Remember The KTN Piece On A Mhindi Eloping With A Mluhya? Check Out The Debate It Sparked Amongst MPs

Good journalistic pieces elicit emotions. Great journalistic work elicits a reaction. And this story did just that. And what a reaction from the August House as MPs have been going back and forth debating it. Now, for those of you who do not already know, race relations in Kenya are rather dicey. People do not like addressing them head on and this is neither the forum nor the place.

I have to keep within certain, “politically correct” parameters. But what I can say is this, Kenyans have issues that they are afraid to critically tackle.
Indians and indigenous Africans get along superficially. That is why the story of a Luhya man eloping with an Indian has caused quite a stir. Anyway, this is what transpired between parliamentarians who have turned The Nairobian into their battlefield:

It all started when (in last week’s edition of The Nairobian), Kisumu Town East MP Shakeel Shabbir said Asian women are “sexually frustrated” in reference to Sarika, a woman of Indian origin, who eloped to live with Khamala, a Bukusu in Trans Nzoia.

But in her response to the couple’s union, nominated MP Sonia Birdi said Shabbir’s comments are unfair to women. “It is deplorable and retarded to paint a woman as a sexually-driven individual who is only after sexual satisfaction,” she said. “Exploring intimate details of a relationship in public shows that we are petty when judging women.”

Shabbir had further said that Asian women in Kenya are usually locked in their houses by parents and are forced to turn to their drivers, houseboys or gardeners to satisfy their sexual needs. Sarika, 24, is the daughter of a wealthy businessman; while Khamala,25, is from a poor family. They first met four years ago while Khamala was washing her father’s car. They now live in a small mud hut in Webuye and plan to marry soon. Sonia told The Nairobian, “A woman, regardless of race or religion, has complete right over her life, especially her sexuality. The very fact that Sarika is with Khamala shows that she has her own mind and made her own choice.”

Source: The Nairobian