Crisis Continues in Kenya

 
News from a missionary friend now in the states.
We plan to travel to the areas in which he is speaking about.
Pray for peace to flood Kenya.

Jan 31, 2008

Greetings friends,

 

I had planned to leave for Kenya tomorrow, but fresh violence has broken out and I have had to postpone my trip again.  The situation is very grave and I wanted to bring you up to date with what is going on. 

 

We were advised by our missionary friends who live in Kitale, where the main campus and our house is located, to cancel my trip until there has been resolve brought in the presidential election and peace has been restored.  They said that I could not get to Kitale from the airport in Eldoret, where I had planned to fly from Nairobi because the roads have been blocked by gangs looking for people of different tribes, pulling them out of vehicles, robbing and killing them, and burning their vehicles. 

 

All this began when the sitting president was accused of rigging the election and would not step down.  The opposition tribe started killing and burning the houses of the Kikuyus (the president's tribe) in protest, and now the Kikuyus are killing the members of the opposition's tribe in revenge.  Some of the violence seems to be arising from long simmering resentment of unjust land settlements many years ago.

 

The American Embassy is advising people not to travel to Kenya unless it is essential.  One of my close Asian friends, who has imigrated to Atlanta, is back in Eldoret (an hour from Kitale) now, and he asked his wife to call and tell me not to come....it is too dangerous.

 

Please pray for the Kenyan people.  The only thing most of the 37 million Kenyans want at this point, is simply to have their peaceful country back again.  The crisis in this Kenya is similar to the civil war that caused us to leave Haiti in 1986, only there the people were exacting revenge on anyone connected with the dictator, John Claude Devalier.

 

We have received $4,500.00 in donations to help as many of the displaced people as we possibly can with blankets, food, and warm clothing. In Our March newsletter I will send photos of some of the KMTI staff buying and dispersing some of the provisions at the showgrounds in Kitale.  They are so grateful for the help you have given to their people.  If you wish to help, please designate your offering to the Kenya relief effort.

 

KMTI classes are being delayed until calm has been restored so the students can attempt to keep their families safe.

 

Thank you again for everything you are doing to help us continue the work of training pastors and church leaders in Kenya.

 

Peace and blessings,

Larry

 

click this link to hear a word today from Larry

 

http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/W8HgSYgQ

 

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Pastor Thankful for Prayers

 

From Pastor Christopher-Kawangware Slums, Nairobi
Jan 26, 2008

Sister Linda,
We are believing God for peace and reconciliation in our country.
We lost one of our church in Mombasa. The institution was broken down. We are praying for her and Angels are protecting her . The Lord Jesus guideth the saints and HE gave provision,as the first church in the Bible.  Since you left kenya the  pastors are praying for you,Psms 24,1 Records God owns all things in heaven and the earth belongs to him............Remember Africa

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Homeless People in Need

        Jan 15, 2008

 

the conditions are pressing and very sympathetic for the people that am caring for after the riots and properties being destroyed in kenya.I have very many people who are being cared for by me and church some being our congregation and the needs are very tempting.

We lack food,clothes ,toiletries,medicines etc.Since these people have no home,they may remain under our care for long.Right now Iam in need of not less than $ 3000 to enable us carry on well.Surely,if you are touched by this do assist.It was not and still it isnt my wish for the problem to occur so that I may take all this trouble.

 

Prov 19:20,luke 6:38,Gal 6:6-10

 

God bless you.

Bishop David Chesoli

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Maasai Friend Writes

Jan 15, 2008

Hi Linda,

 

am so happy to hear from you.

we are well with my family.

our country people are killing each other like chicken, we dont know what will happen next week because there is alot of tensiuon around plz pray for us.

 

regards,

Esther

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Letter from Kitale, Kenya

Dec 31, 2007

Dear Family and Friends,

 

We are not sure how much news anyone has of the election and the situation here in Kenya.  We are asking you to please pray for Kenya to be restored to peace.  We will update you on what is happening here.

