MULEMBE VIBES

Ways in which Kenyans encourage ethnic prejudices without Realising

2019-03-07T12:23:00.003+03:00

The just concluded general election in Kenya has left a very distraught and divided nation. This is in spite of the facade we portray to the international community of a civilised and educated community. There were reports of violence and killings as well as a very divisive question of whether the election was free, fare and credible. The feelings for those who bore the brunt of the violence and brutality dependent on one's political (read ethnic) identity. The same with question about the integrity of the poll itself. Conversations on social media platforms were fraught with divided opinion on even some of the basic things humans could agree on. This state of affairs provoked me into an intense reflection politics of identity and the lie that if there’s anything our fraught national dialogue on ethnic prejudices has taught us, it’s that there are no ethnic bigots in this country.

This is confirmed by conversations that many influential Kenyans generally believe tribal discrimination is over. It turns out that many of us actually believe we are victims of ethnic discrimination than people from other communities. It’s a silly idea, of course, but it’s easy to delude ourselves into thinking that inequality is a result of cultural failures (of others), ethnic pathology and a convoluted narrative involving the way some other communities have made it big in business, education and development generally due to their proximity to power. To admit that ethnic discrimination is fundamental to who we are, that it imbues our thinking in ways we wouldn’t and couldn’t believe without the application of the scientific method, is infinitely harder. And yet, there’s endless evidence to prove it.

For those who of us who believe that discrimination based on tribalism is real and pervasive, it is also comforting to believe that discrimination is something perpetuated by other people, overlooking the ways we are personally complicit in its perpetuation. But a sober discourse about ethnicity in Kenya require acknowledging that it sits at the very core of our thinking. By something akin to osmosis, culturally held notions around ethnicity mould and shape the prejudices of everyone within the dominant culture. Therefore, as victims or perpetrators, we unwittingly internalise these prejudices, despite the fact that doing so contributes to our own marginalisation. Most of us know the destructive outcomes systemic ethnic discrimination produces (higher rates of poverty, infant mortality, school drop outs etc.). But we are held back to address these causes due our own deeply held notions about “other people”, the basis of implicit bias. There is evidence from anthropological and psychological studies on ethnic relations to support the idea of implicit bias.

For instance, do you know that you are likely to believe that people from another tribe are less susceptible to pain than those from your own? That they cannot feel pain, whether physiological or emotional. That may explain why you feel less empathy toward individuals from the other communities in emergency or painful situations than you do for those from your own community. You may even blame them for their predicament. It happens a lot in Kenya. Just visit the social media platforms and you will come to terms with this social reality.

Besides, jokes and stereotype we hold about other communities are part the implicit biases that drive ethnic discrimination. This is the basis of what anthropologists refer to as the "super-humanisation bias". In this case, we continue to hold superstitious beliefs about some other community or communities. We look upon other communities with a biased notion they have preternatural or otherwise uncommon abilities. This may sound like good news, but it's not. Those stereotypes are part of the way we may justify the domination or exclusion of other people. We think of them as thieves, sorcerers, rapists, primitive, ugly, stupid etc. and justify our actions based on those stereotypes. This is perhaps one of the most horrifying aspect of implicit bias.

For instance, the extent to which a name of a suspect in a given case is perceived to have a stereotypically ethnic appearance could mean the difference between what we shall feel about the person’s innocence and culpability. If the individual is from a “suspect” community we adduce culpability. The bias is worsened if the victim is from our own community. Conversely, we falsely believe all individuals from our own community are “intelligent”, “competent”, “trustworthy, “reliable”, “smart”, “civilised” and “educated”. That is why we are likely to hire or favour an individual with an “innocent” name, meaning a name that is shared cross-culturally believing that the individual is from our own community and we are always “disappointed when we discover the truth”.

Therefore, ethnic discrimination in Kenya is comfortable and easy. It is the vehicle through which we can make quick, baseless decisions without the taxing act of thinking. So, the next time you catch yourself having a tribalist thought or feeling, try not brushing it off. Ask yourself where it came from, what it means and how you can unpack it. Because if the evidence above suggests anything, it’s that critical self-examination is our only hope of finding the needle in the sack of hay of unpacking and alleviating this thing, if at all. Therefore, stop imagining that being a tribalist is something that only other people do, and start looking closely at your own beliefs. Especially the ones you’ve never admitted to yourselves that you hold.

Why Social Sciences are preferred by Students in Kenyan Universities

2019-03-07T12:16:00.003+03:00

Recently, I came across a very interesting read in one of the dailies about how preference for humanities among out university student population is stifling efforts for talented work force. For me that was a very genuine concern, only in one sense; that we need to invest a lot more in science and technology than we are doing now. Overall, we need to invest more in education in a more objective and focused way than we are doing now. It is astonishing policy mandarins keep talking expanding the economy to ensure economic growth and job creation. And they keep talking without looking for ways of investing not only creatively but also looking at some of the “forgotten” frontiers. Granted, investments in science and technology could could be the building blocks for long-term economic growth of the country. And none other than former US President Obama acknowledged this in one of the debates.

I am no economist, however, the little time I have spent around books learning and later teaching anthropology has taught me a few things about development policy, especially when it comes to creation of jobs. No one seems to have the magic bullet about this on this continent. The reason is that we have forgotten or seem to have ignored the very platform that has propelled the very economies that we aspire to emulate. My thesis is that humanities and social sciences seem to have forged ahead of the ‘hard’ or natural sciences. And this is related to the fact that we have turned the education system into a sort of disciplinary completion between courses which are likely to procure a job for one rather than creation and supply of knowledge. And it seems the social sciences give students more versatility to operate in the job market. Ever wondered MBA classes are oversubscribed?

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Since our education system is designed to churn out workers (or are they professionals?) rather than thinkers, the natural sciences will continue to lag behind (in spite of their academic prestige) compared to the social sciences. Apart from professional science-based courses such as computer technology, engineering and medicine, among a few, very little regard is given to the sciences by prospective students. Yet, when we were in high school, doing these subjects was the marker of intelligence. What changed? As pointed out earlier, the prospects of employment after graduation is the answer. The most prevalent question asked by students when registering for a course is “where can I work after graduation?” The natural sciences seem short on this. Yet the choices based on employment prospects seem to cloud the bigger picture. The question, then is, is there is nothing one can do with physics, chemistry, biology, bio-chemistry, geology etc. apart from just learning and later teaching in school or university? May be only in Kenya. Doesn’t Kenya need this knowledge outside of school?

