As a Kenyan in the US I can tell you that we appreciate the fact that we don’t feel the pain the same way that you do. We do, however, feel a lot of disgust and anger at the way the ‘leadership’ is handling it. People are dying and leaders are playing. This should have been handled days ago–all it is fostering is great tribal rifts and stupidity which begs the question, when we come home to our multi-tribal families, how many of them will still be friends? We are still praying and working on ways to send food to those with no access. Any suggestions?

we need peace and nothing but peace

“an organism at war with itself is doomed!” (zeitgeistthemovie).

Stop destroying Kenya.
Stop the fighting.
Stop the killing.
Stop it.

Let peace prevail.

Very powerful message. God bless Kenya and hope all is sorted out ASAP. Kenya has been a peaceful and lovely country and to see unimaginable ugly incidences like these breaks my heart.

Thank God for people like you who are able to get news to the outside world on what is going on. I know I am outside the country, but my heart is breaking everyday when I see and hear what is going on and then the gov’t comes out and says that everything is ok!

Stay safe and God bless you (everyone there). We just hope and pray for a solution to come out soon!

Thank you for your regular insightful passionate updates+ for taking responsibility over the comments section-don’t get me wrong, i am not saying u are responsible for what people choose to say, however, i am glad your not allowing your comments section to become a latrine. well done!i respect you for that.

I agree with you that both the leaders have lost credibility and should not be allowed to run for another election.may we find redemptive, well-thought through solutions..

BTW maybe one of your posts should be on the kenya we are not seeing in the news at the mo’ but continues to be there- in as much as i hear of neighbours killing neighbours, it is a small comfort that other rels continue because they are bigger than tribe+of people hosting each other when it would be risky to do so…

I echo the other comments-stay safe!

I dream of giving birth to a child who will one day ask me,’Mother, what was war?’ Eve Merriam

M
I appreciate your suggestions.

BUT,
I do not think kenya will be the same again.

I do not know if one individual instigated the violence-people seemed already very angry (or if they did, the magnitude surprised even them ). Perhaps it is time the US upped the head hunter’s prize on one Kabuga to say $200m.

I do not think a coalition government will work in a Kenyan setting (i believe in 2002 there was a coalition government): the people involved have super big egos and Rambo attitudes. In addition, it is not difference in ideologies we are talking about, but raw hate.

I think whichever group/government is in power ( ODM/PNU ) the one will want to punish the others ( and by that i mean “their people” ) and our setup allows it to happen, so we need a more drastic solution that protects the people who will be perceived as enemies by the other people.

A “shared” government is patching to a fatal wound.

Lets preach peace. Glad u n mami r Sawa.

Thanks for saying it M. The more this thing drags on, the obvious it is that these two leaders shouldn’t take the helm. I mean WTF! How did we get here. More than that, why are we still here. And to think of all those lessons we learned as Kenyans living together and growing up together. Then a fool can incite us to turn on each other?

We need new and a better direction in Kenya. None of these leaders have it. Raila, I am sorry that your victory was stolen, get over it since Kenyans are dying. Kibaki, you are a thief and a murderer. But then again, we wouldn’t have been having this discussion if you were a better man. Grow up. If any or both these leaders can act “great” we will find a solution to this problem. And that is a big “if”.

You’re an idiot!, despite all the reasonable things youve said, one thing still comes out clearly, you dont respect the law.

If you did, you wouldn’t have taken photos of State House. Secondly, you would recognise that Kenya has a president, anyone with any qualms should visit the courts.

If your neighbour steals your tv, you don’t kill him or hold demonstrations, you go to the cops and let the law take its course.

Peace.

Max…What if the cops have allowed the stealing to take place? Who do you go to?

No I am not advocating any form of rioting, looting or violence. But there has to be a solution. I was once told if you use reason you can win almost anybody. Just takes patience. I dont know, and at this point, dont care whose “fault” it was. Just restore sanity…first then we take the next step.

I just discovered this blog…amazing job M.

Max

You are the dodo one here. Do you know this blog has kept the sanity of many Kenyans who are abroad by seeing pictures and getting news raw from the ground? You sound like a govt. spokesman or Mwizi Kibaki’s apologist bent celebrating the decline of democracy in Kenya.

Right now people care about peace sp shove your nicompimpous claims of technical legalities.

Please.

Thinker keep it coming – your work means a lot to those of us away from home.

