Kenya Stockholm Blog

Shiku’s Attack on Men Was Unwarranted

Although Shiku has a mind of her own, she has opened a can of worms with this thread which is insensitive to the cultural clusters that bind African societies. She should have limited her treatise to specific issues and categories of men. Even African women will oppose many of her sweeping statements no matter how liberal they are.

Societies grow: meaning culture and every living matter in it. The vitriol she pours against Kenyan men for not contributing to domestic chores is unnecessary. There are very few

Sharing domestic cores Shiku style

Kenyan men in Stockholm who DON’T assist at home. Surprisingly enough, those of us who have visited a number of the older generation of Kenyan men, can testify that they would comfortably cook even when their Kenyan wives were at home. I can name some of them but for the respect of their privacy shall not.

I have personally seen male Kenyan friends from the current group dashing into their bedrooms to change diapers or bottle-feed their children at the beckon of their wives who could be busy doing other things. Granted, there are bitter relations which have led to dramatic divorces and other forms of domestic violence in Kenya-Stockholm, yet they’ve never been anything near the so-called ‘honor-killing’ communities from the Middle-East.

It seems that Shiku is not aware of the violence among Swedish spouses despite the peaceful façade. She therefore assumes (in my interpretation) that Swedish men are all lovey dovey and change diapers at the command of their women. Those who read tabloids like Aftonbladet and Expressen get shocked at the profound psychological abuse some of the Swedish women undergo in the hands of their men, and vice versa.

Why do some Swedish men opt to marry African or Asian women? Because they are comparatively humble and still possess certain female values which Swedish women threw out of the window like they cast their bras in the 1970s in the name of liberation. I might sound simplistic but gender issues in Sweden have advanced beyond looking at African men as oppressors because they don’t share domestic chores.

Cases abound of Kenyan women who have applied crude forms of gender equality through the lenses of the Western world only to retreat in order to retain their families. A Kenyan male living in Sweden does not have to shed off everything Kenyan. A relationship is about agreeing on given norms without stripping the man bare of his dignity.

After being routinely pushed into the kitchen by my Swedish girlfriend to cook, I thought it was normal to do so when I visited some close relatives in Nairobi recently. They are well-off and quite liberal, but believe me, when I entered into the kitchen to assist them in cooking, I was asked whether I had changed roles and had forgotten that a man has no place there. Luckily I am pitch-dark so did not blush though got very embarrassed.

There are contextual male-female roles in our society so when the likes of Shiku suggest swapping them, then something is really wrong. My relatives kept wondering why I wanted to do my laundry and even begged for other chores. In the long run, they advised me to be frequenting Kenya otherwise I shall forget what a true African man is. The woman of the house has a well-paying job yet still comes back home to cook for the family despite having two house helps. This analogy shows that even better placed families still prefer African roles without Western manipulation in the name of liberation.

Luseno

October 19, 2009 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | 4 Comments

Update on Raila’s Stockhom Reception

Following phone enquiries at KSB by Kenya-Stockholmers about invitation cards to the Raila reception, KSB has managed to go through to an Embassy official to find out stuff.

According to Mr Arthur Amaya Andambi, First Counsellor who was posted at the Embassy last year, any Kenyan who does not have a card should take contact with the Embassy through email so that the Mission can come up with a solution.

Mr. Andambi told KSB that Kenyans wishing to attend the event should send their names, address and phone numbers so that their problems can be looked into.

Embassy’s email address is: kenya.embassy@telia.com. Addressing the issue of invitations to the Raila Reception is important if the Embassy is to avoid traditional charges of discrimination and it is good news that the Embassy is addressing the matter seriously.

Okoth Osewe

October 19, 2009 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | 1 Comment

Kenyans to Meet Raila Odinga at Scandic Hotel on Friday 23/10

Prime Minister Raila Odinga: To meet Kenyans in Stockholm

Members of the Kenya community in Sweden will meet Hon Prime Minister Raila Odinga at Scandic Sergel Plaza Hotel located at Brunkebergstorg 9 (Near Central Station) on Friday October 23rd from 16.00-18.00 hrs.

The meeting has sparked hot debate in Kenya-Stockholm because although the Embassy has sent cards to Kenyans especially those who reside in Stockholm, others have not received the cards.

It is still not clear on the criteria the Embassy used to send the cards and Kenyans who have called KSB after they failed to receive the cards have lamented that they feel discriminated by Ambassador Purity Muhindi whose Office is sending the cards.

Attempts to reach the Ambassador on telephone for comment have been fruitless while no Embassy official appears to be having authority to discuss or talk about the issue in the Ambassador’s absence. When KSB called last Thursday seeking information about the Raila visit, the receptionist at the Embassy said that the Ambassador was not in but promised to inform Mr. Daniel Kotut (First Secretary) to call in the soonest time possible. Mr. Kotut was reportedly out of Office but he has never called.

A card sent to KSB stated that “On the occasion of the Official Visit to Sweden by H.E the Rt Hon Raila Odinga, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya, The Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. Mrs Purity Muhindi and Dr. Joe Muhindi, request the pleasure of the company of Mr. and Mrs Okoth Osewe at a reception on Friday October 23rd, 2009 from 16.00-18.00 hrs.”

There is a note on the card that requests the card holder to bring it along at the reception. Technically, this means that non card holders might not be allowed into the reception by security guards. The Embassy needs to assign an officer the task of answering questions if the Ambassador is unavailable because information about Raila’s visit should not just be basic but also public and easily available.

Kenyans who are interested in attending the reception but have not been invited have a right to know why they have not received the cards or whether special arrangements can be made so that interested Kenyans are not left out of the reception.

Okoth Osewe

October 19, 2009 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | Leave a Comment