Thursday, January 31, 2008
The Story of Charles
A Day in Muranga
Good News From Gatina
The Latest from the U.S. Embassy
* American citizens residing in Kenya should continue to assess their own safety and security situations and carefully weigh the risks of travel within Kenya.* The roads leading to the airports in Nairobi and Mombasa are open and Kenya's international airports (Jomo Kenyatta in Nairobi and Moi in Mombasa) are operating normally. Seats are available for international flights out of Kenya. Domestic flights are also operating.* Americans should avoid nighttime road travel, including the roads to/from JKIA and Wilson airports as these roads are subject to closure by police and/or disruption by demonstrators.* For the near future, intermittent (and at times violent) protest demonstrations are likely to continue, arising quickly and without advance notice. American citizens should avoid all demonstrations and protests since even protests intended to be peaceful can turn violent.* The situation in Kenya is likely to remain volatile for the immediate future and U.S. citizens should, therefore, check the U.S. Embassy Nairobi website at http://nairobi.usembassy.gov/warden_messages.html for current information about the situation in Kenya.* Americans living or traveling in Kenya are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department's travel registration website. See also the Kenya Travel Alert and Kenya Travel Warning at http://travel.state.gov for the latest security information.* There have been no reports of injuries to American citizens since the election crisis began.
Is It Safe?
The neighborhood I live in is considered by most Kenyans to be “extremely safe.” The areas Amber, Anne, and I work in are generally considered by Kenyans to be “mostly safe” during daylight hours, or in some cases up until 9 p.m. The current crisis has changed things a bit, but as far as a sense of security, not much has changed. I try to monitor the situation daily before traveling into the slums or other potential “hot spots”, but am usually assured that there is very little to worry about. On scheduled demonstration days, I don’t venture out much. Schools and businesses are operating as normal throughout most parts of Nairobi and various international organizations continue their work. At certain times it does seem better to “shelter at home,” and I regularly hear stories from friends who’ve tasted tear gas in the city centre or who stay in more turbulent areas and have encountered gangs, seen neighbors’ homes burned or have been shot at by police. The U.S. embassy offers recommendations about travel in certain parts of the country and gives advice for dealing with the general security issues that Westerners may face in Kenya, but I haven’t heard of any resident missionaries or Westerners who are considering leaving.
So for now, a few extra precautions are just the “new normal” of what life is like in Kenya. . .Somebody put it this way (I don’t know who it was, but it was probably somebody pretty famous) - “to love is the greatest risk anyone ever takes.”
Loving Your Neighbor
– Romans 13:10
Many of my friends in Kawangware sleep outside at night. They lie on the ground with machetes, afraid that a neighbor may come and set their house on fire while they sleep. They don’t want to be caught off-guard. They’re determined to defend their homes, their families, and their lives from the enemy that lives next door. In many parts of Kenya, next-door neighbors are killing one another. What was unimaginable one month ago, has become an every day reality. We hear it on the news and we see it in the streets. Men and women who for years have been close friends, who work together, whose children go to the same schools, who attend church together, who shop in the same markets and live side by side, have all of a sudden become enemies. How can this be?
Most Kenyans I speak with are in a state of shock. No one thought this could happen here. . .Maybe in Rwanda or Somalia or Sudan, but NOT in Kenya. . .
Since Independence, Kenya’s 42 tribes have lived together largely in peace. In fact, the country has been a model for social harmony and stability. It avoided the bloody civil wars and military dictatorships of many of its neighbors, and was deemed one of the most stable countries in Africa, with a progressive democracy and growing economy. There’s always been corruption, and Kenya has often been chided for it, but few real threats to peace. Kenyans are just not warlike.
But there is a growing sense of mistrust, fear, and suspicion among many here. Historical injustices have resurfaced in the hearts and minds of Luos: government corruption, inequitable land distribution in the post-colonial era, and the assassination of Luo politicians such as Tom Mboya. Many of the urban poor feel abused and forgotten by the government and there is a lot of bitterness and anger on both sides over the disputed presidential election. Decades-old land disputes are being fought out, peaceful protesters are repulsed by police, opportunistic criminals have found an excuse to cause mayhem, and gangs of youth roam the streets with a hatred that justifies the cruelest of acts. Within a few weeks, everything has changed.
