NCIC: Branding Kenya Somalis as Shabaab could fuel xenophobia

The continued branding of Kenyan Somalis as Al-Shabaab sympathisers could fuel xenophobic attacks against them, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission has warned.

NCIC also criticised Friday’s attack on presidential hopeful Raphael Tuju who was on a campaign tour in Kisumu, which it described as the "apex in the country’s pyramid of intolerance".

On the hate propaganda targeted at Kenyan Somali community, chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia said this was being propagated through social media, broadcasts and SMS text messages.

“These include one that advises Kenyans to alight from matatus if they get on board. This outrightly amounts to fear mongering and is likely to fuel xenophobic attacks against the community. We shall not allow this to happen,” said Mr Kibunjia at the Commission’s Delta House headquarters in Nairobi Saturday.

“People become Al-Shabaab or any militia group on their individual capacity and not as an ethnic group or race,” he said citing Elgiva Bwire Oliacha, the self-confessed terrorist, who pleaded guilty to the grenade attacks in Nairobi last month.

Mr Tuju met a hostile crowd at Kondele estate that stoned most of the vehicles escorting his team. The former Rarieda MP, however, put a brave face and went ahead with his campaign.

Mr Kibunjia said it was unfortunate that such intolerance was rearing its ugly head as the country heads towards general elections scheduled for next year.

“Those who stoned Mr Tuju must be identified, arrested and prosecuted,” he said.

“We cannot enter an election year while condoning this kind of behaviour…we will not allow actions that curtail fundamental freedoms as enshrined in the Constitution. We will work with the police to nip this permeating political intolerance in the bud,” he said.