Friday, October 28, 2005

Why should tribe be an issue?

I was just passing by some Kenyan forum and there was this jamaa who was talking about how when he meets some chics and they start chatting and many of them try to find out what tribe he is and when they find out that he is not kuyo they lose interest and some chic even told him that he is very sawa just that he is not kuyo.Also he was also very irritated that after salaams the first thing he is asked is what tribe he is.What was on his mind was does tribe really matter?He said that in Nai he had friends and chics from all different tribes but here tribe seems to be a big issue especially with Kuyos.I have nothing against being proud of your tribe but when it comes to the point of being arrogant,obnoxious and marginalising others that I can't stand.Because at the end of the day I dont think that friendship or love should know any boundaries.Yes it sounds idealistic but it is that kind of kuyo ethnocentricism that eventually led to situations like Rwanda.Don't think I am flaying kuyos as other tribes in Kenya are guilty but it is kuyos who are the number one culprits.Do you know how offensive it is when someone comes to you and starts speaking kuyo and it is obvious by looking that you are not kuyo?!I am like WTF!Kuyos unfortunately have become very despised coz of this and thinking that they are the best tribe under Kenya's sun.
But this isn't a kuyo flaying thread.Not all kuyos are bad but tribalism is.And kuyos are not the only tribalists other tribes out there are just as guilty.At the end of the day I guess that it boils down to the choices that we make, when I was in nai my pals were from all tribes as they were my friends first and their tribes last.I think Kenyans out here should see each other as Kenyans first and their tribes last because when the INS and other problems come for you they don't care whether you are Kiambu's or Kisumu's finest so we should all style up and look past this tribal crap.

9 comments:

Calvin said...

hi there.. this is in regards to the comments you made on my blog about Everton.

thanks for dropping by, it does seem that you have a burning issue that you are trying to make. just cos you support Liverpool doesn't mean you have to shred Everton. kwani you were born on merseyside that the rivalry means that much to you?

Everton are doing very badly, we're out of all cups and bottom.. but that's football, shit happens. sometimes they finish ahead of Liverpool, mostly they don't. tunakubali na tunaendelea. your vitriol was uncalled for, but asante sana for thinking about us.

PS: nothing personal here either, but knocking a man's faith is not good form.

Guessaurus said...

Aco - dude I hear you. It happens over here as well and it irks me that these are the same people that complain that people are racist towards them, yet when it comes down to the basics they are as bad. What? One rule for colour and another for tribe. I have mentioned this earlier on in my blog and you are right in your comment that INS wouldnt care - are kyuks more Kenyan than say meru or kamba?

@S! - hmm LOL was he slagging off Everton. I am the only person I know who supports more than one football club, actually I have about five - and everyone gives me a weird look!

Acolyte said...

@ Guess
Well I guess that is one thing that we all need to learn just coz you think that you're tribe is better doesnt mean that it actually is.That is y I envy the spanish speaking people they're all tight coz they speak the same language whether you're from Columiba,ecuador or wherever.We come from one country and are so fragmented.It's really sad!
@ S!
I guess after our small tete a tete we are tight now!And like I said it's only a game there is always next season!

Msanii_XL said...

S! wachana na huyu...Everton juu ama?

@Aco...i'm everton damu right now we stink but hey atleast you gotta stick with your team thru up and down right? ...once you catch the NFl bug(you might you might not) i would love to trash talk you, right now i can't,

Ok enough of being defensive, that tribe thing is sad,

@guess...*weird wtf? look*

Anonymous said...

@ msanii
I avoid NFL like the plague!I still have love for rugby in me.Yea u got to stick with your team thru it all as I am with the way Liverpool is throwing wood at the moment!Out tribal issues as Kenyans just depress me.

irena said...

Acolyte: Tribalism, classism, racism(sp) etc will always be there as long as we live, speak,look different. However some people use it to the detriment of others and others want to see it whereever they go and blame everything based on that. It is important to use discretion on such and in the case of the dude story you used, maybe he is taking the girls rejection to be tribal when prolly that was not the case. He is not any better because he didn't give room for benefit of a doubt. Why does everyone want to accuse Kikuyus for everything. Sometimes the non-kikuyu come in with their biases and that is why kikuyu's react that way. Who says Luhya's Kamba's Luos do not behave the same way with the same biases that they are ? And again it all depends on where you were raised, how you were raised and how exposed to another tribe/race you were, race to be biased or not biased. Some people are just that because they do not know any better.
P.S The spanish people have their own biases just because they speak Spanish does not mean they like each other.The Al savadorians do not like Mexicans and Mexicans do not like Puerto Ricans etc.

Anonymous said...

I live in a place with lotsa kyuks. They take it a step further. Ati those from Murang'a hang together ama live in a specific area, those from Thika, those from Kiambu etc etc the same.

Back in the day b4 I moved here I thot it was a joke and folks were just hating on us kyuks but boy is it true!
I'm telling you folk in kenya get along better than those out here...I think.

Farmgal said...

@aco bana I know you semad that you arent agains t kuyos but it sure sounds like ...
nway where I live we have lots of jengs and they also do the same thing kuyos do when they outnumber the rest.
I know ni tabia mbaya lakini this thing is everywhere.

Gooooooooooooo chelsea!

Anonymous said...

@ Irena
Yes I do know that within the spanish speaking community it's not all love but they seem to be doing a whole lot better then us Kenyans.And yes I knew that they issue of rejection of the jamaa would come up but I didnt make it the sole premise of my arguement but I also used things that I saw and heard.Yes some ppl act a certain way coz they know no better but I think that ignorance is no excuse.But as I said earlier I am not talking about kuyos only coz even the other big tribes are in for some flack too.
@ teej
Yes I have heard of such storos of ppl having their regional villages out here.I think that's in bad form
@ farmgal
Well I was just using kuyos as an example as they are the most visible perpetrators of what I was talking about but yes jangos too are guilty of it.The worst thing is that it ends up working two ways.I know some ppl who do not patronise kuyo business or hire kuyo lawyers as they fear being screwed.Kinda pathetic if you ask me.