It all began soon after the presidential election results were announced. Then several groups of communities around broke into war songs. They broke into the shopping center next to the university and looted all the shops that belong to Kikuyus and Kisiis. Then they broke into rented off-campus houses of students.

A crowd of about 1,000 people surged to the university gate and wanted to storm the university. They demanded that all Kikuyus, Kambas, Merus, and Kisii people leave the university within two hours. That was the only way to save the university from being stormed. They remained at the gate until it would be seen done. About three armed policemen arrived and spent time negotiating with the crowd. Finally the police advised us to evacuate the named ethnic groups. We put the faculty and about 250 students into three university vehicles and were taken to Kapsabet Police station under police escort. They are still there as at now. A few of us are on campus!

The Division tried to evacuate those from Kapsabet Police Station to Eldoret International Airport but the next road block was a no-go zone. Inspite of the police escort, the university buses had to return to Kapsabet. There is no way anyone can get out. One Baraton group is holed up at Kapsabet Police Station while faculty members from the Luo and Luhyia communities, international workers and students are holed up within the campus. Those at Kapsabet have no food or water. The worst fear is not so much the lack of food but the possibility of the police station being stormed. The police are few and overstretched.

We have been receiving threats on an almost daily basis at the campus. On one occasion, we had to give out a bull for them to slaughter and guarantee us peace. Then they came and demanded milk which we also gave. We then succeeded in pleading with the militia to allow us to transport food to those at the police station. They allowed us and we transported the food on a varsity tractor. It took three hours to go through road blocks to reach Kapsabet which is only 15 kilometers away.

I attended a meeting yesterday with commanders and militia leaders who came to meet university administration. We confirmed that the militia had had their own meeting and resolved that on humanitarian grounds, faculty with kids and pregnant mothers would be allowed to return to campus grounds from the police station. They also told us students of other communities should come back. It sounded like good news and we shook hands. We asked them to transport food to Kapsabet. They agreed and said that they will even transport the valuable food. The militia who were escorting the food were beaten and their vehicles destroyed by yet another militia group from the same tribe – the Luo. Negotiating and settling with one militia group means little because there are other groups whose rules are different. It is like you now need a visa to cross several of them. We have about 130 Kisii students and workers stranded at the police station but cannot leave for home. I know Mr. Obuchi whose wife is pregnant, Professor Elijah Njagi and wife, Mr. Nyarangi and wife and many others. They are sleeping in the grass and some in university bus parked at the police station. There is no food. I have never witnessed anything this heartbreaking!

As I write this email, have just been informed that a crowd came to the university gate fifteen minutes ago and demanded that we go out and join them in mass demonstration in the street. That means we shall be put on the front line to meet the armed police. University PRO has negotiated with them and the crowd has now chained the university main gate, locked it and gone with the key. No vehicle can come in or go out. We pray that they don't come back and try to force us out.

It is a nightmare to meet them. All of them are armed with machetes, rungus, bows and arrows. Some are drunk while others bay for blood. I have never seen anything like this! We are frozen by fear and prayer now takes a new meaning! My home is 100 km from here, but how does one pass those road blocks? We have Luo workers who want to get out, but we hear the Luos are grouping to fight the Kisii on the Kisii/Luo border. We are boxed in. The road blocks are manned by not less than 500 people. The road block at Cheptrit has a thousand youth manning it. Police told us that Mosoriot has ten thousand worriers camping there. It is a no-go-zone.

We have nowhere to buy food, no calling cards available, no fuel! But we are finding a new meaning in prayer. I hope I can keep updating you of what is happening at Baraton. You can get from internet what could be happening in other parts like Eldoret, Kakamega and Kisumu.

I have to leave for a crisis meeting to try and avert any attack on the campus. I hope internet access will remain open so that I can keep updating you.

I can see helicopter flying over us but it seems to be passing again! The American Embassy called yesterday for the sake of their citizens. This is a no-go-zone! We need to be evacuated from here! Promises of safety from some militia groups cannot be trusted. You need to be here to feel it.

Whatever the political argument is, this is a nightmare! The ground issue is not how you voted but your ethnicity. Some are using it to settle personal scores! There were some leaflets from one group saying that all non-Nandis should get ready to leave. Other militia groups say no. But God still keeps us safe!

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Caesar Wamalika is a chaplain at the University of Eastern Africa (Baraton). This letter was first published here .