A Cry for Kenya (by Adam Taylor)
My heart cries out for the people of Kenya. The unfolding crisis conjures up haunting and horrific images of Rwanda. While the situation has not reached the scale of genocide, the flawed and arguably fraudulent elections held last month have already led to far too much bloodshed and represent a major step backwards in Kenya's democracy. The aftermath from the election has inflamed simmering ethnic tensions, pitting Luos and others who support opposition leader Raila Odinga against Kikuyus and their allies, who support President Mwai Kibaki.
The media seems to be under-reporting the scale and gravity of the tribal and politically motivated violence. From the shantytown of Kibera to the rural villages of Western Kenya, people are gripped by fear, particularly Kikuyus who make up about 22 percent of the population. The roughly 500 deaths reported so far fail to capture the countless number of people who have been injured by machete or the estimated 100,000 people already displaced by the conflict. The stolen election has awakened people's deepest fears and spurred barbaric acts between former neighbors.
I've been blessed to travel to Kenya twice - most recently a year ago - and have talked to many young Kenyan professionals who lamented the lingering tribalism that impedes Kenya's future. Fierce distrust and animosity between the over 40 tribes was often manipulated by the divide and rule machinations of British colonial rule. However these brothers and sisters also expressed real optimism that Kenya was moving in the direction of making tribalism a vestige of the past. I can only imagine what they are thinking and feeling now.
The Bush Administration made a costly mistake by rushing to recognize the flawed election results that re-elected President Kibaki to power. Since this initial blunder, our government has backtracked and tried to broker a needed political compromise through the recent visit of the Under Secretary of State for Africa Jendayi Frazier. Based on the European Commission's compelling evidence that the election was stolen, the U.S. must send an unequivocal message to Kibaki's government that we refuse to recognize the outcome of this deeply flawed process. America's commitment to democracy around the world becomes even more tarnished every time we lend a blind eye to clear evidence of electoral malfeasance. Fortunately, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Elders group have also been working to foster reconcilation and forge a political compromise between President Kibaki and opposition leader Odinga.
What should active Christian solidarity look like in the response to this crisis? Many of our churches have direct missionary and church to church relationships with Kenyans. We must keep them in our prayers and let them know that they are not alone as they pursue the courageous path toward reconciliation. We can give to humanitarian relief efforts that are increasingly needed across the country. Finally we can escalate political pressure on the Bush Administration to play an even greater role in getting both sides to break the current political stalemate, whether through the promise of holding a new election, conducting a re-count and independent investigation, or a proposed power-sharing arrangement. Averting further bloodshed is inextricably linked to solving the political crisis in Kenya. My prayer is that our celebration of the birth of one that we call the prince of peace will lead a deeper commitment to sowing seeds of peace and reconciliation in Kenya and across the world.
Adam Taylor is director of campaigns and organizing for Sojourners.
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Comments
Hi Adam,
If I did not respect and care for your work, I would not respond as this, but Adam your post, to me, comes across as that of a "misery profiteer."
Let me tell you, for long first hand experience, what the Church will not do - it will not call upon Christians to be organized influences in their vocations to be "salt and light" in the institutions that so mediate our lives and which, all too much, are deeply corrupted and lawbreaking. That is because "love of money is the root of all evil" and Christian leaders will not ask Christians to risk economic loss in their most valuable economic asset - their standing in their vocations - to be an organized influence in their vocations.
Neither will it criticize institutions found, via rule of law, to have engaged in unlawful reprisal against a Christian (or anyone else) who put professional duty ahead of economic self-interest by confronting institional lawbreaking they experience in their vocations.
Because the Church will not do this, situations as Kenya are enabled, which gives you an opportunity to cry over them and feel good about yourself.
But you will not change, because "love of money is the root of all evil" and you know that if you were to change, your backers, many of whome are professionals who give money to you out of guilt of what they witness and know is wrong in their vocations and do not confont of fear of economic loss, would stop backing you.
Prove me wrong, please. The stakes are too enormously high to continue to see the connection between a lack of an organized Christian influence in mankind's variosu vocations and the institutional evil that threatens civilization with awful destruction.
Joe Carson, PE
President Affiliation of Christian Engineers
www.christianengineer.org
865-300-5831
president@christianengineer.org
Posted by: Joe Carson | January 9, 2008 1:43 PM
This is sad indeed, and the media does seem to be underplaying the issue, given what it symbolizes. Kenya for years had been a beacon of hope in a continent starving for the same, a flicker of modernism amongst a landscape of dictatoriships and thugs.
While I believe the United States should intervene diplomatically, I really wonder how much we can do. As far as holding a recount, how is the United States perceived in this regard? The screwballs here have made a lot of noise about how our elections were rigged (except when the Democrats won).
The international community seems to spend a lot of time listening to our screwballs. Has that impacted our international credibility on this issue? Does any diplomatic effort imply a willingness to provide forces to ensure peace? Why or why not?
