Sunday, June 01, 2014

KENYANS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SOMALIS.....

FACTS ABOUT SOMALIS

Somalis are the biggest ethnic group representing cushites of Kenya.

Of all the 42+ tribes of Kenya, Somalis occupy the biggest chunk of land in Kenya, an area more than 10 times of Nyanza province.

Somalis are the sixth biggest tribe in Kenya according to the recent Kenya national bureau of statistics census 2010 with more than 2.35 million people.

The Somali region in Kenya was formerly called the northern frontier districts (NFD) or north eastern and parts of upper eastern provinces.

The Somali region of Kenya was the first part of Kenya to have conducted a referendum way back in 1962. At that time, Somalis wanted to "secede" from Kenya and join their kinsmen of Somalia. It was rejected and hence launched the much talked about "shifta war" which was un-successful.

After the shifta war, the Somali north eastern province was "thoroughly" neglected by the Kenya governments, hence you hear of "marginalization. Basic education, healthcare, security, infrastructure were all absent.

Somalis from 1980's decided to work closely with the rest of Kenyans as one country called Kenya despite effects of marginalization.

Somalis are true nationalists of the Republic of Kenya.

 
 

They believe that, they were the first people to have settled in Kenya, followed by the highland Nilotes (Masaais, Samburus, Kalenjins and Turkana) who they first interacted with.
They were followed by Bantus (Kikuyu, Merus, Luhyas, Kisiis) who came from Cameroon and Congo forests and then by Mijikendas, Kambas, Taita (who came from southern Tanzania, Malawi and as far as Zambia and Mozambique 200 years ago.

Kenya has border with 5 countries and Indian Ocean. Tanzania (taveta, namanga, isebania), Uganda (Busia), south Sudan (Nadapal), Ethiopia (Moyale) and Somalia (Liboi, Elwak, Mandera). Of all these, Kenya-Somalia border is thought to sneak in "foreigners"...and Somalis pass a lot of difficulties to prove they are Kenyans...