A Report on the work of the Friends Church Peace Team

When violence erupted in Kenya on 30^th December 2007 after the announcement of the presidential elections results it became the concern of everybody. The friends’ church in Kenya and world – over were touched on seeing sufferings by internally displaced people. This made Kenyan friends to hold a conference from 24^th to 27^th January 2008 to plan for possible measures of intervention into the crisis. The Kenyan National Quakers peace Conference appointed a co-ordinating committee of 13 members plus seven ex-officio members to implement immediate measures and to put steps in place towards the long-term actions

The conference came out with a plan of action as a guide to the committee. The committee embarked on business immediately convening meetings on the following dates:-

1^st February 2008

9^th February 2008

19^th February 2008

The following work has so far been accomplished as a result of the committee meetings.

POLITICAL CRISIS INTERVENTION

• A pastoral letter from the conference was written on 27^th January 2008 to president Mwai Kibaki and Hon Odinga requesting them to speed up the process of reconciliation and peace building to avoid more blood- shed in Kenya.

• An effort to ues the media to publicize massages of peace and reconciliation has been made, particularly when the media covered occasions of distribution of humanitarian items to IDPs at their centers.

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS INTERVENTION

The committee put itself in groups and visited various IDO centers on specific dates, distributing humanitarian items to the displaced.

THURSDAY 7^th FEBRUARY 2008

GROUP I: Visited Machewa Chief Centre in trans-nzoia District, valley Province, which had 360
People.

GROUP II: Visited Kiminini Market where IDP had camped at Deliverance Church with 1,270 People and Toba Vunja Church with 80 families. This was also in Trans-nzoia District, Rift Valley Province.

GROUP III: Visited Sabata Shopping center in the same district as above where there were 1,858 People.

Most displaced people in all centers came from Mt Elgon. Items distributed at every centre were maize, beans, rice, cooking fats, salt, sugar, soap, blankets, water filters and clothes donated by Kenyan friends. The amount depended on the number of the people at the centers.

FRIDAY 15^th FEBRUARY 2008

The Committee decide to revist the above three centers on this date due to overwhelming needs at the centers. In addition to the above, Milembe Friends Church was visited where 3,200 people were staying on 3 farms, i.e Milembe farm, Rengecha farm, and Meso farm. Same items of varying quantities were supplied.

TUESDAY 26^th FEBRUARY 2008

Two Centres were visited on this date:-

ELDORET: Joshua Lilande, Seth Chayuga and Sammy Akifuma visited the place and found 50 families. Maize, beans, rice, cooking fats, salt, sugar, soap and blankets were given out. Eldoret is in Uasin Gishu District in Rift Valley Province.

CHEPTULU CHIEFS CENTRE: Had over 1,200 people driven away from Rift valley where they had bought land and settled. Their houses were burnt to ashes, cattle taken away and are now housed by relatives and friends. The centers are in Kakamega District, western province. Maize, beans, rice, cooking fats, salt, sugar, soap, and blankets were distributed by John Muhanji, Glady’s Kang’ahi, Dorothy Selebwa, Rose Imbega, Eric Lijoodi, Wesley H. Sasita, Joseph M. Makokha and Friends Theological College Principal, Lecturers and students plus Juddy of Kaimosi Friends Hospital. Clothes donated by Kenyan Friends were also given out.

NAIROBI: Ksh. 75,000 was sent to the clerk of Nairobi yearly meeting for the needs of the place. A report is yet to be given on what was bought and distributed.

WEDNESDAY 27^th FEBRUARY 2008

Giachere Friends Secondary school in Kisii District, Nyanza province was visted by John Muhanji, Gladys Kang’ahi, Dorothy Selebwa, Rose Imbega. Wesley Harun Sasita, Joseph Mamai Makokha and Juddy of Friends Hospital Kaimosi. 160 students, boys and girls had run away from Nakuru, Njoro, Eldoret, Burnt forest and other places and were admitted to this school without fees payment, exercise books, text books, personal effects. This heavily strained the school resources. Many of the students were traumatized. One of the girls students could not complete her story of experience of the violence she witnessed.

We delivered 20 bags of maize, 5 bags of beans, 3 bags of sugar, 2 packets of salt and 2 cartons of soap all of which were not enough for the needs of the displaced students. Other needs the school requested for were desks, text books, school uniforms, counseling for trauma healing distinctly seen in students.

The next and 4^th meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 11^th March 2008 when we shall identify other IDP centers for our visits.

Apart from what was given, all the centers visited requested fro the following:-

• School fees for the displaced students.
• More food up to next harvest.
• Farm inputs incase they go back to their homes.
• Material to reconstruct their houses.
• More blankets
• Tents as they await resettlement.
• Sanitary towels for young and girls.
• Medication
• Counseling and trauma healing

Unfortunately, we are limited with funds to attend to these genuine needs.

