This type of wanton victimisation only happens in North Eastern

By Hassan Omar Hassan

It only happens in what was formerly referred to the North Eastern Province! Some of the counties of the former Northern Frontier District (NFD). Abjectly marginalised and neglected. Tortured and killed at will. Can you imagine three Kenya Defence Forces soldiers killed in Nyeri or Kiambu? Then soldiers ‘march’ through the town burning markets, looting from the poor, destroying their livelihoods, torturing the population in ‘vengeance’ and leaving a trail of destruction and death. And the Defence Minister hails from that county. Can you imagine this happening in Kiambu when the late Njenga Karume was Defence Minister? It only happens in North Eastern Province!

And this is not the first time. Security forces ‘rolling’ through the Somali people, rounding them up, torturing them under the scorch climate of the NFD and killing them. Wagalla massacre remains the worst crime in Kenya’s dark past of violation. A government turning against its people. And firmly putting public opinion on the side of violation. It only happens to the Somali people! The sad reality of stereotyping and profiling of a people. Our small minds are incapable of differenting between shiftas, Al-Shabaab and Somalis.

I am impressed by the bold position and intervention of Deputy Speaker and Lagdera MP Farah Maalim and Dujis MP Aden Dualle. The two men led from the front – on the ground and in Parliament.

They were not sitting pretty on their ministerial positions and trading cautiously not to ‘upset’ their personal interests. They were not angry about questions from the media in a characteristic PC’s attitude. They were angry about the real question or issue – about what had happened to their people.

So an ‘investigation’ has been ordered. One of the findings sought is who ordered the operations? Though the answer to this question is simple. The orders were issued a long time ago – when successive Government made it okay to victimise the Somali people on grounds of security. And the security forces have gotten away with it. What has changed this time around? President Kibaki? You got-to be kidding! I don’t think he would care even if you razed the entire Garissa. And the security forces know the attitude of the Kibaki government towards the Somali people. That’s why they did what they did in Garissa. They’ve done it many a time and gotten away with it. They are fighting ‘terrorism’ for heavens’ sake! And they have positioned the public or national psyche against the Somalis. It’s called xenophobia. The script is often basic. Why don’t we get-it?  

I also don’t think anything will come of the ‘investigations’. They will ‘victimise’ an officer or two or even three to save face. You know The National Alliance (TNA) “believe” they have the Somali community on their side of the ring and Defence Minister Yusuf Haji wants to be Garissa senator on account of some clan ‘arrangement’ – not a contest of ideas or competing visions. For political sake something must happen before the elections. We will preserve the order that will continue with its persecutory ways soon after the elections.

Sometimes I feel have certain anxiety towards the youth and progressive elders of the Somali and Muslim community. I hope they appreciate that we have an eternal bond and inseparable nexus as a community of the marginalised. To realise the challenges of our society, we must challenge old established ways. We must rethink our society and work towards the reconstruction of the theory of State and our politics. We just can’t continue to live like this. We must bequeath respect and dignity to all of our future generations.