Stop this violence now before it is too late

By The Standard Editors

For the umpteenth time, we are compelled to address our leaders and the nation over the political madness that has been going on for a month now — since the December 27 election — and which shows no signs of abating.

It is important, from the outset, to make it clear that the crippling political crisis threatening to shut down the country is not the making of the Kenyan people — they rendered their verdict by casting their votes to choose their leaders in the parliamentary and presidential election.

Instead, it is the post-election events and failure of our institutions to come up with results that are auditable and verifiable — leading to an impasse over the winner of last month’s hotly contested elections — that one neighbour after neighbour is rising up against another in an atavistic gusto that belongs to the Stone Age.

Following this institutional failure, one side disputed the election results, but the other dug in and insisted it won fairly, leading to polarisation among supporters.

The spontaneous events after the announcement of the results, further compounded by mass action called to protest the results, have brought to our streets, homes and screens scenes never witnessed before here.

People are being burnt alive and not even refuge in churches and houses is insurance enough. Machetes, swords and other crude weapons have become tools of choice against people who were neighbours and friends only days ago.

But leadership is lacking in containing the mayhem. Politicians who, just a month ago, were stomping the country during the election campaigns are nowhere to be seen.

MPs-elect should be at the forefront of peace efforts. But they are not and they may not. The tribal hatred that is fuelling the violence has opened old wounds that no politician may be able to heal.

Leaders have lost control of their supporters and few can call for calm and be listened to. This is how low the country has sunk.

Add this to underlying issues of bigotry, land, resource distribution and major and petty differences and the mix is a lethal one. The genie has acquired a life of its own.

But this has to stop now.

Indeed, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced and rendered homeless in their own country.

Several thousands others have been injured. And the figure of those whose lives were snuffed out has possibly exceeded 1,000.

There is colossal destruction of property, and the economy is on the verge of virtual paralysis with free movement of goods and services curtailed.

Threat to regional trade could lead to change in trading partnerships, with the attendant loss of business following disruption in the distribution system.

Yet there is also the massive impact on Government revenues and undermining of performance of the private sector, courting business failure.

Add to this the depreciation of the shilling, the high cost of fuel and the stalking inflation and you have a worrying mix.

Furthermore, the negative effects on productive land and the surging costs of farm inputs and land preparation portend an ominous threat to food security.

The time has come for us to say: Enough is enough. Kenyans cannot continue to be held hostage by marauding gangs carrying bows and arrows, machetes, pangas and stakes.

And the police must take a lead in stopping this: Why are they, for instance, sweet-talking armed gangsters torching houses, blocking roads, injuring and killing people who speak a different tongue from theirs? Where did the teargas go in Naivasha?

Granted, the force has been on the receiving end for being trigger-happy. But that is as far as unarmed protesters are concerned. And these should be blocked rather than shot.

But armed ruffians! Because of police softness, roads are being blocked with abandon and innocent people attacked as officers watch.

The capital city has been cut off from western Kenya, courtesy of gangsters. It began with illegal roadblocks between Nakuru and Eldoret. Now, it is all the way from Naivasha.

Criminals have taken advantage of the situation to kill, rob and harass innocent people. Thuggery has taken root and lawlessness is the order of the day.

A country where major highways are no-go zones because unruly youths have taken them over teeters on the precipice of a failed State.

The efforts to clear the roads have been feeble to say the least. The gangs dump rocks, boulders and containers on the roads and do their thing without a care in the world.

It is only when they are through that we see police officers, and of late soldiers, removing them. It is as if it is the gangs’ role to lay rocks and that of the police to remove.

But the police must make it clear that blocking highways is an act of sabotage and a high price will be paid for it.

But this is the sad part of it. Kenya has been a vibrant democracy, especially in the past five years, but Kenyans have not resorted to the violent backwardness raging on now.

It is a country that has just conducted a high-octane election campaign and though there were instances of violence, it was more between supporters of parties and candidates than tribes.

It is thus possible for Kenya to politick without annihilation; to practise politics that builds rather than destroys; politics where brains, not brawn and atavism, calls the shots.

The national predicament began as a protest against claims of presidential election rigging. Politicians on both sides of the divide talked tough and threatened fire and brimstone against enemies on the other side.

Various parts of the country — Nairobi, Coast, Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western provinces — erupted. People identified as supporters of one side of the political divide were attacked. Hundreds were killed, homes were burnt and businesses destroyed.

The consequences of the mayhem are not just the funerals for the dead, but also the camps for displaced people that dot many parts of the country.

But there is even more. Some people have crossed to neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania, while others have turned to police stations and church and school compounds for refuge.

The magnitude of this challenge suggests that unless our leaders deliberately make hard choices for the sake of preserving the security of our people and the Kenyan nation, we could see a vicious cycle of violence and counter-violence.

The levels of violence are overwhelming our security forces, and it is evident that we do not have enough officers to police the entire country. Only a political solution and settlement will appease our people into cultivating a sense of peace, harmony and national reconciliation.

It is evident a form of inertia and fatigue is creeping in the security forces, but they must not relent in their duty to enforce the law.

While it will be useful for posterity to carry out an in depth audit on the debacle of the tallying of results, to help in reshaping future institutional electioneering structures so that we do not end up where we are now, the urgent need now is for peace and to hold the country together.

The challenge, however, is for leaders to ensure that they are not held captive by vested interests on both sides, who may not be willing to reach a quick settlement by virtue of the fact that others stand to lose when the other side is accommodated, and others seek to gain more.

We wish to appeal to leaders — in the spirit of holding the country together — to preach peace and national reconciliation.

If they truly care, they should hold joint rallies to salvage the country from going down the precipice. They should demonstrate humility and climb down from the pedestals they are perched on.

We also wish to appeal to the people — however inflamed their passions may be — to calm down.

They should know that revenge is counter-productive as it leads to more revenge and thus an unending cycle of violence.

Only peace and togetherness will save this country.

Figure this: We have had nine General Elections since Independence, but never witnessed violence of this magnitude. Yet Kenya is considered a maturing democracy.

Now that former UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, is in the country for talks, can we expect the leaders to rise to the occasion? Is this so much to ask of our leaders? We need to see a sense of urgency on both sides of the divide; who must take maximum advantage of their presence.

They must also ponder the following: Who gains when our people continue to be killed and suffer? Will it matter much — in a situation where the country is destabilised — to hold or ascend to the presidency?

It is our considered opinion that if, after all these, it is determined that the country’s leaders have irreconcilable differences, then the logical way is to go back to the people, who are the final arbitrator in this matter.

And even if it means electing everybody, including MPs, this option will ultimately be less costly than the continued paralysis in the country.

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