's that they've been consistently pursuing hatred and bigotry against Somalis for half a decade now.

The media eschews fairness and accountability, writes editorial urging the government to invade Somalia and casts a blind-eye on all the shortcomings of the military and the political class. It's like they've been paid to shill for all that is bad about this country.

Joseph Goebbels' (Hitler's propaganda minister) infamous propaganda principles included this

"Propaganda must facilitate the displacement of aggression by specifying the target of hatred."


Clearly some at NTV, KTN and Citizen have been reading this.

I hope this instills some cognitive dissonance in you and makes you seek information from unbiased sources. What we have in Kenya is a sham hate mongering machine that masquerades as MEDIA.

Let's all pray for peace and brotherly love.

Kenyan Somalis at Risk of Xenophobic Attacks

Apparently people are shocked that the constant vilification of Somalis on TV, Social Media and Parliament could lead to reprisal attacks against them. Some of us are on the record stating the obvious long before this war.

The distrust of Somalis will always hurt national cohesion more than it will harm actual Somalis living in Kenya. To the extent that there is a significant portion of the Kenyan populace that is somaliphobic, I think that emanates from trade envy and a failure to understand the significant role we played in this country's history. Historical revisionism has edited out the vital role Somalis hold in this nation and our contribution to the remarkable success of the Kenyan economy in the past decade.

It doesn't help either that we have brain-dead leaders who continue to feed upon our disenfranchisement rather than unity. The unintended consequence of  this conflation of Somalis with Al-Shabab might be the unification of all Somalis living in Kenya.

Let me get to the point of this post.. which is this assessment offered by the head of NCIC regarding Somali Kenyans.

The continued branding of Kenyan Somalis as Al-Shabaab sympathisers could fuel xenophobic attacks against them, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission has warned.

NCIC also criticised Friday’s attack on presidential hopeful Raphael Tuju who was on a campaign tour in Kisumu, which it described as the "apex in the country’s pyramid of intolerance".

On the hate propaganda targeted at Kenyan Somali community, chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia said this was being propagated through social media, broadcasts and SMS text messages.

“These include one that advises Kenyans to alight from matatus if they get on board. This outrightly amounts to fear mongering and is likely to fuel xenophobic attacks against the community. We shall not allow this to happen,” said Mr Kibunjia at the Commission’s Delta House headquarters in Nairobi Saturday.

“People become Al-Shabaab or any militia group on their individual capacity and not as an ethnic group or race,” he said citing Elgiva Bwire Oliacha, the self-confessed terrorist, who pleaded guilty to the grenade attacks in Nairobi last month.

Finally, I received an e-mail, yesterday, from a friend asking me to make a distinction between Somali Kenyans and Somali refugees so (non-Somali) readers can know who I'm referring to. I refuse to do so mainly because those who hate us for being Somali generally hate us without making any such distinction. I don't think selling out my refugee brethren would make them accept me for the Kenyan that I am anymore.

Why Kenya's Foray into Somalia is Counterproductive and Destined to Fail

 It remains to be seen whether Kenya will stay in Somalia for any considerable length of time but its pretty obvious this latest military move is nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction.

Elements in Somalia whether allied with the dreaded Al-Shabab or profiteering bandits have been relentlessly provoking Kenya by violating its territory and staging brazen daylight kidnappings. It is natural for anyone to react violently when tested by a bully. However, what needs discussion here is whether Kenya's inexperienced military with its antiquated hardware has any long term plans for combating the Al-Shabab threat.

A quick bombing raid of outlying Somali villages will not do away with the threat that is posed by Al-shabab. Neither will a prolonged ground combat which will only serve as a recruiting blitz for the terrorist movement. We all know how antagonistic Somalis are to any form of foreign occupation; even from what has been up to now a benevolent neighbour.

In an era of near economic crisis, with inflation this high and the shilling tanking at rates reminiscent of the Zimbabwean dollar, getting bogged down in a guerrilla war with an entrenched and highly mobile enemy is nothing more than inviting disaster.


The unintended consequence of this military campaign might be forcing the drought battered population into the arms of the Shabab all over again. Also, if Kenya's intentions were to protect its tourism, suicide bombings in Nairobi and Mombasa will do not much to encourage visitors to come to Kenya.
Given how amateur and corruptible our security and intelligence apparatuses are, the Shabab will be able to attack within Kenya with significant ease.

