Malesi Kinaro is a former Executive Secretary of the Friends World Committee for Consultation Africa Section and is currently the Executive Director of UZIMA Foundation, a position she has held since its founding in 1996. This is an update to her previous letter.
Yesterday we met the Boda Boda taxi drivers (bicycle riders) and the touts and small business young men in town. They began by being sorry and sharing how the violence had made them suffer. They slowly moved to deeper things. One said, 'We are nothing in this nation. We are the ones to suffer. These rich people have fridges full of food. Even if the trouble goes on for a month they will not suffer. Let us just give up and continue with our poverty".
Another said, "Madam, these people here are being untruthful. The anger expressed by all of us Kenyans for one tribe out of 42 cannot be because of one incident. We have seen rigged elections before. The problem is the attitude of 'these' people. They come to our town, to our homes and then they decide we are fools. I work in their vehicles and the way they treat you. We are just an angry lot and we hoped for change. They stole even that from us. Let us not cheat you that peace will come back. We want them out of here".
Another said, "Our wound is real and deep. Then Martha Karua [the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs] speaks as though we are nothing. When she talks we just feel like laying down our lives for change."
We agreed with them that there can never be peace without justice.
Yesterday we met the Boda Boda taxi drivers (bicycle riders) and the touts and small business young men in town. They began by being sorry and sharing how the violence had made them suffer. They slowly moved to deeper things. One said, 'We are nothing in this nation. We are the ones to suffer. These rich people have fridges full of food. Even if the trouble goes on for a month they will not suffer. Let us just give up and continue with our poverty".
Another said, "Madam, these people here are being untruthful. The anger expressed by all of us Kenyans for one tribe out of 42 cannot be because of one incident. We have seen rigged elections before. The problem is the attitude of 'these' people. They come to our town, to our homes and then they decide we are fools. I work in their vehicles and the way they treat you. We are just an angry lot and we hoped for change. They stole even that from us. Let us not cheat you that peace will come back. We want them out of here".
Another said, "Our wound is real and deep. Then Martha Karua [the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs] speaks as though we are nothing. When she talks we just feel like laying down our lives for change."
We agreed with them that there can never be peace without justice.
The anger is still alive. But by the time we finished we had agreed that we would teach them non-violent direct action, what they call here "active non-violence", so that when they demonstrate they do not break things or burn.
Another way forward was that they bring all the proposals so that we have evidence when we go to tell the security people the root causes of the violent reactions all round the country. There is urgent need to strenghten the Uzima Revolving loan fund for the youths. On Tuesday we shall go talk with our Kalenjin counterparts in AVP at Eldoret prison. We hope they too can start something. The violence here is intense. Now they are just burning any non Kalenjin. We suffered in the 1991 clashes by losing everything we had. We went back after 12 years. We built a small house. Now we are told they stormed the house and carried everything. But this seems to be just thuggery. Pray for the Tuesday meeting especially for our Kalenjin friends. In Eldoret some family helped friends to escape and those who helped were killed.
We have just come from the IDP camp at the police station. Our Friends youths finished digging 5 latrines yesterday. Today we have been taking sanitary towels. The Red Cross is beginning to supply much food an other neccessities. But many are still sleeping in the open field. I was given a chance to talk to them as they gathered before getting their food. I offered our counselling services to any who may fell the need. They clapped for me.
Rallies begin on Wednesday. There is excitement in the air. Yet these people know the police are ready to kiil them. Police killed so may youths here. We are trying to see what we can do.
We are at a diificult place. The finance minister says the economy of the country has not been affected much. In fact he says it will grow by 8% in the next quarter. He says the tourism industry has not been affected. He is another one whose talk drives young people mad. I just wonder. Where do these rich people live? Are they in Kenya with us? Is economic growth more important than lives?
I could go on for ever
Peace
Malesi Kinaro
