TRIBALISM: A FAMILIAR CRY IN OUR LIPS

Tribalism is a familiar cry in our lips, a song that has been and will be sung for many years, and it has become the proverbial broken record. Is there a solution to this “problem” that we face? Tribalism or ethnicity has been blamed for many of our country’s woes and rightfully so. From conflicts that have arisen with startling frequency, the economic performance of our organizations where inept and incapable employees are hired or appointed on the basis of tribe, to the distribution of resources, the sharing of the so called national cake.

Yet here I stand and state that tribalism is not and never has been a problem, especially in our great country Kenya. Why do I say this?  This is because tribalism is a guise, a mask worn by great and many others (REAL) problems that plague us. Because tribalism is a weapon for the conqueror to use in managing his oppressed; from the Colonialists divide and rule policy to the modern day politicizing of tribalism to obtain votes. The aforementioned problems include ignorance, our lack or too little national spirit, economic hardships uneven development across the country and many, many more.

Economic issues are the main problem of our country. Many Kenyans live below the poverty line, the cost of living seems to be increasing in geometric progression and many other numerous problems requiring money keep arising. A man would be less inclined to entertain vehement tribalism in his mind if he is economically secure. When you find a large group of the youth being unemployed and nothing worthwhile to do their minds end up being the proverbial devils workshop and these are the people you find in the conflicts believing that some tribe is responsible for their situation or on the other hand protecting “their” tribes wealth.

While who to blame (for the economic situation) is an open question, most people’s favorite answer and mine would be our politicians whose antics can only be said to be unbelievable. Now as most of these politicians would rather not have us demanding for their heads on a platter, they have devised various ways of distracting us from themselves. The most common way is the tribe issue, which they have perfected as a weapon of misdirection, as they rob the nation’s coffers.

We even find violent conflicts arising over some tribe’s watering holes in the arid and semiarid areas of Kenya. Read that again…Yes, watering holes. In this age and time a person may lose his life over a watering hole. Why can’t the so called entertainment budgets we all read about be used to dig more holes? Or even have the tribes in question join hands and dig more holes. Instead, politicians are busy stroking the fire of tribalism instead of solving their peoples’ problems.

Ignorance is one of the greatest perpetrators of tribalism in Kenya. If all I know about tribe X comes from local myths, stories and general view of my society, if all I know comes from my politicians, if I have never gotten to meet a flesh and blood person from tribe X; then how do you expect me to believe or know otherwise? It is not until you meet and interact with people from other tribes that you realize how generally alike we all are. For those who have interacted with people from other tribes, it is painfully obvious that most of our preconceived ideas are dead wrong, not all members of tribe Z are witches and wizards, not all members of tribe Y are thieves and this can go on to ad infinitum. No tribe is composed of a single individual so no tribe stands to be judged by the conduct of a few of its members.

We need to realize that everybody in Kenya is fighting their own battles regardless of the tribe. All tribes in Kenya have poor people, all tribes in Kenya face the same economic hardships like everyone else and all of us are Kenyans.

An Article by Wanyoike Muiruri

University of Nairobi

Law Student

A WEDDING TURNED SOUR BY NEGATIVE ETHNICITY

‘A friend of mine invited me to her sister’s wedding, Akello was getting married to Mwangi, the wedding was held at some leafy suburbs in the outskirts of ‘the green city in the sun’. The celebration went on as planned; the vows were taken by both parties as expected, then came the photo session which ushered in the reception. This is where hell broke loose ; the bride groom’s father upon being called to say a word or two uttered something that can be loosely translated to mean all people from Akello’s tribe are ‘fools’ who did not know what they wanted nor how to get it, except for his ‘in-laws’ . He used the recently completed elections as a base for his argument. What followed is that the other tribe got very agitated; the bridegroom’s father didn’t finish his speech before he was attacked by his ‘rivals’ while on the podium. The wedding did not continue, instead, the bride’s parents left with their daughter (the bride).’ 

The incidence shows us how sensitive we all are to tribal sentiments. It’s funny how cheap politics can divide the whole country along tribal lines. To my amazement, a lot of youths embrace the vice. If anyone is to fight this vice, then that should be the youth. We, the youth, have been brought up not as tribal belongings but as a large family. In fact, some of those rivaling along tribal line barely know their native languages.

