Gender Bill misplaced: Give minority tribes chance to feel included

One size does not fit all. There is no one single issue that affects the world the same way. We have an appalling mentality of borrowing ideas without critically analyzing and finding out whether they can help our discourse. This is making us look not intelligent. It is condescending and offensive to believe that every western narrative on any issue is true and must be taken wholesomely.

Every community and country has its unique and special circumstances. Our social and political background is quite different from any other country and more so for any western country.

It beggars-belief that we copy ideas from the West and apply in our society. A glaring example is the Gender Bill. What is Gender Bill for?  It can be understood to be an affirmative action for women. Is it really an issue or is it something we do because other countries are doing it and it is fashionable to do so?

Gender bias and discrimination is a problem in the western countries. Why is it a problem? Most of the western countries are homogeneous, speak one language, same culture and in most parts have the same faith. Yes, there are few different looking people in these countries but they are less than ten per cent.

Because of their homogeneity, majority of the people do not feel discriminated against or not represented in the political or other spheres of life. But the women folk of these countries are discriminated against because of their gender and not colour or tribe. There was a need therefore to take affirmative action and enact a law to help women in the workforce and political representation.

The Truth

In Kenya where we are over 40 different tribes and communities, the gender issue is not one of the problems at the top of the list. Those countries have not experienced colonisation and massacres by their own rogue governments, or they are not made of 40 plus tribes. And because of our different background experiences, we cannot have identical social problems to address.

If we are to build a nation that feels one people and one country rather than 40 plus tribes that tolerate one another and sometimes use machetes to resolve their issues, we must have justice and reconciliation on past crimes and violation. Justice and reconciliation is not all about a well written report. The Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Report must be implemented and it is one of the tests whether those in leadership really want to build one nation or continue exploiting one tribe against another and maintain the status quo.

What should have more priority than Gender bill is the minority communities like the Corner Tribes (Somali bantu) of Mandera and the Ilchamus of Baringo who feel they don’t belong to this country because the majority tribes in their counties are violating their fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution but remains that; in the books.

No one speaks for these minorities. They are poor and have no political representation. I know of some county assemblies where the majority tribes take the slots of the minority and marginalised.

Deserving minorities

In the National Assembly and the Senate there are slots for nomination meant for special groups-those who can not contest and win an election for whatever reasons- but instead it is given to special families and individuals who come from the majority tribes and represent no special interest.

Women and People with disability are actually treated better and unfairly given priority and attention over the deserving minorities of Kenya. Majority of the women in this country come from the majority tribes, and so does the group with disability. The majority tribes and those in power are rewarding themselves more slots in the political positions in a skewed and crooked manner.  

I was talking to a minority man from Mandera who told me that when he heard about the refugee Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in America, he said he felt sad that refugees are elected in Parliaments in foreign countries and his community has never been represented in his country.  He said their lack of representation is not biological or lack of intellect, merely social and political exclusion.

And now we have county governments that are running mockery of the laws that created them. The counties are harnessing tribalism if they are doing anything at all. Can you blame them when the national government has no shame in how it does its business?

Why do women need affirmative action in political representation? Political representation is about numbers and women are the majority in this country. If the most unlikely parts of this country – Northern Kenya – are electing Women as their representatives- the gender issue is misplaced and should not have been put in the Constitution in the first place.

If there is any group that needs affirmative action today in this country and does not have a voice, it’s  the minority communities. They can’t be compared with women, youth or people with disability. All these groups come from the majority tribes and they are represented in all spheres of life.

Let us have our own priorities. Tribalism is a major issue in this country. Why legislate for gender when it is not causing machete wars? Tribes expand and evolve into nations. Kenya is not about to evolve in the near future with this kind of thoughtless copy and paste policy.

Mr [email protected]