However this nonsense ends we will be scarred forever!! It will take decades to convince people that kenya is a safe country to visit, and even more decades before certain goups of kenyans can go about their business without fear in certain parts of the country.

All the riggers and inciters should be found and charged! They should be made to pay if this country is going to heal. This culture of impunity should be stopped! People should start paying for their crimes we have had enough!

And why don’t we see pictures of looters or murderers arraigned in court? This would have been the most simple way of showing that their is an authority and people will think more. Now it’s like total anarchy!

Oh and I could not help thinking about how 5 years ago majority of the country from 8 yr olds to 80 yr olds were singing “I am Unbwogable”. Well we sure are “Bwogad” right now.

I love you Kenya why are we breaking up?

I have lived in naivasha, nakuru also schooled in different parts of the country and never gave a damn about realistic lines at all, never gave a damn bout the kikuyu, or luo or embu in short had no ill feelings to any tribe I mean am young and the group I know we do crack some jokes here and there along tribal lines but now nobody is, we cut it off due to what’s going on.

what happened people, what is going on in Kenya, i sit here and ponder does me killing a kikuyu or I hear an embu help me, no no people no. and what’s with the burning of the church, i know we are of a third world country but a church you got to be kidding me, you playing right!

my fellow Kenyan man we got to grow up i do know that racial lines, tensions will always be there that’s human but sometimes its human to think too. I have no clue how we are going to pull out of this but man if we do let the Lord ride us on this one.

its a shame what we have come to burning little kids you mean little children u got to be kidding me I mean little children, they have no clue what’s going on. seriously what about the women who gave birth to us, the womb, you just stole that too.

its a shame man its really a shame, do people sometimes print out this pictures, the gruesome pictures at the morgue, on the streets, alleys and worse of all carcasses of people so that these heinous crimes can be seen by all? and lets be honest here for a little bit each tribe has lost somebody right its just barbaric how these has happened.

now lets talk about our two year old kids, our politicians who of course cannot think straight and know that lives are at stake here,. Mr. Kibaki you very well know you are not suppose to be there, you like a kid holding on to a candy stick. Sir please think of what’s going on and I mean right now. Your own people are dying and you think while you sit there at what you call state house give a sheepish address and go back helps. As these man gone out of that place anyway to the streets and seen what’s going on. Kenya is burning brother, Kenya is burning and who will pour in the water.

Sir please please think I know you are a father think and think. If you keep sitting k have no clue then, you know Raila is not stupid to say I am going to court hello they aint go do nothing! and so will a recount help. Can you guy seek help from outside do something. Man kibaki was doing good till now. Is it really that hard to leave that famous sit for the sake of a brother living is it?

My second born child raila you probably know that they might listen to you and I mean the protesters they are out there dying for you, why cant you walk out there and ask them to stop and I mean plead with them, its time to stop all this raila it is. One thing I do understand is I know the courts will fail you I totally agree but is there something else you can do. Peacefully!

I love Kenya I do I really do love Kenya, we were doing so so good till now. Why Kenyans why, why did we have to bring mama African pride down why.

Get up be proud and ask ourselves what are we really doing. Yeah I know something was wrong with the vote but we can stand up peacefully and cry ourselves out.

By the way I am a kalenjin and proud of who I am, proud of those I have met, those I have befriended and those that loved and been loved by me. I love each one of you as a Kenya except for the barbaric creatures that slaughter little children that to me is extremely sickening and unforgivable. I put this on out high ranking officials remember that the honorable, misters and mistresses. Think and sleep thinking this is all on you.

Love Kenya.

What about proposing a nation wide economic boycott of the top 10 – 30 companies that are the largest financial supporters of Kibaki’s party of national unity, and Kibaki himself, until Kibaki steps down or hands over power to someone else?

I.e. the real winner Raila Odinga, a respected independent person, or perhaps an new presidential election overseen by independent outside observers, i.e. the UN?

Perhaps people could stop buying any goods or services from their companies, and stop selling to them.

It might be a way of allowing those that are frustrated by having their election and their voices stolen from them to express that frustration in a more peaceful way, i.e. no violence/burning/ethnic cleansing or risking being killed by the police while protesting.

It would also have more impact on Kibaki than killing/ chasing out some poor street vendors who unfortunately happen to be members of the same tribe as him. Hopefully at least a few of the top 10, 20 or 30 financial supporters of Kibaki’s party would not all be owned by Kikuyu’s so that might help reduce tribal hatred a bit, by making it more about the party and the leader than just members of one particular tribe. This might be a step towards decreasing the ethnic hatred in the country.

