Muslim politics in postcolonial Kenya: negotiating knowledge on the double‐periphery

Abstract

This paper investigates Muslim politics in its wider social context in postcolonial Kenya, with a historical focus mainly on the Moi era (1978‐2002). Hereby, I look at the introduction, integration, and internal constestation of Islamic reformist ideologies in Swahili discourse and in social practice. Central to my argument about the interconnections between Muslim politics, national politics, and coastal sociality is the notion of a ‘knowledge economy’, within the postcolonial setting of a ‘double‐periphery’ in which Kenyan coastal Muslims are situated, vis‐à‐vis the state and the Muslim umma (community of believers). I discuss the dynamics between aspects of knowledge and rhetorics, reasoning and power, and ideology and social practice at work in this particular Muslim context. All of this is situated within national Kenyan politics, and discussed against the background of a postcolonial state governed by upcountry Christians with whom coastal Muslims have historically had a tense and antagonistic relationship. Résumé L’auteur étudie l’islam politique dans le contexte social général du Kenya postcolonial, principalement durant l’ère Moi (1978‐2002). Il s’intéresse ainsi à l’introduction, à l’intégration et à la contestation interne des idéologies réformistes islamiques dans le discours et la pratique sociale des Swahilis. Son argumentation est que le lien entre islam politique, politique nationale et socialité dans les régions côtières est constitué par la notion « d’économie du savoir », dans le cadre postcolonial d’une « double périphérie » dans laquelle se situent les musulmans des côtes du Kenya : périphérie vis‐à‐vis de l’État, mais aussi de l’umma, la communauté des croyants musulmans. L’auteur commente la dynamique entre aspects du savoir et rhétorique, raisonnement et pouvoir, idéologie et pratique sociale à l’œuvre dans ce contexte musulman particulier. L’ensemble s’inscrit dans la politique nationale du Kenya et est discuté avec pour toile de fond un État postcolonial, gouverné par les chrétiens de l’arrière‐pays avec lesquels les musulmans de la côte ont toujours eu des relations chargées de tensions et d’antagonismes.

Articulating Islam: Anthropological Approaches to Muslim Worlds

“…This ambivalent positionality of coastal Muslims in postcolonial Kenya may be called a 'double-periphery' (Kresse 2009). The term characterizes how coastal Muslims in Kenya are situated within the postcolonial state: experiencing the effects of policies by an adverse 'upcountry Christian' government while at the same time navigating the global politics within the Muslim world.…”

Kenya, the United States, and Counterterrorism

“…According to recent reports, since January 2007 American Special Forces units have used Manda Bay as a base for cross-border operations in Somalia (Barnett 2007). The geopolitics of counterterrorism has reinforced and expanded discriminatory policies, to the point that many Kenyan Muslims may now feel more marginalized than ever before (Kresse 2009;Seesemann 2007). U.S. Special Forces Task Force 88, the largest U.S. combat unit to be based in Kenya since 1993, was then dispatched to Manda Bay.…”

Peacebuilding through Dialogue and Education: Lessons from the Gülen Movement

“…Islam has existed East Africa for centuries. 2 It came to East Africa through Islamic expansion, trade, European colonisation and Islamic proselytising (da'wa) and da'wa organisations (Kfir 2008: 831;Kresse 2009;Lodhi 1994). The Muslims in Kenya are found mainly in Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisumu, Lamu and Nakuru, which are areas of economic and strategic value (Kfir 2008: 833).…”