The social sciences seem to have developed research portfolios outside the academy. The natural sciences need to follow suit. To do so, there is need to first entrench these sciences in the academy. Where are the vast sums of money to undertake research in these areas? We will also need state of the art labs in schools and universities. These labs should actually be replicated in the museums, hospital, the military, police, faith-based organisations, Non-governmentals, think tanks and other areas outside the academy for students to follow them after graduation. Once this is done, we will realise the vast and numerous untapped areas of research in physics, biology, chemistry, botany, zoology, climatology, geology and the like that abound around us. Our seas, forests, deserts and rivers and full of physics, geography, biology, chemistry etc. that is waiting for discovery. Much of this knowledge is siphoned off by foreigners in the name of collaboration. Then you come across it on National Geographic or Discovery Channel. If we just start by investing in research, in these disciplines, the jobs that will come out of that adventure will be too many for our graduates. Once young professionals are equipped with skills and knowledge from the research, many other areas of interest will emerge. Let us create interest all disciplines areas by investing creatively and students will come calling. An economy founded on knowledge will never go wrong. And remember to pay professors properly.

Publishing in moving pictures

2019-03-07T12:14:00.001+03:00

Being an anthropologist, I have done a lot of research and published some of the research findings. In the process I have come across very interesting cultural practices as well as pristine cultural spaces in Kanya. These cannot be captured vividly in book chapters, nor journal articles. Therefore, I believe academics can make greater impact if they communicated their research activities through electronic media, especially television. Discussing the idea with one of my young and dynamic friends, he asked me to venture into documentaries and even went ahead to suggest establishing a local (Kenyan) documentary TV channel to air such works. His suggestion was that other academics in Kenya would actually see a chance to make their research works take their own life and animate discussions on various topical issues in Kenya and the region, from diverse disciplinary angles. Is this a viable venture?

More billionaires are born

2019-03-07T12:12:00.001+03:00

It is good to have billionaires but seems the world is becoming more unstable because of biting poverty. We need to do something to make sure billionaires do not come at the expense of the majority. This world has enough resources for all of us. My take.

Providing relevant skills for our young graduates for the work place

2019-03-07T12:09:00.003+03:00

Many young people are jobless because they do not possess the requisite skills required in the job market (whatever that means). Does it really mean that Universities in particular are producing graduates without the relevant skills? What surprises me is the same firms and organisations requiring "relevant skills" are headed and directed by individuals from the same universities where the current jobless young people are coming from. For many of us, being a lecturer requires one to play multiple roles. One of my roles at the Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies at the University of Nairobi is career advisor to our students. Many of the students come to my office requiring advice on what to do during the their long holidays, fearing that they will be very, which is usually the case. Others are innovative and identify places where they will work part time for which they require reference letters.

What we have done at the Institute to alleviate this problem is to partner with a few organisations who provide internships for these students during the long holidays. The partnership works well for both parties. On the one hand, our students (unfortunately only a few of them annually) get to have a real working environment in which to not only gain experience but also acquire additional skills which come handy in future endeavours. They also build networks. Now, so many organisations are doing a wonderful job bettering the world out here, but very few people (especially in their networks) get to know about these programmes. At the Institute , we occasionally hold dissemination workhops in which our collaborating partners come and talk to our students about their programmes.

In this way, we provide a ready young and vibrant audience for our partners. During the workshops, ideas are exchanged and occasionally areas of collaboration are expanded. For these endeavours, we at the Institute are really grateful to Population Coincil, UNIFEM, UNFPA, the Anti-FGM Board (Kenya), State Departmant of Culture and the National Museums of Kenya for the fruitful partnerships we have had and continue to have in empowering the youth for the future. I believe through this network, there are many more organisations out there who can partner with our Institute along the same lines, if not even more such as collaboratve research on various issues. I look forward to lots of positive responses, for the world can only become better through fruitful collaborations and networks. Have a fabulous week ahead.

Unpacking the invisible knapsack of privilege in corruption in Kenya

2019-03-07T12:03:00.001+03:00

The on-going investigations and arrests in Kenya in regard to corruption has raised admiration and consternation in equal measures around the country. The amounts of money mentioned in the dealings have broken the County’s “best record” of looting. However, given these are by no means the first, nor will they be the last cases of corruption in high places, is it not time to put aside the normal political rhetoric and engage in a no-nonsense discourse on what every Kenyan over the age of thirty knows: The existence of ‘unearned’ opportunities or wealth which is an indictment on our value system that it warrants a disbelief in an idea foundational to the Kenya’s future and the Independence dreams which were shattered by the opportunism? I am proposing a discourse that is poised to propel an ideological movement well beyond the Parliament, the courts, police cells, the ivory tower and into political discourse, pop culture commentary, and workplace seminars. Discussing corruption should now be part of our national discourse on everything. What is corruption? What feeds corruption? Who benefits from corruption? Who are the corrupt? Whose corruption is worse?

These questions are pertinent for the perceptive to realise that even the petty corruption we engage in on road side to allow ourselves freedom from the police in a swoop is far from benign. When City County police (are they police) “arrest” hawkers and demand “fines” from them, as widely reported by out avid clandestine press, that kind of corruption, whether at personal or group level, amounts to the same as that reported at NYS or the NCPD. What is my point? This small, “informal arrangements” for freedom still feeds into the amazing labyrinth of corruption that eventually “erupts” at the national level. Why do we get surprised when exams are leaked and some cheats are caught? (Of course the story fades into oblivion until a new scandal replaces it). It is because we are yet to elevate the discourse on corruption from the open book of reference to faceless “cartels” to the friends who buy us a cup of tea at the Nairobi down-town cafés in Muindi Mbingu Street. For many of us, the capture of big “cartel mobsters” will rid the country of the “menace” (It stopped menacing a long time ago). This will not happen. Why so?