It would allow people from all tribes to participate, even Kikuyu’s since it’s not directed at a specific tribe, more directed at pressuring the financial backers of the party that shamelessly stole the election and fiddled while Kenya’s people and economy burned.

It would be more likely to have some impact on the party if the financial elite started hurting, they are more likely to be able to influence Kibaki and his party to give up power than someone just running a small business or market stall.

As a Canadian, I don’t know Kenya very well, so I don’t know how feasible this is or in what ways it would need to be modified to be effective. Perhaps ideally this could be discussed, modified and proposed by people from many different segments of Kenyan society including some prominent Kikuyu’s. Something like a national salvation council type group.

Kikuyus may be the largest tribe in the country, over represented in the political and financial elite, and many of them backed Kibaki’s party, but even with being 7.5 million people out of 34.5 million, (according to the BBC) they’re still out numbered by members of other Kenyan tribes 4.6 to 1.

I think that some of them might welcome a way to get other Kenyan’s to focus their anger and hate more on the elite financial backers that are propping up Kibaki and the PNU instead of just the nearest members of their tribe.

My guess is that Kibaki probably thinks if he gives up power now and tried to live in Kenya, he’d be killed or jailed for life. Perhaps another country might allow him to move there so he’d be more likely to give up power more quickly with less bloodshed and damage to Kenya.

Thanks M,
First and foremost I agree with you that the fighting must STOP before anything else can happen. I want to see MPs elect and raila and crew out there preaching peace! I want them to get out of Nairobi and into Kisumu and Eldoret to preach peace! And he should stop the rallies! They are not helping anyone

Both Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki received approximately four million votes and in meeting with the predictions of opinion polls, there was not much more than 200,000 to 300,000 votes between them either way. Indeed, it was Raila’s assertion, prior to the release of the results by the ECK, that Mwai Kibaki wouldsteal about 200,000 votes but would come in just behind ODM.

The 300,000 figure (the higher limit) is about 3.3% of the votes cast. It is not unreasonable to assume that the inflation of ODM figures in their areas of strength (as has been shown repeatedly to have happened) could also easily fall within 3% of the total votes cast. This manipulation is likely to have happened before figures were recorded onto Forms 16A, especially as the lack of opposition agents in these areas meant that ODM had unfettered access to such methods of electoral fraud. In the absence of PNU agents it is necessary that independent organisations stand in to give us these figures, for example, local or foreign observers.

At this stage it is almost without dispute that there was rigging in PNU’s favour of the sort mentioned in Molo, which consisted of changing the figures recorded on Form 16A. It is likely that the total impact of this vote manipulation to the advantage of the PNU would also fall within the 3%. Strangely however, Raila was recently reported in the Nation newspaper claiming that Kibaki’s votes were inflated by over one million. I am personally doubtful of the validity of this number as it would mean that Mwai Kibaki ended the election with a count of about 3.5 million only – a number that is not only inconsistent with the wealth of votes he harvested from Central and Eastern Kenya, but also ignorant of the very high turnout experienced in Central Kenya.

So who won the election? I do not know, no one really knows. The ODM and some of its supporters have been claiming that the statements of the foreign press, Kivuitu and Amos Wako prove that Kibaki ‘stole’ the election, but the truth is, with all the reported irregularities and the closeness of the election, it is impossible to tell who really won the December 27th vote.

To put a firm answer to this question would have required an immediate recounting of the votes (impossible given transportation and vote integrity issues as witnessed in the 1992 elections) or an auditing of the Form 16As by the ECK (this would help uncover the later rigging while acquitting the earlier methods. One interesting mystery is ODM’s assertion over several days that they had collected a total of 4.2 million votes, yet the final ECK announcement ascribed 4.3 million votes to the ODM .

Outbreak of violence

Even had President Kibaki won the election fairly or by a larger margin, there would certainly still have been riots. The ODM did not prepare its following for the possibility of losing the election. In fact they primed them towards an outright rejection of a Kibaki win, preaching that any such result would be indicative of electoral fraud.

So it is not for the irregular manner of Kibaki’s victory that we have blood in the streets, rather people are rioting because of the Kikuyu factor. (I must apologise for all the Kikuyus who have been responsible for bringing this country to such a woeful place, whether in the ECK or around Kibaki.) Still, the facts speak for themselves. The ODM galvanised half the nation around the logic that since Kibaki is a Kikuyu and Kikuyus are thieves, are corrupt and are against devolution thus keeping you from getting your right and just share of national wealth, it follows that Kikuyus are bad and that Kibaki must go. Kibaki Toka! This strategy worked overwhelmingly in five provinces giving the ODM a massive one hundred seats in parliament.