Kenya's own indigenous Somali population will also become the subject of unnecessary vilification and will be seen by the rest of the country as having divided loyalties, wrongly of course.

So What is the best answer in this scenario? Certainly its not just sitting back while your citizens are terrorized by foreign thugs.

My own thinking is that Kenya should beef up security around its border with Somalia and improve its intelligence gathering. Surgical strikes against militant groups suspected of being behind kidnappings, covert operations and commando raids within Somalia to kill the leaders of the bandits/terrorist groups that are behind cross-border raids into Kenya and closing up all revenue streams coming to Al-Shabab through money laundered into Kenya.

Al-Shabab is an evil organization that has perveted Islam and Somali culture to cause indescribable pain and suffering but its not an entity that Kenya alone can eradicate.

For Somali Speakers, here is a lecture by Sh. Umal about the group

Raila Meets with Somali Kenyans in Minnesota

Prime Minister Raila Odinga met with the Somali Kenyan Community of Minnesota and laid out his plans for the country. The meeting revolved around issues related to food security, the famine in East Africa and how to bring the Kenyan dream to the millions of Kenyans that have been marginalized. Raila talked about his plan to get the economy working for the regular man again and ensuring accessible education and health care for all.

Also to pander to the audiences islamic believes, he reiterated that the Kenya Constitution does not legalize gay marriage or abortion.

Dr. Siyat Abdullahi, the chairman of the committee that organized the event and other speakers in the diaspora spoke of their hope for a Ministry of the Diaspora and for a say in the Kenyan democracy. 

Not to forget, the PM cracked the usual jokes about Kenyan tribes. The event was attended by dignitaries such as the Kenyan Ambassador to the United Nation and The PM's wife, Ida odinga.

Here are some grainy cellphone pictures of the event. Courtesy of one Hinda Ali's Twitter TL (@HindaAli19)

More Hate, More Daily Nation and More Yellow Journalism.

Responding to this kind of malicious slander and racist propaganda is becoming almost too tedious for this blog. The Daily Nation continues to double down on its racist, knee-jerk reaction to anything marginally associated with Somalis even if culpability doesn't lie with Somalis.

This week, their delusions are based on a nefarious (mis)understanding of what happened in Madogo. The monkey posing as an editor forgot to mention to the clown who penned this opinion that Tana North District isn't part of Garissa and that the OCPD was killed by raging Munyos- not Somalis. But why let facts stand in your way when you can score cheap political points.

The Daily Nation's disregard for basic accuracy is villainous and reeking of yellow journalism.

Eastleigh estate has been taken over and it is no longer regarded as part of Kenya. Indeed, many Kenyans rarely venture into Eastleigh because it is under siege from various Somali elements.
Many indigenous Kenyans (including Kenyan Somalis) have since left for other estates. I hear that some crooks even collect ‘‘protection fees’’ from business owners.

The whole article is riddled with innuendos and counter-factual claims that are not supported by basic common sense. If Kenyan Somalis are to thrive long term, they need to take on this Indian backed rag head on.
At a time of such great difficulty for many Somalis who are suffering as a result of drought, state sanctioned marginalization and internal conflict, its inhumane and against common human decency for a paper beholden to rich Indian benefactors to paint a whole community as anarchist, violent and anti-democratic.

To allow teachers at third rate colleges to slander a whole community without evidence because of their deep seated hatred for Somalis is against the course of natural justice. The retard who wrote this hateful fluff piece can be reached at amutabi@yahoo.com
If you have a conscious, you'll e-mail this clown your reactions.

To read the full article, go here

Genocidaires Associated with Wagalla Massacre summoned by TJRC

Let us stop for a minute and give a deserved applause to the men and women of the TJRC. Despite court battles and significant resistance from the masterminds of the Wagalla Massacre all aimed at stopping the commission from doing its work, these guys have stuck to their guns. And now comes the good news that we all wanted to hear: the genocidaires who refused to show up before the panel in its Wajir tour have now been summoned to appear before it in Nairobi.

Those summoned to appear before the TJRC include the who is who of murderous villainy.These high profile war criminals total 27 and include, Bethuel Kiplagat, Mwiraria, Joseph Kibwana, Jospeh Kaguthi, Benson Kaaria, among others.