 

As for Kenya's election - yes, Kibaki stole the election - in fact, we watched it on TV - it was done on national news and now the country is in chaos - rioting in many of the cities. We have the GSU (General Security Unit-the red caps) here in Kitale, we heard gun shots last night over towards town, Kisumu town is on fire - Eldoret, Kakamega, Nakuru, Magori, Kericho, Kisii, Mombasa and along the coast and of course all throughout Nairobi - Mathare, Kibera, Embakasi, Keriobangi, Eastleigh slums all having riots. Transportation is shut down, stores are closed all over - this was as of last night.  Even the news broadcasting of the chaos the government shut down to try to "restore the peace".   The last we heard last night, Riala Odinga went on the air to say that he and his people are setting up a "parallel government" in Kenya - whatever that means for the country???

 

What happened with the election -  at each polling station when the count was finished all the agents signed a report form called a 16A form. Then that official form and all the other papers were to be taken to Nairobi to the ECK (Electoral Commission) to be used to announced the tally on the news.  Well, on national TV, when the ECK chairman read some of the "very late results", Riala's team realized the numbers had been changed and they produced original copies of the 16A for those polling stations that were different than the ones received and announced by the ECK - then a man who was hired by the ECK to receive the 16A forms and tally them came forward on national TV to admit to seeing those forms that were "altered" - he said that he went to his superior and when they wouldn't correct the situation, he left his job because he knew it wasn't right.  Everyone went wild in KICC where the ECK were announcing from, and the "GSU red caps" came in put everyone out of the KICC compound. Then within 10 minutes they announced Kibaki the winner by 230 thousand votes and that was that.  Everyone here in Kenya knows that the election was rigged so Kibaki could win. It is very, very sad.

 

We have been staying here on the compound - on Saturday we went in town quickly to purchase a few needed things and as soon as we left there was some serious fighting between the Kikuyu and the Luya and one person killed - the stores all closed down and everyone rushed out of town - then the GSU moved in - we haven't been in town since and we sure won't be able to go in for a few more days.

 

Please pray for the situation here and for our continued safety as we "ride this out". 

 

In HIS Service,

Joe and Nancy

 

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Kenya Pastor Writes

Bishop David Chesoli of Moi's Bridge, Kenya writes....

continue praying we are still in danger of an attack and lack basic needs.

thanks david

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Kenya Friend Writes

It was the most wonderful thing to hear from you this afternoon. It has been very bad here people butchering each other. the media has been so bad that we attributed the fueling of the animosity to it. It was corrupted by both sides of the government and opposition. The worst is that the opposition does not want to use the democratic way to air their grievances but wants mass action to instill itself which is unlawful way to gain power. also it was an issue about light and dark power taking control. we are for Christ to take control but not some person who believes in witchcraft and have been known to practice that. also the islamic agenda is another great issue that we do not want to take control. the isue of people being insighted to burn people taking refuge in a church is the most devilish thing to have happened from the opposition. the Lord is in control. this was my first day out to town from where we go to church. tomorrow will be a day that the opposition wants to get to power but we are praying for their defeat and to use the right way if actually they genuinely lost. this is because the malpractices are as a result of partisans on bothe sides.

Kawangware Slums Nairobi

A letter from Pastor Christopher of Kawangware Slums, Nairobi. On our return to Africa it is our desire to build a church for the people of this area. We thank all the people of Milton Assembly of God for raising the funds for this project.

Jan 5, 2008

dear sis Linda

it is good to talk with you . We are fine Trusting God for the healing of our nation and peace. For the last three weeks businesses have been closed in Nairobi.

People are living in fear because of of civil war .There was no transparent when they were counting votes .

Mathew 5:9 recodes that blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the children of God.

People are suffering have no homes, some are raped, some are killed, houses are burnt and also churches are burnt right now businesses are still closed no food also banks are closed.

On Sunday we were surrounded by youths at the church premises and every body was looking for his own way and no body was hurt.

Text Mathew 25:42, Mark 11:23-24

Pastor Christopher

conc
we are meeting in houses for fellowship and prayers.
Thank you so much for your prayers may the Lord God bless you as you remember Kenya.

