Monday 28 January 2008

A state of unknowing in Kenya

I find it hard to deal with the uncertainty in Kenya at the moment, it is unsettling, and scary for me.

Everyone that I spoke to in Kenya yesterday was very scared, and at several points in our conversations, I was asked to pray for friends and family. I am praying so hard, as I know most people out there are, that something shifts. I feel very uneasy.

I took the peace that I have valued in Kenya for granted. This whole situation makes it clear to me that nothing is permanent. I think our lives are so fragile, and the escalation of events these past weeks, has shown me that noone is in control.

Things have spiralled, and have formed a life of their own. I am holding on to the fact that the crisis that Kenya is in at the moment, is because of a stolen election, and the opposition maintains that the disputed elections led to the ongoing violence.

People have taken the law into their own hands, and innocent civilians have suffered as a result, and continue to suffer. Some people thought that the peaceful protests were the only reason why people were dying, well in Naivasha and Nakuru,

Mungiki were on the loose, with revenge killings.

Protection is the governments responsibility, and at the moment, it seems incapable and unwilling to protect citizens and their property from militia attacks.

I feel low, and realise that I have no power to effect any change. Raila Odinga and Mwai Kibaki need to make some hard choices for the sake of peace.

The press despair as the Kenyan crisis continues.

I wonder what the further cost to some Kenyan people will be if ,and when those choices are made?

Can the underlying issues be tackled so that there is an equitable distribution of resources for all Kenyans?

I feel like I am clutching at straws.

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