Patriotism and Tribalism – in Africa and Britain

In 2004 I spent some time in Kenya, with the Kenyan partner of a British friend, and her family.  I realised recently that what I observed there had some important lessons for us here in Britain today, particularly around the conflict between tribalism and patriotism.  If you think that tribalism doesn’t affect us in Britain, or that tribalism and patriotism are similar ideas, then please read on.

For 24 years, until 2002, Kenya was led by President Arap Moi, who was originally elected, but became more like a dictator.  There was a free election to replace him and I arrived at a time of democratic renewal.  I remember TV coverage of a constitutional convention and new measures to tackle corruption.  Although Kenya was plagued by poverty and corruption, there was a feeling of optimism, that things were going to improve.  There was a threat lurking in the background, however.  I was just a passing visitor, but I soon picked up the underlying tensions between competing tribes, particularly the Kikuyu – the largest group who generally held the reins of power – and the Luo and Kalenjin, who were perceived as their main rivals.

Three years later, I was saddened to see reports of inter-ethnic violence after a disputed election won by a Kikuyu over a Luo.  Over a thousand people were killed and hundreds of thousands were forced from their homes.  Peace was eventually established following a power-sharing agreement.  I don’t know what the situation is like today but there has been no more violence on that scale.

This pamphlet produced by the Kenyan Anti-Corruption Commission illustrates some of the main things I learnt from that experience.  The language is simple – written to educate young people – but the points it makes about patriotism and tribalism are widely accepted in Kenya, and elsewhere in Africa.  People have written academic theses on the subject.  Tribalism – promoting the power of your ethnic group over others – threatens the stability and cohesion of nations.  Patriotism (“devotion to one’s country”) is seen as the polar opposite and a potential solution to tribalism.

The contexts may be different, but consider the parallels with our situation in Britain.  The people who have been organising attacks on migrants or other ethnic groups call themselves patriots.  They probably believe that claim to be true.  But what they call patriotism is ethnically-defined.  It is the same force which Africans would call tribalism.  In any country inhabited by more than one ethnic group (the vast majority) no-one can be both a patriot and a tribalist.