There is similar non-tolerance in the Kenyan blogosphere and Internet forums for anyone who does not support the ODM, the logic being that the overwhelming majority of the four million plus votes cast for Kibaki were Kikuyu (president of one tribe) and that Kibaki did not garner a significant number of votes in the rest of the country.

Finding a solution will be difficult if the leaders stick to their dug-in positions. Raila Odinga seems so intransigent he is unwilling to stop insisting that Kibaki step down. The president on his part, and he is supported in this by Archbishop Tutu, insists that the ODM and Raila first accept that there is a governing authority in Kenya. We will keep praying for greater flexibility and a faster resolution, for heaven knows we need a peace, and we need it fast.

The way forward

It now behoves the head of state to take charge, to reach out to the opposition and to bend over backwards to accomodate them. It is important that he has made concessions regarding the composition of government, but he must also find a way to have the ODM leave any such talks with an element of pride.

The ODM on its part must stop talking about Kibaki as having the support of only one or two tribes. The effects of this strategy are already visible around the country and it is most important that the leaders who inspired this seperation, whether in the ODM or in other parties, work hard to heal the divide.

Third, rallies must be held in all regions of this country to persuade the people to calm down and to desist from wrecking the very economies of their regions. I laud the actions of KISS and Citizen radio stations, and of the mainstream newspapers to this end.

Finally, politicians must realise that there is for each side one half of the country that is represented by the other. This little fact means that it is impossible for the one side to vanquish the other except by destroying the nation. Such ideas as the Million Man March rallies and the like do not help promote harmony and a return to some semblance of unity. What they do instead is bring us closer and closer to confrontation. Remember both sides could call four million person rallies!

Here is an idea, Mwai Kibaki should sit down with Raila Odinga and negotiate. Mwai Kibaki says “Give me the Banana constitution and I will give you the Presidency.” Handshake. Done.

I have an email from one of the Students from Baraton ( the private Uni near Kapsabet)she wrote this a few days after the violence erupted. This is more than a stolen election!

Dear Talkback Forum,

I wish to share with you the terror and nightmare we are going through of Ethnic War. I am emailing from Baraton and the situation is bad! It all began soon after lection results were announced! Then several groups of community around broke into war songs. They broke into the shopping center next to the university and looted all the shops that belong to Kikuyus and Kisiis. Then they broke into rented offcampus houses of students..

A crowd of about 1,000 people surged to the university gate and wanted to storm the university. They demanded that all Kikuyus, Kambas, Meru, and Kisii people leave the university within two hours. That was the only way to save the university from being stormed. They remained at the gate until it would be seen done. About three armed policemen arrived and spent time negotiating with the crowd. Finally the police advised us to evacuate the named ethnic groups. We put the faculty and students numbering about 250 into three university vehicles and were taken to Kapsabet Police station under police escort. They are still there as at now. A few of us are on campus!

The Division tried to evacuate those from Kapsabet Police Station to Eldoret international Airport but the next road block was a no-go-zone. Inspite of the police escort, the university buses had to return to Kapsabet. The is no way anyone can get out. One baraton group is holed up at Kapsabet police station while faculty members from Luo and Luhyia community, international workers and students are holed up within the campus. Those at Kapsabet have no food or water The worst fear is not so much of food but possibility of police station being stormed. The police are few and overstretched.

We have been having threats a almost daily at campus. On one occassion, we had to give out a bull for them to slaughter and guarantee us peace.. Then they came and demanded milk which we also gave. Then we succeced in pleading with the malitia to allow us transport food to those at police station. They allowed us first day and we transported it on varsity tractor. It took three hours to go through road blocks to reach Kapsabet wich is only 15 kilometers away.

I attended a meeting yeasterday with commaders and malitia leaders who came to meet university adminstration. We confirmed that Malitia had had their own meeting and resolved that on humanitarion ground, faculty with kids and pregnant mothers be allowed to return to campus. They also told us students of other communities should come back. It sounded good news. We shock hands. We asked them to transport food to Kapsabet. They agreed and used their own vehicles. But the food never arrived. The malitia who were escorting the food we beaten and vehicles destroyed. The fact that you negotiate with one malitia group, remember the next and several others groups have their own policy. It is like you need visa to cross several of them.. We have about 130 Kisii students and workers stranded at police station but cant leave for home. I know of Mr Obuchi whose wife is pregnant! I know of Pr Elijah Njagi and wife, Nyarangi anf wife, etcThey are sleeping in the grass and some in university bus parked at the police station. There is no food and I have never witnessed this.

