From the UK last week came the chilling story of the alleged
stabbing to death of Linah Keza by her estranged boyfriend David Nsubuga
Kikaawa. According to reports neighbours were alerted to the trouble by the
screams of Keza and when they investigated found her three year old daughter in
a pool of her lifeless mother’s blood.
Also reported this week is that the UK government is
stepping up its campaign against illegal immigration into the country. The “Go
Home or Face Arrest” drive comes on the heels of a decision by her majesty’s
government to introduce a £3000 (sh12m) bond which selected visitors from
certain countries will be required to pay upon applying for a British visa.
For the time being the bond does not affect Uganda but that
could change at the discretion of the UK government. Currently it applies to
visitors from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nigeria and Ghana and the
bond would be returned when they leave the country.
Both issues may be related, or not, as part of the larger
picture of the strains our immigrants face abroad and the crazy lengths or
driven to as a result.
First of all not all immigrants are illegals. Many are
citizens or have valid resident status. But the pressures of being immersed in
an alien culture, living far from home, with one eye still on developments at
home with a hope of one day returning to the motherland – a hope that seems to
recede with time, are generally similar differing only in degrees in depending
largely on one’s station in that society.
Columnist Rudolf Okonkwo captured this schizophrenic
existence in an online commentary “This American Life” in which describes
landing in America with of living the fabled American dream. You quickly
realize racism is alive, the almighty dollar can be in short supply,
relationships are shallow, transitory and often mercenary and the pressures – self-inflicted
or otherwise, to keep up appearances for the benefit of the people “back home”
lead down a well-greased, slippery slope.
The years fly past, scarpering dreams and hopes, dashing
ideas of returning home, the realization that those you left behind – some of
whom had less intelligence, talent, beauty or whatever than you have in the tip
of your little finger, have progressed steadily and surely making a worthwhile
life for themselves. So after failing to reestablish yourself at home you slink
back to the UK, US or wherever, if only so people can refer to you during
kwanjulas and weddings as “a relative abroad who could not make it.”
We are seduced by the illusion as shown on the “reality”
shows and soap operas on our TVs but the reality is different ball
game.
Poverty, alienation, stress are more common than not and
this can have a telling effect on anyone’s emotional and mental wellbeing.
Kikaawa’s trial is scheduled for January when the details of
what transpired on that July night may come to light.
But one can expect that being abroad, away from longtime
friends and family, hustling in a society in which you can starve in plain
sight of your neighbor and in many instances knowing you have nothing to return
to in your country of origin can do strange things to people.
This is by no means a justification of what Kikaawa might
have done or not done, but should serve as a warning to intending immigrants –
Kyeyos or otherwise, life abroad is not all it’s made out to be. Immigrant-to-be, be warned.