We are all brothers and sisters in this beautiful nation, Wambui’ and Ahmed have schooled together, stolen pencils that belonged to Cheptoo and Mutisya, their rubbers had no tribal tags either. We all grew up in the same surroundings both at school and at home, there were no outright tribal divisions. We played hide and seek together, we should all, thus, run away from our tribal cocoons so as be the first ones to hit the “tipo’.  The plays were enchanting; they taught us that life was a big play best enjoyed when done together. 

Life made sense then, so should it now. We should not allow ourselves to be divided along tribal lines. We should not judge each other based on where one is from but love each other for who they are. This will not only promote peace, love and unity in our country but will also go a long way in promoting our economy.

Tribalism (read negative tribalism) has become a habit that should be done away with lest it shapes our collective destiny. We have always shown solidarity in times of calamity, a recent example was participating in donation of blood for the West-gate victims; we didn’t mind which tribe may be infused with our blood, why should it not remain this way always? Let us stop posting those tribal messages on social media; we could be determining the grooves into which time will wear us. We should not be our tribes.

Mokaya Sarah

Finance Major

University of Nairobi

THE MUSICAL CHAIRS OF THE TRIBE.

Once in every quadruple of years the Kenyan compact majority comes together for a time honored ritual; electioneering. Since the advent of multiparty politics elections have become the biggest glaring manifestation of the hubris nature of Kenyan society. It’s a badly kept secret that election in Kenya is another way of gauging tribal affiliation and or an informal census on the power of the tribe. This begs the question that was once articulated by the ‘professor of politics’, what does the common ‘mwananchi’ in the bowels of the republic stand to gain once they elect a tribal baron into power?

            Time and again we the beguilable fools that you and i are fall for the same carrot trick, once one of us is in power we will gain. Unfortunately 21 years after the wind of multiparty politics blew across the frontier of the nation this hallowed dream has yet to come. We decry the poor, selfish, lackluster and  arrogant way that the ‘leaders’ that we elect go about governing the  nation, but still few years down the line we don’t flinch when we give them the mandate to continue perpetuating their tyrannical nature.  The truth is that we the youth of today hold the fate of our nation in the crook of our palms. The birth of a better Kenya will only be actualized when we turn our backs on tribalism. The whitened sepulcher that is our local politics must be abandoned. The cycle of ignorant and don’t care leadership must be forgotten and forsaken. We must sit down and have a talk as a youth and ask ourselves, if consistently and without fail tribal politics have hit a brick wall what next

            Objectivity, idealism and foresight should be the banners that we now ought to fly. The time for wait and see is over, now it’s the time to act. The way to act is by a change of mind and heart. We have to start judging people on their meritocracy. The value of a person should be measured by the weight of his ideas, the punch of his dreams and the pull of his vision. This is not an easy path, but the reformation of our laws by the enactment of a new constitutional order, is the torchlight that will blaze our way through the darkness of tribalism and ignorance. We can either change or sit on our laurels and await change to change us. The latter is foreboding as Egypt and Somalia may attest forced change may destroy more than it builds.

            Elections may be far from our sight but the door for options and choices lies open. At the county level may we start changing our mindset on how we view the local authorities carrying out their duties? Let’s not allow a whiff of insolence and meritocracy camouflaged as ‘our time to eat’ mantra throws us off the course. Let’s call leaders to account on the basis of their performance and not on the prima facie political or tribal outlook.

            The longer we hold off substantive change on our mindset, the more we cement the out modeled and outdated backward looking ideals. A prosperous and better future for all of us lies within our grasp, so let’s not put our heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich and hope that our shortcomings will be swept under a carpet by an unknown benefactor. No, let’s arise and smell the coffee for the time is ripe to roll back the colossal stupidity of the ruling tribal oligarchs and hand it over to the responsible and developmental conscious members of the nation.

