From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:KENYA: ANTI-ASIAN FEELING SURFACES IN THE ELECTION
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 13:56:49 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Area: Asia, southern
Reference: Asia, southern
Title: KENYA: ANTI-ASIAN FEELING SURFACES IN THE ELECTION


an inter press service feature

by horace awori

nairobi, dec 28 (ips) -- there will be few communities watching
tuesday's election with as much anxiety as the kenyan asians. in
the east african country's first multiparty poll in 26 years,
ugly anti-asian sentiment has surfaced in the campaigning.

leaflets have been making the rounds in the capital nairobi
calling on kenyans of indian and pakistani origin to leave the
country.

''they must vacate the land of kenya in a month's time'', the
leaflets say. ''the asians must go. they have milked this
country for too long and its only the dp (democratic party)
govenment which can save kenyans from their exploitation''.

dp's publicity secretary, lee kanyare, has been quick to
deny that his opposition party has anything to do with the
literature.

however, it does represent the deep well of anti-asian
resentment among ordinary african kenyans. they complain over
the asian communities lack of intergration, racism, control of
the commercial sector through alleged monopolistic business
practices, and lack of real nationalist feeling.

for kenyan asians, largely second and third generation
decendants of indentured labourers who at the turn of the
century built the railways and opened the region to trade, two
dates stand out in recent history. the mass expulsion from idi
amin's uganda in 1972 and the mob violence they suffered during
kenya's attempted coup in 1982.

not suprisingly, in 1992 ahead of this years election, some
families have already left the country as the mood turns nasty.
kenyan asians represent less that 0.5 percent of the 25 million
population.

in an attempt to distance ford-asili from any anti-asian
stand, presidential candidate kenneth matiba has attempted to
assure kenyan asians that his party believes in private
enterprise and investment.

but, ''let's share what we have and let's behave as citizens
of the same country, kenya'', he warned at a luncheon hosted
recently for asian community leaders.

ford-asili's move is in the wake of a running battle in the
press over whether dp leader mwai kibaki had accused all asian
kenyans or only particular individuals of being unpatriotic.
(more/ips)


kenya: anti-asian (2)

as the opposition struggles to regain the initiative from
president daniel arap moi, believed to be ahead of his three
main rivals and the likely winner on dec. 29, the asian issue
has assumed political importance.

analysts here believe this is because of the perceived role
of the community in supporting moi and participation in the
rampant corruption under his 14-year rule.

''it is widely believed,'' said dr. nganga njoroge of the
university of nairobi, ''that president moi's huge contributions
to various projects are funds given or extorted from the indian
community''.

moi has spent lavishly on his campaign, not least according
to the opposition, buying off their candidates.

''the opposition is trying to persuade the indian community
to distance itself from (the government) and at the same time
to participate a little more actively in the national politics
especially in this multiparty era'', said njoroge.

but there has been little open asian political participation.
there is only one asian parliamentary candidate, amin walfi, for
the ruling kenyan african union (kanu) and even then, there is
no ''visible indian support behind his campaign'', said njoroge.

walfi told ips that to a certain extent the asian community
is to blame for the negative attitudes. ''we have been too
concerned with business and too scared of eventualities that we
have not put down our roots. that is why we have been called
paper citizens''.

budding african industrialists are particularly bitter
over the collusion that is believed to exist between moi and
some key asian entrepreneurs. they claim the government
discriminates against african business, prefering to work with
the apolitcal asian community.

a spokesperson for the chandarai foundation, one of the most
powerful indian industrial concerns here noted: ''the fact that
we have invested so heavily in this country is proof of our
commitment to the country''. however, he admited that a few
''bad eggs'' in business had given the rest a bad name.

rasnah warah, a writer, told ips that the charges of
non-intergration are true. ''but i think this is an oriental
thing because even in england and the u.s., orientals still tend
to band together''. but she added the asian community is
prominent in private business clubs noted for community service.

but with an economy in trouble, the conspicuous affluence of
the asian community could again becomes a target of popular
frustration. (end/ips/ha/oa/92)