Illegal immigrants’ sweep sends shock

By Miguel Suleyman

Posted  Wednesday, September 18  2013 at  00:00

In Summary

Though the operation has not affected Kenyans seriously, most of the victims of the exercise were those with Rwandan ancestry.

Mwanza. Confusion has gripped residents with Rwanda-Tanzania or Kenya-Tanzania parentage following the ongoing operation to repatriate people who live illegally in three border regions west of the country.

The ongoing operation to nab illegal immigrants in Kigoma, Kagera and Geita regions has also been bad news for Mwanza residents who share Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo and Uganda ancestry. Some of the residents who expressed their views to The Citizen said the situation was scary in some areas in the border regions as stigmatisation and threats were frequently reported.

“My neighbours have threatened to hand me to the Police claiming I am a Kenyan. I don’t know if they are serious, but these kinds of jokes make me feel afraid,” said Rorya-born petty businessman, Julius Otieno.

Though the operation has not affected Kenyans seriously, most of the victims of the exercise were those with Rwandan ancestry. One resident of Nyamanoro area in Mwanza fainted when she was told that her mother and brother who had lived in Bukoba since 1972, have been deported to Rwanda. The resident, Paskazia Bwemo, complained that her relatives would not be accepted in Rwanda since they had lost the routes to their ancestral villages. “I came to realise they were deported two days after they were rushed to a border post without any notice,” complained Ms Bwemo, 38.

Ms Bwemo added that the operation to remove immigrants was conducted mercilessly and did not consider reality as some of those affected were born in Tanzania albeit from mixed parentage.

“I don’t know if my parents will be safe in Karagwe...they have phoned me and informed me that local authorities told them that they were immigrants from Rwanda,” said Justus Ndyamukama, a bodaboda rider at Kiloleli in Mwanza. Tension has been high in Mwanza a few days after President Jakaya Kikwete and his entourage left the region. “Most of us with names similar to those in neighbouring countries are likely to suffer,” said Kapaku Omondi, a petty trader at Makoroboi.

SOURCE: THE CITIZEN