The Kenyan Army intervention in 2011 helped stop Somalia from slipping from mere anarchy into the terrifying abyss of complete state failure. The Somali nation is very thankful for this intervention.
Mogadishu is currently experiencing the longest period of sustained peace that it had enjoyed about a decade ago. The country finally has a permanent government that has the backing of a majority of the population.
Those seeking to cause terror and inflict harm on others have retreated into the night as the authority of the legitimate government is felt across Somalia.
Somali businesses and businessmen are equal stakeholders in the success of the current government. Peace is important for businesses and Somalia is flourishing once again. Kenyans should therefore look towards building closer business opportunities with Somali businessmen.
In her book, Getting Somalia Wrong? Faith, War and Hope in a Shattered State, Mary Harper points out that the nation is home to some of the most entrepreneurial people in the world despite the challenges it has faced.
Years of warfare have ensured that Somali's developed ways to conduct businesses with minimum central government supervision. One notable example is that Somalia boasts of a telecommunications industry that is better than that of other stable countries in Africa.
The roads may be pockmarked, the walls bullet strewn and a nonexistent national grid, but the calls hardly ever drop. Our two nations should cooperate more in the telecommunication and ICT sector. Kenyan companies should actively seek to invest in Somalia.
The country is still relatively free of Kenyan businesses and an increase in relations will be a catalyst towards peace and security in the region. Due to tradition and recent economic exigency, the Somali culture is very entrepreneurial. Kenya is home to several businesses owned by Somalis and has been welcoming to Somali businessmen who have invested in the country.
Terrorism, has remained as the natural enemy of business and businessmen. The war on terrorism is going to be a long struggle and for the foreseeable future, there will be a bands of smaller lightly kitted anarchists who would attack these two countries and hope that the fight degenerates into a regional conflagration.
There should be no distinction between those who engage in terrorism and the governments that harbour them, but we should realize that the Somali government is overwhelmingly on the side of peace and security. The Somali people similarly long for peace.
The criminals who attack us will pretend to speak for a whole religion, a whole nation and a whole civilization. They will try to posture and make themselves seem larger than they are, and try to drag a whole community into their sordid struggles.
We should treat these criminals as individuals and not emissaries of the wider region they claim to control or come from. Lashing out at a whole community because of the actions of a few, is acting out on the basis of inadequate information. It is ineffective and will be counterproductive towards the peaceful coexistence of the two nations.
The small Somali middleclass is Kenya's greatest allies in the war on terror. Somalia is not completely devoid of a middleclass and slowly but surely, the group is helping transform Somalia for the better.
Somali businessmen in Kenya and Somalia are the biggest losers from deterioration of peace in Somalia. The green shoots of a rising middleclass should not be crushed underneath the jackboot of militarism which paints the entire community in bad light.
Kenya should not risk alienating what should be its first defence against terrorism. Kenyan businessmen and Somali businessmen should come together to forge stronger bonds across the two nations.
The Somali community has been double victims in the war on terror. The Somali community has been the primary target of al-Shabab terror attacks through extortion and violence.
The Somali community has also borne the brunt of antiterrorism activities both in Kenya and abroad. Somali businessmen in particular have faced asset freezes and sanctions due to associations with al-Shabab.
An example is Ahmed Nur Jim'ale, a prominent Somali businessman who was slapped with UN sanctions and travel restrictions for 2 years before the sanctions were withdrawn in March due to lack of evidence after an investigation.
This story of condemnation without evidence is all too common where Somali businesses are involved. The retaliations for terrorism in Somalia have often targeted those who would mostly help efforts against radicalization.
Eastleigh today is alive with commerce and construction activities. It employs thousands, generates tens of millions in taxes and contributes billions to the country.
It's also closely associated with Somalis interests, ambitions and activities. Eastleigh turnover is in billions monthly and increasingly a large share of that is making it into tax and job creation.
Considering the number of banks with branches in Eastleigh, it is safe to conclude that the area is greatly integrated into Kenya's financial system. It is a symbol of what could happen if businessmen across the two countries work together and are allowed to invest across the region.
We should seek to create linkages, partnerships and associations between the two nations. Somalia and its businessmen are ready to be welcomed into the comity of nations as productive members. We should engage countries as partners towards advancing the peaceful coexistence and growth of business in the two nations
Junaid Egale is the Managing Director of MIJ International, a consultancy firm.