Consider this: The pressure to ‘belong” and “thrive” in a country that threw away meritocracy into the Indian Ocean with the floods that occurred during our first Independence decade is great. If indeed this country is free, how come for some people, life is not what one makes it; but many opportunities open for them through no virtues of their own? This is what we may refer to as “unearned” positions. We know it, but we do not speak. We celebrate their “achievements”. Acknowledging these, among many other instances will make us less charitable to those in unearned positions of influence. How come we live in gated communities complete with private security when we pay taxes (and we are proud of it)? How come we pay exorbitant medical bills when we still pay taxes? Why do we pay monthly water bills, yet we still pay water bowsers? The idea of being paid double has gained currency in public service and we have embraced it. And this is from the top honchos to the guards in the streets. Sometimes we pay three times, but we never ever stop to think about it. For instance, you park your car (for those corrupt enough to own one and afford the parking fees), then pay the requisite parking fees, yet you have to pay another rough guy to take care of your car. If you don’t, the ruffian will cannibalise your car and take the choice parts to some garage to feed into an illegal, yet, incessant appetite for such parts. Remember you have paid service charge and the parking fee. Why pay more? The small corruption. Then one day, the police will “unearth” a syndicate operating in side mirrors vandalized from parked vehicles, really? The big corruption. See the link?

That is why the current discourse on corruption should awaken a razor-sharp mindset among Kenyan to adopt a fundamental shift in our individual frame of mind, and ultimately, society. We should view corruption as more than problematic. It is more than a problem not because certain doors open widely to certain people through no virtues of their own but because of the privilege it bestows on its system of benefactors and beneficiaries. This privilege is the reason hundreds of children die before the age five; the reason why women die while giving birth in make shift sheds we wrongly call hospital wards: the reason there are no roads in many parts of the country, rendering them inaccessible, epidemiological breeding grounds and criminal playgrounds; it is the reason you have to make an appointment to meet the CEO of a public institution, paid by your own taxes and the youth are unemployed; it is the reason foodstuffs are not only expensive but also dangerous to consume; it is the reason why we buy samosas made from feline carcasses; it is the reason we are poor, hungry and diseased. The privilege of not being caught to answer to your crimes. The privilege of being shielded. In our own country, is it possible that one can rise or fall based purely on hard work, talent, intelligence or other individual merits? For me, corruption is a system that breeds oppression and exploitation. The two operate in tandem. They are part of the same system that creates inequality, impoverishment, insecurity and all the other host of social ills that result. I believe that you cannot attack poverty without attacking corruption, the two are joined together from top to bottom. The earlier we appreciate that the better we will be prepared to slay the dragon!

This is how a promising Residential area in Nairobi may die off.

2019-03-07T12:00:00.000+03:00

National Housing Corporation (NHC) Langata Court, Nairobi, is in the middle of a Water Crisis and this may precipitate its demise from glamour to irrelevance. This residential area had great promise on inception and I would even say it was the most well planned of all the NHC estates in Nairobi. It is also one of the most secure in Nairobi. However, one problem is prevalent, and this problem seems to be artificial. The perennial shortage of water is driving residents up the wall. The residents strongly believe the nonchalant water vendors are colluding with the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) technicians to deliberately switch off the water supply so that the residents can buy from the vendors. One question comes to mind, why is Nairobi Water billing the residents without supplying water? It is also a miracle that other residential estates such as Nairobi West, Utawala, Embakasi and Pipeline do not experience this shortage, yet they have even bigger populations?

The explanation could only come from collusion. There is a mistaken belief that Langata NHC not only has a big population, but also that being a middle class residential area, the residents provide a ready market for the vendors. These residents are struggling just like other residents of Nairobi, to make ends meet. Making then fork out money to subsidize NWSC is not only immoral but actually criminal. Even though, one may ask, what about the safety of the water from the vendors? No one can claim to know the source of this water and vouch for its safety for drinking and cooking, even for other household chores. NHC residents wish the rationing programme is adhered to religiously. This problem will drive many people out of this estate. If one is planning to move houses, Langata NHC may not be a good option. A residential area with so much promise may become a ghost town very soon, just because of the greed of a few people in NWSC and the cartels that own water bowsers. Unless NWSC cleans its house, very soon even those who own the houses may find themselves moving out. National Housing Corporation itself should also step in. Water is essential, it is not something to joke around with. That is my humble opinion.

Do we need social Science in Kenya?

2019-03-07T11:58:00.002+03:00

It may finally happen. After years of debates about the contribution of social science and humanities, to the understanding of the human condition, we may finally see the likes of history, linguistics, sociology, geography anthropology and philosophy either deliberately underfunded into extinction or actually banished from our education syllabus. The reason, as Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto recently put it eloquently, these are not the kind of disciplines required by our growing (or is it stagnant-albeit declining?) economy. Curiously, economics and law were spared the onslaught, probably because graduates of these disciplines do not roast maize on the roadsides like anthropologists and historians. This is not new talk. These debates have always been around us as long as universities have existed. What is telling is that much more advanced economies such as North America and Western Europe have been there and done that. What have the debates achieved? The jury is still out there. One of the most poignant one was the failed attempt by US senators Tom Coburn and Jeff Flake to de-fund Political Science from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) budget.

To buttress the position, the Leader of the US House of Representatives, Eric Cantor, pointed out, “funds currently spent by the government on social science – including on politics of all things – would be better spent helping find cures to diseases!". A very powerful message indeed! But it failed to impress Congress. Because, I think the US Congress has individuals among its ranks with far more impressive academic and policy credentials as to be hoodwinked easily by rhetoric in matters that fundamentally affect strategic interests of the US.

The question that begs is, are humanities useless for our “growing economy” (which, incidentally, has been nascent for more than half a century)? An economy, which has defied Rostow and Darwin put together? Is this economy practically stunted because most of the graduates are social scientists, whose knowledge does not promote the economic interests of Kenya? That was the nuanced implication in the DP’s statement. But can we blame the DP for his thinking? I highly doubt. For one, I hope none of the DP’s advisors are from such backgrounds because if their knowledge is from the pedestrian humanities, they cannot add value to the kind of country he foresees in the near and distant future, a country he aspires to govern. But what kind of country can develop without social sciences and humanities. Who measures development? Who provides indicators for development? Who finds fault with one development indicator and replaces it with another? In which disciplines is development robustly discussed? In whose language, discipline-wise, are policy guidelines formulated? Answers to these questions could provide us with reliable positional arguments on whether our country should do away with sociology, literature, anthropology, history, geography, linguistics and philosophy.