All of these men have been adversely implicated in the massacre of 5 000 Somalis in Wajir. In their many different capacities, these men (and they are all men) have been the prototype for a mini-hitlerian plan to decimate Somali Kenyans. Lets hope justice catches up with them in this world because surely what awaits in the here after is far worse.

Read full story here

Sunday Nation & this month's latest in Anti-Somali Racism

Malignant Racists, like the Daily Nation's Editor's, don't know went to drop the old beat-up story of  how Somali refugees are a threat to Kenya's "security".

In typical xenophobic cabiid fashion, their template article for drumming up hatred, probably to influence the Kamkunji election is out.

The template always looks something like this:

HEADLINE: Somalis/Illegal immigrants pose risk to Kenya

"Kenya is grappling with the increased risk of (Insert one of the xenophobic lies they propagate e.g home grown terrorist, property price spikes, money laundering etc)

Blah blah blah...Monkey X, an expert in Security, finance, real estate said yada yada yada

Insert a definitively sweeping negative statement about all Somalis, Kenyan or otherwise,alleging the same aforementioned crap.

In this particular case, what stood out for me was the supposed security officer who said:

"Unlike the Ethiopians who use the country as a transit route, the Somalis mean no good; they are a security threat,”

Seriously? Not be a racist myself but come on, Ethiopian are better for Kenya than Somalis? HAHAHA!
Expect more of this as the normally notorious Kamkunji Politics heat up.

If you want to read the full story, here is the link

KTN Insults Somali Culture, Again!

 It's a long, winding road from the crucible of some third rate college to a media house. But Saida Swaleh seems to have made the leap before she learnt anything. In some horseshit clip purporting to be a study of Somali culture, this brain-addled bimbo serves up  the usual racism that has become the trademark of KTN and The Standard Media Group in general. She dabbles in propagating stereotypes, spreading unfounded lies, insulting Islam and belittling Somali culture. For someone who claims to be a Muslim, this scumbag of a reporter is as Bipolar { the ending was somewhat conciliatory}as they come.

What I like the most about the video is the Gentleman in the Raila-esque cap who said:

 "Unaona hii nyumba. Zamani ni ya Mkikuyu, sasa ni ya Wariya"

Fucking deal with it bitch. We are successful because we work harder than any of you retarded morons. Gotta love it though. No one gets the adoons as cranky as we do.

Law Designed to Keep Somali Kenyans Poor

NEWS

Archaic law linked to poverty in Garissa

SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTEMAILRATING

By ISSA HUSSEIN, ihussein@ke.nationmedia.com

Posted  Thursday, April 14 2011 at 20:06

The emergency law creating poverty in Garissa County, the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission has been told.

RELATED STORIES

• Envoy accused of Garissa killings

The team heard that more than 9,000 cattle were confiscated by the state through an archaic law.

The law reportedly created concentration camps known as villages to curtail the movement of pastoralists and livestock found outside the camps were taken away.

Mr Dubat Ali Amey, a witness who spoke before the commission, said five camps known as ‘kijijis’ were created in Modogashe, Garissa, Balambala, Bura and Ijara between 1965-66 under the leadership of then PC J. J. Mburu.

“Anyone found outside the camps was declared a shifta, and was shot dead while his herd was taken to Kenya Meat Commission to make canned meat that was served to the security forces that conducted the deadly operation,” Mr Dubat said.

The witness said camels were shot dead since the security officers did not like the meat.

He said the move by the state resulted in widespread poverty in Garissa county.

A notorious concentration camp known as Jaribu was cited as one of the worst. There, nine officers also known as the Nine Brothers, reportedly used brutal acts to extract information from locals.

Officers from the Special Branch, Criminal Investigation Department and Kenya Wildlife Service, acting on the orders of then PC Mburu, allegedly tortured and killed anyone who did not cooperate.

The commission sitting at Garissa National Library heard that the officers working with Somalia bandits were involved in wildlife poaching.

“It is known to all the residents of Garissa Town that the 300 people killed in Garissa Gubay in 1980 was because of a bandit called Abdi Madowe who was a notorious poacher and a close friend of the security officers,” Mr Dubat said.

The commission was asked to refer to a 1980 Sunday Nation paper where then PC Benson Karia was quoted saying that for the death of one security officer, 100 Kenyan Somalis would die.

