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February 28:
This afternoon there has been the signing of a deal between Kibaki’s Party of National Unity and Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement that will see Odinga named the executive prime minister with ODM to get 50% of the cabinet posts. The agreement will be enshrined in the constitution as soon as parliament meets next week. Further, the two sides have agreed that there will be a new constitution within a year. We are not yet clear on all the additional details but this all seems like a step in the right direction. We were honestly on the brink. The mediation talks had all but collapsed with Anan suspending the teams and going straight to the principles. It took the Tanzanian president who is also the new head of the African Union, together with Kofi Anan, Grace Machel (Mandela’s wife), ex president of Tanzania Mkapa and the entire diplomatic community including the EU to wield a big enough stick to make this happen. We're not sure what threat was made but the government suddenly conceeded to the ODM's demands. We shall see what happens in the days and weeks ahead as the details are worked out.
February 24:
Many of you noted that we didn't post an update last Sunday. We appreciate your concern. Frankly, I needed to take a break, and the lack of concrete movement in the political realm here did not lend itself to any kind of difinitive announcement such as we have been expecting. Actually, the same goes for this week. The pace of the Annan led mediation effort has been slowed by diminished movement during the final and most difficult phase of negotiations. As Kofi said on Friday, we had hoped that Kenyans would see "white smoke"emmanating from our consultation chambers but regretably it was not forthcoming. The pivital issues relate to the nature of the establishment of the post of prime minister and how to enact that into law. The post itself has been agreed to along with two deputies. ODM wants the post to be executive in nature, not at the whim of the president. PNU wants a more symbolic PM. These stances are not surprising. ODM wants the constitution changed to allow the post and PNU desires that it come later through an act of parliament. My analysis is that ODM has the advantage at this point in the form of greater backing internationally given the view that the elections were flawed.
ODM, having grown tired of delaying tactics by PNU, has announce the resumption of peaceful mass action from Wednesday if there is not a definitive solution by that time. So, maybe this time I will be proved correct in stating that the coming week holds the key to our future. Generally, I do not see a lust for violence on behalf of the populace, however, there are some reports that people are just waiting.
Having been in a holding pattern for the greater part of the last two months, we decided as a family to get out of Nairobi on Thursday for a couple of days. We decided, based on reports that things were calming down, to visit Western Kenya which has up to now been a no go zone. All of this was to coincide with the official opening of an Integrated Child Development Centre in Wamaganga, Western province which had been delayed due to the ongoing violence and instability in that region. We were nervous as we set out on Thursday morning at 6:30 am for the 6 hour drive over a mixture of good and terrible roads. Along the way was evidence of the widespread destruction in this part of the country - stone barricades recently removed from virtually every road west of Nakuru, burned shells of cars, kiosks razed to the ground, military vehicles, aid vehicles, everywhere pickups and lorrys ferrying groups of people from one part of the country to another, burned out homesteads that dotted farms and fields, IDP camps at every church and police station and selectively burned out shops and stores in virtually every town. Our route took us through the heart of the Rift Valley, just south of Eldoret where the violence had been at its worst. Our progress was unimpeded and we arrived at our first destination, Rondo Retreat Center in the heart of Kakamega Forest, in good time.
Nature has a way of rejuvenating my soul. That afternoon and the next day were spent hiking in the rainforest with my boys as we crept up on Colobus monkeys, the Blue Turraco, the double toothed barbet and many other of God's wonders. The tall canopy of the forest and the noisy flowing of the Yala river washed away much of the malaise that has characterised the last few weeks. We are so thankful for this small respite from the other world we inhabit.
The following day saw us sitting with the Wamaganga community in the newly constructed classrooms which we came to officially open. We were almost 150 crowded into a room meant for 40 nursery school children. This ICDC unit was constructed in parnerhsip with First Baptist Rome and Dalton in Georgia. Gifts of goats and chickens, long, long speeches and stories lasted from 10 am until almost 2 pm. You can imagine that our boys were thrilled! I guess I owe them big time after promising that the meeting would last no more than 2 hours! The long drive back ended with us arriving home in Nairobi by 8 pm. We are thankful for safety and for making connection with our friends and partners in Western. If all remains well, I plan to travel West again in a week or so to visit two other centers.
