Q&A With The Man Behind #KenyaImNotATerrorist By: by Liz Maelane




#KenyaImNotATerrorist is the controversial campaign and brainchild of Hamza Egal and Muna Ismail. We had a brief chat with Hamza Egal ,a lawyer, father and Kenyan Somali, about the deeper issues that face not just our nation but the continent at large.
Where are you from and where were you born?
I was born in Saudi Arabia to Kenyan Somali parents but raised in the United Kingdom from age 1. Kenya has always been home as we spent every vacation here up until mother’s passing in 1996, when we decided to move back to the country permanently.
Were you personally affected either by the Eastleigh attacks or the Mass detention of Somali’s at Kasarani Stadium?
I was not directly affected by either. But in the aftermath, I did have an unfortunate encounter with the police who knocked on my door late one night when my family was asleep. They very forcefully demanded to conduct a search. I did not protest, for the sake of my family’s safety, but told them they were welcome to enter as guests. They conducted their search and, naturally, found nothing suspicious. Speaking in Swahili, I mentioned to them that we are all brothers here, regardless of ethnicity, and that whatever we do impacts the nation. I asked them to be deeply conscious and not cause harm or pain to innocent people.
Who was your target audience with the campaign and why?
The campaign was aimed at all Kenyans as well as the greater international community. I tend to see myself as an upstanding citizen who will speak out on behalf of those in our nation who are being unfairly treated. I was severely disturbed at all the stories and instances of ill treatment against innocent Kenyan Somali’s and also felt that the Somali community was being poorly represented in international media. This is just the start. It’s going to take many more thorough and open discussions about our differences and complexities before we can learn to respect one another as Kenyans and as Africans.
For more from Hamza Egal, visit his personal blog at: www.365insightafrica.blogspot.com
by Liz Maelane

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