A Tapestry of 98 Diverse Marginalized and Minority Communities in Kenya

Summary Kenya is a very diverse county with 48 tribes living in 47 counties. Within Kenya, you also have 98 communities, tribes, or groups that self-identify or are classified as either marginalized or minority communities or groups. These marginalized or minority communities or groups have over 3,573,749 people or 9.3% of the Kenyan population. Galjeel…

Summary

Kenya is a very diverse county with 48 tribes living in 47 counties. Within Kenya, you also have 98 communities, tribes, or groups that self-identify or are classified as either marginalized or minority communities or groups. These marginalized or minority communities or groups have over 3,573,749 people or 9.3% of the Kenyan population.

Galjeel Community

Galjeel is one community scattered in isiolo, tana river, and garissa and largely populated in wajir County…

• Few live in town especially the indigenous first inhabitants of wajir town together with arabs, Asharaf, Harti, sheekhal etc….
• Galjeel is from the somali word Geeljeel means “camel lovers” or those who love camel….. Since they are pastrolists they walk long distance in manyattas of wajir in thr south and east and between towns or counties….. there was a case of Galjeel vs registrar of persons of 2014 case where justice David majanja ruled that ID cards be issued to Galjeel community and affirmed their recognition as kenyans…

List of Marginalized and Minority Communities in Kenya

The following is a list of the 98 Marginalised and Minority communities in Kenya

Definition of Special Interest Groups (SIG) or Marginalised and Minority Communities found in Kenya,

The Constitution of Kenya 2010, Under Article 260, Constitution provides an understanding of the marginalized, indigenous, and minorities as follows;
“Marginalized community” means—

1. A community that, because of its relatively small population or for any other reason, has been unable to fully participate in the integrated social and economic life of Kenya as a whole;
2. A traditional community that, out of a need or desire to preserve its unique culture and identity from assimilation has remained outside the integrated social and economic life of Kenya as a whole;
3. An indigenous community that has retained and maintained a traditional lifestyle livelihood based on a hunter or gatherer economy; or Pastoral persons and communities, whether they are—
   1. Nomadic; or
   2. a settled community that, because of its relative geographic isolation, has experienced only marginal participation in the integrated social and economic life of Kenya as a whole;

   Minorities under international law

   Adopted by consensus in 1992, the United Nations Minorities Declaration in its article 1 refers to minorities as based on national or ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identity, and provides that States should protect their existence. According to a definition offered in 1977 by Francesco Capotorti, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, a minority is

   • A group numerically inferior to the rest of the population of a State, in a non-dominant position, whose members
     • -being nationals of the State – possess ethnic, religious or linguistic characteristics differing from those of the rest of the population and show, if only implicitly, a sense of solidarity, directed towards preserving their culture, traditions, religion or language.