A majority of Kenyans support marriage between people of different ethnic groups, a study has shown.

The survey also shows that the dropping of crimes against humanity charges against Deputy President William Ruto by the ICC re-opened tribal animosity.

Nearly two in every three Kenyans, or 65 per cent, strongly back mixed marriages while nearly one in every 10 still thinks it is good to get a spouse from one’s ethnic community.

Ms Serah Njambi Rono has been married to Mr Dave Rono for slightly more than two years. She said sometimes she forgets that her husband is from a different community.

NO VERNACULAR IN HOUSE

“One thing that happens in an inter-tribal marriage is that no one speaks vernacular in the house. I’m not sure if this is good for posterity, but it says a lot,” she said.

Mrs Rono said while being proud of and loyal to one’s community was not necessarily a bad thing, the marriage had helped her appreciate the fact that ethnicity was not synonymous with identity.

She added that most older people were opposed to mixed marriages.”

The study was commissioned by the BBC.

It revealed that four out of five town people preferred to identify themselves as Kenyans rather than with their communities, religion or race.

In fact, national citizenship was found to be strongest in Kenya at 84 per cent, followed by Ghana (81 per cent), Russia (70 per cent), Nigeria (68 per cent) and Chile (64 per cent).

Half of Kenyans oppose welcoming refugees from Syria, while 40 per cent see no problem.