The Kenyan Somali
"Do we really have Kenyan Somalis?" That’s a question I was once asked by a Somali man, while I was at work in one of the hospitals in Nairobi. Why he asked me that question still baffles me to date. I didn’t know the guy then. I didn’t even know he was a Kenyan Somali intellectual. I had previously heard of this particular person’s name but I hadn’t, up to that time, met him physically or seen his photo. Thus, I couldn’t know who he was and what his reservations, if any, were about that supposedly innocent descriptor of mine.
I was born in Kenya to Somali parents. We speak Somali at home and carry Kenyan passports. Thus, to me, Kenyan Somali correctly identifies me. I always saw - before the ratification of the new Constitution that grants dual citizenship - that one was just an ethnic identity and the other my nationality. And, the fact that there isn’t a Kenyan community that speaks ‘Kenyan’ as their mother tongue, it is, thus, standard for everybody to speak some other language besides the official languages (Swahili and English). Apart from the Swahilis who live along the coast of the Indian Ocean, most of the other Kenyan communities speak an extra language. In fact, there are over 40 language and ethnic groups in the country. Also, and more importantly, Somalis are strewn over many countries and are indigenous to the four neigbouring countries of Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia.
Nonetheless, Somalis in Kenya have over the years suffered at the hands of state agents. Many atrocities, documented or undocumented, have been committed against the hapless Somalis in the country. The burning of Garissa in 1980 and the Wagalla massacre of 1984 are deemed as the worst that has befallen the inhabitants of North-Eastern Province – the Somali region in Kenya. Subsequent governments, starting from the colonialist, have discriminated against the province, preferring instead the more arable part of the country as ‘economically viable’.
As a result of this institutionalized marginalization, the province lags behind in almost all human development indicators. Ours has the unenviable distinction of being the only one devoid of tarmac roads. Our youth undergo tremendous hardships in trying to obtain identity cards and passports. We can’t move freely from our towns, in the frontier, to the capital or other parts of the country without some policemen stopping us to see our ID cards. Our schools perennially perform poorly. The list goes on.
Thus, all these maltreatments have had their negative toll on the Somalis, which somehow justifies their scepticism. It is, therefore, not unusual to meet some Somali lamenting about the abuses they constantly face in Kenya. And that the mess in Somalia is the only thing that forces them to begrudgingly accept their Kenyaness. For me, though, I disagree with some of these sentiments. I think even despite these atrocities, and other abuses against Somalis in Kenya, we have to fight for our rights right witin Kenya - rather than run away from our troubles.
Kenyan Somalis have on numerous occasions assumed high ranking leadership positions in the country. We have had, just to name a few, a Chief of General Staff, the highest military rank in Kenya, and the Minister for Defence held by two brothers at the same. Mark you these are some of the most sensitive positions in the country. And we have had a second minister in the same ministry who is currently at the helm. The Kenya police was at one time led by an ethnic Somali. The newly adopted Kenyan Constitution had two Kenyan Somalis prominently featuring in the process that lead to the ratification of the same; AbdiKadir Mohamed as the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee and Ahmed Issack as the chairman of the electoral body.
We have, unfortunately, not fully utilized these privileges for the advancement of the Kenyan Somali. We have rather looked the other way than emancipate the masses. And, this group has not positively used their influences and powers to help the community. It is for this reason that I am of the opinion that we need to first blame ourselves before we point fingers at others.
Coming back to that incident I had at the hospital. The guy in question actually happens to be one of the two gentlemen mentioned by name above. Though I may probably never know why he asked me that question, I will, all the same, remain a Kenyan and effective 27th August, 2010, a Somali national. Also, the recently released census result lists us as Kenyan Somalis. Therefore, we are Kenyan Somali or if you like Somali Kenyan.
( Edited on 14th September, 2010. )
I was born in Kenya to Somali parents. We speak Somali at home and carry Kenyan passports. Thus, to me, Kenyan Somali correctly identifies me. I always saw - before the ratification of the new Constitution that grants dual citizenship - that one was just an ethnic identity and the other my nationality. And, the fact that there isn’t a Kenyan community that speaks ‘Kenyan’ as their mother tongue, it is, thus, standard for everybody to speak some other language besides the official languages (Swahili and English). Apart from the Swahilis who live along the coast of the Indian Ocean, most of the other Kenyan communities speak an extra language. In fact, there are over 40 language and ethnic groups in the country. Also, and more importantly, Somalis are strewn over many countries and are indigenous to the four neigbouring countries of Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia.
Nonetheless, Somalis in Kenya have over the years suffered at the hands of state agents. Many atrocities, documented or undocumented, have been committed against the hapless Somalis in the country. The burning of Garissa in 1980 and the Wagalla massacre of 1984 are deemed as the worst that has befallen the inhabitants of North-Eastern Province – the Somali region in Kenya. Subsequent governments, starting from the colonialist, have discriminated against the province, preferring instead the more arable part of the country as ‘economically viable’.
As a result of this institutionalized marginalization, the province lags behind in almost all human development indicators. Ours has the unenviable distinction of being the only one devoid of tarmac roads. Our youth undergo tremendous hardships in trying to obtain identity cards and passports. We can’t move freely from our towns, in the frontier, to the capital or other parts of the country without some policemen stopping us to see our ID cards. Our schools perennially perform poorly. The list goes on.
Thus, all these maltreatments have had their negative toll on the Somalis, which somehow justifies their scepticism. It is, therefore, not unusual to meet some Somali lamenting about the abuses they constantly face in Kenya. And that the mess in Somalia is the only thing that forces them to begrudgingly accept their Kenyaness. For me, though, I disagree with some of these sentiments. I think even despite these atrocities, and other abuses against Somalis in Kenya, we have to fight for our rights right witin Kenya - rather than run away from our troubles.
Kenyan Somalis have on numerous occasions assumed high ranking leadership positions in the country. We have had, just to name a few, a Chief of General Staff, the highest military rank in Kenya, and the Minister for Defence held by two brothers at the same. Mark you these are some of the most sensitive positions in the country. And we have had a second minister in the same ministry who is currently at the helm. The Kenya police was at one time led by an ethnic Somali. The newly adopted Kenyan Constitution had two Kenyan Somalis prominently featuring in the process that lead to the ratification of the same; AbdiKadir Mohamed as the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee and Ahmed Issack as the chairman of the electoral body.
We have, unfortunately, not fully utilized these privileges for the advancement of the Kenyan Somali. We have rather looked the other way than emancipate the masses. And, this group has not positively used their influences and powers to help the community. It is for this reason that I am of the opinion that we need to first blame ourselves before we point fingers at others.
Coming back to that incident I had at the hospital. The guy in question actually happens to be one of the two gentlemen mentioned by name above. Though I may probably never know why he asked me that question, I will, all the same, remain a Kenyan and effective 27th August, 2010, a Somali national. Also, the recently released census result lists us as Kenyan Somalis. Therefore, we are Kenyan Somali or if you like Somali Kenyan.
( Edited on 14th September, 2010. )
posted by Baqad at
11:19 AM
2 Comments:
Have u sent this to the Kenyan papers?
Last time I did they didn't publish. Maybe I need to grease someone's hands before they do anything? Just kidding!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home