Grieving while abroad is one of the hardest thing that we have to deal with. Many immigrants have moved to countries where they have no relation apart from the small nuclear family and a network of friends who might not have a connection at all with our background. Yet, many have lost families back home, and are still dealing with grief in solitude. Grieving is a difficult process and could take a very long time to work through. Some turn to religion, some to drugs and alcohol, some to exclusion, while some go extremely of becoming suicidal.

How would you feel if your mum, dad, sister or brother died and you were not able to travel for their burial? Sometimes our immigration status are the hindrances or in other circumstances, the finance required improptu for such a trip is not available. Not forgetting that funerals have become very expensive, if including exuberant hospital bill, then this become a highly stressful situation for anyone to deal with. This is a large group of Diasporians who need emotional support, even years after the death!

Travelling back for a close family burial is important for sharing thoughts, memories, or ideas with other loved. This is an integral part of the healing process and taking care of necessary business like inheritance.

In other circumstances, those abroad have lost their partners or their children in the absence of any family members to help them deal with the grief. The Kenyan Community networks, especially UK and USA are usually very supportive of a grieving person, and they get financial support to help on the urgent requirements.

But is it enough? What happens after the burial? Who follows up to check on the mental being of the bereaved? Many have become severely depressed after the passing of a loved one locally or abroad because there was no appropriate support. I know people who have lost themselves after such an ordeal, never gone back to their usual self! this is how bad it gets abroad!

How can you grieve in absence?

a) Link with close friends more and look for support networks. Churches, weekly discussion groups, support groups for those who have lost a loved one. If you are really falling apart, consider going to a councillor but do not bottle your feelings.

b) With so much social network, there is bound to be someone who share memories of your loved one. Write, sharing memories. When you put in writing, it does not stay in your head. More importantly, keep close links with your family whereaver you are.

c) Be active! Work less and excercise more, avoid stressful situation and treat yourself to feel good activities.

Always rmember that your loved ones loved you too, and they would hate to see you waste away in their absence. Do them a justice and work towards your healing. Never forgetting them, but living your life fully with their memories. You do not want their death to be your death sentence too!

After Kenyan independence in 1963, White settlers departed within 10 yrs. There was a remaining minority of around 20,000 whites that remained and acquired Kenya citizenship. Now there are more due to descendants of the white settlers, expatriates, and those that have moved in recent years due to business or pleasure.

Almost all of the White Kenyans are within the upper class, owning farming or livestock land, businesses but also there are those in white collar jobs like finance, conservation, hospitality, air or water transport. There is a very small minority who have moved back to Kenya making it there retirement home.

There is still talk of slavery in white owned farms and stories of ill treatment of workers, even murder, like the recent homicide involving the Delamare family. These cases make it worse for the common mwananchi, living below poverty line, to engage and relate with the white Kenyan.

Example of prominent Kenyan Mzungu include the Leakey family, Ian Duncan (Rally Driver), Jason and David Dunford (swimmers) and many more still living there. Others moved back to their country of Origin like Rogger Whitaker, the Folk artist who proudly sang the hit `My Land is Kenya'. It sometimes sound odd when the Dunford brothers are called Kenyans; but they are Kenyans, and people need to start looking and treating them as so.

The time during campaign and election is a lonely time for white Kenyan apart from some well charismatic and elonquent individuals like Richard Leakey who is heavily involved in the political system. There is a dire need for representing of the highly increasing group in public service and goverment owned parastatals. This is a scary concept, the common Mwananchi have not been mentally prepared to vote in a `mzungu', which might bring memories of colonial times. The colonial system has not been too far from where we are. The wounds for some, like Mau Mau fighters, are still fresh, so what is the goverment plan for the Kenyan Mzungu?

It is important to remember they have right too. Many native Kenyan Immigrant in Britain have been able to engage in politics, Like councillor Elizabeth Kangethe and the likes. It would be good thinking that the white Kenyan, who have agreed to get involved in the country political process can be given an equal chance like all the others deserving Kenyans. Many of those in Kenya and away from Kenya have also invested heavily in Kenya as Kenyans, and their investments are at stakes just like yours and mine.

Globally, immigration has become very common. Previously it was mostly from Africa to the western countries like USA, UK or Germany but recently immigration of able citizens to african greener pastures is at an increase. Even within Africa. In Kenya now we have a great number of Nigerians and Congolese who are highly enterpreneural, not forgeting those refugees from Somali and Sudan that settled and became Kenyans eventually, paying tax and living legally, adding to the country GDP.

There is a call for Kenyans abroad who had lost their citizenship to start applying for their citizenship due to fact that Kenya allows Duo nationality. Does this call extend to the white Kenyan?