“Police officers killed with impunity,” Mr Dubat said in a lengthy testimony.

Of Lies, Lawsuits & ID issuance

 In line with its brazen disregard for the truth, the government is still doubling down on the lie that  Nepians are not discriminated against in the issuance of ID cards stating among other reasons that the process is meant to weed out non-kenyans and applies to all communities that live near or at international borders.

The government also stated that vetting committees are necessary to assess the authenticity of ID applications. It also insisted through its lawyers that the burden of proof of citizenship and age lies with us (nepians/applicants) and not the government. Not only is their reasoning disingenuous, its in clear contravention of the new constitution which calls for the equal treatment of all citizens regardless of religion, tribe and place of residence.

Vetting committees are inherently corrupt and clearly do nothing to weed out so called "aliens." They are just there to frustrate legitimate Kenyans and make a quick buck from selling national identity cards. The Somalis on these "vetting committees" are perennial second fiddles to their counterparts from elsewhere. May be 2012 will be the dawn of a new era for us.

 Unsheathe your pitch forks and demand your rights!

Full story on the lawsuit can be read here

Garissa's Ruinous Relationship With its Leaders

 In every wretched relationship, there are moments that are so loathsome they make a person throw his hands in the air and vehemently seek vengeance with brute force. Somali Kenyans have reached that point. The anger on the ground in Garissa and other places is palpable. Whilst an unmitigated disaster unfolds in NEP as people starve, the government is splashing money on defending War criminals and genocidaires. It's a reflection of the future that lies ahead in the sick relationship between MPs and their subjects. As poverty and frustration percolate to the core of society, the men we elected to change our fortunes are busy aligning themselves with internationally recognized war criminals. As somali mothers get gang raped by the same people (Police) that were supposed to provide them with protection, our elected Somali officials are busy thwarting the ICC's pursuit of Ruto and Uhuru. As we get humiliated on our own streets by policemen who see us as walking ATM machines, our MPs pusillanimously cow-tow to the fascism of a government that we've been disenchanted with for almost half a century.

 For those of us that are unemployed, educated and frustrated, let's be done with these goons and let them be done with us. Let them start businesses with all the money they stole over these 5 years and make millions in profit. We will promise not begrudge them-as long as they create jobs here in Garissa and stay out of politics.

 To the youth, I urge you to be cynical of everything these pseudo-dictators tell you. Cultivate the Tunisian in you and even if it takes a low level intifada to bust the existing political class delineation in our county, GO FOR IT. GOD BLESS YOU!

Leave your thoughts in the comments section and share with friends. All links are embedded below

Sullying Kenya's Good Name

By Mark T Jones


  As one of Africa’s most ethnically diverse cities, Nairobi is a magnet for those seeking a better life. Kenya’s capital exudes an entrepreneurial spirit that helps ensure the nation remains a place of innovation and creativity. Education is valued and the vast majority of people are eager to make the most of a generally outward looking country, one eager to be the dynamo of the region. That said, to those prepared to look as well as see there are also a number of disquieting features that indicate serious weaknesses that have the potential to gnaw away at the heart of the Kenyan dream.

Recent events in Eastleigh are in many ways symptomatic of these weaknesses. When the Police and Armed Forces consciously set out to round up individuals like cattle in the name of a so-called security operation, then we are aware that the State has contempt for the rights of the individual. No amount of sophistry, semantics or half truths will mask the fact that arrests have been indiscriminate and that innocent people have suffered on the Orders of the State; for the Police and Armed Forces do not move without the blessing or say-so of the powers that be. The Authorities excuse their actions claiming that such action is necessary to deal with those who are in the country illegally, or may be subversive elements intent on perpetrating acts of terror. If this is the case why are the same Authorities not arresting individuals, owners of companies and prestigious institutions and dare I say it Heads of Government Departments and Ministers who employ and take advantage of individuals who may be in the country illegally?

Before action can be taken there needs to be proof. The Police and Security Forces make mention of an attack, before a proper investigation has taken place to prove it was precisely that. In these challenging times it is far too convenient to blame every explosion or incident on the likes of al Shabab. The vast majority of people in Kenya of Somali heritage are law abiding individuals and yet all too often the Somali community and those from other countries in the Horn of Africa are stigmatised. Derogatory remarks are made about ‘the Goat People’ and if Kenya is truly to live up to its democratic and pluralist aspirations such racism and xenophobia must end.

