Kenya

I must admit I was a little surprised to see two comments to my last post - I have readers?!

So, first: Kenya.

Before I move on, I'd like to point out that The Economist was factually wrong in an article titled "More Instability" dated Jan 11, 2008. It does not seem to up anymore. They stated that the chairman of the opposition party ODM was Anyang Nyongo. This humble author sent them an email correcting their error. Anyang Nyongo is the secretary general of ODM; Henry Kosgey is the chairman of ODM. So, even The Economist gets it wrong sometimes. I must admit it's a little disturbing and makes me believe all those who always said the public should always question the media.

Kenya, as you all well know by now, is in a mess. The city I once lived in, Kisumu, looks worse than the pictures of Baghdad. My sources tell me that the city has lost 10 years of development. Most of the shops have been looted and there were some reports about water supplies being cut off. It truly is a complete disaster area. All of this, of course, is very sad.

However, was the unprecedented violence, mass killings, and complete destruction of property necessary?

As you may know, the reason for Kenya's current mess is that the sitting president, Mwai Kibaki, rigged the election in his favor. At this point, just about everyone - including the country's Electoral Commission (ECK) - has stated in some way that the election was not a fair deal. Polls going into the election and the numbers before the rigging show Raila Odinga - the ODM candidate - as the true winner. Kenyan politics, like many other African countries' politics, is tribally dominated. Kibaki is from the Kikuyu tribe (the largest in Kenya), whereas Odinga is from the Luo tribe, which based in Kisumu.

So, what are citizens to do when they see massive injustices take place in broad daylight? I certainly do not believe that killing each other or destroying property will solve anything. The people's reponse in Kenya, I believe, are a by product of lack of corruption and lack of education.

In a corrupt society, the average citizen does not get the protection or rights he or she deserves. This was evident in the killings and destruction seen across the country. Furthermore, it is the poor that continue to suffer the most as they are unable to protect themselves and are the most vulnerable in very way - politically and economically. Additionally, due to a lack of understanding of the consequences of revolting in the manner they did, it is the poor who will suffer the most as the economy crumbles and unemployment soars.

I have been rather distraught and shocked at the country's reaction to the election. While some violence may be expected, the violence seen in the past weeks is at a level not seen since the fight for independence. The country, as it currently stands, is highly divided and its future remains unknown. Kenya was one of the best countries in the African continent for several decades - with a booming economy, relatively stable political environment, improving living standards for its citizens, and in many other ways. The current events have rocked questions the country's temperament.

Unfortunately, there is no end in sight to the madness. Hopefully there will be one sooner than later.