It's easy to call on George Bush to do more (to read this blog, you'd think the man spends his time in the West Wing playing canasta with staffers). But, unlike bloggers, the administration must ask itself these crucial questions. Their initial overture backfired, which would seem to call for a more cautious approach.
Posted by: kevin s. | January 9, 2008 1:47 PM
The problem is not simple. It's complicated. No one feels good about themselves because they weep over a horrible situation. Getting someone to cry expresses a good thing. The problem is empowering AU (African union) to stop this. Africa must learn to be a place of regional stability by solving it's own problems and that is where the US can help. They can take out the arms merchants that are bringing in the guns, provide economic insentives (yes that means bribes) for the surrounding nations and Kenya to do the right thing...
There is a lot we can do but the question is do we care enough.
p
Posted by: payshun | January 9, 2008 2:15 PM
'America's commitment to democracy around the world becomes even more tarnished every time we lend a blind eye to clear evidence of electoral malfeasance.'
Look no further than to 'America's commitment to democracy at home.'
Our 'commitment to democracy around the world' cannot be very meaningful or effective when here at home we wouldn;t recognize democracy if it bit us in the... fundament.
Talk about 'lending a blind eye to clear evidence of electoral malfeasance.' Can you say 'Florida, 2000'? How about 'Ohio, 2004'? Where will it be in 2008?
Believe me, the rest of the world noticed the 'clear evidence of electoral malfeasance in Florida 2000.' You should've heard the Tibetan and Kosovar refugees at the nursing home where I was working, slyly suggesting that perhaps Tibet and Kosovo should've sent election judges and observers over here.
Uncle Dick and Little Georgie's idea of democracy and freedom is unbridled license for the most vicious and the greediest of men to aggrandize themselves at everyone else's expense.
Posted by: Ted Voth Jr | January 9, 2008 5:52 PM
Kevin S.,
Please don't refer to those who question American elections as "screwball." It's not nice, and it's not accurate 100% of the time.
The impulse to get and retain power at any cost is just as prevalent in American human beings as it is in those who live on the continent of Africa.
Am I wrong to feel even slightly bothered by the fact that GWB won the election by 537 votes in Florida, but thousands of minorities were thrown off the voting rolls by an illegally imported and broadly misapplied felon list? Florida's own supreme court found that the state had illegally incorporated Texas' felon list in purging the voter rolls. And we know that there was no effort to ensure that those with similar names were not automatically deleted from the rolls.
You can argue over the word "stolen," but you can't deny the improprieties and suspect motivation of those responsible for safeguarding our democracy in that election.
The acquisition and retention of power can bring out the worst impulses in anyone. American's aren't any better than other cultures.
Please don't sweep even reasoned consideration of our electoral systems into the "screwball" category.
Posted by: ginab | January 9, 2008 6:15 PM
Kevin S.,
My apologies. The word you used was "rigged" not "stolen."
The company that prepared Florida's voter purge list, DBT Online, has said that of the 94,000 names on the list, 3,000 would remain if it removed those added in error.
In the meantime, the list was kept in effect during Jeb Bush's closely contested relection campaign in 2002.
Posted by: ginab | January 9, 2008 6:33 PM
"Please don't refer to those who question American elections as "screwball." It's not nice, and it's not accurate 100% of the time."
It's a screwball position. It has been discredited time and time again by researchers on both sides of the aisle. It isn't true, and it damages our international reputation.
The same people who assume that Florida was stolen (who, btw, don't seem to mind that Florida was called before people in the panhandle has a chance to vote) assume Ohio was stolen. For those people, no amount of evidence is sufficient to dissuade them.
They believe that the election was stolen because they can't acknowledge, for one second, that their favored political positions are in the minority. It is not borne of any notion of electoral fairness, as though these same people would have been equally interested regardless of outcome.
That is sociopathic and, yes, screwball. The election conspiracy theorists care about the American electoral system the way UFO enthusiasts care about astronomy.
Posted by: kevin s. | January 9, 2008 7:54 PM
Kevin S.,
Wow. You don't think anything I mentioned indicates that something might have been a bit amiss?
The phrase "no amount of evidence is sufficient to dissuade them" seems like it might apply here.
Please cite your sources for where the information I mentioned was discredited on both sides of the aisle.
The "537" figure I cited was from Wikipedia. The 94,000 came from an article in Salon. Granted, a liberal publication, but not a rag or tabloid.
Also, your point doesn't deal with the fundamental sinful nature of all human beings, American or not.
We're not above it. It can happen. Yet it NEVER has? I find that position unlikely.
Posted by: ginab | January 9, 2008 8:09 PM
The validity or non-validity of the Florida electoral embarrassment is purely a matter of partisan speculation. I was there, and the hijinx and improprieties on all sides were amazing to behold.
When I leaned Republican, I was sure that the final result was from on high.
No I'm more independent in light of the unfortunate consequences, I'm thinking the devil was surely in those pesky details.