Kenyans are known for their hospitality and hopefulness, their unrelenting optimism and profound joy, even in the midst of extreme hardship. Even now, most people are hopeful and optimistic that a resolution will be reached in the near future. Kofi Annan has suggested that the immediate issues of on-going violence and the disputed election can be addressed within four weeks. He’s also confident that if the leaders commit to the mediation process, underlying issues such as land distribution can be reasonably resolved within one year. So far the mediation seems to be going well. We are praying for the best. The U.S. embassy has issued alerts and warnings and had a town meeting the other night. They strongly advise against travel to certain areas, but said that evacuation of U.S. citizens is “nowhere on the radar.” They are just encouraging Americans in Kenya to exercise due caution and avoid troubled spots. . . So for now, we are continuing work here as we are able, erring on the side of caution, but above all just trying to be good neighbors.
The Worst Things I've Ever Heard
Thursday, January 24, 2008
How Our Ministry Partners Are Doing:
Akiba School is doing well. The school opened one week later than anticipated, and students continue to trickle in who had been stranded in various parts of the country. Otherwise, classes are going on as normal and the vast majority of teachers and pupils have returned.
The News from This Side
The police have put the death count at 510 with nearly 250,000 people displaced, but the violence seems to have subsided in most areas of the country. Churches, NGOs and various businesses are donating resources and helping those who are homeless. Many organizations are stepping forward to call for peace and reconciliation.
Learning Lessons from Kenya's Democracy
Was it Rigged?
Over 100% voter turnout in some constituencies
The use of forged or unofficial election documents
Massive discrepancies in vote reporting at the local level compared with the final results
Denied entrance to European Union monitoring officials at many tallying centers
In addition, the chief election official in the country has said he announced the results under heavy pressure and wasn’t sure who actually won the election.
Several top election commissioners have reported irregularities and disowned the results.
Many of the official election forms were stolen from a locked safe immediately after the results were announced.
The Attorney General of Kenya ordered a recount
The Legal Society of Kenya revoked the license of Electoral Commission Chairman.
The government banned all public rallies and protest gatherings. Nairobi’s Uhuru or “Freedom” Park has been surrounded 24/7 by government soldiers and armored vehicles to prevent any gatherings.
The Minister of Internal Security has been accused of issuing shoot to kill orders against protesters. One hospital in Kisumu has reportedly treated over 250 people including elderly women and children for gunshot wounds. In the vast majority of cases, the bullet entered from the rear side of the body.
Ugandan troops have been reported in many towns in the opposition’s stronghold of Western Kenya, but both Kenyan and Ugandan governments deny any knowledge of their presence.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Back to Nairobi
It is heartbreaking to see how fragile life is; how East Africa's most stable democracy, one of Africa's fastest growing economies, and a model for harmonious tribal relations have been shattered in a few days. I live in a safe area, but some of our friends and ministry partners in the slums have been directly impacted by riots, looting, and violence. I am hoping to reconnect and continue with ministry there, but will work mostly from my apartment and keep a very low profile until the situation improves. If the crisis worsens or if we receive word from the embassy, TFC or SAMS to do so, I will come back home early. It has been a joy being home during Christmas and having some extra unexpected time with family and friends.
I'm optimistic that things will improve in Kenya in the near future. We are still planning and preparing for three missions trips to Kenya this summer. Let me know if anyone else is interested and I'll give you more details.
Thank you so much for ya'lls support. Please pray at this time for reconciliation and understanding and peace in Kenya, for worries here and for safety there. . .Amber and Anne are tentatively scheduled to arrive on Thursday night, which is in the middle of the protests. Pray also for their safety and for their families.
Thank you,
Dave
Friday, January 04, 2008
Chaos in Kenya - News Update
Following the closely contested elections on Dec. 27th, East Africa's most stable democracy has disintegrated into violent protests and tribal clashes. Over 300 people have died as allegations of fraud and rigging surround the elections. Four top Election Commission Officials along with the ECK Chief and international monitors have expressed doubt over the validity of the results. The Opposition Party has refused to concede defeat and Kenyans have taken their anger into the streets. The incumbent President, Mwai Kibaki who was hastily sworn in when the results were announced, has warned that any protesters will face the full force of the law. Riots and looting have occurred throughout many parts of Kenya and police initially adopted a "shoot on sight" policy. International mediators and government and opposition members have recently stepped up efforts to restore peace and find a resolution to the current crisis. . . Please pray for our ministry partners in the slums of Nairobi. The youth from Light and Power and the students and teachers at Akiba School and Elishadai Computer College have all been affected. I have many friends in hard-hit areas and am deeply saddened by these events. Pray for peace, reconciliation, and healing. I was planning to return to Nairobi yesterday, but have postponed my flight until Jan 13th in the hope that things will calm down.