Like any other “seasoned Kenyan” – the kind that peruses the prophesies on the lower end of Kenya's internet community - I was not entirely surprised that “land clashes” broke out in the Rift Valley after ECK Chairman Kivuitu’s announcement of the winner of the General Election.
After day one, I'd have bet the whole grand in my savings account that the GSU would be doing target practice on suicidal Kalenjin youth the following morning. Well, day two came, and went. A week passed. Eldoret North was by then spotless, without any of that DP and Ford-People vermin. Week two followed, and the scrubbing was now in earnest, though quietly done now. By then, we were starting to get used to the idea of police escorting "non-native" communities to the Eldoret showground, and to the schools of Cherangany. Gusii stadium was getting crowded; and so too were all stadiums and ASK showgrounds in Central Kenya, from Afraha to Kerugoya. The Kipkelion attack came, followed closely by deadly disaproval of a DP man harvesting his "waru" in Molo. The young men of Elburgon (how do you spell this word? (You did all right. Eds)) tried to remind us of their travails by some act, but Kofi Annan was going to be in town soon, and our focus then was whether he'd get the two stallions - Emilio and Agwambo - to actually shake hands.
Then Nakuru erupted; Naivasha was next, trying her best to outshine big bro. It was going to get as colorful as it had been at the city in the Uasin Gishu plateau, but then those mean looking guys we'd started to forget existed resurfaced, remember them? The jamaas that had earlier cleared the rocks from the roads leading to Museveni's kraal. This time though, they really meant to halt the harvest of heads, not just escort the frightened and haggard looking to the local St Francis of Assisi. The East African Standard proudly proclaimed that the army had come to the rescue.
Now, folks let us be serious. Let us suppose, for ease of argument, that Kibaki had no care what happened to Raila's people. But surely, the men and women who voted for him in the North Rift, their children, their property... he did nothing. They hoped for protection when they voted "Kazi iendelee". They didn't just hope actually... they were certain of it. Emilio did nothing. His man, Prof. George couldn't even get into a helicopter and watch the smoke billow like a crow, as Kofi did. Or see the chaos first hand, like the police spokesman Kiraithe. The cabal stayed in State House, or wherever else, scheming I know not what.
The lives and sweat of men had become pawns in a power game. When Human Rights Watch released their statement, they all said ... "see, we told you so, ODM planned this thing." They forwarded the link to the article all around. It was a PR gem. They'd use it to squeeze a deal out of Raila and his five goons. But at what cost folks? At what cost? How much is Raila worth? At least 400 Kikuyus and a 100 Kisiis would be my guess, going by the Red Cross figures, give or take 10.
The immorality, the immorality of it all ... it baffles me.
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