The arrest of some 400 individuals has been defended by the likes of Anthony Kibuci, Nairobi’s Provincial Police Chief; yet what has actually been taking place is an extensive trawling exercises that would appear to have an ulterior motive. People including women, children and the elderly have been held in conditions which in a time of war would be deemed a contravention of the Geneva Convention – with in many cases no food, limited or no access to water etc. As if this were not bad enough, there are reports of individual’s families having to buy their freedom. Such extortion of Kenyan nationals, foreigners and the vulnerable seems to have become something of a tradition in the run-up to Christmas. These modern day fishers of men, women and children sully the good name of Kenya.

No one doubts that there are legitimate security concerns throughout the region, but by seeking to demonise Somalis and others is both simplistic and dangerous. In the post 9/11 world it has become far too easy for governments to pander to the fear agenda. 2010 has seen Kenya take a bold step forward by endeavouring to embrace a new constitution; it would be a tragedy indeed if before the ink was really dry those meant to be the guardians of the State were allowed to undermine social cohesion and trust.

If cast iron evidence can be found for genuine wrong doing then let the Law follow its course, not as an instrument of Government, but as its pure impartial self. As for the people of Eastleigh and similar such communities, let us not forget that like Mary, Joseph and Jesus they have found themselves in a neighbouring country due to circumstances beyond their control. All the great faiths speak of charity and neighbourliness, and at this time of year it is all the more important to seek the truth and not rush to judgement. One thing is for certain and that is that Nairobi is a better place for its diversity.

Mark T Jones

London based freelance writer and international advisor on African Affairs

Competition for Resources between Somali Refugees at Dadaab & local Somali residents

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

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!!

Daily Nation:�- Charles Onyango-Obbo�|Kenya’s ‘Somali headache’ is at the same time the country’s ‘blessing’

Daily Nation:�- Charles Onyango-Obbo�|Kenya’s ‘Somali headache’ is at the same time the country’s ‘blessing’

CHARLES ONYANGO-OBBO

Kenya’s ‘Somali headache’ is at the same time the country’s ‘blessing’

SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTEMAILRATING

By CHARLES ONYANGO-OBBO (email the author)

Posted Wednesday, August 4 2010 at 17:36

The final verdict on the referendum on Kenya’s proposed constitution that was held on Wednesday will, as many people have noted, also be a judgment on the much-touted Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC).

At the level of personalities, it will be a report card on the chair of the IIEC, Mr Ahmed Isaack Hassan. However, Mr Hassan’s stewardship of the IIEC is part of a bigger narrative about something else – the place of Kenyan Somalis in the larger Kenyan story.

Every so often, there is some grumbling about Somalis in Kenya – that they are flooding the country as refugees; that they are terrorists. It is also said that they are muscling everyone else out of the real estate business with money from piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

In the heat of the debate over the kadhi courts provisions in the draft constitution, there were accusations of a “Muslim conspiracy to take over Kenya”. “Proof” of this conspiracy was that the key political institutions were “under Muslim control”.

Mr Hassan at IIEC was named, as was Mr Abdikadir Mohammed, chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee that oversaw the draft constitution in its journey through the House, Mr Yusuf Haji, minister of Defence, and Ms Amina Mohammed, permanent secretary in the Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs ministry, to name a few.

The striking thing about Kenya, relative to other East African countries, is not how many Muslims are in key government positions, but that most of them are Somali. A colleague explained that “Kenya is very conflicted about both its Somali citizens, and the Somalis who come over as refugees or residents”.

He added: ‘‘We are both very suspicious, but also accommodating. Kenya is possibly the only country in Africa where Somalis are safest.” If Kenya has a “Somali problem”, then it also enjoys a “Somali dividend”.

In the post-Kanu Kenya of the last seven years, no ethnic group has been able to dominate power to the exclusion of others. No party has had the national clout that Kanu once had. And the big national groups – the Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Luhya, Luo, Kamba – have largely fought themselves to a draw.