Child Tossed Into Burning Church

Survivors recall church inferno

Eldoret has seen some of the worst post-election violence A Kenyan mother escaped from Tuesday's church arson attack in the town of Eldoret, only to see her young child tossed back into the flames. BBC correspondent Karen Allen spoke to the woman who had managed to climb through the window of the burning church with her three children, the youngest, aged three, in her arms. "As she climbed through the window, the attackers were on the other side - they grabbed her baby and threw it back in. The child died in the inferno," our correspondent told BBC News 24. The smell of smoke still hung in the air more than 24 hours after the attack, in which 30 people were burnt to death while trying to shelter from the violence that broke out over the disputed results of last week's election. Near the entrance lay the charred mattresses which the attackers had doused with paraffin and set alight - before barring the door. "You get a sense of how much panic there must have been," our correspondent says. "Every so often you see an item - a shoe or a cooking pot - that give some indication that people were living here." Some of the clothing was child-sized. At least half of those who died were children. Returning Some people have been returning to the church to retrieve their possessions. People have gone into Eldoret town or other churches where they feel they may still be safe. Patrick Nongyeza, head of the Red Cross team at the site, says the country has been numbed by recent events. "In Kenya we have never seen this, especially in a church compound," he said. "This is the first time we experience something of this nature, of that magnitude." Several hundred people, mainly from President Mwai Kibaki's Kikuyu ethnic group, are thought to have been sheltering in the church. George Karanja told the Associated Press he had helped pull 10 people from the flames, but was not able to save his 11-year-old nephew. "He was screaming, 'Uncle, uncle!'... He died," said Mr Karanja. A mob angry about election results which the opposition claims were rigged doused the Kenya Assemblies of God church near Eldoret with petrol before setting it on fire, survivors and police told the news agency AFP. "The mattresses that people were sleeping on caught fire. There was a stampede, and people fell on one another," said Mr Karanja, 37. I am at an uncle's house about 10 minutes from town - the nights are marked by gunfire, smoke, screaming Chemu Mungo, Eldoret resident Some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition, Abbass Gulled, secretary general of the Kenyan Red Cross told AFP. A local reporter at the scene told Reuters news agency that a group of youths had come to the church, overpowered the boys who were guarding it and torched the building. 'Vigilante gangs' Eldoret has a history of inter-ethnic conflict and has seen some of the worst violence since the victory of incumbent President Mwai Kibaki was announced on Sunday, in the poll which international observers said was flawed. Houses are being burned. It is too dangerous to go outside and count the dead Father Paul Brennan, Catholic priest, Eldoret Correspondents say that over the past few days hundreds of Kikuyus in the Eldoret area have been taking shelter in churches and around the town's police station. Residents of the town who have contacted the BBC have described an atmosphere of fear, with people taking shelter as homes are set on fire and gangs of armed youths loot properties. "We've been unable to sleep soundly the last few nights. I am at an uncle's house about 10 minutes from town. The nights are marked by gunfire, smoke, screaming," 22-year-old Chemu Mungo told the BBC. "Last night, we had about 20 women and children, most of the Kalenjin tribes, take refuge in my uncle's house because where they lived houses were being burnt and they felt unsafe." An estimated 250 people have died in the violence that erupted following the controversial re-election of President Kibaki, according to police and journalists across the country.

