Response to "Should Somalia be allowed to join EAC"

[Coeus]

Written by a Somali today as response to the article.

I would like to react to Prof William Ochieng’s opinion piece in theDaily Nation of August 9 titled: Should Somalia be Allowed to Join East African Community? Most Decidedly.

I liked Ochieng’s refusal to pander to the stereotype of the Somalis as “the other,” as those who are “quarrelsome and brutal terrorists.”

It’s not easy being branded a Kenyan, a Kenyan-Somali or a Somali of any other origin.

You are guilty of everything from terrorism to public nuisances like spitting on the sidewalk.

It is hard enough getting national identity cards and passports, navigating the numerous road blocks and prejudiced policemen as we visit our rural areas in northern Kenya and dealing with overzealous immigration officials at JKIA.

Newspaper columns have of late accused the Somali community in Kenya of all manner of ills.

The public stereotype of the Somali needs to be challenged. It’s said we sit around all day eating miraa and have huge amounts of “unexplained” money.

I have news for you: we are a hard-working people and have been traders for generations.

We have been trading with the Arabs, Indians, Indonesians, Chinese, you name it, long before Chief Kivoi.

My father worked every day of his life (except for 1.5 hours on Fridays to attend the Friday prayer) for 50 years sellingmandazis and tea to educate us and our large brood of relatives.

His father before him tended his camels every single day till his death.

I am concerned by the increasingly strident tone of the reports, accusations and innuendos.

As Edward Said observed in his seminal work Orientalism and Covering Islam, the leap from dehumanising a people to committing all manner of crimes against them is a very short one.

Once you have dehumanised someone, anything goes. My plea to fellow Kenyans is; give us a break; we are Kenyans.

[Coeus]

It is clear that Somalis in present day Kenya are being treated as foreigners. There is definetly Emotions and sense of neglect for the Goverment of Somalia to exploit in the near future. As long as Somalis in Kenya are treated like this, it only increases the chances of Somalia to prompt for Self determination for the Somali people in Kenya.

[greenday]

It’s said we sit around all day eating miraa and have huge amounts of “unexplained” money

With Somaliweyn we wont need anyone.

[Khalid Ali]

Interesting but i do not think the kenyan govt treats somalis as foreigners. Maybe the somalis that fled from somalia to kenya but the kenyan somalis who lived in kenya for centuries are not discriminated

[Coeus]

Interesting but i do not think the kenyan govt treats somalis as foreigners. Maybe the somalis that fled from somalia to kenya but the kenyan somalis who lived in kenya for centuries are not discriminated

Your opinion.

[Estarix]

It is clear that Somalis in present day Kenya are being treated as foreigners. There is definetly Emotions and sense of neglect for the Goverment of Somalia to exploit in the near future. As long as Somalis in Kenya are treated like this, it only increases the chances of Somalia to prompt for Self determination for the Somali people in Kenya.

Somalis in the NFD are actually satisfied and happy being under Kenyan rule, and believe to be well off compared to those in Somalia. The Somalis living in Nairobi are highly integrated into the Kenyan society.

Having a Somali army bulldozing its way through Kenyan armies would only cause them to hate the Somalis in Somalia and it would only cause them more grief in regards to their standing and respect in Kenyan society from other Kenyans and further espouse Ant-Somali sentiment to the point it becomes unbearable and unsafe.

[Meru]

kenya somalis love their country,those complaining are illegal immigrants. i love sijuis very much,and we will vote one president in future. then he will annex south somalia to kenya inshallah

[globetrotter2]

It is clear that Somalis in present day Kenya are being treated as foreigners. There is definetly Emotions and sense of neglect for the Goverment of Somalia to exploit in the near future. As long as Somalis in Kenya are treated like this, it only increases the chances of Somalia to prompt for Self determination for the Somali people in Kenya.

Somalis in the NFD are actually satisfied and happy being under Kenyan rule, and believe to be well off compared to those in Somalia. The Somalis living in Nairobi are highly integrated into the Kenyan society.

Having a Somali army bulldozing its way through Kenyan armies would only cause them to hate the Somalis in Somalia and it would only cause them more grief in regards to their standing and respect in Kenyan society from other Kenyans and further espouse Ant-Somali sentiment to the point it becomes unbearable and unsafe.

The writer wrote You are guilty of everything from terrorism to public nuisances like spitting on the sidewalk.

It is hard enough getting national identity cards and passports, navigating the numerous road blocks and prejudiced policemen as we visit our rural areas in northern Kenya and dealing with overzealous immigration officials at JKIA.

Newspaper columns have of late accused the Somali community in Kenya of all manner of ills.

The public stereotype of the Somali needs to be challenged. It’s said we sit around all day eating miraa and have huge amounts of “unexplained” money."

You must be either naive or simply a lover of Kenya's colonial mentality on Somalis to assert that Kenyan somalis are not treated as second class citizens.

Kenya has been for decades using a colonial mentality on somalis irrespective of where they come from. As a matter of fact, somali from SOmalia proper has more rights than the people of the NFD.

Cases in point:

The worst massacres on somalis (Wagalla, Garissa and Malka re )have not been investigated. The leaders who gave orders have never been arraigned.
The state of emergency imposed in the NFD is still potent.
The Kenyan somalis have barely rights to be given ID cards
The rape of somali kenyan women has become a weapon for the military.

And you have the guts to tell us the nonsense above!!!!!

You have the right to express your thoughts but you shouldn't lie about factual and observable facts.


Even the lackeys from the NFD know about the problems stated above.

Kenyan somalis will never feel part of Kenya unless the kenyan government provides them with their rights; remove the roadblocks, cease with the lete kpande nonsense and make sure the region is not marganilised.

[Meru]

here we go again.i wont be surprised if its you wrote that article. i suspect you are involved in magendo trade hence the obsession with roadblocks