I want to write about an experience that is
all too common in Kenya and I believe other parts of Africa as well. This is
racism against our very own people. Our very own people give preferential treatment
to white people, and crappy treatment to our very own. In fact, as I was
rushing to check in at the JKIA to get some time to write this piece, David, a
KQ staffer not only had to scan my Swiss visa, but also had to use a magnifying
glass to check for God knows what; all the while letting white people by with
the widest smile his face could muster. Any Kenyan who frequents any of our
Malls or major hotels knows of this experience all too well.
But why blame ordinary Kenyans who discriminate
against their fellow black Kenyans while the Parliament of the Republic of
Kenya has codified this practice into law. Of course not too directly – that
would have been against the Bill of Rights in the “new” Constitution. If you doubt me, let’s take a look at the
Marriage Act recently signed into law by the President. This law essentially codifies
what every “gate-keeper” does daily – the practice of discriminating our very
own, while giving preferential treatment to other people on account of their
race. Yet for Parliament to do this is a clear demonstration of how deeply we
have internalized racism against our very own!
If you doubt me, you can download the Marriage Bill, (but note article 58 was deleted in the final version). I wish
to draw your attention to section/article 10 of this law which deals with
“Prohibited marriage relationships” and 37 that deals with “Civil marriages in
foreign countries.” Notice that gay marriages are not part of the prohibited
relationships, and notice also that the Government of Kenya will recognize as
valid all civil marriages as long as they are in accordance with the laws of
the country that they are contracted in. But notice also the only claw back on
a possible gay marriage is that if any of the parties to the marriage contract is
domiciled in Kenya.
One could well argue that if two black gays
are holders of a Dutch, British or Norwegian Nationalities and are married in
countries that recognize gay marriages, then the Government of Kenya would
recognize their marriage. While if two white gays holders of Kenyan passports attempted
a gay marriage, such marriage would not be recognized as valid. This is because
only Kenyans are required to have “capacity to marry” under the Kenyan law, which
requires that parties to a marriage be of opposite sex. But what are the odds of having a black gay
couple of Dutch/British/Norwegian Nationality and a white gay couple of Kenyan
Nationality?
How is this different from what the watch
man at the Junction/Galleria/Westgate Mall does, by only casually checking a
white patron, (if at all), and thoroughly checking a black Kenyan, even a Member
of Parliament for “Bombs”?
You may say that Kenyans (Africans) are
opposed to gay marriages, but is that truly the case? Is it not the case that
in fact what they are opposed to is black gay Kenyans marrying – but for the
Mzungu’s its ok. Is that not the reason why, our Marriage law now recognizes
“Mzungu” gay marriages but not “black Kenyan” gay marriages?
Can our Parliamentarians have any moral
authority to complaint about racism, while their actions prove that they are
like the rest of us? They too drink from the pool of “internalized racism”!
Now my “White” friend Ryan, wanted me to
write about IDAHOT – which is celebrated on 17th of May. IDAHOT
stands for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. But I do not think majority of Kenyans
including members of Parliament are Homophobic or Transphobic. When Ryan lived
with me for 3 months in Rongai – he did not hide his sexual orientation from
anyone. Yes, even in the matatu guys on route 125 & 126 – many of the
conductors and drivers knew it, and did not mind him. Why, because he is white!
Yes, he even got invited to many dinners by the socialites in Kenya and his
sexuality was not a problem.
So clearly my friends, our problem has
nothing to do with homophobia or transphobia, it’s just that we hate ourselves
so much. What we hate even more are people who remind us of characteristics we
have learnt to associate with being black. Two examples will suffice; poverty –
we hate and discriminate against the poor “they embarrass us” we say! Then
there is Powerlessness – so we hate and discriminate against women, and that is
why we hate even more, men who supposedly assume feminine roles; how dare they?
What is their problem, as one commenter in this article [link] in a Ugandan paper
said, “what do homosexuals look for in the exhaust pipes” – notice the metaphor
of gay sexuality only assumes penetration hence gay sex cannot be about lesbian
women – after all, we have no problem women being women!
As we celebrate IDAHOT this year, let us
seriously think about our internalized self-hate! I honestly would hope that
our parliaments in Africa would pass laws that affirm and reassure our
confidence in ourselves (not those anti-white rhetoric so characteristic of our
leaders such as Mugabe – which by the way none of them believes in), but rather
a deep felt genuine commitment to affirm the human value in each and every one
of us regardless of our personal attributes! Only then can IDAHOT, The day of
the African Child, on the 16th of June, Mashujaa day, Hero’s days etc.,
can have any meaning for us in Africa.
To
motivate people to action and activism, this is
about people keeping the spirit of our Independence struggle alive. Our parents
fought for independence, but we are now selling it out – in the name of moral
arguments. As President Kenyatta said, “When
the Missionaries arrived, the Africans had the land and the Missionaries had
the Bible. They taught how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them,
they had the land and we had the Bible.” Religion and morality are
important values, but let us NOT devalue the dignity of anyone person on basis of
religion or morality.
To do so would be to repeat the mistakes we
did in history. I welcome all of us especially our leaders, to affirm our
dignity. It is a shame that our parliamentarians, think differently of White gay
people than they do of us, as Africans! As citizens of Kenya and Africa, let us
take a different route.