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KENYA TRIBALISM

Kenya stokes tribalism debate

By Mark Doyle BBC world affairs correspondent World headlines on Kenya appear to say it all. "Tribal violence spirals in Kenya," screams the front page banner in the International Herald Tribune. "Kenya plunges into interethnic violence," says Le Monde. But headlines can be misleading. It is certainly true that the post-electoral violence in Kenya has taken on a tribal character. Members of the incumbent (and controversially re-installed) President Mwai Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe have been pitted against other smaller tribes. Thousands of people have fled their homes But that is only part of the story. A more complete headline might be: "Tribal differences in Kenya, normally accepted peacefully, are exploited by politicians hungry for power who can manipulate poverty-stricken population." But headlines are not really headlines when they are written like that - and few would criticise the international newspapers for their pithy style. The ethnic and political violence in Kenya has renewed debate about whether multi-party democracy can be successful in an African context where ethnic loyalties are strong. See Kenya's ethnic divisions by province If you ask almost any African this question the answer will be qualified: "Yes, democracy can work... if only our leaders allowed it." Horror as church burned Rwanda fears propel West Q&A: Poll violence It would be naive in the extreme to discount ethnicity in any African election. The reality of life on the world's poorest continent is that most people live a marginal economic existence and rely enormously, for survival, on those nearest to them. Rural villagers rely on each other, for example, to bring in the crop, or to share food in difficult times. Urban dwellers often organise themselves to provide common services like schools because their governments are either too poor or too incompetent to deliver. In these circumstances the people nearest to you - whom you can trust - are first, family, and second, tribe. African politicians know this formula very well and many of them exploit it ruthlessly. "Vote for me," they say, "because I'm from your tribe and you can trust me." Unemployed young men The most dramatic recent illustration of this kind of manipulation was the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Much of Kenya's tribalism is fuelled by land disputes Hutus were persuaded by an extremist Hutu power bloc that all Tutsis were their enemies. There are many other less catastrophic examples. Politics in Nigeria, for example, is a complex chessboard of ethnicity and religion. The presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006 divided the country along ethnic and linguistic lines. And even in a peaceful, democratic country like Ghana, it is clear that ethnic Ashantis, for example, tend to vote one way while ethnic Ewes tend to vote another. But at the same time there is usually a further explanation - beyond ethnic group - for the way people vote or the way they react to situations like the current crisis in Kenya. That explanation is almost always rooted in money - or a lack of it - and the cynical search for power by politicians. It is no coincidence that the people who usually perpetrate "tribal violence" are unemployed young men. In Ivory Coast in the late 1990s, for example, the campaign against northerners that was orchestrated by southern politicians - and which eventually led to a full-scale civil war - was spearheaded by youths in the main city, Abidjan, who were paid a daily rate for the job. 'Land grabs' Equally, in the Kenyan case, it is no coincidence that some of the worst violence has been in the Rift Valley area. The region has a history of land disputes. Most African nations now have an elected government Some of those disputes were originally caused by what was coyly called European "settlement" - which created refugees hungry for land. More recently, Kenyan politicians have practised more honestly named "land grabs" in parts of the country. African intellectuals who concede there is a problem of tribalism on the continent - or, rather, a problem of the deliberate manipulation of tribal sentiment by selfish politicians - stress that there is also a rational solution. Part of the solution, they say, is economic development. If there is growth in the economy there will be more education and less ignorance about fellow citizens of other tribes - and, of course, fewer unemployed thugs for politicians to "buy" for a few cents a day. Another part of the solution, they say, is genuine democracy with genuinely independent law courts. People would have no need to rely on their tribe - apart from culturally, should they so wish - if they could rely on all their ballot papers being counted, and could expect honest judgements from courts. Here, Africa can point to progress in recent decades. Fifty years ago, almost the entire continent was ruled by foreign colonial powers. Even just 20 years ago, most African countries were run by dictators or military juntas. Now, thanks to pro-democracy activists, most African nations have an elected government. Good start Many of those governments are far from perfect. But the advent of at least some democracy - assisted by relatively cheap technology such as FM radio stations and mobile phones which can spread information easily - has encouraged what seems to be an irreversible cultural sea-change in African attitudes to those in power. Put bluntly, that change means that people can no longer be comprehensively fooled or dictated to. It is still possible for politicians to cheat at elections - for example through the vehicle of ethnicity. But the new freedoms, coupled with the new technology, make it almost impossible for politicians to do this without people knowing what is going on. That is a good start, African intellectuals say, and it may one day mean the end of negative tribalism. Meanwhile, of course, those headlines will remain at least half true. KENYA'S ETHNIC GROUPS Population 34.5m, comprising more than 40 ethnic groups Kikuyu are the largest tribe, mostly concentrated around Nairobi Most of Eastern/ North-eastern regions sparsely populated with ethnic Somalis Main ethnic groups are: Kikuyu: 22% Luhya: 14% Luo: 13% Kalenjin: 12% Kamba: 11% Kisii: 6% Meru: 6% Other African: 15%

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Nairobi's Kibera Slum Protest

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Opposition supporters walk on the streets in Nairobi's Kibera slum December 29, 2007.
REUTERS/Noor Khamis

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Nairobi Shops Destroyed

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Supporters of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) destroy a shop in Nairobi December 29, 2007. .
REUTERS/Antony Njuguna

