Kenya: Conflic is bigger than Kikuyu vs. Luo

Mental Acrobatics on the situation in Eldoret, Kenya: “Eldoret, ladies and gentlemen, things are very very bad in Eldoret. Homes being raided. Churches being burnt. Shops being looted. Murder and rape in broad daylight. Ethnic groups after each other. Let me tell you this is much much bigger than Kikuyu –v- Luo. Pamoja.”

9 comments

  • bortz

    the kalenjins are reacting to the injustices descended on them by the Kibaki administration over the last five years. The violent and ruthless eviction from govt forests without compensation, the massive sacking of kalenjins from top civil service jobs without compensation, the discrimination of kalenjin in police and army recruitment, minimal representation in the cabinet etc.
    the kalenjin voted overwhelmingly against Kibaki coz they were fed up with the intimidation. that is why no single kalenjin MP was in Kabaki’s camp.All the 29 MPs-elect were from pro-ODM, they were sure that the next five years would not be the same and that they would have a say in the govt. that is why not even the former powerful Kalenjin power brokers like Biwott, Kirwa, Moi etc made it to parliament. They had a clear message and they passed it peacefully but Kibaki and his cronies tramped their voices down by stealing the election.
    The Kalenjin people are ‘fighting’ because in Kibaki’s govt they stand to lose a lot in the next 5 years. No Kalenjin MP is in Kibaki’s side which means there will be no ministerial post or anyone to represent them in the cabinet. Thus they will have nothing to look forward to unlike in the ODM govt where they would have a bigger say in the runnung of the govt.
    The only solution is for Kibaki to hand over power to Raila and peace will reign in the Rift Valley, otherwise people won’t cool down. The people are protesting not because they are being incited by ODM politicians but because they feel cheated and robbed by Kibaki. it also hurts them to see the likes of Kombo, Kirwa, Mukhisa, Nyachae, in power while they were voted out in their constituency. They see this as a mockery from the government side. Martha Karua’s tone and statements are also part of what is inciting the people. she gives them the impression that they can’t do anything and so people want to show her that they are capable of doing anything(violence)

  • Ms. Mumbi

    When Moi was in power and was doing nothing when Kikuyus were targeted during ethnic clashes, they did not respond by burning down Kalenjin or any other peoples churches, businesses or homes. I am not in anyway saying that kibaki is good. however, even Kikuyus were evicted from forests, the mungiki who were terrorising kenyans were dealt with( sometimes we felt the government used excess force). Kibaki did not target a single tribe to terrorise or victimise.

    Please kenyans,stop targeting kikuyus for being kikuyu and killing them. They are not the enemy. The enemy is all politicians who incite you and finance clashes. have you ever heard of a politician who died in ethnic clashes. Please go home, keep calm, there are other ways(peaceful) of resolving the situation. Remember, the politicians will incite you and go back to their palatial homes, and watch you kill each other. You are the ones who will lose your families and property.

    May peace prevail in Kenya
    A concerned citizen

  • Paul Kariuki

    I am shocked,am worried, am scared, I am a Kikuyu. what did the Kikuyu do, will I ever goner be able to go back home (Kenya) again?. During Moi time the Kikuyu were the target on ethnic clashes in eldoret, molo etc, they did not respond violently, they peacefully left, now because of election problems which happened in Nairobi a Kikuyu individual who only had one vote and lives thousands of miles away have been killed and his kids displaced.

    Why do you do this to us? we are the most peace loving people in the universe, what did we do to you? why do you hate us?.

    Stop listening to the politicians, they live in the best neighborhoods, there children are in London, USA (attending the best schools etc), they get paid millions every month, they eat in hotels like Hilton’s, white sands etc, they drive Hammers Ranges Benz etc, and every time they have there own differences they call you in, and leave you killing each other and burning each other stuff.

    presidency is not about a tribe, its about individual, you are killing each other, and at the same time those people you call your leaders are having a good time in big hotels and homes in Nairobi and Mombasa.

    Please stop the hate, it is not the Kikuyu, Lou, kalee etc, it is the politicians. leave the local poor Kikuyu alone. As I was growing up in Nakuru I never knew the difference btwn us,all kids used to do all things together(games, school, church, etc)until the politicians messed every thing up, lets heal together,ask God’s forgiveness and let peace prevail.

  • Tenai

    No words can describe the aftermath of recent violence in the country. Needless bloodletting, wanton destruction of property, violent eviction of whole communities – needless to say, it is extremely disturbing. To look back, I am only grateful to God that as a nation we have just escaped, by a whisker, from brink of unimaginable catastrophy.

    Three reasons, in my opinion are what has sparked this disaster: Deceit, arrogance, and negative tribalism.

    Deceit. It was plain obvious to all and sundry that something was not adding up with ECK results of tallies, but the chairman never demonstrated the willingness to correct the problem, even after objections were raised. That this same person could later claim he was not sure who won the elections and that he has evidence of the alleged rigging defeats every form of logic I know, why did he then announce one of the candidates as the winner? How he casually treated his responsibility is, to say the least, very outrageous. Plain blatant deceit. I beg, isn’t ensuring truth, fairness and demonstrated justice on results what he is employed to do?. Thanklessly, his self serving egoistic attitude, a facade for arrogance, has helped cause needless pain and suffering to our country-men. This person will surely never escape blame.

