Kenya - Election polarisation has not spared the Diaspora

By: John Mulaa
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[ Posted On: 2008-03-03 ]

Working in an African outpost with an international agency years ago, I recall my dismayed reaction to the total lack of interaction across the ethnic divide among staff of Rwandan origin.

The situation sometimes got so dicey that to keep friends in both camps one had to devise ingenious, and often, secretive ways of maintaining links.

Years later, when the trouble in Cote d’Ivoire exploded, I witnessed similar behaviour among Ivorians in a different place where I worked at the time. People from warring zones in the country rarely talked to each other. If you happened to have contacts in both groups, you most likely heard starkly contrasting viewpoints about the situation. Southerners argued vehemently against what they saw as the attempted takeover of "their" country by northern foreigners personified by Alassane Ouattara.

In turn, the pro Ouattara crowd poured scorn on what they described as the narrow-minded southerners whom they accused of atavistic tendencies. There were reports that the two groups came to heavy blows in Philadelphia, thousands of miles away from home. In any event, just as in the case of Rwandans, it required delicate skills to maintain friendships in both camps.

It appears it is the turn of Kenyans. In ordinary times, Diaspora Kenyans from different ethnicities in Washington DC get along with reasonable civility. But on the whole, there is only limited cross-ethnic interaction except maybe at gatherings at the Kenyan Embassy and a few " Kenyan" entertainment places. Beyond that, Kenyans out here, just like those back home, stay mostly within ethnic or other comfort zones they create.

The crisis back home has exacerbated the divide and cemented the existing divisions. Political opinion closely mirrors ethnic origin, which is a reliable indicator of support for or opposition to the major political camps in Kenya. And the views expressed are strikingly similar to those heard from spokespeople of both camps. Most PNU supporters out here valiantly say their man won fair and square, and that he is a victim of a well orchestrated smear campaign by people from western Kenya.

Not so fast, ODM supporters — and the less sympathetic to that line of argument — are quick to retort. They reel out figures and dismiss the PNU line as an exercise in phantom arithmetic, which cannot stand scrutiny.

Exchange unfriendly words

They accuse the other side of playing fast and loose with ‘facts’ and of being in denial.

Harsh words

Once in a while, decorum is cast aside and harsh words are thrown about. It can get tense. But to the best of my knowledge no bows have been exchanged, yet.

This scene is said to be playing out in many locales across the US and reportedly in Europe. Non-Kenyans with friends on both sides are learning to navigate the tricky waters between the fissures. Sometimes, the mischievous among them transmit opposed points of view between the groups. They solicit views from one side and pass to the other in a manner likely to provoke a visceral response, which they duly report to other side.

The split is finding its way in American politics. Some PNU supporters out here have no time for Mr Barack Obama, the Democratic Party nomination contender. They prefer Mrs Hillary Clinton. The other day a vexed Tanzanian colleague phoned me to protest what he termed as inexplicable support for Clinton by a fellow with a Kenyan sounding name who was being interviewed on CNN. I cooled him down.

I explained to him that it was perfectly within the fellow’s right to support whomever he fancied, and I also provided a little background information that could have influenced the chap’s choice.

ODM supporters out here are in the Obama camp. Those among them who have the vote, and some who don’t, have contributed to the Obama campaign repeatedly. They are all very proud of their effort. Whenever they get an opportunity, they nettle PNU supporters, who are less inclined to support Obama. According to a source, a similar situation obtains back in Kenya.

At the end of the day though, lessened interface between the groups does not translate into much disruption of social relations because all along, there has not been much dealings between the groups.

This probably reflects the situation back in Kenya where people, including the middle class, tend to limit their social dealings within their own ethnic groups. Visit many entertainment places in Kenya’s multiethnic urban areas and you will see ethnic solidarity on vivid display.

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: John Mulaa is a Researcher and Consultant (World Bank) based in Washington DC. He is also a columnist with the East African Standard. Earlier in his Journalism career, he worked with the Weekly Review (defunct) and the Daily Nation publications in Kenya, as a foreign correspondent.

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