The political class exaggerate our differences

It appears that Dr David Ndii stirred the hornet’s nest by calling on Kenyan nation-tribes to head for the divorce court and end what in his view is an abusive relationship. The reactions have been as varied. Yet, Dr Ndii simply sounded a warning — a warning that all is not well in our family house.

Kenya is not the first or only nation to struggle with ethnic or other diversity challenges. Even developed nations have not escaped this blight. Scotland recently held a referendum to determine whether or not to remain part of the polygamist marriage called Britain. Britain itself has chosen a come-we-stay relationship with the EU, refusing to tie the full knot of marriage. The French-English divide in Canada is well documented. Thus, many nations of the world have suffered some form of ethnic unease or other. Whereas each struggle has had its own unique history, studies have suggested that they share the incubation of predisposing factors that are then followed by a set of triggers that sometimes result in mass violence. Many of these factors can only be understood by appreciating the nature of inter-ethnic relations within the particular context.