COUNSELING SESSIONS

Spiritual Crisis and Listening Programme

• Before distribution of humanitarian items, each group gave the IDPs time to speak out their experiences of the violence as we listened. Then words of encouragement and advice against hatred and retaliation were given by committee members.
• The gospel of peace was preached from the Bible by pastors who had accompanied the groups. AVP and CAPP people had moments with individuals displaced person’s
  

PYSCOLOGICAL CRISIS

60 AVP and CAPP members had a workshop on 23^rd February 2008 and laid down strategies on when to visit IDP camps for counseling and trauma healing sessions. Right now they are in the field for “listening sessions” and counseling where people tell their stories in safe environment.

In three weeks time from 23^rd, they will assemble back to asses the progress.

FINANCES

To guarantee integrity and transparency in use of funds the FCPT committee put the money at it’s disposal into vote heads. We eceived US$ 22261 (KSh. 1,58,620)

No	Vote-head	% age	US$	KSHS
1	FCPT Committee expenses	4	928	64,960
2	Direct Humanitarian Aid	62	13,916	974,120
3	Peace making / Reconciliation activities	28	6,185	432,950
4	Contingencies	6	1237	86,590
TOTALS		100	22,266	1,558,620

We are adhering to the above “crisis management" budget allocation as much as possible. The Committee sits, identifies what to be bought, it does the budget for what to be bought and John Muhanji gives cash to members who would have been identified for purchasing and all items are brought to one central store from where they are carried to IDP centers. Virement, where necessary, can be done by the whole committee. So far there is total respect to the budget allocation.

IN PROCESS

Mediation in situations of acute and persistent conflict.

An attempt to talk to Sabaot Land Defense force has started and is still at very infant stage. This is an armed group with powerful weapons who may be responsible for deaths of many people in mt Elgon. It is our hope that our talks with them will convince them to demand for their rights peacefully as we convince the Government to listen to their grievances without harassment. This attempt may bring lasting solution to the violence in the area that has persisted for more than two years now.

It may also, if successful, reintegrate displaced people into the community and rebuild trust between neighbors.

CONCLUSION

On behalf of Friends Church peace Team, I highly appreciate the assistance our overseas friends have given us. It has enabled us reach where we are and we hope to cover more short-term work. But long term work has to start now that peace in Kenya has been reached. Displaced people required resettlement. Houses will be required, farm inputs, youths empowerment, economic development, advocacy, spiritual development of the pece testimony and organizational capacity are the activities we have earmarked to do as long-term activities. We kindly ask for more financial support locally and from overseas for the above to be accomplished. We are strongly committed to integrity, transparency and accountability in use of funds.

May God Almighty’s Hand be seen in this work.

Joseph Mamai Makokha

Chairman
Friends Church Peace Team
5^th March 2008

Kenya rivals reach peace agreement

Kenya's rival leaders have agreed to share power in a deal that may end the violence that has engulfed this nation but could be the beginning of a long and difficult political relationship.

Mwai Kibaki, the president, and Raila Odinga, the top opposition leader, sat down at a desk in front of the president's office, with a bank of television cameras rolling, and signed an agreement that creates a powerful prime minister position for Odinga and splits cabinet posts between the government and the opposition.

The two sides, which have been bitterly at odds for the past two months, will now be fused together in a government of national unity.

But there are still many issues to resolve, starting with how the new government will function with essentially two leaders who have tried unsuccessfully to work together before. The government must also deal with the delicate business of reassigning the choice positions already given to Kibaki's allies.

There is also a deeply divided country to heal. More than 1,000 Kenyans have been killed and hundreds of thousands driven from their homes in an uncharacteristic burst of violence set off by a deeply flawed election in December. Much of the fighting, like the voting, has been along ethnic lines.

Kenya used to be considered one of the most prosperous and stable nations in Africa, known as an oasis of peace in a turbulent region.

The violence has cooled down in the past few weeks, but the tension and displacements have continued. Many Kenyans have said that the country will not return to peace until the dueling politicians agree to some sort of solution.

Annan took the lead in trying to bring the two sides together. For the past month, he has been meeting nearly every day with negotiators for Kibaki and Odinga, searching for a political compromise. More than anyone else, Annan has been the hope of this country. A baby rhino recently born in one of Kenya's fabled game parks was even named after him.

But earlier this week, Annan seemed to have run into a brick wall. Negotiators deadlocked over whether they would share responsibilities or share power, with the government refusing to give Odinga substantial authority or to amend the Constitution to create the position of prime minister. Annan then decided to bypass the negotiation teams and go directly to Odinga and Kibaki. He met with them behind closed doors for more than four hours on Thursday.

At 4:30 p.m. local time, Annan, Kibaki and Odinga emerged. The two leaders signed the agreement with Annan standing behind them, his hands clasped, as a crowd of diplomats, cabinet ministers and political supporters clapped.

Under the deal, the party that holds a majority in Parliament — currently Odinga's — will elect a prime minister to "coordinate and supervise" government affairs. The cabinet positions will be divided, based on parliamentary strength. Parliament will pass an act and a constitutional amendment guaranteeing all this.

Annan said the deal was Kenya's only way out of the crisis.

"Today we have reached an important staging post, but the journey is far from over," Annan said. "Let the spirit of healing begin today. Let it begin now."