PLEASE, JAIL THEM ALL.

There is a simmering diplomatic row between Kenya and the government of Somalia (it is a misnomer to refer to the existing administration in Somalia as a government but let us use it for lack of a better word). The feud is about a consul arrested by the police in the ongoing crackdown on illegal immigrants. He was arrested from the leafy suburb of Lavington. In protest, the Somali government has recalled its ambassador to Kenya for “consultations”. This is a classic case of biting the hand that feeds you.

Mark you; this is a government that did not even bat an eye lid for the hundreds of its citizens in concentration camps in Kasarani under deplorable conditions. It has not shown any concern for the millions of its poor citizens living in refugee camps all over the world. It has no concern for the thousands internally displaced within Somalia. In fact if the quotes alluded to some officials from the Somali embassy in Kenya is anything to go by, they explicitly support the detainment and harassment of Somali nationals living in Kenya.

You may ask why on earth the administration in Somalia is so emphatic in souring relationship with Kenya on the grounds of one consul official. It is elitism. They are protecting their turf. They know if they allow it to happen to one of them, anyone of them could be next. The rights of one elite member of the society supersedes the rights of millions of the down trodden. Mnyonge hana haki (the weak have no rights).
Peace has eluded Somalia because those who are responsible for the mayhem find sanctuary in Kenya and other parts of the world. While the commoners in Somalia die by the day, the merchants of death (warlords) and their families have found safe havens in Muthaiga, Lavington and Karen. While the Somali children in Mogadishu (for those who are lucky to survive the war) have a bleak future with no education, the children of the warlords in Somalia attend the same schools with the Kenyattas of this world.

You just need to go to upscale shopping malls and residential estates to confirm that most Somali politicians reside in Kenya. You will find them enjoying their ill gotten wealth in these places while planning on how to continue profiteering from the conflict. The last time I checked, the current Somali president lived in Nairobi’s south C. I heard his family was relocated to Muthaiga after he was elected president. Almost every Friday, I see some of these warlords roaming the streets of Nairobi while their militias are dropping bombs on innocent civilians in Mogadishu and elsewhere in Somalia.

Kenya is a tacit supporter of the status quo in Somalia. If these guys are not harbored in Kenya, if their families were experiencing the Mogadishu life, if they were not allowed to launder and enjoy their ill gotten wealth in Kenya, if other countries were not arming them, the conflict in Somalia would not be ongoing for decades. Kenya has the diplomatic muscle to force a change of situation in Somalia. If only it prevents from its soil those whose hands are bloodied by the death of infants, children and women of Somalia.

Kenya did exercise its muscle once and had its way. However, it was for selfish reasons. Kenya has been the birth place and the force behind the formation of the jubaland administration. The Kenya army went to war in Somalia to achieve this goal. We were told the aim was to create a buffer zone to ward-off attacks from Alshabab. However, Alshabab has been hitting the heart of Nairobi ever since. Proper border security would have sufficed. As expected, some politicians in Somalia were against the Jubaland idea. They made noise. In response, Kenya black listed and prevented them from landing at the Jomo Kenyatta International airport and thereafter the din died. It was that simple.

Kenya for well known reasons does not want to hold the Somali war criminals to account. I can hear a chuckle. Our leaders themselves are accused of war crimes. Our politicians are not less evil than the Somalia ones. We had “a Somalia” in 2007. Birds of the same feather flock together. All African warlords, politicians and leaders are comrades in arms. You wouldn’t expect Uhuru to arrest Omar Al-Bashir, will you?

A peaceful and prosperous Somalia will be of great benefit to Kenyans. Already, there are thousands taking part in the reconstruction of Mogadishu. Kenyans work in all sectors of the Somali economy. There is revival of the economy and a real estate boom. We will benefit more than we are “benefiting” from the illegal charcoal trade in Kismayu.

It is my prayer that the row escalates and Kenya takes the unprecedented step of blacklisting all Somali politicians and warlords. It is just my prayer. Say Ameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen.