Kenya Explodes in Civil and Political Unrest

From an Oakseed friend in Kenya….

Kenya is at a civil and political crossroad this 31st December 2007 morning as we wake up to a day of uncertainty after a night of violence in Kibera; the home of KTDP among other slums and the major towns of Kisumu and Mombasa. This followed the announcement of Kibaki as winner of the just concluded otherwise peaceful elections.  The nation was largely prepared for a Raila win as early returns indicated so until the last central Kenya votes started coming in to tilt the scale. Claims of rigging were voiced by Raila’s team and a committee put in place by the Electoral Commission to scrutinize the returns.

The tension and unrest resulted to no church services in the city yesterday as public transport was paralyzed.

We do not know what the findings of the above committee were as they worked all night but what we know is that both Raila’s and Kibaki’s teams claimed victory by making all sorts of press and counter press announcements right in the ECK’s premises and podium. This made the work of the ECK difficult resulting to the announcement of the winner being made behind closed doors.

Riots followed immediately after the announcement as a swearing in ceremony was hurriedly arranged to avoid a constitutional crisis following the expiry of the president’s term at mid night 30th Dec 2007. We now have a president who many don’t consider legitimate and have to make a choice between peace or chaos and riot to demand justice. Sadly the injustice of seeking justice in this part of the world is that it is the poor in the slums who suffer and die as they already have by battling each other while their leaders go around with high security around them. Secondly, the reality of the battles in the slums is not political but rather a hive of lawlessness to cover up for looting and theft of private property.

What Kenya asks of you is that you pray for restoration of calm and unrest to dissipate. That torching of houses in the slums will stop and that Kenya will wake up to a sense of responsibility and stop destroying a nation built over 44 years as leaders haggle over a 5-year term.

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