Wow, Is This True About Somalis In Kenya?

[Murax]

Kenya should thank God for its Somali ‘troubles’


By CHARLES ONYANGO-OBBO (email the author)
Thursday, February 04, 2010

Somalia and Somalis are all over the news and FM radio call-ins in Kenya. There is near-hysteria that Somalis — both Kenyan and non-Kenyan — are allegedly using the proceeds from piracy to gobble up choice properties in the big towns, and in the process sending prices way beyond what most Kenyans, even the rich, can afford.
Recently, the government cancelled the announcement of the interim census results. Turns out the Somalis might have been the reason.



The Star newspaper alleged that the number of Somalis had jumped from about 900,000 at the last census, to a dramatic 2.4 million, a record rise of over 260 per cent!

Kenya is also alleged to be swamped by “illegal” Somalis, beside the thousands of refugees who live in the country legally.

Recently, the police carried out a swoop in Nairobi’s Somali-dominated Eastleigh suburb to crack down on suspected supporters of the radical Islamist group, Al-Shabaab, which now controls large areas of Somalia and is pushing to oust the Kenya-backed transitional government.

But there is something “un-Kenyan” in all this. Kenya has traditionally had the most pragmatic and least ideologically driven foreign policy in the region (some even say its an amoral policy); which is why it was possible for both the talks that ended the 25-year-war in southern Sudan, and that established the transitional Somalia government, to take place in Nairobi.

Kenyan politicians and the military will also not have forgotten the Shifta war, the 1963-67 secessionist conflict where Somalis in the northern districts of Kenya attempted to join their fellow Somalis in a Greater Somalia.

Nairobi’s determination to keep the Somalis part of the country’s territory was left in no doubt by the firm hand with which it put down the rebellion.

One of the reasons for Kenya’s unease with Al-Shabaab is that it has revived talk of a Greater Somalia, with northern Kenya being part of it. Kenya has vowed to bloody Al-Shabaab’s nose if it tries to make good its threat to attack it to “liberate” the Somali part of the country.

It would, therefore, be rather foolish to give Al-Shabaab ammunition by carrying out an anti-Somali crusade at this time. For that reason, reports that Kenya is reaching out to Al-Shabaab cannot be entirely discounted.

The website, Mareeg.com, claims that the illegal Somalis who were rounded up in recent operations around were secretly handed by the Kenyan military to Al-Shaabab last Saturday morning at Dhobley.

Though there is no independent confirmation of this, that would be just the right low-level cost-free gesture that Kenya could make to Al-Shaabab.

If truth be told, Kenya might be better off with Al-Shaabab running the show in Somalia.

There are legitimate concerns about the Somali Islamists’ ties to the terrorist group, Al Qaeda, but of greater threat to Kenya is the social disorder that could break out if the anti-Somalia feelings run out of control.

To prevent that, the flow of Somalis into Kenya needs to be reduced or stopped; and an Al-Shaabab that ends the fractious conflict in the country would help a great deal.

Then, with the 2012 elections approaching, no politician would want to be seen to be anti-Somali. Yes, Somalis have become very wealthy, and with that, they have gained political clout.

Somali money has reached a point where it can buy or lose you an election in Kenya. There is, therefore, a need to sort out the issues of Somalia-Somalis, from those of Kenyan-Somalis.

And Kenyan pragmatists will realise that having an influential Somali constituency, can actually be diplomatic and political capital. We have probably reached a point where the long conflict in Somalia cannot be solved without the says-so of the Kenyan Somali community — and therefore the Kenya government.

Eastleigh is, regional observers argue, Somalia’s unofficial capital, and its money change bureaus its unofficial central bank.

The warlords and business people in Somalia are so vested in Kenya, that Nairobi actually has many ropes it can pull to influence their actions than it is doing.

If I were to bet, I would put my money on the pragmatists winning. Kenya has done well out of Somalia’s misery.