In this situation, the Kenyan Somalis have been the “consensus” tribe. So the big nationalities fought after the 2007 elections and cannot agree on who should head the IIEC without drawing too much suspicion? Give it to Hassan, a Somali. You are afraid that some old vested and tribal interests will hijack the constitution in Parliament? Give it to Abdikadir, a Somali.

To use some Mazruispeak, the very “otherness” of Somalis that leads to hostility from other Kenyans, is also the source of the “oneness” that makes them safe insiders. Now Somalis face a common problem with many marginalised communities and groups, like women for example.

To get ahead in a world dominated by other nationalities, you really have to be very good. The Somalis, both in Kenya, and now globally, have developed a very competent core of bureaucrats. And, whatever shortcomings they might have, Hassan and Abdikadir have helped bring a fresh air of competence and professionalism to the business of constitution-making and elections.

In Somalia, there is no group that plays the safe holding position that Somalis play in Kenya. So they fight themselves to the death and trash their country. In fact a lot of the brutality and madness in Africa is partly down to this lack of an “outsider” tribe, which is also a minority.

In Rwanda, in many ways, there was the same lack of a harmless ethnic group that would be entrusted to take temporary custody of state business as the tempers cool off among the big boys. The attraction of groups like Somalis (like the mixed race populations in West Africa) is that deep down, there is a misguided but comforting feeling among the big communities that if push comes to shove, they can always be chased away and sent “back where they came from”.

In Africa, therefore, the country that does not have a local version of Kenyan Somalis should be very afraid.

cobbo@nation.co.ke

Daily Nation:�- Opinion�|Somalis should not be harshly judged

Daily Nation:�- Opinion�|Somalis should not be harshly judged

By AHEMEDNASIR ABDULLAHI
Posted Saturday, September 4 2010 at 18:31

IN SUMMARY

• Census: Reasons given for cancelling results in the North are distasteful and insolent

This is not something peculiar to Somalis in Kenya. It happens in many countries all over the world. It is the norm in Sudan, Morocco, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Russia, China and Iraq among others.

In these countries, a section of a country’s population that is ethnically distinct from the rest has their numerical strength suppressed in national census. Tinkering with numbers of minorities is an age-old ritual of undemocratic governments.

The Sudan government estimates the population of the South to be half the figure the South government maintains as the correct figure. Morocco historically suppresses the population figures of the Sahrawi people.

The governments of Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq have a field day with the population of their Kurd citizens. The Kenyan government, when it comes to the Somali population, is in good company.

Historically, the true population of ethnic communities that aspired for separate statehood is a matter of national security. Governments suppress the population figures of such communities in absolute discretion.

The reasons advanced by Planning minister Wycliffe Oparanya for cancelling the census results are distasteful and insolent. They are so one-dimensional that I hope it is not a true reflection of his competence for the job he holds.

He insults our intelligence when he claims that elders refused to answer questions and, instead, forcefully grabbed the census documents and proceeded to fill in information.

Oparanya wants Kenyans to believe that, just for the census purposes, elderly Somalis in Northern Kenya have suddenly become literate. Don’t also fall for his remarks on the floor of the House that it is principally because the ratio of women to men was found to be 3 to 1 that government cancelled the results.

How can one take seriously a national census that states that Somalis outside North Eastern Province are a mere 70,000? Don’t we have triple that number just in Eastleigh?

It was an open secret for the past eight months that the Office of the President was uncomfortable with the census figure from the North. This matter was variously discussed by security agents and a decision reached that the lesser evil was to cancel the census figures.

All three presidents of Kenya since independence have played significant roles in shaping the destiny of the Somali community in the country. No one could really blame Jomo Kenyatta for the inability to forget the secession movement in the north of the country.

The Kenyatta government’s policy was that Somalis were not real citizens of Kenya. He showed this in actions and in deed. Daniel Moi was quite different. Despite his hawkish attitude as vice-president, as president, Moi turned full circle.

He embraced the community as Kenyans and integrated both the region and its inhabitants into mainstream Kenya. He greatly improved the education, social and economic status of the community.

Whether by design or default, the Office of the President has since 2003 engaged in activities that specifically target members of the Somali community. These include indiscriminate security raids, denial of identity cards and passports and state orchestrated xenophobic propaganda.

A year ago, the Office of the President ordered the provincial administration to tally the properties owned by the Somali community in major towns. The census cancellation is merely the other side of that coin.

(Taken From The Daily Nation)