Why Kenya feels like the year 1938

Nairobi skyline. [XN Iraki]

Kenya touts itself as a modern nation. We talk English, the language of business and internet, we got a new constitution, and other indicators of modernism.

Add the roads, traveling abroad and mannerism. We are admired for our resilience and capitalism. Did you see Nigerians trying to copy our protests?

We are one of the few countries where ambassadors prefer to stay on after the end of their duty. Kenya has some magical allure, some addiction that attracts the bad and the good - the spirit of Happy Valley lives.

Anytime I meet a foreigner visiting Kenya for the first time, I remind them that Kenya is addictive. Many confirm that with regular visits or settling here. Noted how new houses in affluent suburbs are tailored to the global audience, in style and price?

But one thing seems to hold the country hostage; tribalism. I have agonised to understand the origin of tribalism and why it has co-existed with modernism. Why are we so modern but still tied to our tribal roots?

Someone can easily transit from a corporate boardroom on Friday to the village council of elders on Saturday and give the Sunday sermon the next day. He could have encountered a witch or a witchdoctor within the same period.

The answer came from an unexpected source - a deed of apprenticeship dated 1938-1942. The document was owned by Kibunja Múriu, a blacksmith apprentice at Native Industrial Training Depot (NITD), now Kabete National Polytechnic.

The two-page document is a jewel. The son to Kibunja is Prof JH Kimura, who gladly shared the document as Kabete National Polytechnic celebrated 100 years. Prof Kimura became an accountant, not a blacksmith like his father.

Why would such an old document matter? The information in it and its relevance 86 years later is surprising. The deed identifies the school uniform including a fez cap. He wore khaki shorts which I too wore in primary school. There was a weekend uniform.

Curiously, when I joined Kabete 40 years after Kibunja left, the weekend uniform was still there. The monthly pay for Kibunja was Sh3. Rules and penalties were given. Working hours were from 6.15 am to 4pm. He was part of indentured labour.

One entry in the deed caught my attention - his tribe, clan and chief. If you have an ID, chances are you gave the same information.

In other words, tribalism has been institutionalised. Every year we see statistics on which tribes have the largest job share in the government, not which are most the productive or give highest contribution to tax.

It seems we easily carried out what the colonial government did. Today, in addition to my qualifications, I have another descriptor in my work place, my tribe. At the university! Didn’t the word university come from the word universal? 

When Gen Z talked of being tribeless, they probably had a point. The argument for such tribal data is coated by terms like “The face of Kenya.” In Nigeria they have Federal character. It’s argued that we are all stakeholders of this republic and public jobs should be accessible to all tribes in Kenya. Then why are mzungu and Asians so rare in public jobs despite being Kenya tribes? Why have I not met a mzungu or Asian policeman carrying some tear gas canisters?

Why do we love tribal statistics? It’s a political tool. We vote along tribal lines and such data is handy in messaging, and funding development projects that can tilt the voters. Did you see the celebrations over new Cabinet positions, with ideologies and principles simply dissolved?

We may be very sophisticated, talking English through the nose and jet set. But when it comes to reality, we wear the tribal cloaks. It could be in marriage or in job recruitment. Nowadays this cloak is one of the inner garments, hidden – not like in the Olympics.

The tribal cloak is won by the rich, the poor, and the educated. I find it curious how quick foreigners, mostly Westerners, are eager to know your tribe. And they ask directly. The Easterners like the Chinese and Japanese rarely ask for your tribe (now christened community).

Over the years tribes have been stereotyped. Is that why we are eager to know one’s tribe for straight jacketing? At the national level, regional balance in jobs and appointments is often a code word for tribal balance. Is the data on tribes used for inclusion or exclusion? 

The counties were delineated to represent tribes. Rarely is 30 per cent of jobs given to 'outsiders'. The tribe lens becomes murkier when the gender card is added. Ever wondered why women in some regions are getting more visibility?

One, it reinforces the stereotype that women are the leaders in that region, including in households. Two, it’s an easy drain pipe for political power. You need a cup of hot coffee to reflect on the previous sentence.

Elevating tribe over skills and acumen deny the country its talents. Those denied opportunities often fail to thrive and their talents are lost. Some seek greener pastures far and wide. Why are there so many Nigerian professionals abroad? They even supervised my PhD thesis in the Deep South. Don't say there are too many Nigerians!

Loss of talent does not bother many of us; them versus us is prevalent. And zero sum game is seen as fair game.

We admire USA and even tried copying their constitution, through Nigeria. But when it comes to universalism, valuing people for their character, talent and dreams, we fail.

USA is a super power because of embracing talents and owning them. Some Kenyans have suggested it’s easier to get a job and settle in US or UK than in another county in our country.  Do you agree?

Though Western Anglo-Saxon and Protestant (WASP) hold the upper echelons of political power in USA, your value depends on what you can do, not who you are. Despite shades of racism that mirror our tribalism, paths to upwards mobility are relatively open in that part of the world. I learnt that from my own experience in the Deep South.

When are we getting out of our 1938 mood? I hope in my lifetime.