NAIROBI — Members of Kenya’s Somali community have condemned remarks they say were racist, provocative and disrespectful toward Somalis living in the country, sparking anger and renewed debate over ethnic profiling and the treatment of Somali communities in Kenya.
The controversy follows comments attributed to a man whose remarks have circulated among members of the Somali community and were widely criticized as targeting Somalis on the basis of their ethnicity.
Community members say the comments overlook the longstanding presence and contribution of Somalis in Kenya, particularly in the country’s northeastern region and major commercial centres such as Nairobi.
Critics also pointed to the economic links between Somali businesses and Kenyan workers. Somali-owned businesses, homes and enterprises employ thousands of Kenyans in various sectors, including domestic work, retail, transport, hospitality and other services.
One response to the remarks questioned the consequences of portraying Somalis as outsiders, arguing that such rhetoric ignores the economic and social relationships that have developed between Somali and other Kenyan communities.
“Sometimes, you need to use common sense before you speak,” the response said, accusing the speaker of making statements intended to provoke the Somali community.
The dispute has also drawn attention to the historical presence of ethnic Somalis in northeastern Kenya. Community members argue that the region has longstanding cultural and historical connections to Somali populations and reject attempts to portray all Somalis living in Kenya as recent foreign arrivals.
The response further accused the speaker of contributing to what it described as Somaliphobia, warning that repeated ethnic rhetoric could encourage discrimination and deepen tensions between communities.
“The Somali community cannot be bent by hatred, intimidation or cheap provocation. We will not break and we will not fall,” the statement said.
The controversy comes amid continuing public discussions in Kenya over citizenship, migration, ethnicity, economic participation and the status of communities with cross-border cultural and historical ties.
Somali community members and their supporters have called for public debate to be based on facts and individual conduct rather than ethnicity, while urging authorities and political leaders to discourage language that could contribute to ethnic profiling or discrimination.
The incident has once again highlighted the complex relationship between identity, citizenship and historical communities in Kenya, where Somali populations have played a significant role in the country’s economic and social life.
This is one of those people whose words clearly reveal anti-Somali sentiment.
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#NoToEthnicProfiling
#OneKenya
#WeBelongHere
#SomalisInKenya