February 10:
Rays of hope are beginning to be seen as the peace process enters a critical stage. After a shakey start, the process has gained pace and is building towards a critical Monday or Tuesday announcement that will unveil the terms of a power sharing formula between the two protagonists. While we are certainly not out of the woods yet (the devil is in the details), we are seeing progress. The international community has had a very significant impact on the Anan led negotiations. Apart from offering their full support to the process, certain Western governments have threatened serious consequenses to any party who walks or of or sabatages the process, going so far as to compile lists of government leaders they will ban from Western capitals.
Widespread incidence of violence has significantly diminished and displaced persons are being removed back to their ancestral homelands. While this is in no way a permanent solution, it may at least in the short term alleviate the serious and widespread suffering and stem violence. Meanwhile, opportunistic violence continues with several areas still no-go zones.
A silver lining, if there is one, is that the many issues that have been swept under the carpet for these many years are now in the open for all to see. Part of the Anan agenda is to undertake the broad reforms necessary to insure that this type of occurance does not repeat itself. Reforms include electoral law reform, judicial reform, rewriting of the constitution among other things. If these things actually are facilitated, Kenya stands to gain immeasurably. Let us hope this process will not be scuttled.
February 3:
We continue to experience a roller coaster of scenarios and emotions. At one point mid-week, the rumor mill was in top gear and it appeared that everything was coming unglued. That was not the case, however, and we are still here and things in Nairobi are relatively quiet. The same can not be said in various parts other parts in the west, however. Naivasha, a town some 50 kilometers from Nairobi, errupted in violence this week. Housing the greater portion of Kenya's cut flower industry, gangs unleashed their savagery on workers from western parts. It would appear that these gangs were brought in as pay back for what occured in Nakuru where large numbers of Kikuyu were killed and displaced. Anyway, our friends in Naivasha attest to thousands of refugees in make shift camps. All of this ironically on the eve of the horticultural industry's most intense period for exports to Europe - St. Valentines day.
Other events of note this week:
Frankly, we are left scratching our heads as none of us envisioned this scenario and are at a loss to predict how it will be resolved. The longer it goes on, the more opportunistic violence will surface and hold us captive. This conflict and it's devastating effects will not soon be forgotten, if at all we manage to climb out of it.
Sunny Bindra is a writer for the Sunday Nation. Sunny is a member of the Sikh community and a Kenyan through and through. This Sunday he writes, " I thought Kenyans were God-fearing. I now see that they are merely church going. Which set of religious beliefs can allow you to pick up your panga and attack your neighbour and turn him into pieces of meat? Or burn his child and rape his wife? "Thou shalt not kill" is the most fundamental commandment of all in every faith. So how is it that people who sing hymns every Sunday have turned into blood-crazed savages who burn churches if they harbour the 'wrong people'? Can we not hear the screams?"
We are asking ourselves many questions these days. Your prayers are appreciated for the hundreds of thousands of ordinary Kenyans who have fled and are fleeing violence and forced removal from their areas of normal work and life because they happen to reside in an area other than their ancestral homes.
January 27:
A very interesting and difficult week it has been. While things in Nairobi would appear to be more "normal" for the moment, the same cannot be said in various other parts of the country. Weekend violence has claimed more than 50 lives in the town of Nakuru, 2 hours north of Nairobi. Attacks and counter attacks by various ethnic vigilanti groups have resulted in numbers of displaced people throughout the town. The greatest tensions continue to be in evidence in border towns in the Rift Valley where communities are multi-ethnic.