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Protest in Mathare Slum

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Opposition supporters protest in Mathare slum in Nairobi December 29, 2007.
REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya

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Looters Ransack Merchandise

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Looters ransack merchandise from a shop in Oginga Odinga street in Kisumu city December 29, 2007. Looting flared in Kenyan opposition strongholds on Saturday as delays announcing a presidential election result prompted rigging claims in the east African nation.
REUTERS/James Akena

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Nairobi Armed Youth

Joseph Mathenge/The Nation Kenya's opposition has postponed its post-election protest rally until tomorrow, after hours of fighting between protesters and police in Nairobi. (left) Armed youth charge towards their rivals in Mathare North, where six people died.

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Moi's Bridge Kenya Violence

Whispering in Swahili - Good Neighbours in the Rift Valley

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks

NEWS
3 January 2008
Nairobi

Two families found themselves caught up in post election violence in Moi's Bridge, an area between Eldoret and Kitale in western Kenya's strife-hit Rift Valley Province. They told IRIN their stories.
The area is predominantly Kalenjin (an ethnic grouping including the Nandi, Marakwet, Pokot and others). But a significant Kikuyu population also lives there. According to the Kenya Red Cross Society and other sources, the violence in Rift Valley Province mainly pits members of the Kalenjin community against the Kikuyu, the tribe of controversially re-elected President Mwai Kibaki. On the night of 29 December - the day before the election results were announced and promptly rejected by the opposition, the first attacks on Kikuyu houses and homesteads around Moi's Bridge began, according to residents of both ethnicities contacted by phone from Nairobi.
Jane* (*all names changed), a 38-year-old Kikuyu teacher, had lived in Moi's Bridge for 14 years. She says a Kalenjin mob broke down the gate of the school compound and looted her house as she fled with her three boys. "They were screaming," she said of the mob. They took everything "even beds", she added. Jane was taken in by Kalenjin family friends nearby who agreed to shelter her and the children. "We just ran away with the clothes we were wearing."
Mary, 25, is a member of the family that took the risk of taking her neighbours in. "We look at them as human beings," she said. "The children had nothing to do with it... you look in their eyes - you start crying. It's affecting us all, from this tribe or that tribe."
Staying hidden inside Mary's family house, everyone had to whisper. They did so in Swahili, a lingua franca in many parts of East Africa, but a second language for most Kenyan ethnic groups, each of which have their own mother tongue. If passers-by heard it being spoken aloud, said Jane, they would know there were "foreigners" in the house.
From Sunday (December 30), tension and pressure from the Kalenjin community increased, Mary said. She said patrols of Kalenjin men and boys as young as 12 were moving "like a mob" in the area. If they heard any language other than Kalenjin there would be questions - or worse, she said. "They have pangas [machetes] and these crude weapons... so you fear for your life."
Realising that her hosts had "became scared by the threats", on Tuesday (1 January) Jane took her family away during a lull in the tension to stay with relatives in Kitale, a larger town about 40km away, from where she described her ordeal to IRIN.
Jane said: "It is not us who caused it [the election controversy]... not the common mwananchi [people]. I stayed with those people for 14 years... I heard even my students were involved [in raiding her house]." While grateful for the sanctuary granted by Mary and her family - "good people, I trust them" - Jane says she can never go back. "It's not possible."
Fear of attacks and reprisals remains intense. "We sleep in turns," Mary said, mentioning unconfirmed reports of nine killings on 2 January. "If the other community can find a way to get weapons, we are all dead."
Some people were sleeping outdoors and several Kikuyu families were sheltering with their possessions at the local police station, according to both Mary and Jane. Jane complained that police were rarely seen outside the station and were paid by business people to protect property stored at their post. Access to transport, shops and mobile phone credit are very limited, she said.
It was quite a "cosmopolitan" area before, said Mary, where children grew up in a mixed ethnic community, using Swahili and English among themselves. Jane says she blames political leaders, "I am not a politician... but it's now between the communities."
Now Jane just wants "people to calm down". As for any revenge: "Let God do it!"

