Opinion: Recognition of Kenyans of Asian origin welcome

 

Ironically, in the year Kenya launches a second railway line from Mombasa, Kenyans of Asian heritage are recognised as the country's 44th tribe. Most of them trace their origin to the construction of the railway in the 20th century.

Many worked for the British company that put up the railway line from Mombasa to Nairobi in the late 1800s. Even this newspaper traces its ownership to Indian businessmen. Let us celebrate the diversity that makes Kenya's one of the world's rich cultures.

Kenyans of Asian heritage have taken a back seat in politics despite holding a huge stake in the economy; they are involved in multi-billion-shilling businesses. In spite of that, a few of them have made timid forays into politics.

A formal recognition should herald the opening of a new chapter. Yet certain underlying concerns remain.

For far too long, the ruling elite have used tribe to submerge a sense of entitlement that often breeds disunity.

That ought to stop. We are stronger together. Agreeably, unity has been elusive because a section of the community has felt discriminated against. Millions feel left behind, confined to a life of destitution; a daily struggle to get by with the bare minimum.

They are hopeless. They are slaves of an economic model that has not generated enough wealth to pass around. Welcoming Kenyans of Asian heritage into the fold is an important step. Let us promote that sense of togetherness that our forefathers so much sought.