Kofi Anan is in town trying to sort out some rules of engagement that might foster dialogue and a way out of the current stalemate. Indications are that this will be an uphill if not impossible task. The current antagonists are increasingly settling into hard line positions and information arrising from the election has become so muddled and "two faced" that it appears unlikely that any real resolution would come from a retally of voting results. So much water has passed under the bridge and so much frustration vented that a scenario of business as usual simply does not seem possible. We are of the opinion that a long struggle lies ahead with the mamoth tasks of rewriting the constitution, reforming the judiciary and the electoral law. Obviously, these are not done in a day. Along with these tasks, reviving a crumbling economy and providing security throughout the country.
I flew to the town of Kisumu this week to do an assessment of a project we have there. I continue to be amazed at the resilience of Kenyan people. Kisumu was the epicenter of violence immediately following the elections. Most of the deaths there came at the hands of police who had been dispatched to keep order. Burned cars and buildings were in evidence but the town had come back to life. Our project, the Randago Integrated Child Development Center, is about 30 kms. north west of Kisumu. Just a week before, one of our construction staff had been holed up in a police station for a week, escaping violence. We were able to retrieve our supplies from the police, meet with the community and move forward to open this center as soon as it is possible to drive from Nairobi to Kisumu to deliver desks and furniture.
In the meantime, we are helping our fellow Kenyans in the following ways:
Our travel to several of our operations in Western Kenya remains interrupted. We continue to do our best to make sure they have what they need. Other parts such as North Eastern, Eastern and Coast remain calmer and travel is possible.
Your prayers are appreciated. Your other actions would also be appreciated. If you would like to donate funds for the meeting of emergency needs, please do so by donating through the "Donate" link on our home page that we have set up through Network for Good. Funds are forwarded to Africa Exchange and tax receipts issued.
January 20:
A week of protesting has drawn to a close with 20 more dead in Nairobi. While Saturday and Sunday took on a more normal appearance, there has been little progress on a way forward out of the current political impasse. Both the Kibaki led goverment and the Odinga led opposition are becoming increasingly intrenched in their positions, fronting hardliners and hawkish elements that have the effect of diminishing the posibilities for resolution.
The religious leaders have come together to posit a scenario for moving forward based on four possible ways forward: (1) retain the status quo, (2) broker a coalition government arrangment, (3) arrange for a vote re-count, (4) arrange for an election rerun for the post of president. The give advantages and disadvantatges of each, etc. First of all, however, they have to be invited to give input and to facilitate such a dialogue which they have not.
Kofi Anan is due in Kenya on Tuesday along with a panel of eminent African persons who will attempt to mediate along the lines of a strategy laid out by John Kufuor, Ghanaian and African Union president. In my opinion, this will be the last best chance for some sort of brokered compormise. If this effort fails, for whatever reasons, the prospects are bleak. Already, several nations including the EU have voted to withhold further assistance to Kenya until this impasse is broken. The US and the World Bank are keeping their options open.
What is clear to me is the following:
In any case, I will continue to attempt periodic updates but will do so with less frequency as we turn our attention to assisting those in need in various parts of the country where we partner with communities. We are already working on several efforts focused on the displaced in Nairobi and are turning our attention to Western and Nyanza provinces where the bulk of the devastation has occured. We are able to reach out with assistance due to an emergency assistance grant from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
We continue to ask for your prayers for the over 300,000 internally displaced persons within and outside Kenya's borders.
January 16:
We await news of demonstration rallies in town today. A pouring rain this morning may have made these unlikely. Last evening's election of the speaker of the house in Kenya's parliament was unprecedented, with the opposition taking both speaker and deputy speaker position - the first time a speaker has come from the oppostion since independance. We eagerly watched the more than 5 hour proceedings which were allowed to be broadcast live.
Kofi Anan is apparently unwell and has delayed his trip from Geneva. We await his arrival in the next several days as he seeks to mediate this conflict.
School has been called off for our kids from Wednesday this week due to the potential for violence associated with mass action. The education system is in jeopardy as many schools have yet to open and in many places teachers fear to take up their job in certain locations.
Here is today's editorial in our local, The Daily Nation. Excellent! In the midst of horror and suffering, perhaps there is an opportunity for transformation? Justice Holds the Key
January 14:
We are bracing for a very difficult week which begins with the opening of parliament tommorrow, followed by planned mass action on Wednesday - Friday. All this as Kofi Anan flies in to mediate, uninvited by the government.
The following article provides some interesting commentary and backdrop to what is developing - http://www.guardian.co.uk/kenya/story/0,,2240384,00.html
January 11:
Parts of Nairobi seem back to normal, a false reality when one peeks in on the other parts that are home to massive numbers of refugees too afraid of sleeping in their slum houses that they now congregate in open fields, relying on the Kenya Red Cross and others for their daily bread. Roads to Western Kenya are still treacherous without a police escort. Over 500 dead and 250,000 internally displaced persons is the latest tally in the aftermath of a failed election.
Hope took a plunge today when African Union president and negotiator John Kufuor flew out of the country after a failed attempt at mediating a way forward between the government and the main opposition. A very solid negotiating document and structure with broad input was disowned at the last moment by the Kibaki goverment, scuttling negotiations. Kofi Anan has now been handed the baton and is set to fly in on Tuesday. ODM has called for further mass, peaceful demonstrations next week beginning at 10 am on each of three days. Who knows what the result of these will be.
We are considering becoming involved in an emergency response effort in Western Kenya in partnership with ASET - Africa Social Equity Trust. Details to follow.
Several have writtent to ask about our various Integrated Child Development Centers in each province of Kenya. We happily report that only one, in Randago, Siaya, Western Kenya, has been affected by conflict. We are working feverishly to find ways of making sure the children attached to that center will be able to benefit from services without interruption. We have been unable to visit the facility yet and are relying on cell phone messages from the project itself.
A very passionate letter to the Electoral Commision of Kenya has been circulating here which I leave you with today. Read this at AN OPEN LETTER TO SAMUEL KIVUITU
More later.
January 7th & 8th:
Nairobi is quickly springing back to life as fuel and goods shortages begin to wane and traffic on the streets picks up. The rally called for today by ODM has been cancelled in the interest of a mediatory effort signalled by the arrival of John Kufuor, the Ghanaian president and current head of the African Union. Other African ex-heads of state are here on fact finding missions of their own. Talks of some sort of coallition government are in progress. Calls continue for Kibaki to resign or for Odinga to swallow humble pie and accept reality. It remains to be seen what will result from the mediation.
It would seem, for the moment, that the sense of urgency that characterised the last week is beginning to abate. Still underway, however, is the massive job of meeting the immediate needs of Kenyans who have sought refuge on police and church compounds or in open fields, waiting to know their fate as they seek resettlement or a sense of security that will enable them to return to where they call home. The mass exodus of Kikuyu from Western continues as roads are unblocked to enable convoys to proceed. In Nairobi and surrounding efforts, it is with great effort that retaliatory gestures are being quelled, in some respects unsuccessfully.
To characterized this scenario as purely "ethnic" is to miss the mark. Likewise, to characterize it simply as "political." Our current state has to do with a mixture of issues now escaping from Pandora's box including unresolved land disputes, ethnic divisions fanned by opportunistic politics, an insullated and entrenched elite, abject poverty, failed religion, self-serving foreign policy on the part of Western countries that have varied vested interests in this part of the world, and last gasp efforts of the "big man" mentality whos era we hope is on it's way out in sub-Saharan Africa. All this is to say that Perhaps in the days to come I shall be inclined to further explore these themes in a more systematic manner. In the meantime, the shallow characterization of our current scenario as "darkest Africa again rearing it's head" is both demeaning and ignorant.
One very positive development is the manner in which Kenyans are coming together to found peace building initiatives, outreach to those affected, neighborhood and grassroots reconcilliation exercises, feeding centers and relief efforts, prayer vigils, etc. I am inclined towards behind the scenes support of these efforts rater than launching any independant relief effort on behalf of CBF/Africa Exchange. The goods and resources both capital and otherwise are at hand and need only to be mobilized and supported.
We remaing well, albeit somewhat overwhelmed at the implications for Kenya.
Thank you for your continued prayers and concern for Kenyan borthers and sisters.
**
Sunday, January 6th:
MY “QUIET” CHRISTMAS – a homily by Sam Harrell given among friends at St. Julian’s on January 6, 2008.
**
Jan. 4th & 5th:
Just when things seem to be settling down a bit, I'm sure you are all being bombarded with repeats of stories as the international news correspondents have arrived in Kenya by the dozen. I expect Kenya will disappear from the headlines in another day or so. When that happens, please be reminded that the country continues to need your prayers and concern.
Yesterday and today have been markedly different from the preceding week. Mass protests appear to have fizzled out, foreign negotiators (Tutu, Frazer, etc.) are arriving in the country in spite of the governments attitude that they are not needed. Kibaki is hinting at the possibility of a coalition government, Odinga demands a transitional government for 3-6 months after which a repeat of presidential elections need to be held. Both sides seem firm in their possitions.
It would appear that a recount of votes may not be possible after it has emerged that the safe at the ECK headquarters has been compromised and new results substituted for any that were under scrutiny. One wonders if there are any "original" results other than those that were announced publically at each constituency.
You are no douby hearing of the internally displaced and a hunger crisis that is looming. This crisis is not caused by a lack of food or resources in the country, rather due to the blocking of main routes that lead to Western Kenya. Yesterday the military began clearing the roads and relocating displaced people to safer areas. Judging by the increase in activty on the roads, it will not be long before the transport sector gets back on its feet as fuel stocks are distributed and goods able to be transported to where they are needed. The Kenya Red Cross is very active on the ground and the government, through the military, are delivering emergency support. Kenyan business, churches, etc., are banding together to support those who are displaced and in need of food and supplies. Everything depends on main transport routes being kept open. We do not expect a prolonged emergency relief operation if things continue on the current path, however we will monitor the situation and plan to respond accordingly.
Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) and Africa Inland Mission (AIM) Air have done a remarkable job evacuating mission personnel from affected regions. Kenya Peace Corps workers from affected regions have been evacuated to Tanzania. A few international organizations have evacuated a few families, however there does not appear to be a move in that direction at the moment. Most tourists are leaving and most who were planning to come have cancelled. This comes at the height of the tourist season which is currently Kenya's main income industry. I expect it will be some time before it recovers.
All in all, violence has abated and the work of figuring out a way out of the stalemate has begun. I expect it will be a long road. In my opinion, the best result would come from the interational community refusing to accept the election results (France is the only one so far) and demanding a transitional period before new presidential elections. It is possible, however, that this may lead to a backlash of violence in the other direction. By and large, Kenyans do not appear to be interested in a coalition government at this stage, having just endured 5 years of a failed one.
Our family is fine though stress and anxiety are incidious. The opening of schools has been delayed by a week. We are hopeful that the coming week will at least allow us to get out more and continue with work.
Thank you for your continued prayers and concern.
**
Jan. 3
Again, we appreciate the concern that is being expressed for our safety and well-being. Please spend more of your prayer time on those who are loosing their lives in various parts of Kenya and less on us. We have means - fuel, vehicle, access to embassy, passport, credit card, etc. - many of our friends and colleagues do not have the options that these luxuries afford. If you have been following the situation, you know that circumstances are dire for many, especially those who are living upcountry - Eldoret, Kisumu, Kericho, Molo, etc. The loss of life is far greater than what is being reported in the media. Other than emergency airlifts, there is no way for those stranded upcountry to escape the current situation. There is no road traffic coming from Western province and we are only able to get as far as Nakuru before encountering blocked roads and military personnel.
Matters are taking an ugly tone in terms of the ethnic dimension. SMS messages circulatting via cell phone are evidence of pent up rage and some very hateful attitudes which are akin (though on a much smaller scale) to what was seen in Rwanda. This is surprising and frightening. Scores of Kikuyu people are internally displaced and are camping out in the open at police stations, churches, district offices around the country. In Nairobi, other ethnic groups are beginning to fear retaliation as was mentioned yesterday. Scores of people in Nairobi are choosing to sleep outside and in fields rather than risk begin burned inside their houses in the slums. Our greatest prayer at this point is that the tipping point is not reached in this regard in the way that it has upcountry.
The opposition ODM called for a peaceful mass rally today which was again aborted after confrontation with armed police which have virtually sealed off the downtown area of Nairobi. Another rally is called for Tuesday. I am informed that the oppostion strategy is one of keeping things unstable and up in the air so as to remain a force to be dealt with. It seems clear that there is no way forward short of an admission that the elections were rigged and a process outlined that allow for an international mediation and way forward. The incumbent is resisting any such move.
Some organizations are beginning to evacuate personnel. At this time, we do not feel the need to make such a move.
The effects of this crisis are becomming a regional problem as Kenya is a major transit route for goods from the port of Mombasa to Uganda, DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, etc. Shortages of items and goods are beginning to be felt in neighboring countries.
We will continue to relay our perspective as events unfold.
**
Jan. 2
We’re struggling to get good information – luckily I have a source who is meeting with gov’t folks who feeds me info each day. It would seem that there is an impass and no movement towards a solution. Meanwhile, we are now having to queue for fuel, groceries, etc. so that has taken a good bit of the day. We live on the north side of town in predominantly Kikuyu territory. Upon seeing their kinsman being slaughtered in Western Kenya, it would appear that there is talk of revenge. Our workers are beginning to feel threatened and in some cases, Luos are being kicked out of their houses (Gachie, Ruaka villages). We are prepared to house some folks here should their security become a problem (Janet’s family, etc.) - looks like we might have a regular hotel Nairobi in our yard, minus the swimming pool.
We’re not feeling threatened personally but time for a solution seems to be running out. The lid is off in the country and other scores are being settled which have nothing to do with politics.
A good source of news for you would be www.allafrica.com where there is a “Kenya” page with breaking news compiled from several sources.
**
Jan 1.
Dear Friends:
Several of you have written and one or two of you have called in the last few days to assure us of your prayers and thoughts during this difficult time for Kenya. We so appreciate those efforts. The last few days have been surreal. I’d like to take a minute (at 4:30 am on New Years day) to provide an update and our own analysis of the events of the last few days. At some point I will follow this with a reflection that I have been mulling over.
WE all knew that the elections were going to be close and hotly contested. Pollsters had predicted a spread between 1 – 8%. In all the polls, the challenger, Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) was leading Mwai Kibaki, the incumbent of a newly formed coalition, the Party of National Unity (PNU). Let me not digress much regarding the politics of the last 5 years which have led us to this point. On the one hand, this was a vote for change and on the other hand, it was an ethnic vote. The incumbent had largely failed to inspire a nation ready for action against corruption and the ‘sacred cows’ that have dominated Kenyan politics for a generation. The challenger had the momentum of the many youth and others who have felt disenfranchised. There was a third force from a particular sector of the country (Kalonzo Musyoka of ODM - Kenya) who was running his own race, having pulled out of a larger coallition with ODM.
The voting was tremendous. By all reports, the best turnout ever in our history. Scores of local and international observers and monitors were on hand to assess the process. The aging head of the Electoral Commission of Kenya, Samuel Kivuitu, had done a seemingly remarkable job of preparation of the polling stations in over 200 constituencies (several thousand polling stations) as they anticipated an influx among the 14 million registered voters. The process involves voting for presidential, parliamentary and civic candidates at the same time. These ballots are tallied and announced at the constituency level in the presence of agents from each party and the returning officer. A form is signed by the agents and forwarded to the electoral commission headquarters (ECK) in Nairobi. While there is some room for manipulation up to this point, the process if fairly tight and discrepancies are notable.
Kenyans waited. The voting was on the 27th and all expectations were that the results would be announced by the end of the day on the 28th. With party agents and media present at the constituency level, results were known in real time and announced in the media ahead of the “official” tally by the electoral commission who wait for a copy of the tally to be physically brought to Nairobi from each constituency. All the major media outlets began to announce the results and we were glued to our TVs as we witnessed the giants (incumbent MPs who had done little but pass laws to raise their salaries over the past 5 years) fall. The results were devastating for the ruling party with the ODM taking well over half the seats in parliament and career politicians falling to relative unknowns. The presidential tally showed Odinga ahead consistently by at least 1 million votes.
As the 28th came and went with no announcement and delayed results from some polling stations, Kenyans were asked to be patient. Remember, however, that most of these results were known, just not announced by the ECK. There were a few isolated cases of blatant attempts to rig a couple of stations (like the returning officer running away with the results and not being seen from again!) but these were few and containable and no cause for alarm. Concern, however began to be expressed went results from Central Province and Upper Eastern, the incumbents stronghold, were not forthcoming. As suspicious 2 hour electricity blackout in these areas on the night of the poll did not help matters. In any event, the ECK process was painfully slow and Kenyans began to get impatient. The process involved the ECK releasing results in front of the media and party representatives in a very painstaking manner, reading each file for each and every category, etc. It began to emerge that something was amiss as several results from critical areas were not forthcoming. The ECK chair lamented that he didn’t know where his people were, that they had disappeared. Certain results were announced that were contrary to the figures from party agents. Suddenly Odinga’s numbers stopped moving and Kibaki’s numbers got closer and closer (to within 30,000 votes).
Chaos began to ensue at the ECK headquarters and party leaders began to dispute the results from several constituencies. All of this, mind you, is being done in front of the cameras. Several fights broke out, the process dragged on and on and by Sunday the 30th there was real cause for concern. Violence had already begun to break out in areas of Western Kenya, the stronghold of the opposition. There was a sense that something was cooking. Reports of a few ECK officials deserting their posts, refusing to be a part of rigging, surfaced. The embattled ECK chair began to loose control of the process and disputes became more and more heated. On Saturday night, the ECK spent the entire night in closed session, going over problem areas and promising to sort out anomalies. The afternoon of Sunday saw every Kenyan waiting with baited breath, glued to their TV’s or radios, following the proceedings. As the ECK convened in front of the media, they resumed by beginning to read out the same ‘flawed’ results and protests overwhelmed the proceedings. The crack military general service unit took over the room, cleared it and whisked off the ECK chairman to another room. The ODM leaders held a press conference claiming no confidence in the process. In quick order, the chairman of the ECK announced results behind closed doors to the effect that Kibaki had won the election by 300,000 votes and within a matter of 90 minutes, president Kibaki was sworn in at State House.
The minute the announcement was made, violence erupted in all parts of Nairobi and in most major towns in the country. The violence raged for the better part of Sunday night. Much of this violence has unfortunately taken on a very ugly ethnic face as opposition supporters vent their anger on residents of central Kenya of the Kikuyu tribe where Kibaki received 99% of the vote. Since Kikuyus have business enterprises all over the country, that has largely been the target of the anger and violence. Reports yesterday are of over 130 dead in various parts of the country. All live broadcasting has been banned, GSU patrol the streets of all major towns, police are trying to restore order, shops have not been opened and folks are running out of food.
By the end of yesterday, there was some evidence of calm. A rally called by Odinga was banned and abandoned. Odinga has called for simultaneous peaceful mass action in every major town in Kenya on Jan. 3. Participants are asked to wear black arm bands signifying the death of democracy in Kenya. All sides have appealed for a cessation of violence. International observes, who had at first been very complementary of the process, have now acknowledged serious irregularities. Odinga has refused to acknowledge Kibaki’s government. One wonders how Kibaki hopes to rule where he has lost the votes of 6 of Kenya’s 8 provinces and has only 37 seats out of over 200 in parliament?
We are OK. Our part of town is relatively calm. I ventured out yesterday and things were largely deserted. I’ve been in touch with colleagues all over the country and the aftermath in some areas is devastating. Please continue to pray for real peace in Kenya. Peace is not only a lack of violence, but the result of justice.
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