For the academy, the posturing by policy makers about the uselessness of humanities is hollow and devoid of any new evidence. It is actually buck-passing. We are afraid to lay the blame for our high unemployment rates squarely where it belongs. But that is another long discussion. Part of the background to this anti-social science crusade stems from ignorant disciplinary arrogance, more so by individuals who themselves do not enjoy guru status in those disciplines. Otherwise, give it to highly accomplished natural scientists, they do not engage in such debates. For sure, Nobel Prize material medics, physicists, chemists, biologists inter-alia know better than their fledgling acolytes to denigrate any branch of knowledge. And we have many in our local universities. These highly rated scientists are aware that their accomplishments are products of a broad spectrum of epistemology. After all, was it not a natural scientist who discovered that the World is not flat? So, why are the so-called policy makers trying to take us back to the Pre-Galileo world where there is just one answer to all the problems affecting humanity? For me, this crusade amounts to what one cheeky anthropologist referred to as intellectual vandalism.

We must acknowledge that there are fundamental differences between natural sciences and social sciences. However, those differences do not amount to some scale of ranking in any way (including job marketability). Part of the reason is that the social sciences are not a homogenous block. The fields of inquiry range from those such as geography, psychology and anthropology that are somewhat integrated with the natural sciences through to those that draw more on the humanities such as literature, linguistics and history. This diversity is what makes social science a very rich body of knowledge for solutions to human problems. It is, therefore, undeniable that both sides of knowledge provide the kind of robust theory and evidence that enrich each other. Both sides are riven with the same uncertainties about the source and authority of knowledge. If we want to understand the nature of our population problems, we must seek answers from both sides of the scientific divide. The same with infrastructure, epidemics, natural resources management, garbage collection, crime etc.

What our euphoric leaders do not appreciate is that social scientific scrutiny of the human, rather than natural, world doesn't easily lend itself to generalisable laws, cast-iron predictions, nor can it always preserve a distinction between fact and value. Social science provides careful, theoretically and methodologically rigorous exploration of these subjects, which are fundamental to a healthy society, though, finding unarguable evidence is extremely difficult. Social sciences articulate and frame public, academic and policy debates and encourage critical, nuanced thinking. If you look keenly, this could be the very reason we should have more and better funded social science rather than less. After all, since politicians are everyday creating social science related policy, often in hoc to sensational headlines, why should we not have a major scholarly engagement with the same themes so that our leaders hopefully end up formulating and implementing those policies a bit more effectively?

Clearly the end to this debate will come when physicists will have overcome the uncertainties of pursuing the Higgs Boson, or when breast cancer researchers finally succeed in developing new genetic therapies. The uncertainties natural scientist face are not significantly different from those of social scientists in trying to explain the far more unruly phenomena we call human behaviour. If we cannot accept this simple logic, then we can criticize anthropologists for not coming up with a panacea for the two most critical epidemics in this country; corruption and tribalism, which incidentally are responsible for the stunted economy and unsafe society we are saddled with since 1963.

MULEMBE VIBES: HOMEPAGE

2017-08-21T18:43:00.001+03:00

MULEMBE VIBES: HOMEPAGE

The rush to cash in on forests will choke us with thirst

2017-06-06T11:34:00.002+03:00

The rush to cash in on forests will choke us with thirst

Environmental degradation in Africa is often linked to management failure and political decline. The unending Mau Forest saga is a good example. Those who support the eviction of the settlers believe their continued presence destroys the forest and the water catchment area to which the forest is the tower. While those opposed to eviction contend that the squatters have valid allotment and purchase documents to showcase ownership. So, who is right? Even more astounding was a declaration by a prominent leader that he will not give up an inch of what he owns. The big picture But Mau is just but a small piece of the bigger picture we are not ready to confront. Indeed, reports are already filtering in that loggers, who are not residents in the forest, are taking advantage of the confusion to fell trees at night.

This is disturbing news for those who care about the future of Kenya. At the same time, more forest land is being alienated and privatised. The Government is supposed to protect our natural resources to safeguard the future of the country. However, the reverse is the case. Today, due to the Forest Department’s political and economic difficulties, more trees are being felled for commercial purposes. Political failure Are we courting an environmental crisis by political and economic mismanagement of the resources? When discussing Mau and other issues we pay little attention to linkages between environmental degradation and political failure, mismanagement and disorder, or even environmental degradation through political crisis. It is precisely because they are so insidious that we should be more critically aware of them.

Thus, in Kenya, as we are fast becoming ill-famed as much for political chaos and corruption as for environmental mismanagement, there is a widespread perception that the collapse of forest management has led to rapid deforestation. Economic and political corruption is the bane of sound environmental management around the world. As the Kenyan case illustrates, the higher the level of corruption in a country, the greater the destruction of the environment and this leads to lower level of environmental sustainability. And of course Mau illustrates this more than anything else. Illegal logging As corrupt political operators, we have refused to acknowledge that the linkage between environment and corruption is alarming. The bigger problem is that money generated to manage the environment is being embezzled through corruption. We have to concede that Kenya is now facing an environment crisis.

Only 1.7 per cent of its forest cover is left and many of our major river systems are biologically dead. Deforestation through illegal logging threatens farm life, coastal and marine resources, access to water, and spawn epidemics and pollution. This is because the environment sector in Kenya is a major source of corruption as well as political patronage. The plunder of natural wealth has been the material base of oligarchic politics that promotes and practices corruption. It is where the most coveted resources are, and it is where the money is. And don’t we love money at all costs? The large-scale exploitation and extraction of the country’s natural wealth, especially timber, teems with corruption involving bureaucrats, powerful politicians and their cronies. The profit objectives of business in extracting billions worth of environment resources are facilitated through the enactment of laws and onerous treaties, the issuance of policies, transactions, permits, designation of areas for operation, sham environment assessments, and other papers. Thus, legal mechanisms are used to legitimise and process the plunder of natural resources. But it is the invisible hand of corruption wielded by the powers-that-be which makes this development aggression more expeditious. It is this same hand that protects profitable ventures, beneficiaries of corruption, and the wanton destruction of the environment at the expense of communities, their livelihood and property, and their future. Corruption makes environment laws unenforceable and violators to get away with their crimes. It also makes tools for accountability toothless. These are the hard facts that we need to face so as to resolve the Mau saga and others.