UN operations for Somalia, like that of dozens other humanitarian agencies, are headquartered in Kenya, bringing lots of dollars to the local economy and putting millions in the pockets of Kenyan suppliers.

Burdened by the aftershock of the 2008 post-election violence and one of the longest-running show of bickering in Africa, Kenya seems too distracted to realise that its Somali citizens — and Somalia’s troubles — are a boon, not a bane.

cobbo@ke.nationmedia.com

[The_Patriot]

Yeah suqa bakaraha has grown legs and moved to kenya.

[Murax]

Recently, the government cancelled the announcement of the interim census results. Turns out the Somalis might have been the reason. The Star newspaper alleged that the number of Somalis had jumped from about 900,000 at the last census, to a dramatic 2.4 million, a record rise of over 260 per cent! Then, with the 2012 elections approaching, no politician would want to be seen to be anti-Somali. Yes, Somalis have become very wealthy, and with that, they have gained political clout. Somali money has reached a point where it can buy or lose you an election in Kenya. There is, therefore, a need to sort out the issues of Somalia-Somalis, from those of Kenyan-Somalis."


Wow, while My feeling on Somalia and Somalis is at a alltime low, I see a glimmer of hope here. Screw Somalia, maybe Kenya can be our home


Can anyone who knows about Kenya or been to Kenya confirm this?

[The_Patriot]

Yeah Hawiye run the show

[Murax]

Yeah Hawiye run the show

Do they run isbaaros there?







qq

[abdalla11]

Wadaads run the show, like Umal, that man lives in a mansion

[The_Patriot]

Wadaads run the show, like Umal, that man lives in a mansion

seems like you are comparing Bill gates with the Rothschilds

[Murax]

Wadaads run the show, like Umal, that man lives in a mansion

No offence to Umul or any of these folks but they confuse the hell out of Me. Kind of having this takfiri idealogy, supporting Shabab and at the same time living in a non Muslim Country, raising Your kids there, making money and a living there? Wallahi it just baffles Me. Why doesn't He move to Kismaayo if He loves Shabab so much?

[The_Patriot]

Wadaads run the show, like Umal, that man lives in a mansion

No offence to Umul or any of these folks but they confuse the hell out of Me. Kind of having this takfiri idealogy, supporting Shabab and at the same time living in a non Muslim Country, raising Your kids there, making money and a living there? Wallahi it just baffles Me. Why doesn't He move to Kismaayo if He loves Shabab so much?

Sh Umal does not support Shabaab and is against their doctrine.

And no Hawiye do not have Isbaro but they have something like that they just moved their money from Xamar o Kenya and the fufus are sharpening their machettes waiting for the ripe time to strike.

[The_Patriot]

Wadaads run the show, like Umal, that man lives in a mansion

No offence to Umul or any of these folks but they confuse the hell out of Me. Kind of having this takfiri idealogy, supporting Shabab and at the same time living in a non Muslim Country, raising Your kids there, making money and a living there? Wallahi it just baffles Me. Why doesn't He move to Kismaayo if He loves Shabab so much?

Sh Umal does not support Shabaab and is against their doctrine.

And no Hawiye do not have Isbaro but they have something like that they just moved their money from Xamar o Kenya and the fufus are sharpening their machettes waiting for the ripe time to strike.

[abdalla11]

Wadaads run the show, like Umal, that man lives in a mansion

No offence to Umul or any of these folks but they confuse the hell out of Me. Kind of having this takfiri idealogy, supporting Shabab and at the same time living in a non Muslim Country, raising Your kids there, making money and a living there? Wallahi it just baffles Me. Why doesn't He move to Kismaayo if He loves Shabab so much?

He supported the maxakiim but he is against al-shabaab and that is an understatement. Sh cumar farouq calls them 'ilmo burya qabo'

[Murax]

Abdallah/Patriot,

Are You Guys sure He's against Shabab? I've seen Him refer to them as "Muhajideen"

Many Somali supported Maxaakiim.

