The Nubian community of Kibera in Kenya – the largest urban slum in Africa – should be given “equal rights and opportunities”, according to the UK-based Global Minorities Alliance.
The organisation says the Nubian community is often the victims of injustice and deprived of the “basic amenities of life”. Figures from 2009 have an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 Nubians living in Kenya. Originating from Chad and Sudan, the community is now located in various countries in east Africa due to their past involvement with the British Army.
Manassi Bernard, chief executive of the Alliance, says the group is calling for equal rights for the Nubian community, “who are denied of their human rights and they are treated as ‘outcasts’.”
“We also demand minority status for Nubian community to Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of Kenya.”
The Nubians do not currently have minority group status in Kenya but are categoriesed under the label of ‘others’, a fact which the Alliance say makes its members “more vulnerable to all kinds of violation, oppression and injustice”.
The alliance’s ambassador to Kenya, Anne Misako, recently met community members to discuss issues they face.
“The slum dwellers that are neglected and forgotten are steeped into poverty and denied of their fundamental human rights which are cause of concern of us”, said Ms Misako. She added that the lack of public facilities like schools or clean water and gender inequalities “are tearing apart the Nubian community who are hopeless about the situation”.