As I write this email, have just been informed that a crowd came to university gate 15 min ago and demanded that we go out and join them in mass demonstration in the street. That means we shall be put on front line to meet the armed police. University PRO has negotiated with them and the crowd has now chained the university main gate, locked it and gone with the key. No vehicle an come in or go out. We pray that they dont come to force us out.

It is a nightmare to meet them. All of them are armed with matchets, rungus, arrows and bows. Some are drunk and others baying for blood. I have never seen this! We are fear frozen and prayer takes a new meaning! My home is 100 km from here but how do you pass those road blocks? We have Luo workers who want to get out but we hear the Kisii are grouping to fight Luos on Kisii/Luo border. We are boxed in. The road blocks are manned by not less than 500 people. The road block at Cheptrit has a thousand youth manning it. Police told us that Mosoriot has ten thousand worriers camping there. It is a no-go-zone.

We have no where to buy food, no calling cards available, no fuel! But we are finding a new meaning in prayer. I hope I can keep updating you of what is happening at Baraton. You can get from internet what could be happening in other parts like Eldoret, Kakamega and Kisumu.

I have to leave for a crisis meeting to try and avert any attack on the campus. I hope internet access will remain open so that I can keep updating you. I can see helicopter flying over us but seems to be passing again! American Embassy called yesterday for the sake of their citizens. This is a no-go-zone! We need to be evacuated from here! Promises of safety from some malitia groups cannot be trusted.You need to be here to feel it. Whatever the political arguement, it is a nightmare! The ground issue is not how you voted but ethnic affliation. Some are using it to settle personal scores! There were some leaflets from one group saying that all non-Nandis get ready to leave. Other Militia groups say no. But God still keeps us safe!

Caesar Wamalika.

@Joe- Ive always thought you were a Kibaki insider! Ive realised you do not know the man. Take charge? Has he ever? And btw, for your information Kibaki was glad the Banana constitution was thrown out!!

@abelian- A Nigerian newspaper,Punch of 6th January published that same story from Baraton and attributed it to a Caesar Wamalika,Chaplain at Baraton speaking to BBC.Its virtually word for word ,with some embellishment!! The Punch’s says its source is bbc.co.uk. Can someone please verify this story??

George Awour,

This is a true story, I know some of the students who go to uni there and this is actually what happened

Maybe it’s time someone wise proposed a new form of government for African countries. Because democracy just doesn’t seem to work in such ethnically divided countries as ours. Or maybe regional “power rotation” should be written into our constitution, calling a spade a spade, accepting that Kenya is divided into Central&Eastern/Western/Rift Valley/Coast&northern. Then have a way of shuffling executive power checked by parliament. A neutral judiciary would serve as referee to keep the players within the rules while the civil service would do implement policy free of interference. Or something like that.

I suggest that because democracy looks good only on paper. As much as it is evident that PNU stole
this I am not convinced that ODM did not do their share of stealing either. Neither Raila nor Kibaki are untainted, IMHO.

For a quick fix, a re-election managed by a neutral body should address one big issue: who do most Kenyans want as president? Simple as that.

The bigger scarier issues beyond that are: tribal division and economic disparities. Wealth distribution here may actually be the soul of the monster, because if all Kenyans felt they were equally involved in the whole business of sharing our limited resources (which is what politics is all about anyway) then it would not matter so much what language your grandmother spoke.

Sorry I have overflowed, I’ll even copy this to my blog maybe expand it. But not, enough for now.

BTW, you haven’t posted for a few days, hope you are still with us.

Kenya like most of Africa was formed to serve colonialist ambitions, not for the benefit of the people themselves. The judicial and political systems echo the same.
Africa is a tinderbox waiting to ignite, just look at Zimbabwe. Sadly, as one poster says, the media will have a fleeting interest in the population’s plight and then abandon them as soon as a juicier story comes along.
Having been fortunate enough to visit Kenya since 1995, I lament for the damage which is undoubtedly being done to a beautiful country with enormous potential, and a proud group of peoples caught up in such appalling internal struggles.