“No idols in our town” Competing
for religious space in Kisumu City,
Kenya.
Esha Faki
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Kisumu
Kisumu is a cosmopolitan city that lies on the shores of Lake Victoria in
Western Kenya.
Population: 969909
Composition of inhabitants
– Luos
– Kisii
– Luhyas
– Nubian
– Arabs
– Asians
Kisumu Town
• Religious Composition
– Christians; Catholics, Protestants, AIC
– Muslims, Sunni , Shia, Ahmadiyyah
– Hindus
– Sikhs
– Jains
Sikhs
• Sikhism
• Sikhs in Kenya and East Africa -1890s
• Established as a skilled, honest, religious and
hardworking community with phenomenal
contribution to the economies of these
countries.
• build the old Uganda Railways were skilled
workmen - carpenters, blacksmiths and masons.
Sikhs
• Sikh in Kenya-recognised everywhere by their
external emblems and dress-men wear their
distinctive turbans and beards; women loose
dress and baggy trousers
• Kala singha-indigenised
• Ramgharia and Singh Sabah
• Established in all Major towns in Kenya
• Several Gurudwaras (14) with a biggest in
Makindu
Sikhs in Kenya
• Today-as contractors, transporters, furniture
makers, etc.Prominent in the subsidiary
industries, owners of engineering workshops,
garages, motor-lorry body-builders, and the
like.
• Active in motor sports –Joginder Singh ad his
brother Jaswant-1965
Sikhs in Kisumu
• Sikh community has a rich culture in Kisumu
spanning 100 years.
• Two sikh communities in Kisumu with
Gurudwaras
• Siri Guru Singh Sabha
• Temple, primary school, Kisumu boys,
dispensary
Siri Guru Singh Sabha
Siri Guru Singh Sabah in Kisumu
Monument
• 2013, decided to build a monument to
celebrate and also share in Kenya’s 50th ann
• Constructed on a roundabout along Mosque
Road
• Build by Oshoto Ondula
• Oshoto had also created Tom Mboya statue
placed in Nairobi
Tom Mboya
The Monument
The Monument
Controversy
• the monument was completed, on Saturday
8th February 2014, this peace monument was
brought down ruthlessly.
• Residents claimed they did not want idol
worship
• Whistle for destruction was blown by Prophet
Dr. Owuor prophesy
• Efforts to dispel these claims futile
Raila’s intervention
Destroying the “Idol”
The comparison
Monument
Destroyed
Was procedure followed?
• The monument belonging to the Sikh
community was established after following
the procedures to acquire the said piece of
land about 38.5 m2 from the Kisumu County.
Permission was sort to erect the said
monument in celebration of the Sikh
Community’s 100 years in Kisumu.
• Water fountain Vs The statue of Peace
Did Christians and Muslims have a
right to destruction
• Public participation-Public participation is a
political principle or practice, and may also be
recognized as a right (right to public
participation).
• Involvement and Consensus building
Questions on Religious freedom
• Does the Sikh Community have any rights to
exhibit their religious symbols outside the
confines of their gurudwaras?
• The law allows for freedom of religious
expression in principle• “Christians and Muslims have not erected any
statue in this town. They want to bring bad
omen in this city. It will stall our economic
development,” --Really?
Questions on Religious freedom
• Did the said Christians and Muslims had right to judge
and discriminate the sikh as Idol worshippers
• The Constitution prohibits any discrimination on the
basis of religion and, most directly in its Preamble,
outlines a vision for a unified nation of diverse religious
practices. Kenyan Constitutional law effectively
prohibits forced religious conversion as no one may
compel another to perform, observe, undergo, or
adhere to a religious practice or rite that is either
contrary to one's beliefs or involves the expression of
an unheld belief. The acceptance of the monument
would have expressed Kisumu County upholding the
spirit of the Constitution.
Deep seated problems
• Poverty- “The conflict in Kisumu can find
explanation in many years of economic
stagnation that the city and its rich economic
hinterland has witnessed since 1970s,” stated
Jack Nyamori, a Civil Society leader.
• Idle Youth
Deep seated problems
• Lack of knowledge of other religions and lack
of religious tolerance, appreciation of art work
• “This is just a piece of art. Religious
intolerance should be treated with the
contempt it deserves. We must respect other
peoples’ religions even if we disagree with
them.” Said Charles Oketch, a businessman.
The constitution Remedies
• Chapter 10,1&2
• patriotism, national unity, sharing and
devolution of power, the rule of law,
democracy and participation of the
people;
The constitution Remedies CONT’D
• b) human dignity, equity, social justice,
inclusiveness, equality, human rights, nondiscrimination and protection of the
marginalised;
(c) good governance, integrity, transparency
and accountability; and
(d) sustainable development.