Act tough on foreigners who violate our laws

When Munyao Kisoi lowered the Union Jack and hoisted the Kenyan flag in 1963, it signalled an end to colonial oppression and racism. It marked the turning point at which Kenyans believed they had carte blanche to determine their destiny through self-governance. Through it, Kenyans were determined to rein in illiteracy, poverty, servitude and tribalism.

But self-governance has been woefully ineffective in solving these problems. The colonial  ‘divide and rule’ concept has, over time, been perfected and culminated in negative ethnicity that assumes a life of its own around election time and whenever one seeks employment in public service.

This is compounded by illiteracy levels that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) pegs at 22 per cent of the Kenyan population. More than 50 years post-independence, this is unacceptable, yet the exorbitant cost of education is the marker that we have a long way to go to eliminate illiteracy.

Where colonial masters used the sjambok to beat Africans into subjugation, our neo-colonial black masters have done little towards eradicating poverty, which they now use to whip fellow blacks into line.

According to a World Bank report, more than 14 million Kenyans live below the poverty line (making do with less than Sh100 a day). Poverty makes it easy for those aspiring to political leadership to make it all the way to the top by bribing voters with as little as Sh100. 

In large measure, this poverty is caused by extreme unemployment that stands at 75 per cent among employable Kenyan youth. Worse, there is no sign of relief in sight.

Inequality is as bad today as it was in the days of racial segregation when certain services were a preserve of white skinned fellows. With trespass laws still enforceable, freedom of movement and association, and indeed many others like the freedom of speech and expression are nothing but clichés.

It is the reason politicians and the moneyed in society can get away with murder. They do the abominable, media reports about it and in no time the latter is faced with costly defamation suits.

The net effect of that is an over cautious media that falls short of public expectation in reporting on societal ills. It is not easy walking the thin line between boldness and bankruptcy. Yet in the midst of such ignominy, a new form of racism seems to be taking root on our soil.

In seeking development, Kenya has welcomed a number of international friends though partnership deals. Hogging the lions’ share of everything is China. On the bright side, the Chinese government has been able to build majors roads under the China Road and Bridge Initiative. Besides, China has built for us the Standard Gauge Railway that has greatly reduced travel time between Mombasa and Nairobi.

But underneath the Chinese largess, racism, discrimination and mistreatment of Kenyan workers have begun to manifest. In 2015, a Chinese national working in Nakuru had the temerity to insult Kenyans and also call President Uhuru Kenyatta a monkey. Later, a Chinese restaurant in Nairobi declined to offer services to black people. The resultant public uproar led to the restaurant’s closure.

Two years ago, complaints of mistreatment and racial discrimination against Kenyans workers under the SGR banner arose. Kenyan workers complained they were not allowed to share amenities with their Chinese counterparts. Following these complaints, Parliament appointed a committee to investigate the claims but if a report was made, the public is yet to be apprised.

Capital offence

Last week, a leaked video showed a Chinese Restaurant manager whipping a Kenyan who, it is claimed, reported late for work. At some point, some Chinese businessmen were rounded up for selling second-hand clothes at the Gikomba market in Nairobi. In both cases, the government’s reaction has been to arrest and deport the culprits, ostensibly because they did not have work permits. Such security lapses expose Kenyans to danger.

Why is it hard for Kenyan authorities to charge these law breakers in accordance with our laws, which they are subject to by virtue of living in Kenya? In 2013, a Kenyan woman was arrested in Guangzhou China, charged and later sentenced to hang for drug trafficking. Granted, drug trafficking is a capital offence, but is it worse than the atrocities committed by some Chinese nationals who are fuelling the killing of our elephants and rhinos for their horns? Is it worse than spying on government and money laundering for which 70 Chinese nationals were arrested in Nairobi in 2014, but were not jailed?

This emerging trend is unacceptable. In as much as China is our development partner, its citizens in Kenya must be guided by our laws, part of which emphasise zero tolerance to discrimination and segregation. Any foreigner who does not respect our sovereignty and abuses Kenyans must face the full wrath of our laws.

Mr Chagema is a copy editor at The [email protected]