The history of Somalis living within what is now the territorial borders of Kenya is rich and fascinating. Somalis have long populated the northeastern part of Kenya and were some of the first inhabitants of various Kenyan towns, including Nairobi. Yet their place within the nation has been contested and fraught with tension, most recently demonstrated by their becoming a key target of Kenya’s “War on Terror.”

Keren Weitzberg’s book We Do Not Have Borders gets to the heart of the issues facing Somalis in Kenya, beginning with a historical account of their presence in the country, and subsequently addressing the question of who does and who does not belong. Colonial and postcolonial attempts to define this belonging have been constantly challenged by the mobility and connections of Somalis in Kenya. More than this, through this profoundly important case-study, Weitzberg draws out wider implications for a world where the nation-state can scarcely keep up with all the other forms of belonging that transcend its borders.

We Do Not Have Borders elaborates on these implications by showing how Somalis in Kenya have responded in intricate ways to the ever-changing social and political contexts within which they have been caught. For example, Weitzberg brings original perspectives to key periods of Somali history within Kenya, including: attempts by Isaaq Somalis (many of whom arrived in Kenya alongside the British) to secure better rights within the colonial racialized hierarchy by claiming to be of “Asiatic” origin; the struggles over national belonging in late colonial times, when many in the north of the country held doubts about their futures in a Kenya dominated by sedentary peoples, and wished instead to secede to Somalia; and the more recent challenges created by an influx of refugees from Somalia and some egregious acts of terrorism by al-Shabaab, which have made Somali identity increasingly suspect in wider Kenyan society. There is much nuance in how all this is covered, with Weitzberg highlighting all the diversity in how Somalis of different backgrounds have engaged with this convoluted history.

Weitzberg’s book may focus principally on Somalis in Kenya, but its scope goes well beyond this, showing how Somali history cannot be told without awareness of wider diasporic links. Somalis already had a well-established diaspora in the late 1800s, as they made full use of the opportunities to relocate provided to them through the British Empire and through the Merchant Navy. The collapse of the Somali state in the 1980s and 1990s intensified the diffusion of Somalis around the world. Weitzberg also shows how for people like the Isaaq, maintaining links to Somaliland has also proved important for people often not considered quite at “home” within Kenya. Of course, the more recent spread of the Somali diaspora since Somalia’s civil war is of great significance, offering a form of global belonging to Somalis of all national backgrounds.

This eye for the wider picture is a major strength of this book. However, perhaps its greatest strength is in the quality and sensitivity of its historiography. It is based on in-depth archival and oral historical research, also making excellent use of Somali poetry as a source. Indeed, Weitzberg provides a model of historical research, one that situates itself within cutting edge historiographical thinking. More than this, Weitzberg brings out the voices of her interlocutors with dignity, treating them seriously as political thinkers in their own right who are engaged in rethinking what it means to belong in the twenty-first century.

For all the suffering and uncertainty Somalis have faced in Kenya, Weitzberg ends the book on an optimistic note, showing how Somalis are now navigating the possibilities engendered by the newly devolved politics of Kenya, the latest chapter in their Kenyan history. Such politics are bringing their own challenges, but as Weitzberg demonstrates, Somalis have overcome challenges of many kinds throughout their history in the still relatively new nation-state of Kenya, and as such are well placed to overcome these new ones. Like Weitzberg, I am also optimistic for the future of Somalis within Kenya, especially as they now appear much more influential in both Kenya’s politics and economy, and in its mainstream and social media. In many ways, they are at the margins no more.

In short, We Do Not Have Borders is a crucial book that demonstrates the central role of Somalis within Kenyan history, one that is highly relevant for contemporary debates on nations, borders, and belonging. I very much recommend it.