            Tribe is only a badge of honor to letting the positive ideals and achievements of our predecessors propel us into a better future. Responsive and responsible leadership is the substratum of development that lies just around the corner. All it takes, all it needs and all we deserve to do for the future generation is simply a change of mind. That’s the small push that we require to scale out of the mire that we find ourselves in today; and for once let calm heads roll the dice for the future, it is not a trivial thing to let the few swinging pendulums of society oscillate us between abject hope and endless frustration. 

By Dennis Nkarichia

University of Nairobi

ONE KENYA: SEASONAL UNITY

Kenya is one. The West-gate Mall tragedy tells it all. The Long queues in almost all counties in Kenya; as Kenyans from various tribes and races patiently waited in the slow moving queues for their turn to donate blood, a priceless commodity, to save lives of the victims of the tragedy; yet none of these well wishers cared about the ethnic alienation of the victims. In fact, no Luo cared if his blood would go to a Kikuyu; no mzungu cared if his blood would go to an African. Oh, excuse my ignorance, may be the injured victims of the attack chose the blood to be transfused in to their veins.  Doesn’t mzungu become black if he has a black man’s blood in his veins? Wouldn’t a Luo become a Kikuyu if he has Kikuyu blood? 

Kenya is one. The many millions of shillings contributed by Kenyan well-wishers to cater for the hospital bills and burial arrangements for West-gate Mall Tragedy victims, irrespective of their ethnicity, confirm it all. Kenyans in the country and the Diaspora joined hands for that noble cause. Kenya is with no doubt one. The many heroes who sacrificed their lives to save the innocent lives of victims held hostage by the terrorists, not forgetting the heroines who turned up at the scene of the tragedy with water, tea, porridge, and meals to feed the army, which had camped at West-gate for four days, in a bid to secure our country from terrorists. The unity of all Kenyans on social media platforms as they prayed for the security of our country, voiced their condolence messages to the bereaved families, and wished the survivors of the attack quick recovery.  The unity in condemning the heinous acts of the terrorists, yet none was biased along tribal and ethnic divisions; speak volumes about Kenya’s oneness. 

If Kenya is one, then, who separates us along ethnic and tribal lines? Why do we allow ourselves to be divided? If the unity portrayed during and after the West-gate mall siege is anything to go by, then Kenya is a united nation. Why do we hurl tribal insults at each other during elections? Politicians divide us during elections as we get emotional and take ethnic sides. However, they encourage us to be united during national crisis as witnessed during the West-gate incident. Can’t we say no to people who play with our emotions for their own self –gain? Kenya is one. Let us always be united regardless of the season!

By Gladys Muthara

Finance Major
University of Nairobi

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO BE YOUR SISTER'S KEEPER?

Two months ago Ukabila ZI Society began a program titled ‘’My Sister’s Keeper’’ whose main objective is to help school girls from economically challenged backgrounds stay in school during their monthly periods by providing them with free sanitary towels. During the first two months 30 school girls benefited from the program and were largely drawn from Moonlight Education Center in Dagoretti, Nairobi. 

Below: some students from the school pose for photographs after receiving several packs of sanitary towels courtesy of Ukabila ZI Society.

The donation was made successful thanks to generous contributions by well wishers across the country. You can join thirty other well wishers who have already signed up to contribute Ksh. 100 every month towards the ‘’My Sister’s Keeper’’ program by sending your name and contact details to ukabilazisociety@gmail.com . ALL proceeds go towards purchasing sanitary towels for school girls in schools earmarked for support by Ukabila ZI Society. However, you are also welcome as an individual/organization to help us identify schools and students who deserve to be assisted through this program. 

Remember that a girl will skip school for up to a total of three school months in a year due to lack of sanitary towels during her menstrual period. She will lose a great deal in her academic life if nothing is done about it. Above all she will suffer enormous psychological and emotional disturbance if the unfortunate trend continues. Also feel free to reach us via our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ukabila-ZI/270714656290545 or via the email address provided for any inquiries and further details concerning Ukabila ZI Society and ‘’My Sister’s Keeper’’ program.

