From the Field
Observations From Afar, by Juanita Love Davis
February 21, 2010: Just a Thought
Every Kenyan has a home. Unlike in America, a Kenyan's home is not his current place of residence or where he was born. A Kenyan's home is the base location of his tribe.
While an undergraduate student I wrote a vehement opposition paper addressing the unjustified and inappropriate use of the word tribe, the concept of tribalism, and the roots of its development during colonization. To come to Kenya and find that this identification process is institutionalized, accepted, and an integral part of every Kenyan's heart and mind is somewhat unsettling.
Without ancestral or spiritual background, tribalism continues to penetrate the hearts of all Kenyans. Though the tribal connections and differences are not nearly as actively repressive as apartheid in South Africa, or racism in America, it is still a divisive and charged area of everyone’s life. It’s so charged that tribalism was at the heart of the post election violence in 2007.
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