Terrorism is Rooted in Masculinity and Aggressive Competion Among Men.

2017-06-06T11:31:00.001+03:00

The bombing in London has again added embers to the incessant discourse on the causes and consequences of terrorism in the global arena. What many of us fail to ask ourselves is; who is a terrorist? Who is most likely to be the target of terrorist attack? Who responds to terrorism? Who decides what qualifies as a terrorist attack? Mostly, the answer to all these questions is: men. Just as men have the most to gain by using terror for the acquisition of political power and control, it is men who define terrorism. Yet most important, why are most terrorists men? Have we ever thought through the image of the terrorist portrayed in the media? Terrorist manifestos, media representations of terrorists and current policy debates over the causes and consequences of terrorism all typically de-gender terrorism. So nearly exclusive is the connection between gender and terrorism that it goes unmentioned except when terrorists are women, who are then explicitly named, as in ‘female suicide bomber’.

Shocking and titillating, these accounts channel an analysis of gender away from the centre of the story — men and masculinity. Much as scholars argue that all terrorist acts should be seen as connected, understood in a global context of shrinking economies, increased militarisation and expansive media, anthropologists posit that we may have to look at the masculine connection. From the Southern ape of Transvaal that produced the Homo sapiens through medieval times to the present, war has traditionally been a male initiation rite and proving ground where men battle with one another over the ideals of masculinity like courage and strength. Yet, unlike traditional wars over national borders or natural resources, terrorism may be a war over the symbolic meanings of who men are, how they should behave and what they think they deserve.

At the same time, masculinity is bolstered by media images that pit the presumably savage and primitive manliness of terrorists against that of the clean-cut and civilised elected leaders charged with stopping them. The good masculinity of Western men is hailed over the bad masculinity of terrorists — non-Western men of colour from developing nations, religious zealots, fanatic ideologues and oppressors of women. Even when the man labelled as terrorist is a Caucasian man such as Timothy McVeigh, the image is always of lone wolf psychopaths or pathetic chaps with low-self esteem. This simple segregation of ‘good guys’ from ‘evil doers’ render other forms of masculinity invisible. This is precisely why it is too simplistic, essentialist and stereotypical to argue that men are driven ‘naturally’ to war and violence due to aggression-inducing testosterone or because they have ‘always been the hunters’. Instead, analysis is necessary of terrorists’ own masculine identity and experiences of manhood, on the one hand, and of the power imbalances and inequities between the world’s men, on the other.

Terrorism is a new occupation that calls men forth to define themselves as manly. Militarised masculinity, then, is a cultural, political and industrial enterprise that contributes to terrorism. And, as more young boys are taught that the way to be a real man is to prepare to die for one’s cause, terrorism cyclically continues to exploit men’s fears and anxieties about masculinity. Thus terrorism may be a form of global backlash. Terrorists perceive themselves to be struggling and are striving to achieve dominance as men. Thus, personal feelings of loss, desperation and disenfranchisement at a time of material, moral and political uncertainty may conduce to terrorism. In addition to stringent ideals of masculinity, terrorist men are compellingly aware of relationships of power and domination. That is why terrorism should be viewed as a showdown between dominant men with economic, educational and other institutional advantages, and subordinated men of minoritised masculinities where each ‘side’ depicts the other as the wrong

KTN News KTN Home Radio Maisha SDE Evewoman The Nairobian uReport EPaper Corporate Home Kenya World Business Opinion Health Sports Entertainment Education Lifestyle Kenya Elections You are here » Home » Commentary Terrorism is rooted in masculinity and aggressive competition among men By | Updated Sun, May 8th 2011 at 00:00 GMT +3 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Share on Facebook Share on Twitter By Khamati Shilabukha The death of Osama bin Laden has added embers to the incessant discourse on the causes and consequences of terrorism in the global arena. What many of us fail to ask ourselves is; who is a terrorist? Who is most likely to be the target of terrorist attack? Who responds to terrorism? Who decides what qualifies as a terrorist attack? Mostly, the answer to all these questions is: men. Just as men have the most to gain by using terror for the acquisition of political power and control, it is men who define terrorism. Yet most important, why are most terrorists men? Have we ever thought through the image of the terrorist portrayed in the media? Terrorist manifestos, media representations of terrorists and current policy debates over the causes and consequences of terrorism all typically de-gender terrorism. So nearly exclusive is the connection between gender and terrorism that it goes unmentioned except when terrorists are women, who are then explicitly named, as in ‘female suicide bomber’. Shocking and titillating, these accounts channel an analysis of gender away from the centre of the story — men and masculinity. Much as scholars argue that all terrorist acts should be seen as connected, understood in a global context of shrinking economies, increased militarisation and expansive media, anthropologists posit that we may have to look at the masculine connection. From the Southern ape of Transvaal that produced the Homo sapiens through medieval times to the present, war has traditionally been a male initiation rite and proving ground where men battle with one another over the ideals of masculinity like courage and strength. Yet, unlike traditional wars over national borders or natural resources, terrorism may be a war over the symbolic meanings of who men are, how they should behave and what they think they deserve. At the same time, masculinity is bolstered by media images that pit the presumably savage and primitive manliness of terrorists against that of the clean-cut and civilised elected leaders charged with stopping them. The good masculinity of Western men is hailed over the bad masculinity of terrorists — non-Western men of colour from developing nations, religious zealots, fanatic ideologues and oppressors of women. Even when the man labelled as terrorist is a Caucasian man such as Timothy McVeigh, the image is always of lone wolf psychopaths or pathetic chaps with low-self esteem. This simple segregation of ‘good guys’ from ‘evil doers’ render other forms of masculinity invisible. This is precisely why it is too simplistic, essentialist and stereotypical to argue that men are driven ‘naturally’ to war and violence due to aggression-inducing testosterone or because they have ‘always been the hunters’. Instead, analysis is necessary of terrorists’ own masculine identity and experiences of manhood, on the one hand, and of the power imbalances and inequities between the world’s men, on the other. Terrorism is a new occupation that calls men forth to define themselves as manly. Militarised masculinity, then, is a cultural, political and industrial enterprise that contributes to terrorism. And, as more young boys are taught that the way to be a real man is to prepare to die for one’s cause, terrorism cyclically continues to exploit men’s fears and anxieties about masculinity. Thus terrorism may be a form of global backlash. Terrorists perceive themselves to be struggling and are striving to achieve dominance as men. Thus, personal feelings of loss, desperation and disenfranchisement at a time of material, moral and political uncertainty may conduce to terrorism. In addition to stringent ideals of masculinity, terrorist men are compellingly aware of relationships of power and domination. That is why terrorism should be viewed as a showdown between dominant men with economic, educational and other institutional advantages, and subordinated men of minoritised masculinities where each ‘side’ depicts the other as the wrong kind of man. —The writer is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies, University of Nairobi. 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Read more at: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000034679/terrorism-is-rooted-in-masculinity-and-aggressive-competition-among-men

