Quiet in Kenya
For the last several days, things have been generally quiet here in Nakuru. But there is no reason to believe that things are peaceful. Everyone is on edge, scared, wondering what the next disaster will be and where. Rumors of planned violence abound.
There was another Minister of Parliament killed on Thursday. He was shot four times in the head by a policeman, within 36 hours of the first one. These events are highly suspect in the eyes of the opposition as being straight up assassinations. The policeman that is being charged with the murder is scheduled to be tried in the High Court of Nakuru. Yesterday, when they read him the charges, he expressed surprise at being charged with murder. Oh and get this, in an “unprecedented move” the media was not allowed to be present in the chamber for the charge or the cautionary statement. I am smelling the proverbial rat.
The killing of the MP sparked more riots and unrest in the towns of Eldoret and Kisumu. We have another mission compound in Kisumu, so it was really unsettling for the missionaries that were caught away from home. Some of them even had to spend the night out in the country-side because it was not safe to go into town. There were “thousands” of people on and alongside the road. They covered the road with stones in order to make it impassable. Here is a picture taken by one of the missionaries from Kisumu, showing the road before it was cleaned off.
Sometimes you wonder if Mr. Kofi Annan and the other peacemakers are kidding themselves. Sometimes you wonder if Democracy will ever work for a nation that has tribes and all of the prejudices that come with tribalism. Sometimes you wonder if mankind is any different than it was 4,000 years ago. The hoodlums don’t care if the person that they are killing is their childhood friend, or even a child for that matter. Killing him only because his name is not right. The official statistics put the death toll in the hundreds. I would not be in the least surprised if it was actually in the thousands. I have heard too many stories of bodies lying around, getting eaten by dogs.
How can you have peace in your country if no one in your country has peace in their heart?
There was another Minister of Parliament killed on Thursday. He was shot four times in the head by a policeman, within 36 hours of the first one. These events are highly suspect in the eyes of the opposition as being straight up assassinations. The policeman that is being charged with the murder is scheduled to be tried in the High Court of Nakuru. Yesterday, when they read him the charges, he expressed surprise at being charged with murder. Oh and get this, in an “unprecedented move” the media was not allowed to be present in the chamber for the charge or the cautionary statement. I am smelling the proverbial rat.
The killing of the MP sparked more riots and unrest in the towns of Eldoret and Kisumu. We have another mission compound in Kisumu, so it was really unsettling for the missionaries that were caught away from home. Some of them even had to spend the night out in the country-side because it was not safe to go into town. There were “thousands” of people on and alongside the road. They covered the road with stones in order to make it impassable. Here is a picture taken by one of the missionaries from Kisumu, showing the road before it was cleaned off.
Sometimes you wonder if Mr. Kofi Annan and the other peacemakers are kidding themselves. Sometimes you wonder if Democracy will ever work for a nation that has tribes and all of the prejudices that come with tribalism. Sometimes you wonder if mankind is any different than it was 4,000 years ago. The hoodlums don’t care if the person that they are killing is their childhood friend, or even a child for that matter. Killing him only because his name is not right. The official statistics put the death toll in the hundreds. I would not be in the least surprised if it was actually in the thousands. I have heard too many stories of bodies lying around, getting eaten by dogs.
How can you have peace in your country if no one in your country has peace in their heart?
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