President William Ruto has been urged to address historical injustices and marginalization of the Bajuni community.
The minority community residing mostly in Lamu County made a passionate appeal to the President insisting that is the only way that will enable them to coexist like others in the country.
The Bajuni Community who are historically the natives of Lamu said they have faced many injustices which are yet to be addressed since independence such as Land ownership, fishing, and job opportunities among others.
To them, successive governments from the Founder president Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta have failed to address the plight of the Bajuni community and want the current president to deal with the issue conclusively.
They spoke after a meeting of members of the Bajuni Bajuni Welfare association in Malindi where they even appointed one of their own Omar Ali to act as the president of the Bajuni Community.
Mohamed Mbwana a renowned activist from Lamu who is also the Chairman of Shungwaya Welfare Association that advocates for the rights of the people of Lamu said President Ruto is among Kenyans who have faced challenges from childhood and is God fearing who understand many issues of the injustices in the country.
The Bajuni Community has faced a lot of injustices since the tenure of the late President Jomo Kenyatta who displaced the native Bajunis from Lamu who are known to be the natives of the area having lived there for many years, he said.
Mbwana said Bajunis have fought many wars with the Galla, Portuguese, germans, and Arabs but still are living as a minority and fear that soon the community could be wiped out because of the historical injustices caused by Kenyatta.
He said the native Bajuni were evicted due to false allegations of Shifta and in 1971 there were brought Kikuyus who had fled to Tanzania and others from Central Kenya who were settled there permanently and allocated land belonging to the Bajunis.
Traditionally he said the Bajunis relied on farming, mangrove harvesting, and fishing but due to the injustice of Kenyatta they have remained a minority with no land, or fishing ground and are not recognized as among the ethnic groups of the country.
Bajunis he said were the first internally displaced people in the country after the founder president displaced them from their own land.
“Today we are telling president Ruto to hear the plight of the Bajunis today the Bajunis have no resources because the land which belonged to them was taken due to historical injustices,” he said.
On the Blue economy, Mbwana said Bajunis have nothing to benefit from as the Lapsset project took over their fishing grounds, they are unable to fish and huge chunks of land have been taken over by the project.
He said the Blue economy is a blue disaster for the Bajunis and called on Ruto to intervene and address their plight.
Most of the injustices done against them he said have been taken to court by the community and asked the president to make follow-up so that they can get justice during his tenure.
So far he said the Bajunis have no county of their own that’s why even in the devolved system in Lamu mist key seats are being led by people who are not originally from the county including the Senator, Woman Rep, MP, and four MCAs.
Mohamed Bahero a member of the Bajuni Welfare Association representing the Youth of the Bajuni Community said they have resolved to unite and establish one voice in all, their endeavors.
He said as a community they shall mobilize the right mindsets and positive attitudes towards doing the right thing as Bajuni rather than dancing to the tunes of other people.
” After all as Bajuni Community we have everything we need in real terms whatever is lacking we have the means to acquire and yet we have remained mentally married to the idea that nothing can get moving without others,” he said.
Bahero said the success of the historical battle is good leadership and political goodwill which will make their lives better.
Feiswal Miji from the Bajuni Community in Lamu said they have cases in court to fight for their rights to own land and called on the Bajunis to unite so as to coexist peacefully like other Kenyans.
“If we do not unite we shall suffer more so I urge all Bajunis from wherever they are to come together we have already appointed one of our own to act as the leader of the Bajunis who will lead the Bajuni nation to prosperity,” he said.
Hafswa Hobei a Bajuni called on President Ruto to consider the Bajunis on government appointments.
She also told Ruto to fulfill the promise of ensuring that Bajunis will no longer have challenges in registering for IDs.
We urge you President Ruto if you did not consider us (Bajunis) in cabinet positions remember us in the other key appointments remaining, she said.
