With just three days into the 2019 National Housing Census in the country, most Kenyans have taken into the internet to give their views concerning the growing population of Somali people in Kenya after a trending Twitter hashtag, #SomalisAt5M2019census went viral online.
According to the hashtag, the total population of Somali people in Kenya is estimated to be standing at five million in 2019 owing to the fact that the community allows polygamy and usually discourages the use of family planning as one way of controlling their birth rates.
The online debate came up just a day after Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi told Kenyans not to be surprised if the Somali population records a sharp increase in the 2019 census.
“Because our people (Somali community) are allowed to marry four wives, people should not be surprised about the population of the community. Our records should be taken as a true record,” said Mr. Abdi after being enumerated on Sunday.
According to the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey 2015/16, Wajir County has the biggest families in Kenya, followed by Mandera and Garissa counties.
Wajir has on average 6.6 children per family, while Mandera and Garissa counties have 6.4 and 5.5 children per family respectively.
These revelations, however, stunned most Kenyans who took to their Twitter accounts to express their thoughts on a community that has for a long time been marginalized.
Many gave their reasons as to why the once redundant Somali community could soon be a scrambling ground for aspiring politicians in 2022. Here are the funny comments from Twitter;
#SomalisAt5M2019census Kenya has over 50M ….So at 5M what are you taking over?? N. Eastern??? pic.twitter.com/odA25W1FzI
— Mambo Himself 🇰🇪 (@MamboHimself) August 27, 2019
To Moses Kuria and co, when you are busy in bars we are busy in matters bedroom @RehemaJaldesa #WajirCensusFraud #SomalisAt5M2019census pic.twitter.com/kBm7QSNzYY
— Abdimajid Mohamed (@MajidKathaf) August 27, 2019
In 2050, Half of the Kenyan population will be Somalis, just forecasting #SomalisAt5M2019census pic.twitter.com/KRI1HSosrJ
— Omar Abdullahi (@OmarAbdullai) August 27, 2019
This #somalisAt5M2019census is actually being generous enough. If after this #KenyaCensus2019 Somalis are not among the top three communities in Kenya, I’ll know it was just a sham exercise.
I know of a man in Eastleigh who has a 25 seater Matatu just to take his kids to school!
— Ahmed Mohamed ((ASMALi)) (@Asmali77) August 27, 2019
My father has Four wives with children. How can you compare with a man with one wife and maximum of 4kids?
Don't question Somalis rising no.#SomalisAt5M2019census— Sadia Hussein (@SadearH) August 27, 2019
"Somali's families are one and a half times bigger than the average household in Kenya" @StandardKenya
Somali's religion and culture prohibits family planning. That's why the #SomalisAt5M2019census is a reality. Read the Somali population explosion. 👇👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/3b5liNmyWs
— Mohamed Ali (@saman_mohamed77) August 27, 2019
Apart from sports, the hate toward Somali community is a major factor that unites the rest of Kenyans. What did Somalis do to deserve this kind of treatment? These guys have been unfairly treated, targeting and marginalised etc. #SomalisAt5M2019census #WajirCensusFraud
— Vitalis O. Makhotsa (@Vitalis_Omboyi) August 27, 2019
While our somalis are happy and supportive for us to get marry to second, third and fourth wife's moses kuria's sister's are cutting transformers of their husbands in central. #SomalisAt5M2019census
— Dalmar Limited (@dalmar_limited) August 27, 2019
My family alone has 30 people in a household. Our nomadic nature allows us to be scatteredly populated but that does not mean we do not exist #SomalisAt5M2019census
— Umi Harun Mohamed (@missyHaroona) August 27, 2019
In the context of Islam, the birth of child (girl or boy) is a very joyous event that is encouraged; all children are seen as gifts from God.
Procreation, performing salah, pilgrimage & zakah are all part of ibadaat. #SomalisAt5M2019census pic.twitter.com/KErgoxLj6T— Ramla Sumeiyah (@RSumeiyah) August 27, 2019
#SomalisAt5M2019census
Wagalla never stopped us, Malka mari never stopped us, Garissa gubay never stopped us, kasarani concentration camp never stopped us, ethnic profiling never stopped us name them. So you think some lunatic individuals will curtail our numbers? Idiots— Mohamed Mohamud Hassan (@Mohamed12250956) August 27, 2019
Thank you your Excellency @GovernorWajir . They can create as many fake tags as they want but can't change the fact that we are many. The fake sponsored #WajirCensusFraud was meant to divert our attention from this beautiful message. Not an inch less we say #SomalisAt5M2019census pic.twitter.com/Uzl6xTL7gi
— Abdihakim Keinan (@keinanAbdihakim) August 27, 2019