Terrorism is rooted in masculinity and aggressive competition among men By | Updated Sun, May 8th 2011 at 00:00 GMT +3 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Share on Facebook Share on Twitter By Khamati Shilabukha The death of Osama bin Laden has added embers to the incessant discourse on the causes and consequences of terrorism in the global arena. What many of us fail to ask ourselves is; who is a terrorist? Who is most likely to be the target of terrorist attack? Who responds to terrorism? Who decides what qualifies as a terrorist attack? Mostly, the answer to all these questions is: men. Just as men have the most to gain by using terror for the acquisition of political power and control, it is men who define terrorism. Yet most important, why are most terrorists men? Have we ever thought through the image of the terrorist portrayed in the media? Terrorist manifestos, media representations of terrorists and current policy debates over the causes and consequences of terrorism all typically de-gender terrorism. So nearly exclusive is the connection between gender and terrorism that it goes unmentioned except when terrorists are women, who are then explicitly named, as in ‘female suicide bomber’. Shocking and titillating, these accounts channel an analysis of gender away from the centre of the story — men and masculinity. Much as scholars argue that all terrorist acts should be seen as connected, understood in a global context of shrinking economies, increased militarisation and expansive media, anthropologists posit that we may have to look at the masculine connection. From the Southern ape of Transvaal that produced the Homo sapiens through medieval times to the present, war has traditionally been a male initiation rite and proving ground where men battle with one another over the ideals of masculinity like courage and strength. Yet, unlike traditional wars over national borders or natural resources, terrorism may be a war over the symbolic meanings of who men are, how they should behave and what they think they deserve. At the same time, masculinity is bolstered by media images that pit the presumably savage and primitive manliness of terrorists against that of the clean-cut and civilised elected leaders charged with stopping them. The good masculinity of Western men is hailed over the bad masculinity of terrorists — non-Western men of colour from developing nations, religious zealots, fanatic ideologues and oppressors of women. Even when the man labelled as terrorist is a Caucasian man such as Timothy McVeigh, the image is always of lone wolf psychopaths or pathetic chaps with low-self esteem. This simple segregation of ‘good guys’ from ‘evil doers’ render other forms of masculinity invisible. This is precisely why it is too simplistic, essentialist and stereotypical to argue that men are driven ‘naturally’ to war and violence due to aggression-inducing testosterone or because they have ‘always been the hunters’. Instead, analysis is necessary of terrorists’ own masculine identity and experiences of manhood, on the one hand, and of the power imbalances and inequities between the world’s men, on the other. Terrorism is a new occupation that calls men forth to define themselves as manly. Militarised masculinity, then, is a cultural, political and industrial enterprise that contributes to terrorism. And, as more young boys are taught that the way to be a real man is to prepare to die for one’s cause, terrorism cyclically continues to exploit men’s fears and anxieties about masculinity. Thus terrorism may be a form of global backlash. Terrorists perceive themselves to be struggling and are striving to achieve dominance as men. Thus, personal feelings of loss, desperation and disenfranchisement at a time of material, moral and political uncertainty may conduce to terrorism. In addition to stringent ideals of masculinity, terrorist men are compellingly aware of relationships of power and domination. That is why terrorism should be viewed as a showdown between dominant men with economic, educational and other institutional advantages, and subordinated men of minoritised masculinities where each ‘side’ depicts the other as the wrong kind of man
Read more at: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000034679/terrorism-is-rooted-in-masculinity-and-aggressive-competition-among-men

Art of Doing Nothing in the Land of the Calypso

2017-06-06T11:24:00.003+03:00

Apr 12, 2007

Art of Doing Nothing in the Land of the Calypso

by Khamati Shilabuka

The Cricket World Cup could have passed unnoticed by many Kenyans in one of the host nations, Trinidad - a country a widespread urban activity, liming, is a sight to behold.With the Port of Spain as a natural hub, the urban corridor dominates public life. Crucial institutions in the Trinidadian definition of public self, such as steel bands, calypso and carnival, as well as the most important economic and political institutions, are located at the Port of Spain and the surrounding area.

The origin of 'liming' is obscure. It means 'hanging around', but there is no exact linguistic or cultural equivalent to liming in the cultural contexts with which most of us are familiar. The concept encompasses any leisure activity entailing sharing of food and drink, telling stories, jokes and anecdotes, provided the activity has no explicit purpose beyond itself.

Whereas idling and inactivity are shameful and slightly immoral, liming is acknowledged as a performing art, an activity one would not hesitate to indulge in proudly. Verbal improvisation, ingenuity and straightforward aimlessness are highly regarded, provided one follows the rules, which, however, are nearly all implicit.

It took me a long time and effort to learn how to lime; many of my acquaintances were of the opinion that I never really mastered it, despite many determined attempts.

Liming is not subjected to a formal set of rules. Its value is entirely for the shared meaning that can be established spontaneously.

A typical lime begins when two or several acquaintances (neighbours, colleagues, relatives or friends) meet more or less by chance - in the street, at the grocer's, outside a home or in the rumshop. It is impossible to lime alone: Liming is inherently a social activity and cannot be reduced to the individual.

A second condition for liming is relaxation and leisure. Limers should relax (recline in chairs or lean against walls) in a manner enabling them to converse at ease. Thirdly, the situation should assume an air of openness: A lime is in principle open to others who might want to join. Liming is, in other words, a social and public activity. Groups of people meeting in one another's living rooms are, therefore, not true limers unless the context allows for the intrusion of gatecrashers.

