Kenya: The Somali Question, the Kikuyu Answer

14 April 2014
opinion

The Somali community is currently going through a rough time in Kenya, and it is not the first time. The colonialists did not care about them at all and never bothered to develop North Eastern. This non-developmental policy seeped into the post-independence governments and the region continued to be isolated from mainstream government development. In the 1960s the Kenyan government literally went to war with the Somali during the 'Shifta' insurgency; and in the 1980s there was the Wagalla Massacre. Today they are bearing the brunt of the Kenyan anti-terrorism effort.

However the Kikuyu, who the Somali tend to identify themselves with at least economically, (and are blaming for their current woes), have also had some tough moments. In the 1950s they were herded into concentration camps as colonialists fought against the Mau Mau insurgency. In the 1980s they were isolated from government development under the 'siasa mbaya, maisha mbaya' policy, and violently uprooted from parts of Kenya. A few years ago they had another 'moment' as the government fought the Mungiki through an attrition policy that was so pervasive the only reason it was not called genocide was that the government was led by Kikuyus.

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