Al Shabaab kills traditional relations between Somalians and Ugandans…
Perspective of an outraged and concerned Ugandan
Sam Mwaka-karama
At the dawn of colonialism, a hundred years ago, the Imperial Company of East Africa - then as forerunner of colonialism in East Africa, imported labor forces from India.
Native Africans at that early time were considered un-primed human resource for the purpose of building the Railway line from Kenya to Uganda. As primed laborers Coastal peoples of Kenya, were however usably to the Imperial Company - having been primed so by the Portuguese builders of Fort Jesus in Mombasa centuries earlier.
When the ‘Lunatic Express’ line (after braving the roaring Lions of Tsavo) finally crossed to Uganda, the labor forces that manned the enormous job were Indians, Digos, Swahilli of the Kenya Coast tribal stock, and the Luos of Kenya - and attached to them were a sprinkling of Somalis.
It is believed that largely the Somalis might have been the Cooks that prepared the meals… though I personally have not read that part in any history of the building of the East African Railway.
However the nature of activities Somalis were engaged in - long after that foundation era - and perhaps three decades before Independence - generally indicates a background role in food preparations.
Colonial authorities naturally rewarded the Indians who were officially conscripted from the old country - by installing them in every town “Bomas” founded in all parts of Uganda… as developers of the Bazaar. Certainly Indians were constitutional (or rather gazetted) right up till Independence. And thus were entitled to that reward.
However, Somalis might have not been in the same status as Indians… even then they enjoyed a very privileged freedom way-up above indigenous tribes of Uganda.
Indigenous tribesmen join the labor camps…
Colonial Authorities first conscripted Africans into the labor camps according to their evident habitat and especially shelter; those African tribes with skills to construct good basically structured dwellings were pulled in big numbers to labor in various towns… of cause after first building the labor camps (whose typical basic design replicated that original tribal huts as built then - like that by the Acholi - which triggered the manufacture of the tin Uniports - years later) wherever the railway line progressed to, till Jinja, at the source and initially east of the Nile.
And then the spread of the litany of towns began, and progressively the Indians became the supervisors as more and more the natives were gaining work skills: eventually most of the towns had quarters for the workers; Indians took much of the Bazaar lands, and began building, while the more administrative Goans had quarters to themselves, mostly away from the bazaar.
And the natives working in the towns built their own dwelling so that; Acholi quarters, Teso (bar) quarters, Lugbara quarters etcetera… sprang-up everywhere - wherever towns were founded.
In 1911 the Acholi people of Lamogi rebel-suddenly against colonialism - now this puts the Acholi people generally at question - Lamogi people were put-down by the Kenyans and Nubians under the colonial command.
And for Ten years till 1920 Lamogi people were displaced and encamped… however the churches needed labor around about the time - and that was a relief for the encamped Lamogi people participating in the works.
St Joseph Cathedral in Gulu Northern Uganda was thus built. The church also began developing a litany of schools in all the founded towns. What was to insure the future status of the indigenous.
By the 1930s much of the towns of Uganda were founded - Indians were high class and operated the bazaar activities. Somalis operated the butcheries, tearooms and eating kiosks that decades later were eating houses and hotels - and the markets that where mostly started around the butcheries by the Nubians and Swahilis and Luos of Kenya who had settled. (in Moroto, Karamoja the last town to be founded in Uganda - Camp Swahilli survives to this day).
What guaranteed status of the tribes was fact that the colonial authority worked with the tribal Chiefs. And that was where the lands people had their land rights guaranteed. I believe that the British with their United Kingdom and the centuries of development alluded to that hard earned unity of the Kingdoms, believed in those basic chiefdoms they found in existence among the Ugandan tribes.
Hitler’s War - uplifted status of the indigenous...
The Second World War catapulted status of the indigenous way-up to intimidating levels to the Indians and Somalis living in the various towns of Uganda - the war heroes brought with them a new confidence.
Between 1945 and 1950, things had changed dramatically in advantage of the local people. Their children going to class with the Indians with zest - confidence began building as character and eventually personas appeared to even equal the Indians who were actually very bright.
Of cause back in their own countries - the Indians and even Somalis had participated in the war - perhaps from both sides! Especially for Somalia which was divided-up between three European countries, what was a terrible confusion for the Somali people - a situation that was to polarize itself with fall of Hitler - and Mussolini, Italians lost their hold in the horn of Africa… that post war era in the horn of Africa ushered-in the complication - Islamism.
Somali developments in Uganda…
During all those years of volatility in the horn of Africa, many Somalis shifted and trickled into East Africa - and enjoying free access to anything in Uganda, most of those seeking fortunes away from Somalia joined their fellows in the country - Diaspora Somali had began!
As Ugandans eased into the administration mostly supervised by Goans and some Indians who opted to join government of the protectorate, the mentality was that of near brotherhood despite the skin color differences and racial roots…
This acceptability was the mis-guidedness Ugandans grew-up with; that the country belonged to all of us, we the natives and the Indians and Somalis were all natural to Uganda.
Between 1950 and 1960 several immigrant Somalis trickled in always naturally crossing the borders between Uganda and Kenya freely… indeed Germany that had colonized Tanganyika lost the country to Britain - that again opened the path for Somalis to also enter into Then Tanganyika equally freely - well, Somalis are coastal people and have had historical migratory movements along the Indian Ocean Coastal lines for centuries - that is undeniable. The Somalis therefore became domicile to the three East African countries.
Now Somalis are however a very difficult self centered people… in all the one hundred years since dawn of colonialism, they could not melt-away into marriages and dissolve into the various tribes of East Africa.
They instead jealously guarded their creed, they maintained their culture and language with uncommon avarice - they held to their natural inclination towards violence and brow-beat attitude.
Even after independence (as foreigners) Somalis were the only outright foreign people who carried large knives openly - like the native Karamojong carried spears and rungu clubbing-bats or, the Ankole carried long sticks and spears of the herdsman or, like the Acholi of the time carried spears and Lokilee small axes… one might say that Somalis naturalized in Uganda more psychologically that officially.
General Iddi Amin’s friendship with General Siad Barre in the 1970s capped Somali/Uganda relationship. That time the Diaspora Somalis gained tremendous advantage with enormous wealth that they constantly sent abroad.
The small developments they had in Kishenyi in Kampala, which was likened to Eisliegh in Nairobi - had become serious investments in trucking and bush services even small and medium scale industries that were money minting.
And being a constantly travelling people, their World Wide Spread largely UNHCR aided, became an enormous network - that today is worth fortunes - mostly all that is from that humble beginning in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
As Aideed and the War Lords wrecked that old country, the Diaspora Somalis developed and supported the various struggles - till things culminated into “Black Hawk Down”.
Al Shabaab and Uganda…
What every Ugandan can’t keep quiet about is the wanton act of Al Shabaab bombing a very tender soft target, like they did to the Soccer fans.
To all and sundry it is known World Wide that Sports is the symbol of peace… however, it is also natural that not everybody can be involved in sports, which is why sports is largely an entertainment industry.
We cannot all participate in competitive sports - the Chinese once had programmes of nationwide martial arts - but today it is highly unlikely that all Chinese are martial arts experts… Al Shabaab has killed traditional relationship that existed between Somalians and Ugandans since colonial times. The African Union offers the best forums for conflict resolve between Africans and not just African Governments, even rebel organizations like that of the LRA of Joseph Kony - whose spokes person was erroneously interviewed by Al Jazeera right after that tragic event - would best have their greaviences resolved at AU level - linking LRA to Al Shabaab was morally wrong***