Not just anybody can lime together. The Trinidadian lime refers not only to the activity, but also to the group, which is frequently an informal one. Often, groups of four or five men lime together on a regular basis. In this way, it involves social integration and differentiation not provided by professional and domestic careers.

There is an overlap between professional and liming careers. From a structural point of view, there is no doubt that the correlation between class and liming is high. In other respects, however, distinctions relating to class are not clear-cut. Liming is not restricted to members of the lower classes although daytime limers are wholly or partly unemployed. Starting in the late afternoon and lasting well beyond midnight, thousands of small groups of men gather at regular places: Rum-shops, pool halls, recreation clubs, restaurants, street corners, parks and people's homes.

Much is communicated about the social identity of an individual through his liming habits. People who lime together tend to belong to the same age group, rank and ethnic group. Usually, they live in the same neighbourhood. Liming is largely a male activity.

It contributes to the reproduction of principles for social differentiation, which have significance in the division of labour and ethnic and domestic organisation.

From a different point of view, liming contradicts rather than confirms social institutions. Activities resembling liming exist in most societies. A distinguishing trait of liming is that aesthetic criteria are applied in evaluating the activity. It is common to distinguish between a good and a bad lime.

A lime is good if there is plenty of money for beverages, interesting or amusing information flow among participants, and if nobody is seriously offended.

Tense and exciting games of poker, pool or dominoes may also add to the success of a lime. A lime can also be memorable if an unexpected opportunity for enjoyment emerges, if somebody appears in a car and invites everybody to lime on the beach at Maracas or Carenage, invites the lime to a party or film, knows about available women nearby, news arrive that there is a stick-fight or cockfight or a job offer is made. But a bad lime is characterised by boredom, inactivity, irritation and sour argument. A lime with no juice is truly dreadful.

The carnival, the calypso and the steel band are key symbols in Trinidad's national culture. They are institutions linked with the urban working class of Port of Spain. It is true that the institutions are associated with mythological concepts about the loose and free life of the proletarian, contrasting this with the phlegmatic and boring Protestant virtues of the European-influenced middle-class.

Urban Trinidadians regard enjoyment and the tendency not to worry about tomorrow as characteristic of themselves. The most spectacular example is the carnival, an erotic, rhythmic and colourful party with hundreds of thousands of slightly dressed and intoxicated participants. The sexual element is dominant. Sexual themes are omnipresent in discourse. Sexual infidelity is evaluated as partly legitimate, but there is always a minor scandal whenever a 'respectable' man or woman is caught at it.

The writer is a research fellow at the Institute of Anthropology and Gender Studies at UoN

The Backlash on elimination of FGC in Kenya Worrying

2017-06-06T11:15:00.003+03:00

The Backlash on elimination of FGC in Kenya Worrying

Female genital cutting (FGC) is a term used to refer to any practice which includes the removal or alteration of the female genital or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reason. In communities where the rite is practiced, it is part of a retinue rites in the process of passage to adulthood. It therefore constitutes transformation to maturity, just like male circumcision. Whatever varied perception or reason behind the practice of FGM, there seems to be a common thread running through traditional societies that these are male dominated, societies where resources and power are generally under male control. However it is inaccurate to suggest that all women are under that generalisation. That why it is important to know that some women benefit from a certain degree of authority within socially prescribed roles and even in oppressive situations you can come across extremely strong women who defy all kinds of suppression.

As we can see FGC is motivated by various perceptions. For many people from non-FGC communities, it is worth noting there are social, religious, economic and hygienic facets to it. Besides, the practice of FGM is not presented to women in a straight forward manner. It is has to be covered in mystery, magic and fear. For instance, women who undergo FGM receive social approval and gain certain benefits; being marriageable and through marriage, having access to resources in the community. In terms of gender roles FGM marks the difference of sexes in preparation of their future roles in life and marriage.

However, numerous studies have shown medical and psychological side-effects of the practice on women, thus the numerous interventions to end it. Biomedical and anthological research has demonstrated that in some cases, without surgical intervention before childbirth among circumcised mothers, there is danger of prolonged labour with resultant life-threatening complications for both mother and infant. Moreover, the conditions under which female genital mutilation is generally performed can lead to potentially fatal complications even in the less extensive forms. The type II and III are particularly likely to cause long-term health problems including birth complications, lowered fertility and reduction in a woman's ability to experience sexual pleasure. Again, other suboptimal factors may be contributing to the high perinatal death among circumcised women in the communities where it is still prevalent which may need other longitudinal studies to clarify.

Globally, efforts to eliminate female genital cutting (FGM) have often been unsuccessful because opponents of the practice have often ignored its social and economic contexts. In some cases, external intervention has strengthened the resolve of communities to continue their genital cutting rituals as a way of resisting what they perceive as cultural imperialism. Thus, FGC continues to abuse and violate international standards of rights of women as innate sexual beings. In Kenya, interventions have various levels of success. In some communities such as Agikuyu, we have witnessed near-total elimination while others such as Maasai, Gusii, Somali among others, the practice persists.

Given the reported complications and related consequences of the practice, it is often asked why the practice is still continuing. Reasons may be that it is unclear how frequently such problems occur, for little clinical data exist and what is available comes from small studies or is based on self-reports. Moreover, in societies where few women remain uncircumcised, problems arising from female genital mutilation are likely to be seen as a normal part of a woman's life and may not even be associated with genital mutilation. While the most important reasons may probably lie in the social and economic conditions of women's lives in many of such settings.

As one person who has done some research on FGC, my concern is not the persistence as such. I am deeply concerned about the backlash we are witnessing from some communities. The media has highlighted cases of women resisting efforts to sensitise communities about the dangers of FGC and the need to stop the practice. Two cases come to mind, the Maasai and the Kuria women have come out strongly in support of the practice. The more worrying aspect of this trend is that those in the forefront are educated urbane individuals, who should actually be in the opposite camp. May be the two cases are just the tip of an iceberg in the country in particular and the world in general. It is instructive that past resistance to interventions has been clandestine. The transformation to open, overt resistance is perplexing.