[The_Patriot]

Abdallah/Patriot,

Are You Guys sure He's against Shabab? I've seen Him refer to them as "Muhajideen"

Many Somali supported Maxaakiim.

dude you need to update yourself so far shabaab have lost all the somali culama backing and they are working the path alone.

[abdalla11]

Abdallah/Patriot,

Are You Guys sure He's against Shabab? I've seen Him refer to them as "Muhajideen"

Many Somali supported Maxaakiim.

100%, maybe he supported them in the beginning but now? no he's against them

[Murax]

NAIROBI, June 29 (Reuters) - The bustling Eastleigh suburb in Kenya's capital Nairobi has been the hub of business for Kenyan-Somalis and thousands of refugees escaping civil war in neighbouring Somalia for decades.

In the district east of downtown Nairobi, shops and houses built soon after independence from Britain have been razed and shopping malls have been built by businessmen from the Horn of Africa country.

But as people flee the continuing conflict in Somalia, the population is outgrowing Eastleigh's "Little Mogadishu" and Somalis are venturing into other parts of the city.

This has caused friction with some Nairobi residents who suspect the expansion of Somali business is financed by piracy, and accuse them of causing hikes in property prices in the areas they have moved to since the first big influx in 1991 after Somalia plunged into war.

"In the areas where they dominate, you can say they have contributed to the spike in property prices, in fact in such areas, prices have tripled, such as Eastleigh, and the entire landscape has changed," property manager William Kimani said.

"But in cases where one wants to buy land in an upmarket area of Nairobi, they will offer a premium price," he added.

This distorts the market as new prices are pegged on the premium price.

Last month, Kenyan traders were beaten and teargassed by police after they refused to heed a government notice to leave a market that had been sold to Somali businessmen.

The displaced traders blamed foreigners, rich with the proceeds of buccaneering, of taking over their livelihoods.



PIRATE BOOTY?

"A substantial part of the money is local, and the rest of this money is from the Somali diaspora who are not confident investing in Somalia because of the instability there," Adan Issack, a Kenyan-Somali hotel manager told Reuters.

One of the displaced traders, Rashid Ngugi, is now rebuilding his shop in a less lucrative location between two sewage canals.

"Somalis are well known for piracy and this cash influx is destroying our small business. We are Kenyan citizens but ... Somalis are extremely rich and the government needs the money."

For many Somalis, investing at home is not an option. An insurgent group known as al Shabaab now controls most of south Somalia and all but a few blocks of the capital Mogadishu.

Robert Yawe, an investor and consultant at the Kenyan Property Investors' Forum said he was doubtful piracy plays a major role in Somali investments in Nairobi.

Such rumours were passed on by people who regard the success of the Somali businesses as a threat, he said.

"The Somali trade is substantially larger than the ransoms paid in the last five years, and I do not think that any person can prove that this money comes from piracy," Yawe said.

Many Somalis in Eastleigh say their capital is often from family living in the west.

Awil, a 28 year old pirate in Hobyo said he did not make enough money from hijacking to invest abroad.

"We do not have business in Kenya. But there are investors, these men have a say on attacks, they offer mother ships, boats and supplies before hijacks," he said.

"They get a cut of the ransom and these businessmen may have properties in many cities like Dubai and Nairobi."

Analysts say it is easy for such people to make money legal by investing it in Kenya, which has no anti-laundering laws.

Kenyan government spokesman Alfred Mutua told reporters: "We are trying to ensure that Kenya is not used to launder money, some of that could be piracy money. We are monitoring such activities very closely and we will take action."

But most Eastleigh residents are hesitant to use banks that have set up shop there and prefer to use informal money transfer.

"People are very scared to deal with banks, and everyone holds their cash in hand," said Bare Sheikh, a shop owner. "They are afraid the government may freeze their accounts, suspecting their money is from piracy, which is a false accusation." (Additional reporting by Frank Nyakairu and Wangui Kanina; Writing by Wangui Kanina; Editing by Alison Williams)