Posted by: Lincoln Brigadier | January 10, 2008 1:07 AM
There are so many issues that were not talked about in this article on Kenya. But - how far are you willing to go to make a difference for this country and their people? What can the UN do to make things better?
Happy Friday!
Blessings -
.
Posted by: Moderatelad | January 11, 2008 9:14 AM
Adam,
Thank you for posting this article on the crisis in Kenya. I wondered why nothing more was said in SojoMail last week.
Bloggers, let's be careful not to become too ethnocentric; it's not all about what went wrong in America in the past, but what can be done to help Kenya out of a violent future.
M
Posted by: MG | January 11, 2008 12:01 PM
Hi all,
I am Kenyan.
While ethnic divisions/prejudices/differences may have been exploited by the colonialist power, Britain, it has, nevertheless, been 44 years since we attained Independence!
Very sadly, the 3 very powerful Presidents we have had since have not been over-eager to fight the divisive nationalism that you call tribalism. Certainly they are partly responsible, along with their cronies, for bringing us to this point, where the average Kenyan believes that having a kinsman as President is a form of collective honour.
Kenyans have seen the fortunes of so many improve dramatically due to their connection to the leader, and normally these are his kinsmen. Appointments to senior civil service positions are commonly considered a sort of 'spoils of war'.
Try picturing that in a poor country with a few very very rich people from one or two communities (out of 40 plus) and you can posibly begin to understand the desperation that led so many to react as they did after what they considered a faulty Presidential elections.
As you do so please bear in mind that the last Presidential election before this (2002) was historic in that the predominant postcolonial party's Presidential candidate was handily defeated in a free and fair competition, paving way for the incumbent. In a sense Kenyans feel that the democratic gains made after years of struggle are being eroded.
It is interesting to note that only one Head of State, Uganda's Museveni, has, so far, seen it fit to applaud Kibaki.
What the Bush Administration did, reversing its congratulations - if indeed they had offered them in the first place - is commendable. In addition Bush's envoy, Jendayi Frazer, has spelt out clearly to Kenya's leadership that they need to take care of things, or else ... It is difficult - and this is meant as a compliment - to see how much more the Bush Administration can do at the moment.
Articles in The Economist and elsewhere do spell out reasonable probable ways forward.
Having said that the church can and ought to champion the cause of justice. As Martin Luther King would say "injustice anywhere is a threat to peace everywhere".
Secondly, the church can offer to mediate between the two main Kenyan political leaders. Sadly, in Kenya, many church leaders have generally been perceived to take political sides and have little or no moral authority to facilitate mediation.
God bless you!
- Alu
Posted by: Robert Alu | January 14, 2008 3:51 AM
Dear Friend,
Anyone who wants to be of any help in resolving this matter must not avoid the partisan trap. The flawed election is the excuse not the reason for the killings in Kenya today, which were meticulously planned well in advance. I belong to one of the 40 tribes that nobody talks about, but intermarriage earned me links with 4 other tribes (and I really thank God for the love and unity this has brought to us!). For me as a voter, justice is to call the killings murder, not post-election violence- and deal with it. For the election results, my cry for justice is this: Why won't anyone verify allegations flying all over so that we hold specific individuals/institutions responsible? Untill this is done, I see two lying sides on either side of the divide. Truth always precedes and informs the the pursuit of justice. Those who claim to have the truth won't avail it to a court of law or whatever body can sort out the truth from the lies. Those who cling to power claim no one has petitioned, even as blood freely flows. What is the agrieved side hiding? Close to 10 million kenyans voted, but it only appears just over 4 million matter to the local and international community. Some of the 4.3 million who voted 'right'have also been killed in the violence because of being assumed to have voted the 'wrong way', even when their MPs (watching in silence and bonding as their electorate is massacred) are from the party that is breathing fire and brimstone. Another 5.5 million are now marked enemy for simply exercising a democratic right. No one should make political mileage out of innocent blood (should we care to question who the perpetrators of the killings are?).
As a Christian, I know we can take this to God's court of justice in prayer. He sees all the injustice - not only that part which suits our selfish pursuits. (while we are at it, we must repent for circulating tribal hate messages in support of our preferred candidates in the run up to elections!)Let's allow God to judge, but in His anger, we pray, He will remember mercy. The King's heart, after all, is in God's hand, and He moves it wherever He wills. I commend the hearts of the feuding sides to God, because only He knows where He wills to direct them - for the good of all of us. I don't know the mind of God, I only know He is a God of faithfulness, without injustice; good and upright is He. God will leave all of us answered correctly.
As I pray, I also do what Christ taught us - that my neighbour is anyone in need, and for now my most immediate neighbour is the homeless victim of the murderous gangs. I also pray for God's mercy on those who actually strike matches and set homes/property ablaze or use machetes, arrows, guns and all manner of weapons to kill others, that God's mercy would penetrate their hearts and deal with the hatred. If He reached Saul, does this sound naive and far fetched?
Thank you.
Posted by: Lynn | January 15, 2008 4:21 AM
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