This is such a silly article ,and All Africa even goes ahead and puts it on it's headline. Do more research before posting such nonesense.

I mean next time do more research before accusing Kenyans of xenophobia against Somalis, without tangible facts or evidence. The fact is Kenyans are not Xenophobic The recent police round up was necessitated by a terrorist threat from Somali terrorists, and a really stupid demo by mostly Somali muslims supporting a controversial Jamaican cleric that Kenya was trying to deport. The demo was sponsered by Somali elements in Eastleigh neighborhood of Nairobi.

Terrorism is a big threat to any country and you dont expect any government to react softly. Kenyans have accepted somalis all these years they've had a civil war. I have never heard of a Kenyan for example attacking somalis, or burning somalis and their businesses like you see in South africa. Also Kenya has a local Somali population, so for this stupid article writer to accuse Kenyans of xenophobia is plain silly.

About jealousy by Kenyans about Somali businesses, this is just stupid. Eastleigh isn't even the 20th most desirable place to live in Nairobi and its next to some ghetto. I mean who wants to live in eastleigh? Somalis should be thanksful that they were even allowed to invest there.

Eastleigh is full of illegal Somalis and alot of illegal activities. It is no secret that Somalis have contributed greatly to Kenyans insecurity because they brought in alot of illegal guns. Somalis Mps are based in Eastleigh many of them illegally. They sneek back into the country because theres war in their own country. Instead of going back to Somalia and building their country they are stuck in eastleigh doing lots of illegal activities. Its no secret that alot of goods sold in eastleigh are brought into Kenya illegally from somalia. Its being suspected strongly that Somali pirates are investing their loot in eastleigh. Thats a big reason for alarm in Kenya.

So this isnt a Xenophobia issue this is a security issue for Kenya. Kenyans are not Xenophobic. We habor Somali refugees, Ethiopians, Rwandans, Burundians, Congolese, and many Sudansese. Why havent these other goups complained of Xenophobia. This writer should do better reasearch before writing such silly articles.

On the police part i agree police are a bad lot. This isn't against Somalis alone. All Kenyans suffer from police corruption and bribery equally.

Lastly they amount that eastleigh produces is a very tiny percentage of the Kenyan economy. Infact most of it is probably not even accounted because its mostly illegal activities in an underground economy controlled by shady Somali elements.

So i support any crack down by police. The only thing i would encourage is respect for human rights, and professionalism in any such crack down.

Compare the following two statements by Mike

"The fact is that Kenyans are not xenophobic"

and

Eastleigh's economy "is mostly illegal activities in an underground economy controlled by shady Somali elements."

Nuff said.

Raids and Rancour, I would like to respond to Mike. I do appreciate your opinion but this is what I have to say.

Lets put aside the matter of Somali and El Faisal for a while. Lets look close about the society itself in Kenya. I have been working in many projects from 1991 related to Nationalism,Racism and Tribalism. Part of studies were done in DRC,Rwanda,Somalia,Zimbabwe and South Africa. There is existance of Xenophobic recipes in Kenya, historical it was done under umbrella of tribalism. We have witnessed the tribalistic killings in the last election. Kenyan Police is not full transformed from "force" to "law enforcement" which works under the mandate of Democracy. In Kenya,there is high record of human rights abuse, corruption from low to high lever, crime rate is high, over crowded prisons....

United Nation is paying Kenya hugh amount of money to facilitate refuges centres. Kenya is enjoying many opportunities from unstable political situation from its neighbouring countries.

To my opinion, we are living in a cililized world, lets assume that there was a treat from existance of El Faisal in Kenya or it could be a threat from Muslims called for demo to pressurize Government to follow the rule of law and take El Faisal present El Faisal to the court of Law, there were many ways to deal with these threats rather than Police brutality.

Kenya Gov has the right to defend itself from any terror threat but terrorizing and brutalize the citizen is not the way, that is total based ignorance and arrogance. Even Kenyan Colonial Master, British Gov would not have acted in barbaric ways like that. Kenyan Gov has just brought back the momories of former Apartheid Regime of South Africa.

I praise South Africa, Tanzania,Gambia,Nigeria and many airlines for not facilitating El Faisal deportation. It is good that way, we cannot colaborate with the state that violate human rights and has its own personal agenda.

To be honest with my fellow Mike, even President Obama is ashame of Kenyan corruption behaviour.

Until then we will stand for justice.

In response to comrade, i believe his statement is almost entirely wrong, human rights abuses have existed but not to the extent that you claim and definitely not directed purposefully towards the Somali community. Kenya has been accepting Somali refugees for years and I believe the UN would not have agreed to have refugees crossover to Kenya only to be grossly abused for close to 20 yrs. The Kenya police maybe a little aggressive but i would not call it xenophobia nor an attack directed towards the Somalis. the same treatment any other Kenyan gets is the same treatment a Somali gets whether its human rights abuse, over crowded prisons, universal primary education, healthcare, university education. I guess you get the picture, what i am trying to say is that what ever the Somalis get from the Gov't of Kenya is the same any other Kenyan gets, this is also evident with Sudanese, Burundians, Rwandese, Ethiopians and many nationalities that call Kenya a second home.

Dont get me wrong as defending the GOK cause am a Kenyan, i have mingled with Somalis from the days i was in primary school up to now. I have never heard of xenophobic attacks directed towards the Somalis. The report also claims that their businesses have been targeted. I don't know of any other country in the world which has allowed foreigners to freely conduct business and own colossal properties like in Kenya. There are Somalis who own upmarket malls, hospitals, schools, skyscrapers ad many other properties in Nairobi alone without mentioning other cities in Kenya.

On the recent deportation of the cleric and Eastleigh raids, I believe it is totally normal for a Gov't to react the way the GOK acted. Comrade you could be the same person (if at all you are a citizen and live in Kenya) to say that the gov't is not protecting its citizens if a bomb was to explode in a Kenyan city. Were you there during the 1998 bombing? Maybe not. Al shabaab is a threat however minor, they may not be having the capacity to bomb Kenya but their relations to Al Qaeda is reason enough for Kenyan security apparatus to comb any part of the country using all possible ways to avert any threat on its citizens. i believe had you been a head of state, you would have simply done the same and let them blame you fior human rights abuses as long as your citizens are safe.

Last but not least, since the post election violence that hit the country, a lot has been done to rectify the wrongs of the past. A lot of reforms are taking place and I believe Kenya has moved forward. The GOK is doing everything possible to make the necessary changes. There is no nation in the world I believe, has achieved what Kenya is doing, making several reforms in a span that would take another country years to achieve. The whole world is faced economic crisis and many challenges, Kenya is no exception.

Kindly, lets not blow the GOK initiatives out of proportion and all nationalities can feel right at home here in Kenya. Kenyan citizens are a resilient lot, hardworking and loving people. i believe a majority will agree with me on what i have mentioned above. Have a good day