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Notes on Language

Kenya is an archetype of linguistic diversity, which to some extent reflects the historical absence of a concerted state project aimed at language standardization. It is not uncommon for people who identify as both Kenyan and Somali to speak at least three languages to varying degrees of fluency (including but not limited to Somali, Swahili, English, Borana—an Oromo dialect, Arabic, Kikuyu, and Luo). Many Somali speakers in Kenya were educated in Swahili and English (or, in the case of Qur’anic schools, Arabic). Having used Somali primarily as a spoken language, people will sometimes accept alternate or multiple spellings of Somali words and names. Moreover, there are multiple dialects of Somali, which itself can be written in more than one script. In order to facilitate reading and simplify this linguistic and orthographic complexity, orally recited poems in this book have been transcribed using the Somali Latin alphabet standardized by the Somali government in the 1970s. In addition, poems have been converted into the most commonly known dialects of Somali (and, in one case, Oromo), with the exception of a few words specific to northern Kenyan vernaculars. Since language is a political matter, opting to use the “standard” dialects of Somali and Oromo was not a neutral decision. Nor was determining the “correct” spelling and translation of certain words. I am indebted to the many people who brought their skills and expertise to bear on the transcriptions and translations. Special thanks go to Ahmed Ismail Yusuf for his help with the Somali poetry. I am resigned to the fact that all translations are ultimately mistranslations.

Map I.1. Colonial Northeast Africa. (Note: All the maps in this book were made by Jacob Riley. Boundary lines and locations are approximate.)

Map I.2. Postcolonial Northeast Africa.