TAMNAI: Advancing minority rights and inclusion in Kenya

We recently marked the International Day of Minority Rights in Kenya. Someone, might be asking; “what is Kenya’s stand in fostering the inclusion of its 68 plus, minority communities in governance and national discourse?”

Globally, ethnic minorities make up to between 10 and 20 percent of the total population, which translates to between 600 million and 1.2 billion people.

The United Nations define minorities as ethnic, linguistic or religious groups that are non-dominant in a given society.

Over time, these communities have endured social, economic, and political exclusions in governance.

In Kenya, nearly 20 per cent of the population, that is, around 6.8 million people belong to the ethnic minority groups and marginalised communities.

They are scattered across 30 counties from Mombasa to North Eastern regions, with North-Eastern being the leading region with more than 25 communities.

The groups have experienced exclusion from governance since independence until the promulgation of the current constitution in 2010 after which they attained some semblance of recognition by the succeeding governments. 

But do we still understand the challenges they face as they navigate ethnic diversity and competition for the scarce resources?

Majority of these marginalised communities live in arid and semi-arid areas (ASALs) facing harsh weather, floods, drought and insecurity.

This has trapped them into a web of poverty making it difficult for them to make meaningful contributions to the national Gross Domestic Product.

Many of them are reliant on small-scale and traditional farming practices like bee farming, pastoralism and subsistent farming as their income earning ventures which they deem as a matter of life and death.

For instance, a farmer might own a herd of say, 30 undernourished heads of cattle and value it more of a wealth despite their vulnerability particularly to weather changes.

To them quantity reflects economic success at the expense of quality and productivity.

There is need to help these marginalized communities to shift their mindset and understand that its productivity and output, rather than quantity alone that define true wealth while still preserving their cultural identity?

Freedom of movement is also a tall order for them, as they mostly live in insecurity-prone areas with poor infrastructure where they always require police escort and planning days before carrying out any daily errand in their nearby towns.

In regions like Baringo and the Marakwet border, where the Ilchamus and the Pokots live, constant attacks brought by cattle rustling have led to loss of lives and livelihoods forcing them to adopt survival strategies just to get by. This has intensified their vulnerability.

The 2010 Constitution was enacted to reduce the marginalization of Indigenous Ethnic Communities (MIEC) by introducing devolution and with the aim of bringing governance closer to local populations.

However, to the contrary, this policy has also sparked political competition, which has proved to be a challenge for smaller minority groups that struggle to secure adequate representation.

Additionally, due to their minor populations, these groups often face challenges securing political representation and are frequently sidelined in resource allocation.

As a result, they are underrepresented in public service positions, leaving them excluded from decision making forums that affect their daily lives.

For example, the Waata community which was originally hunters and gatherers have long been marginalized in governance structures and are still fighting for inclusion and recognition.

Language loss is another significant challenge for the marginalised communities, as it defines culture of a person.

UNESCO estimates that over 600 indigenous languages have disappeared globally in the last century.

In Kenya, communities like the Abasuba, initially speakers of the Suba language are increasingly diminishing as the got assimilated into larger ethnic groups like the Nilotic Luo, pushing their language toward extinction.

Others include the El Molo, the Yiakuu who are being swallowed by Turkana and the Samburu respectively.

The Shona community is also a perfect example where parents are giving their children names from dominant tribes, giving them distinct identities with the hope to increase their chances of securing opportunities meant for the communities into which they are blend in.

Historical land injustices continue to affect marginalized communities, further complicating their struggle for equality.

In some regions, these communities face difficulties in acquiring essential documents like national identity cards, which denies them full recognition and fundamental rights as Kenyan citizens, compromising their chances of access to government services. 

Education, they say, is an equalizer, but what does this mean for a child with big dreams from these communities?

These children often travel long distances sometimes over 10 kilometers to reach school, crossing dangerous rivers or using boats, like those used by the Elmolo and Ilchamus communities.

Some even need assistance to cross these perilous rivers. Yet, these hapless children are expected to compete with peers from resource-rich regions like Nairobi in national examinations despite their many challenges.

The Government has realized their struggles and is now actively addressing their challenges, through its Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) depicting "real bottom-up socio-economic” approach.

This is in cognition that many of these communities faithfully contribute to the national development mainly through agriculture and livestock farming, indigenous knowledge, crafts and ecotourism.

It is commendable to see that in recognition of the potential of these sectors the Government is working to modernize and expand them, creating opportunities for the communities to increase their productivity and economic impact. 

A notable step towards this direction includes the recent Gazettement and operationalisation of the National Livestock Development and Promotion Service, a promise fulfilled during the 4th Pastoralists Leadership Forum in Wajir that was set to create a balance between sustainable environment practices and livelihoods.

In addition, partnership programs by the Government with the World Bank in the De-Risking Inclusion and Value Enhancement of Pastoral Economies (DRIVE) Project, aims to protect these communities from livestock losses through an insurance scheme, costing $140 million that will benefit 150,000 pastoralists from the ASAL areas.

The government is also, through the Minorities and Marginalised Affairs Unit under the Office of the Head of Public Service, working to raise awareness among these communities about government initiatives that can change and help them, like the Hustler Fund, Affordable Housing and social health programs to ensure they are included in national progress.

Ongoing infrastructure projects in the marginalized regions further demonstrates this commitment.

For example, the Lokichar Community Water Project in Turkana County will provide water to over 700 households and more than 40,000 livestock, significantly improving their living conditions and the recently commissioned Galole water project set to benefit 500 households with clean water for domestic and livestock use.

Such initiatives are designed to boost productivity of livestock farming, while the BETA plan prioritizes key agricultural value chains that are predominantly practiced by these communities including small-scale farming and bee-keeping.

These measures are bound to create a more inclusive national economy that benefits all Kenyans.

Sheila Tamnai works at the Office of Government Spokesperson as a Volunteer.