Kenyans pulling together - Kenya Election 2007

Asante Sana for sharing such good news of young folks ’setting the example’ and actively demonstrating strong leadership! They are the future!

Den

Wonderful!!! The prayers of myriad Kenyans are at work as peoples hearts are touched to impact this situation in any way that they can!! God Bles You for sharing this news.

Nice to see people trying to build bridges. Here’s one idea for a non violent way to bring Kenyan’s together to change the situation.

What about proposing a nation wide economic boycott of the top 10 - 30 companies that are the largest financial supporters of Kibaki’s party of national unity, and Kibaki himself, until Kibaki steps down or hands over power to someone else? I.e. the real winner Raila Odinga, a respected independent person, or perhaps an new presidential election overseen by independent outside observers, i.e. the UN?

Perhaps people could stop buying any goods or services from their companies, and stop selling to them.

It might be a way of allowing those that are frustrated by having their election and their voices stolen from them to express that frustration in a more peaceful way, i.e. no violence/burning/ethnic cleansing or risking being killed by the police while protesting.

It would also have more impact on Kibaki than killing/ chasing out some poor street vendors who unfortunately happen to be members of the same tribe as him. Hopefully at least a few of the top 10, 20 or 30 financial supporters of Kibaki’s party would not all be owned by Kikuyu’s so that might help reduce tribal hatred a bit, by making it more about the party and the leader than just members of one particular tribe. This might be a step towards decreasing the ethnic hatred in the country.

It would allow people from all tribes to participate, even Kikuyu’s since it’s not directed at a specific tribe, more directed at pressuring the financial backers of the party that shamelessly stole the election and fiddled while Kenya’s people and economy burned.

It would be more likely to have some impact on the party if the financial elite started hurting, they are more likely to be able to influence Kibaki and his party to give up power than someone just running a small business or market stall.

As a Canadian, I don’t know Kenya very well, so I don’t know how feasible this is or in what ways it would need to be modified to be effective. Perhaps ideally this could be discussed, modified and proposed by people from many different segments of Kenyan society including some prominent Kikuyu’s. Something like a national salvation council type group.

Kikuyus may be the largest tribe in the country, over represented in the political and financial elite, and many of them backed Kibaki’s party, but even with being 7.5 million people out of 34.5 million, (according to the BBC) they’re still out numbered by members of other Kenyan tribes 4.6 to 1.

I think that some of them might welcome a way to get other Kenyan’s to focus their anger and hate more on the elite financial backers that are propping up Kibaki and the PNU instead of just the nearest members of their tribe.

My guess is that Kibaki probably thinks if he gives up power now and tried to live in Kenya, he’d be killed or jailed for life. Perhaps another country might allow him to move there so he’d be more likely to give up power more quickly with less bloodshed and damage to Kenya.

Mentalacrobatics, I admire and respect your writing. I left a message earlier saying this was a blog worth bookmarking however I have changed my mind after reading the above comment. I really thought and still think of you as impartial and that is important to me. Generally I was interested in the day to day reporting of things and of the giving hope for peace. I love all kenyans, I dont hide my ethnicity, I talk to people not tribes. That said, its too much for me to be on the same page with someone inciting Kenyans in an obvious direction (violence) however indirectly. Further more, being that they are not Kenyan. Kindly sir, remove my earlier comment, and if this one is offensive, remove it too. This is a time for Kenyans to heal without tribal divide. I think Kibaki and Raila are, and should be the ones working out their differences. We as Kenyans know who gets to benefit most from this high positions and we prefer they sort it out themselves. I respect your choice of words, I wish your readers could respect your wishes.

Mentalacrobatics, am sorry about my email address, if you use the one on the second entry and this one as well it should be okay. If I dont hear from you in a day or so, I will contact you on the email provided. Thankyou.

Wanjiku you’re totally missing my point.

I’m not inciting Kenyans to violence. Not at all. Killing people because they belong to a different tribe or group is wrong. Ethnic cleansing is wrong. Hacking someone with a machete because they are from a different tribe than you is wrong. I’m not advocating violence directly or indirectly.

I’m suggesting an strategy that’s an alternative to the current violence. An economic boycott of the main companies who are supporting the ruling party might STOP the violence for the reasons I mentioned above.

By boycott I mean don’t buy their goods or services. Boycotting a company doesn’t mean killing or physically injuring the people who own or work for the company or doing any destruction of property, it simply means people stop buying goods and services from that company.

The only thing I have faith in right now, is that Kenya will recover. Your post is a proof of that. Many people have been able to rise responsibly above their emotions and ethnicity, and have reacged iyt with peace messages and positive feedback like yours. This is what will help us heal.

I hate being a kenyan.