Politics of Deception and Manipulation Outdated

2017-06-06T11:13:00.004+03:00

Politics of Deception and Manipulation Outdated

I was intrigued when one of the leading lights of our political landscape told a gathering something to the effect that they will do anything in their power to get the wrestle Nairobi from the opposition. This got me thinking about the Machiavellian mantra about crushing your enemy completely and wondered whether our leader’s political strategy is still enmeshed in the antediluvian thinking of the original thinking of Machiavelli. Maybe it is still anchored there and maybe because the Kenyan political landscape is full of mindless zombies that swallow everything this kind of leadership offers. The sad thing is: many of our leaders have refused to grow with time and are still enamoured in Neanderthal philosophies of manipulation and occasional cruelty. They believe that it is much safer to be feared than loved.

One of the things that come to mind in this political manipulation is the lie that merging parties under one umbrella political behemoth will unite the country. While the intention is manifestly genuine and benign, the latent (read the real) intention is a very toxic concoction to keep the state and its resources away from “intruders”, whoever they are. The other interesting occurrence is the sudden pre-occupation with the unity of certain communities, the most notable being Luyia and Gusii. And these campaigns are ostensible being pushed by “home boys and girls”. How come no one is interested in Maasai or Borana unity (among many others) for that matter? Again, the manifest motivation is genuine but what is the intended outcome of this call for unity, and is it really homegrown? Even supposing it is home grown, is it genuine? And who are the Luyia and Gusii, for that matter, uniting against? The answer to that is as complex as the unstated history of this country. So again here, the devil is in the details.

As Kenyans, we must also be wary of the sudden generosity from government functionaries. The many projects being unveiled or commissioned in areas and regions hitherto considered “hostile” to their overtures. Are these projects budgeted for and is their implementation sustainable and long-term or are they short-term courtship dances meant to hoodwink voters. Again, our politics of manipulation comes into play. The government is using selective honesty and generosity to disarm the populace in these areas. The sad fact is local leaders from these areas are also playing along in total disregard to the needs and aspirations of the populace.

The timing of the proposal or passage of certain laws that touch on political and electoral issues also come out as part of the scheme to keep the state out of the hands of the “outsiders”. One wonders why our legal and legislative efforts are aimed at making legislation that is tailor-made and almost time-bound. If someone else other than Jubilee were to form the next government will we still have those tireless efforts to allow the President to handpick governors and the Chief Justice. Have our legal and legislative mandarins thought about the implications of this law beyond 2032 (when the life of jubilee is expected to change guard of effectively end)? We should step away from this leadership from the past and embrace futuristic thinking. Leadership is not about seeking attention at all costs. Neither is it about crushing your opponents totally as Machiavelli advised.

The responsibility to make Kenya tick starts and ends with each one of us. We must realise that leadership based on manipulation is not sustainable nor is it good for the future of the country. The ideas advanced by Machiavelli and Greene have outlived their usefulness. Deception, manipulation, force, and coercion have been replaced by responsible use of power. Political leaders should be people who are attuned to, and engaged with the needs and interests of others. To run smoothly, society needs leaders who are willing and able to use power this way. Thus, empathy and social intelligence are vastly more important to acquiring and exercising power than are force, deception or terror. And if you look keenly, you will find that our political landscape does not lack individuals who, even having been children of privilege themselves, they are able to empathise and identify with the needs and aspirations of the lowly. These are the midwives of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and the champions of devolution that is changing lives from Vanga in Kwale to Lokichogio in Turkana. These are the individuals we should strive to put in leadership to propel Kenya to the next level.

Ways in which Kenyans encourage ethnic prejudices without Realising

2017-06-06T11:11:00.003+03:00

Ways in which Kenyans encourage ethnic prejudices without Realising

If there’s anything our fraught national dialogue on ethnic prejudices has taught us, it’s that there are no ethnic bigots in this country. This is confirmed by conversations that many influential Kenyans generally believe tribal discrimination is over. It turns out that many of us actually believe we are victims of ethnic discrimination than people from other communities. It’s a silly idea, of course, but it’s easy to delude ourselves into thinking that inequality is a result of cultural failures (of others), ethnic pathology and a convoluted narrative involving the way some other communities have made it big in business, education and development generally due to their proximity to power. To admit that ethnic discrimination is fundamental to who we are, that it imbues our thinking in ways we wouldn’t and couldn’t believe without the application of the scientific method, is infinitely harder. And yet, there’s endless evidence to prove it.

MULEMBE VIBES: Homepage

2017-04-21T14:46:00.001+03:00

MULEMBE VIBES: Homepage

MULEMBE VIBES

2017-04-21T14:38:00.001+03:00

MULEMBE VIBES@vitamina

2013-11-04T12:25:00.001+03:00

Our media is reaping the fruits of applauding this government at every turn after the bungled digital election in March. At every opportunity, they reminded us to forget and move on. Here we, why can't they move on, after all this a popular government elected by the majority of Kenyans. How soon things change. We are in the wilderness.

2013-11-04T12:21:00.000+03:00

2013-11-04T12:18:00.002+03:00

I have lost my colleague and good friend, Dr. Mutie, then I lost my small mother (what some refer to as step mother), then two brothers of my father. What a terrible month for me and my entire family. God will look upon us favourably.

2013-11-04T12:16:00.001+03:00

Dr. Pius Mutuku Mutie, the University community, especially your level headed colleagues, will really miss you. How about the animated discussions on sports and politics at the Senior Common Room? We'll really miss your contributions, rest in eternal peace. .

2013-10-04T14:34:00.000+03:00

The gods have looked down on Shinyalu people favourably. No more bafoonery from that primitive boisei, he belongs in the wild with other pongids.

2013-10-03T15:20:00.002+03:00

Has football Kenya fixed the league for a particular team this season?

2012-08-11T13:31:00.000+03:00

Tony Gachoka is wasting our time. He is another layabout who is seeking cheap publicity and relevance in a contemporary Kenya where his lik are soon running the risk of being relegated to the historical dustbin. Where was he during Kriegler's and Justice Waki's sittings. Go away and stop wasting our precious time.

2012-08-11T13:28:00.000+03:00

This country is being run by a cabal of roguish, flagrant, abusive and arrogant layabouts. How do you explain the fact that a parastatal fat cat has not been in office for even for six months and he lines positions for his wife and relatives. On top that he talks about his wife's name being "discovered" on a list signed by himself. Are we so bereft of morals asn ethics that we will do anything to satisfy our narrowest interest to the detriment of national and common good. Who will save this country.