Somalis In Uganda Demand Recognition

[Hiiraan boy]

Irene Nabusoba
Kampala

SOMALIS who have been living in Uganda for over 100 years want to be recognised as a tribe in the Constitution.

The chairman of the Somali community, Din Hassan, said they were facing discrimination and threats of deportation.

"Since the 1990s when Somali refugees started coming here because of political turmoil back at home, all of us are being branded refugees.

"The public also mistake us for Rwandese refugees and security agents threaten us with deportation," Hassan told The New Vision recently.

Hassan said the Somalis had problems obtaining local passports and travelling out of the country because they have to undergo a lot of interrogation.

"People think we are foreign criminals. We are peaceful Ugandans with permanent businesses here and paying tax to the Government. Deport us to where? We have been here for about 120 years. We came at the same time with the Nubians. We have intermarried with the locals, adopted their cultures and contribute to the country's economic development," Hassan asserted.

Recent media reports say Somali refugees constitute the majority population in Kisenyi, a Kampala suburb, but thrive on gambling and theft.

Tracing their origin, however, Abdullahi Roble, the vice-chairman for culture and welfare of the community, said Hassan's grandfather, Jama Ali, led the first group of Somalis to settle in Uganda while working as Captain Fredrick Lugard's bodyguard in 1909.

Roble said there were about 70 Nubians and 50 Somalis who were employed by the British colonialists.

"Most of them worked as askaris. After the First World War, they retired and settled mainly in Bombo, Old Kampala, Kisenyi, Jinja and later spread to other parts of the country.

"Being cattle keepers and Muslims, the colonialists gave them contracts to slaughter and supply meat in the country," Roble revealed.

He said other Somalis crossed to neighbouring countries like Kenya and Tanzania where they have been integrated well, with Somalis like Hassan Ahmed Irier serving as a minister in the Tanzanian government.

[Hiiraan boy]

who wants to bet their merehan and ogadeen kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk


fuking shameful

[shidow1]

Somalia is home......they need to go home....

[The_Patriot]

[quote]who wants to bet their merehan and ogadeen kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk


fuking shameful[/quote]
stinking Xawadle adhiga iyo habarti midganta kudashe la waas.
Where does it report Ogaden and marexan?
This is plagiarism of the highest order.
Those who were footsoilders for the colonialists were dhulos , Idoor and warsangeli.