By Ukabila Zi Society

NEGATIVE ETHNICITY: WHERE THE RAIN STARTED BEATING US

“Let’s first understand where the rain started beating us”. That’s the answer the late Chinua Achebe, may his soul rest in peace, gave to a young writer in a writer’s forum in Makerere University when the writer asked why is it that African Literature doesn’t get international audience. Actually, that’s not the point here, but the answer that Achebe gave is, by and large, inextricably intertwined in the answers to this sad menace of negative ethnicity that is deeply rooted in the social, economic and political fabric of the Kenyan society.

Ethnicity isn’t bad, it has never been. It’s negative ethnicity that is. I won’t totally agree with Mutahi Ngunyi in his article saying we need to begin by committing ethnic suicide. Since the solution to this concern doesn’t lie in denial and its derivatives but in confronting it head on. I cannot deny being a Maasai, Luo or Kalenjin but I need to see my friend, my boss, my team mate for more than where he comes from. Indeed, where did the rain start beating us?

In a recent article in the business daily publication, Fatou Bensouda (chief ICC prosecutor), raises a very pertinent question; should justice be sacrificed at the altar of peace? Or vice versa? Fifty years of independence, we have invested heavily in ethnic stereotyping and contempt. Our leaders, current and former, have done so well in watering the seeds of this vice. Both industry players and political leaders no exception, have done their part in feeding this monster. What we have now, and what the sons and daughters we give birth to are inheriting, is a raw form of negative ethnicity, actually in its crudest form. My friend’s mother will never accept her son to marry from a certain tribe, and so is my friend. She will never vote in a leader from a certain ethnic community. We might deny it, but it does exist. Until and unless we confront it, it will haunt us in perpetuity. Indeed, our founding fathers amassed and galvanized the national wealth along ethnic affiliations and divided leadership positions purely on tribal loyalty and asymmetry. The governance that has proceeded it has done exactly that, only in a more advanced form. But where do we draw a line between negative ethnicity and ethnicity in its plain form?

The whole nation should worry when a certain section of the population feels alienated, when their hopes and aspirations fade into a collective pool of frustrations. We should worry because if it reaches that point, as it goes, there’s nothing as dangerous as a man who has nothing left to loose. Every son or daughter born in this country, male or female, Maasai or Luo, short or tall, should have equal opportunity to lead in whatever capacity they so choose and to occupy the highest office on land. If my prospective of getting a job in a certain firm or in getting a license to form a business will depend on my surname, we should all be worried.

When we address the reasons why I should get frustrated when a leader not from my ethnicity, ascends to power with equal merit as that from mine. Then, and only then, we should dwell on healing, integration, equality, unity of purpose and com-patriotism. We need not talk about these things, and by extension sacrifice justice at the altar of peace, before we address the former. I hope, rather believe, that when we address the former,  we shall convince my friends mother that it's ok for her son to marry from wherever he thinks fit. We shall convince my friend that she can vote in a leader from whichever community, only filtering merit, aspirations, determination and tenacity.

Charles Darwin says in his book natural selection, that organisms, mostly primates, are naturally pre-disposed to favor their own kind. But evolution has proven that integration and unity of human species is far more formidable than natural selection, than the rule of the jungle; survival for the fittest.

The monster of negative ethnicity needs to be slain from the head, not from the legs. The Wanjikus do not harbor the solution but the governance does. If the governance detoxes itself of the belief system that top appointments and constitutional offices are reserved for tribesmen and loyalist, then the Wanjikus will be made to understand that elections are not a matter of life and death.

Elections in Kenya have, for the umpteenth time, taken a dangerously tribal tangent. Aspiring politicians have managed to use this trump card to their advantage; it’s us against them- that’s how the electorate have been made to understand. Electioneering periods have brought into sharp focus a rare display of ethnic solidarity. Tribal passions are at their apex- if you do not speak my language, you don’t get my vote. Leadership is elected to represent the interests of the citizenry, not to rubber-stamp ethnic interests. Wanjikus need to be made to understand this, and that’s why it needs to start from the leadership. Tribal chieftains have to forge a common ground. Otherwise we’ll be left asking ourselves where the rain started beating us, when these passions and hatred have built to their boiling point, or we’ll believe Charles Darwin’s theory is incurable anyway!

By Levi Barasa
Accomplished Blogger
Finance Major
University of Nairobi