Of all the tribes in the MijiKenda coalition of the nine tribes, the Digos, for a long time, did not feature in the Kenyan leadership or Coastal repute of fame. Compared to the other eight tribes, the Digos, who are predominantly of Islamic faith, are relatively sophisticated and have sent a lot of their children to colleges and universities.
Digo’s overwhelming adherence to Islam came with a price-tag that saw a lot of discrimination from the early Missionaries who deliberately assisted in the rural development outside of the Islamic Digo communities. For example, missionaries such as Ludwig Krapf and Rebman found it easier and convenient to build schools in Rabai, Kaloleni rather than Matuga, Kwale. Essentially, while the Kaloleni MijiKendas went to the missionary schools to be educated, the Kwale Digos hibernated in poverty as a punishment for choosing the “wrong” religion. Even the new independence in 1963 did not change this situation as the new rulers were mainly adherents of a different faith.
Therefore in 2007, it is quite astounding that the Digos, despite their earlier challenges are generally well positioned within the government ranks and have recently turned tables against the Giriamas and the Durumas in the province. As a result a significant number of high profile jobs such as ambassadors, key cabinet ministers, heads of major parastatals, and many important visible posts today are held more by the WaDigo than all the eight remaining Mijikenda tribes combined.
In the very recent past the highest positions that many Digos occupied were in the education sector. Many served as national high school principals and some in low level education ministry jobs in Nairobi. Even the Durumas who are significantly fewer than Wadigo tasted lucrative cabinet posts via Mr. Robert Matano and the Giriamas through the Ronald Ngala’s dynasty of Kilifi District. This happened even before, the first Digo assistant minister in Kassim Mwamzandi of Msambweni in the mid 1970s.
Even within their MijiKenda group, the Digos sadly played background sideline politics for many decades. And, it is quite refreshing to observe an uplifting story of “from rugs to riches” among a coastal group of very hard working communities whose story is full of obstacles from different sources within and without.
At one point, it was rumored that the Coastals were never going to wake up or command any respect in the national leadership. Even for those days when Coast had some powerful representation through Minister Sharrif Nassir in President Moi’s regime, the idea was that Coastals were mere pawns for use by Nairobi bigwigs. Many top leadership positions went to Taita/Taveta District MPs and their followers.
Among the Mijikendas it was more of throwing-up of the national cake than eating it. In the last year, Coast began to see other non-Mijikenda politicians really stealing the limelight and declaring dominance at the cost of Coast’s own elected Mijikenda leaders, some of whom are full cabinet ministers. For example, the NARC-K, energetic Justice and Constitutional Affairs Assistant Minister Danson Mungatana, who is a non-Mijikenda, became phenomenal in mobilizing for NARC-K. Also, outside the Mijikenda group others continued to steal the show: Presidential aspirant Najib Balala arranged to be crowned as the Coastal leader thus by-passing all the other leaders and the dominant Mijikenda hierarchy of elders.
Therefore, Mijikenda’s influence appeared to be weakening and fading into oblivion. And even thought there was no inter-Mijikenda hostility declared, the trend had an appearance of a free-fall for the nine tribes together and separately until Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere put in the plug that stopped the hemorrhaging tribal groups’ influence.
So, when the President was vacationing in Mombasa last December, hundreds of the Mijikendas indigenous movers-and-shakers descended upon the State Lodge where the president was enjoying some family time. Kibaki gave them several hours of audience and as expected produced a list of promises that made the Mijikenda very happy and satisfied. The total absence of non-Mijikenda MPs was very telling.
For all the Kenyan politicians operating today, gaining local supremacy at any cost is the name of the game. These leaders’ ambitions have translated into in-fighting and highly publicized exchanges among themselves. But in an admirable streak, Minister Mwakwere has been smart to lay low and pounced when it was appropriate. Unlike Najib Balala v/s former Mayor Taib A Taib, or Mungatana v/s Mwaboza, Mwakwere energy went into pulling the Mijikenda together and guided them to the Mombasa State House. And, his success is seen not only in his influence in Nairobi but also in the scattered leadership positions that have lately sprinkled the Digo community in the last three years.
Last October, Danson Mungatana thought he had made it in the hierarchy of the Kibaki’s government. He was the ultimate spokesperson of NARC-K in the Coast. He made lots of progress in exhibiting his skills for forceful and rapid campaigning. He even thumped his nose at Anania Mwaboza, the Immigration Assistant Minister and Kisauni MP, and any leader who did not toe “his” party-line. He, Mungatana, totally ignored Ministers Mwakwere and Shakombo who are veteran Mijikenda politicians of the region and who are both old enough to be Mungatana parents. Today, Mungatana is a very frustrated man because the Mijikendas have risen.
Therefore, in the renewed Mijikenda’s unity I sense a reduced role for the hyped leaders such as Mungatana, and, thank Minister Mwakwere for that. However, my main worry is the unintended isolation of other Coastal tribal groups who are outside of the Mijikenda.
Therefore, in the renewed Mijikenda’s unity I sense a reduced role for the hyped leaders such as Mungatana, and, thank Minister Mwakwere for that. However, my main worry is the unintended isolation of other Coastal tribal groups who are outside of the Mijikenda.
In the slight comparative advantages that Wadigo have gained in the Kibaki’s government, I see hope of reversed-marginalization of small Islamic populations in the Coast, a process that may as well serve as affirmative action rewards for the long-suffering WaDigo. But, I also suspect a beginning of deep divisions among the Mijikenda in the short term. Even more intense will be the heat generated by the newly isolated Coastal tribes who remain highly suspicious of the recent Mijikenda unity. However, a leader like Mwakwere who is both a Mijikenda and a Muslim, the potential of aversion of such fears is possible.
As we move into the new year, I would like to appeal to Minister Mwakwere, the undisputed leader and spokesperson of the Coast, that the Swahilis, the Vumbas of greater Vanga, the Shirazi of south Coast, the WaAmu and Bajuni of Lamu district. The Pokomos of Tana River, Taitas, Tavetas and a huge chunk of Coastal natives cannot be classified as Mijikenda but are hopefully looking at your leadership for inclusion in the division of provincial and national resources.
Source: Kenya Times
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