    Tribalism has been a pet topic for a long time in our country – I grew up in the Nyayo era. Hearing him condemn ‘hii maneno ya Ukabila’ every while on national broadcasts could make one think all was well in the country in as far as this matter was concerned. Of course nothing could have been further from the truth. NARC, though elected on platform of change, actually managed to turn already bad situation worse, when all key cabinet positions and government appointments took unashamedly tribal angle, that extended to secure a trickle down effect of this evil to major govt institutions and organs. Fear, and palpable danger of domination by Kikuyu tribe could be felt in all corners of the country. It was only a matter of time before the volcano of frustrations of those communities that felt were sidelined in job appointments, or thought were unfairly targeted in purges, could explode. Showed by their voting patterns, it was no surprise that the ODM campaign promise of a Majimbo state appealed so well to these communities. When their presidential hopeful, and supposed savior, was “unjustly” defeated, nothing could stop their tragically misdirected vengeance on the Kikuyu community.

    As a nation, I think we have just come to a point where we must admit we have a grave monster, that if not tamed, would pull our country under the water – tribalism. It has come a time for all people of goodwill to press for creation of laws and institutional mechanisms to check and ensure injustices perpetratted by tribalism, and any perceptions of these wrongs, are corrected urgently. We must ensure this tragedy never happens again. How I long for a Kenya where every citizen will be free to live anywhere in the country, and stand equal chance of securing and retaining any job position, without being prejudiced on basis of their tribe.

    God bless Kenya. God bring lasting peace and rule of justice in our land.

  • sharon mills

    Please comment on whether there is a common thread between the recent bloodletting against the Kikuyu (stemming from the recent election incongruities), and the massacre of the Tutsis and moderate Hutu during the Rwandan Genocide. Are the tribal conflicts in Kenya and Rwanda due to the past Colonial powers’ favortism of one tribe over the other, falsely pitting one tribe against another, or are the conflicts much older and entrenched than the span of colonialism?
    Thank you.

  • Ceitean O'Híobháird

    the troubles in rwanda and burundi between hutus and tutsis is quite different from the situation in kenya. rwanda and burundi are “two-nation” states, where the vast majority of the population belong to one of the two. In kenya, even the Luos and Kikuyus combined would not be nearly a majority. But colonialism is part of the problem, in that it was probably the Kikuyus’ agricultural livelihood which was most damaged by the presence of the British in kenya, and when it came time to fight for independence, this struggle was mostly carried out by Kikuyus. not only, but largely. as a result, they have since had a probably disproportionate amount of political power. they have not necessarily abused this power any more than any group in any other country which has political power, but the other minorities of the country are, through some vague justification, somewhat suspicious of long-term Kikuyu rule. So this is very much a different situation from the rundi-speaking countries, but, without the colonialism of the past, this whole thing would be much less complicated

  • Eddie Muriithi

    Yo This one goes to everyone People stop killing each other cuz it doenst make u rich or happay. Nobody will benefit, Thats fool how fool r people? its carnage stop it pliz. Moi used to rig n Kibaki or Matiba did´nt start any kind of war. People stop bein jelousy ok Kikuyus properties they didnt get from Kibaki or Moi 4 that they used to work. N U Kikuyu its our tribe but Luos why did u let them eat the knife life on street thats a big shame a naked Luo guy getting life Kikuyu culture at street. Stop it we r all Kenyan n u Luo Kalenjin dont 4forget who fought the that Country. stay calm n Kikuyu culture will not visit u at home. Ok May God bless you all

  • Moses Mwangi

    Sad to note the premeditated killing fields reharsals perfected months, die cast for the poor souls. A zero sum game – Whatever, whichever results the ethinc cleansing in the name of federalism was to be effected hence the prompt execution.The poverty striken victims who struggled day and night to survive on subsistence farming have never disproportionately benefited from any past Government nor do they expect it from subsequent Governments.Why kill them? The cheap politicians now wants us to believe the elections outcome caused it. They and the kingpins that killed, raped, looted and destroyed property must face justice.A precedent must be set to ensure never again must they escape with impunity. Failure to act and ignorance will create a monster that no gods will ever tame. Now they are calling for more demostrations to cause more mayhem. To create a chance to destroy and loot Nairobi business cetre and it’s environs. Who doesn’t know the end result of a demostration in Sub Sahara Africa? The western world is ignorant and blindly supporting demostrations may be to create a platform for crocodile tears and offer us their excess livestock feed, expatriate jobs,landcruisers and bloody more experts.Why must everybody pretend?

  • Mary

    Fellow Kenyans. Its time we relise that fighting and killing each other coz of tribal lines only creates more harm. Think about your former school/college mates who happened to be your best friends, or your colleagues at work, business, friends etc. Most of you will agree with me that all ppl surrounding your life are not necessarily your tribesmate.

    So, when you raise your finger towards someone of another tribe, think twice and put yourself in their shoes. Its worse if its as a result of a political reason, a reason 85% of Kenyans dont even earn a living from!!!

    Therefore, its up to you and me to shape our future and that of our children. Recently, inter-marriages in Kenya were nolonger an issue but right now, its a major setback! No one knows when people will accept on another and develop trust again. We have done our worse, God is the only answer for our forgiveness. Lets stop the hatred & violence and look for ways of reclaiming sanity in our nation.

    And to politicians, you are ppl who have travelled far, seen many things, learned all the cultures of the 42 tribes of Kenya, your children have inter-married and greatest of all, you know we listen and follow you as our leaders. Why then do you take us for granted and use us for wrong political reasons? Is this what you learn in Politics? That you gain power by inciting innocent wananchi to kill each other?
    God forgive you for this and am longing for the day Kenyans will learn your tactics and you will be sorry.

    GOD BLESS KENYA!!!

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