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Kenyans Flee Into Uganda

Citizens Flee Into Uganda - Red Cross

New Vision (Kampala)
NEWS
1 January 2008
By Nathan Etengu, Cyprian Musoke, Paul Kiwuuwa and Milton Olupot

OVER 500 Kenyans have fled to Uganda, the Red Cross Society has said. According to the deputy national coordinator, Richard Nataka, the refugees are stranded at the border town of Malaba.

"We shall provide them with blankets, cooking pots, water containers and sleeping materials," he said. Two reception centres have been established at St. Jude's Primary School and Koitangiro Primary School to cater for the refugees.

Tororo chief administrative officer, Felix Esoku, confirmed that the number of Kenyan refugees had reached 550. "We managed to get some relief food from the World Food Programme," he said.

But Malaba town council chairman, Alfred Obore, estimated that thousands more had quietly settled with friends and relatives on the Ugandan side of the border. The refugees started entering Malaba and Busia on Sunday night as gunfire raged on the Kenyan side.

"We were forced to flee after we saw our neighbours' houses being looted and burnt. We ran with barely anything," Peter Mugo, an ethnic Kikuyu, said.

He said the looters targeted the homes of the Kikuyu and Kamba, the tribes that voted largely for President Mwai Kibaki.

Earlier on Monday, Tororo county MP, Geoffrey Ekanya, had called upon the Government to assist the refugees.

"My appeal to the Government is to immediately start registering the refugees and accord them the treatment stipulated under the international refugee statute," he said at a press conference at Parliament.

He estimated that some 200 families had been sleeping on the streets of Mbale, Tororo, Busia and Malaba without food and water for three days.

"The wealthy have occupied all the hotels in Mbale, Tororo and Busia, leaving the poor ones to crowd the streets."

From his constituency, all the way from Mt. Elgon to Busia, he said shooting could be heard and smoke could be seen across the border as petrol stations, vehicles and supermarkets were set ablaze.

State minister for primary health Emmanuel Otaala, who addressed the refugees at the Malaba customs compound on Monday, called for calm and appealed to the Ugandans to be receptive to Kenyans.

"In the East African spirit of cooperation, we have to be receptive to the Kenyans. Let us look after them as our brothers and sisters," he said.

The usually busy Malaba border post and the road linking Uganda to Kenya now looked totally deserted. Many shops on the Ugandan side of the border were closed, while money changers kept away from their verandas.

Nairobi - Six People Hacked to Death

More Death And Destruction in Nairobi

The Nation (Nairobi)

NEWS
2 January 2008

Nairobi

At least six people were hacked to death at Kia Maiko area in Huruma, Nairobi as fresh chaos erupted earlier today.

The killings, which occurred in a span of about 30 minutes, happened as a contingent of police officers tried to prevent one community from retaliating. Calm had returned in the area on Tuesday after leaders from two leading communities buried their differences. But come the night, residents could not sleep as gangs terrorised them while looting property. Tension grew high in the morning and the situation further aggravated by the killing of one man. All the six killings the witnessed by this writer, occurred a stone-throw away from the police.

About five people were rescued by police and rushed to hospital in a vehicle belonging to an international press service. Others were attended by a crew from Red Cross before being rushed to hospital while bleeding profusely.

Amid the hacking and confusion, a young woman gave birth by the roadside to a baby girl. The girl was immediately named after First Lady Lucy as cheers rent the air. Its mother, Elizabeth Mugwiri said she headed to the nearby dispensary but feared being killed as the said facility is situated in the middle of their perceived "enemies" territory.

Many shanty houses in the area were razed to the ground as the police watched. Sandwiched between the houses were three churches which were not spared. A fire fighter came to the area twice and put off the fire but the houses were immediately ignited.

All the victims were hacked as they left their homes heading to the nearby John Saga police post. Scores of families had to be escorted by heavily armed officers to safety. The families camped at the police post as more reinforcement of police officers battled to rescue families under siege.

A contingent of the GSU, Regular, Administration police and Prison warders were immediately dispatched in the area to contain the situation. During the morning hours, a boy aged about 15, was forcibly circumcised in the same area and ordered to go to hospital. His aggressors spared his life saying that he was just a kid, but this was after a thorough beating. Police officers had a rough time trying to calm both sides and restore peace. Their efforts to shoot in the air only calmed the situation for a while but the two warring groups reassembled and continued burning houses and hacking each other.

