Divide and Rule

Divide and rule was a strategy Britain used in many colonies to prevent and suppress liberation movements that rose or attempted to rise. Divide and rule are grounded on the concept that if an oppressor keeps the many oppressed people divided, the oppressed fight one another while ignoring the failures and malpractices of the oppressor who continues to rule them. In short, division weakens people and makes oppressors have or gain the power to rule and control them. There are many examples of the application of divide and rule strategy globally. They are discussed below. 

British India

British India comprised two major religious groups: the Hindus and the Muslims. The Hindus were characterized by their caste system and intolerance towards other religious groups. They lowly regarded the Muslims who lived with them in British India. The British, who knew this fact, worked towards creating further division between these two religious groups to maintain their rule of India. Their policy was to keep and elevate the Hindu-Muslim antagonism to secure their rule of the territory.

 At one time, the Hindu members of the Indian National Congress resigned because the British had declared that India was at war with Germany without consulting the Congress. The British went ahead and appointed Muslim leaders to their positions. The Muslim leaders had no support of the electorate to hold these posts, yet the British appointed them in their effort to create and increase hatred among the Hindus and the Muslims. This strategy worked. The relationship between the Hindus and Muslims soured because many Hindus grew angry that their elected politicians languished in jail. At the same time, the Muslims assumed their roles in the Indian National Congress as if nothing grave had occurred.

The British used the divide-and-rule policy in India because of the Revolt of 1857, where Hindus and Muslims fought side by side against them and threatened to depose their rule of the territory. The unity the Hindus and Muslims expressed during this revolt surprised them. The British knew that their control of India would not last with such integration. Therefore, they embarked on creating division between the Hindus and the Muslims, which has had long-lasting consequences that are even felt today by the people.

Colonial Kenya

Another example of the British divide-and-rule strategy was in colonial Kenya. In the early 1950s, cooperation between the two major Kenyan tribes, the Luo and the Kikuyu, intensified in their struggle for Kenya’s independence, threatening the British, who had no intention of leaving the country soon. In 1954, a Luo Councilor, Ambrose Ofafa, was killed by the Mau Mau soldiers, a resistance movement mainly composed of Kikuyus, due to his alleged collaboration with the British. The British exploited this opportunity to exercise their divide-and-rule tactic by trying to create division between the Luo and Kikuyu communities. They created propaganda urging the Luo to join Kikuyu Home Guards, a force generated by the British to tackle the Mau Mau, to revenge for the killing of Ambrose Ofafa. Fortunately, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, a Luo political leader, saw beyond the British divide-and-rule tactics. He arrived at Eastlands, Nairobi, mainly occupied by the Luo community, to calm his tribe members’ desire for revenge against the Kikuyu. He told his tribe members that the Mau Mau war efforts were focused on freeing the country from the colonialists. There was no need for Africans to turn against their fellow Africans. The real enemy was the British. The Luos took Jaramogi’s message, and the British efforts to divide the two tribes failed. The increased cooperation among the Kenyan tribes ensured that Kenya gained in the next decade.

Application of Divide and Rule Policy Today

Unfortunately, the British divide-and-rule strategy did not end with colonialism. Many politicians learned it and used it to maintain their hold on power. 

The modern-day divide-and-rule tactic in Africa is the promotion of tribalism by top government officials. An example is in President Moi’s 27 years of rule in Kenya. Although many of his speeches were against tribalism, he promoted it with his actions. He often got elected to office based on his propaganda that the small Kenyan tribes were threatened by the prominent tribes, especially the Luo and Kikuyu. He also managed to keep the Luo and Kikuyu divided as he got elected unanimously by the small Kenyan tribes. 

Today, in Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta’s corrupt administration survives by mastering the art of divide and rule through tribalism. This government engages in heinous fraudulent acts and indiscriminate murder of citizens but survives due to a divided people. The people of Kenya cannot speak with one voice to condemn the atrocities committed by this administration due to their division along tribal lines. Tribalism has spurred hatred among tribes, so people are ready to sacrifice values for loyalties to their tribal leaders. This occurrence is a significant problem in Kenya and Africa. Tribalism has also created suspicions among different tribes, which prevents the creation of a thriving democracy in Kenya and the African continent. Many tribes or tribal leaders exploit this mistrust to stick to power and even rig elections to have power.

Therefore, the fact that many African leaders are not ready to fight tribalism and other social divisions is unsurprising. These divisions among people are their source of power. I often imagine that if Kenyans were united and there was no tribalism, would corrupt leaders be tolerated? Would the government kill and maim innocent civilians as others watch and support its actions? The answer is no. 

Political leaders (holders of government positions) survive with social evils because of tribalism, a form of divide-and-rule tactic. One should know that these leaders are not trying to kill tribalism or any other type of divide-and-rule tactic globally. It is their source of power. It was the source of power for the British over their colonized populations. It is the current source of power for corrupt African leaders.