Why are Kenya's neighbours proving so hostile?

Xenophobia is not a word I ever encountered in the course of my long academic or social journey. Thus it became an addition to my limited vocabulary only a few years ago when it was used to describe the outrage by South Africans against the influx of foreigners into their country after independence. It was then that I learnt that Xenophobia refers to an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers. And hence it became clear to me why I may not have encountered this word in my earlier years.

In spite our many weaknesses, Kenyans cannot be described as xenophobic. By nature we are a tolerant and hospitable people. In fact Kenyans seem to lie at the other end of the xenophobia spectrum. We tend to prefer foreigners to our own fellow brothers and sisters. A Kenyan will easily defend a foreigner against his or her fellow Kenyan.

And it is this hospitable spirit that has seen Kenya become a place of refuge and opportunity for thousands persons from nearly all of our neighbours — Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eritrea, DRC, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, and of course Somalia. I have reason to believe that in the region, Kenya is perhaps the easiest place to run to, settle in, get a job, set up business and even acquire property and national documents.

That is why some recent events emanating from our neighbours are utterly shocking to say the least. That South Sudan, a nation whose conception literally stretched the belly of our national womb, and whose birth pangs drew the sweat and tears of our leaders, could so soon turn their heels against us was unbelievable.

 South Sudan undeniably carries the DNA of Kenya — the good, the bad and the ugly. Just check out their flag, lifestyles, and yes, even some corruption; this is our baby. It was therefore commendable that the xenophobia that seemed to have especially targeted Kenyans did not pan out as initially construed.

However, even though the South Sudan xenophobia did cause a stir, it is the Somali suit against Kenya at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that should send shivers down our spine. According to the court, Somalia brought the case to determine, on the basis of international law, the maritime boundary between Somalia and Kenya in the Indian Ocean.

 Indications are that if this prayer by Somalia is granted, Kenya could lose its access to the deep seas and thus become landlocked, becoming dependent on the goodwill of Tanzania and Somalia for sea trade! Again one cannot help but wonder why a nation for which Kenya has literally gone to the cross, would choose to repay our sacrifice with such eternally suffocating action. In any case, does not Somalia have one of the longest seafronts in Africa?

Why claim ours? But Somalia is not the first nation to lay claim to a piece of our land. The Migingo Island saga with President Yoweri Museveni is still not fully resolved. At the height of this dispute, while Kenya chose diplomacy, Kampala sent its forces to guard the island, thus cutting off the source of livelihood for many Kenyan fishermen. Long before this, Idi Amin had claimed that Uganda’s eastern boarder extended to Naivasha. This would have put my village home right in central Uganda! Well, with the many troubles in Kenya, it might well have been a blessing to be Ugandan.

There is yet another less publicised border dispute — over the northwestern horn of Kenya, at the intersection of the Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan boundaries. For keen observers, you may have noticed that the shape of this horn looks different depending on which map of Kenya you are looking at. In some, it juts into South Sudan and is more rounded, while in others it is like a small mound.

But in still others, especially in more recent maps, it is flat with a sharp dip to the left. These shapes apparently represent a long standing territorial dispute between Sudan and Kenya over what is generally known as the Ilemi Triangle. Despite many treaties dating back to 1902, it has never been fully resolved. Thus, whereas Kenya currently holds the de facto ownership, some believe that with the independence of South Sudan, the Ilemi Triangle is most likely in Juba’s in-tray.

What this says is that Kenya is not a darling to her neighbours as we often seem to imagine. Apart from real issues, there is a subtle sibling rivalry that causes us to be almost repulsive to our neighbours. The implication is that whereas love for neighbours and foreigners is a divine command that carries with it real blessings, God equally abhors those who move boundaries.

Thus while we must not give in to reciprocal xenophobia against those who come to live among us, we must nonetheless not glibly allow blatant affront by our neighbors. Our hospitality and diplomacy must be spiced with some firmness in defence of our territorial integrity.