SOMALI REFUGEES CRY FOUL AS THIER WIVES ARE SNATCHED

By Adow Jubat "Has Kenya run out of women or what?" Ismail asked a group of youths inside a wattle and daub hut. It was a question in response to a new breed of prey stocking Dadaab Refugee camps in Garissa District. They pour in every day in luxurious four-wheel drive vehicles and buses, lodge in the best restaurants, venture out to inspect the teeming camps and interact with refugees. They are not here to gather information or chip in with the much-needed help. They are Kenyan-Somalis on a mission. They are hunting for potential wives among refugees. Besides their menacing four-wheelers, their adventures have left the Somali men befuddled. "As if fleeing wars in our own country is not enough, our brothers pile more misery by taking our women," Mr Guled Dadirey Ismail, 25, said as he seeped steaming black tea at Hagardera refugee camp. "I was betrothed to a lady when we were young, but a Kenyan civil servant attached to one of aid agencies here came and snatched her from me," he said. "I was devastated. Now I have shelved marriage plans for fear of a similar fate," he said. "The worst thing about our Kenyan brothers is that some arrive in borrowed or hired vehicles to hoodwink the ladies." latest craze Taking the hand of refugees seems to be the latest craze in North Eastern Province. As many as 50 marriages involving Kenyan-Somali men and refugee women are conducted each month, said Mr Noor Ali Ahmed, a village elder. Rarely do marriages involving Somali refugee men and Kenyan women get reported. The reason the Kenyan men are taking advantage of the girls is easy to discern. With marriages formalised, the refugee girl automatically gets Kenyan citizenship. "I wont hesitate if a Kenyan man proposes to marry me. In fact, Im praying for that moment when one will spot me as a potential wife," said Sadia Omar, 19. "I want to get out of the camp." Another reason Kenyan men troop here is interesting. "While a normal wedding involving our Kenyan-Somali ladies would cost more than Sh200,000, for a refugee Sh20,000 would do," said a Kenyan who recently returned to Garissa with his prey. Recent trends bear him out. Somali marriages rank among the most lavish and expensive this side of the world. Besides purchasing a set of gold rings, necklaces and bracelets for the bride, a potential husband has to furnish his home with state-of-the-art furniture as goodwill to the bride and her parents. Then the man has to budget for a number of vehicles and if possible pay for a hotel where the ceremony would be held. Some women will ask for a gold set that costs Sh200,000 exclusive of other wedding expenses. The women we managed to interview said the demand for gold is not without reason it is aimed at minimising divorce. "Divorce is rampant here. Many Kenyan-Somali men separate with their wives barely a year into the marriage. Gold can be sold to start a business in case the man decides to walk out on you," said Fozia Abdinur, a newlywed in Garissa. Islam stipulates that in case of divorce, the woman keeps everything, while the man walks away with his clothes if he is lucky. Looking at the lavish weddings and the demand for gold in a province ranked second poorest in the country, men say they have been forced to refugee camps where there are no tough conditions. "It is not really difficult here. You just, spot her, go to her parents and," says Mohammed Bundid, who The Standard ran into at Dagahaley refugee camp shopping for a wife. Bundid says: "What one requires is only bedding and utensils since you have Kenyan citizenship. Which parent wouldnt want their children have security and a better life?" Kenyan-Somali men say the Somali refugees are obedient, submissive and deeply religious, a trait lacking in most Kenyan women. But the refugee men say the unprecedented influx of the Kenyan-Somalis hovering here has placed them in a tight position. "When we seek our girls they say you and I are refugees, we are not compatible," Ismail said. Marriages among refugees, dubbed UN marriage are no fanfare. The food consumed in the ceremonies is the same relief food dished out by UN aid agencies. At the same time, cunning Kenyan men only want to marry refugee women in order to benefit from possible relocation to Europe or America by the United Nations Human Commission for Refugees. "The marriage is like a ticket to Europe as those relocated are often allowed to go with their husbands," said another Kenyan who has sought relocation posing as a refugee. A refugee woman said at the camp that she wanted to marry a Kenyan because she intends to do business in the country. But Kenyan-Somalis arent the only source of competition for the refugee men. "Somalis abroad are other stiff competitors. A call from Toronto, Canada or Sweden to a parent here and a girl is hurriedly arranged to marry the ghost," Ismail said. "We are being fought from all fronts. Our main concern is that most of these marriages dont last," he noted. "Why snatch our childhood sweethearts only to abandon them? They might say it is jealousy but it we are concerned."