I have realized Kenyans rarely fact check the narratives propagated by Somalis around.
The truth is, those narratives are not factual and can only be justified through the lenses of irredentism or jihadism.
Look at the popular common phrase “Somalis overwhelmingly voted in a referendum 99% to cesed from Kenya”
1.There was no formal election
2. No ballot boxes
3. And no universal participation.
The 1962 exercise was not a referendum, it what the British called an “assessment of the wishes of the inhabitants”, primarily conducted through elders, chiefs, and clan leaders, with heavy reliance on colonial administrators’ reports.
Therefore, the facts are:
- It was closer to an opinion-gathering exercise, not a democratic vote.
- Elders dominated the process, which reflected clan interests more than individual preferences. (Take note,upto today elders are the final word)
- Non-Somali groups (Borana, Rendille, Gabra, Burji, Sakuye, etc.) mostly preferred to remain in Kenya, but they lacked the political weight the Somali clans had.
This nuance is often lost in modern irredentist and jihadist narratives.
One more thing, considering the elders and other community leaders gave their opinions that they should unite with somalia, could it be argued that colonial records that reported and recorded them as recent immigrants were justified, that it can be inferred the recent immigrants wanted to go back from where they came?