Some officers were also forced to fire rubber bullets towards the attackers as they surged. Tension was still high in the area as hundreds fled carrying a few of their belongings. By 1pm, the police had managed to separate the two groups with one standing on one side of the valley in Starehe constituency and another in Kasarani. A river passing between the two areas remained a no-go zone.

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Kenya Raid on Church - 35 Dead

Raid On Church Leaves 35 Dead As Chaos Spreads

The Nation (Nairobi)

NEWS
2 January 2008

By Samuel Siringi And Peter Ng'etich

At least 35 people, most of them women and children, died on Tuesday in Eldoret in the most bizarre killing yet in the ongoing post-election violence.
They were killed when more than 200 youths burnt down a church where residents of two villages in Eldoret South constituency had sought refuge. The Kiambaa and Kimuri villagers were caught unawares as the youths chanted war songs and surrounded the Kenya Assemblies of God church in Kiambaa in the afternoon.

Serious burns
Those who tried to escape were waylaid and burnt in a nearby shamba.
One of the dead, police confirmed, was a disabled woman in a wheelchair.
A pregnant woman who sustained serious burns on her leg was among 20 survivors who were rushed to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital for treatment.
According to a survivor, Mr Joseph Kamande, 47, the killers accused those camping in the church of having voted for President Mwai Kibaki.
"They said we must pay for our decision to vote for President Kibaki," he said.
Mr Kamande said he was lucky to be alive after he fell into a ditch, leading the killers to believe he had died.
But he lost his wife, three children and two grand-children in the incident.
Another survivor, Mrs Elizabeth Wangui Kimunya, 102, had gone to answer a call of nature when the attack occurred.
Peter Munderu, 44, said he lost his three children. "Many bodies are still buried in the debris," he said.
The killings brought to 50 the number of deaths reported around the town on Tuesday alone.
Eleven others had been killed in Langas estate early Tuesday morning.

Humanitarian crisis
The town is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crisis in its history.
Kenya Red Cross officials estimated that more than 30,000 families had been forced out of their homes.
The displaced families have packed into police station compounds, churches, schools and mosques to capacity.
But the families, mainly women and children, are facing a serious shortage of food and water as all shops and supermarkets remained closed.
Uchumi Supermarket, which had remained the only open shopping outlet, was closed yesterday after it ran out of stocks. There is also a shortage of medicine and sanitation.
"We are kindly appealing to donors and humanitarian organisations to help supply food items to the women and children that are facing starvation," said Mrs Mary Kiptanui, a volunteer with the Kenya Red Cross.
Calls were being made yesterday that a way be cleared to enable displaced people travel to their rural areas.
"We are facing a critical humanitarian and security situation in Eldoret," said Mr Mohamud Jama an elder in the town.
"There is heavy fighting in the outskirts and there are no signs that the flare-ups will end any time soon," he added.
Many bodies lay at the Moi University Teaching and Referral Hospital mortuary.
"We need urgent measures to help us collect the bodies from the mortuary for burial," said Mr Jama.

Provided refuge
Former State House Comptroller Ibrahim Kiptanui, who helped rescue two children from the hand of killers, described the situation as grave.
In Kisumu, at least 56 people have died and 1,500 others displaced following skirmishes that have rocked the area in the last five days.
Kisumu central and Kondele police stations provided refuge to many of the displaced while others camped at the Kisumu West DC's office after groups of people destroyed their homes and threatened to lynch them.
Their attempts to secure transport back to their ancestral homes hit a snag after vehicle owners refused to ferry them, fearing that they may be attacked along the way.
Nyanza PC Paul Olando said a group of residents had requested the administration to assist them move out of Kisumu.
He said security arrangements had been made among three PCs to hand over the people at their boundaries.
Kisumu DC Jamleck Mbaruga was holed up in a meeting with the vehicle owners for the better part of the morning.
When the press called on him in his office, he said, "We are discussing how to get these people out of this place to a safer zone."
He, however, did not elaborate whether the Government will provide alternative means if they fail to reach an agreement.
The riots that entered the fifth day yesterday have left a lot of damage in their wake. The protesters burnt down several residential and commercial buildings in the town, looted from shops and injured several people.
Mr Mbaruga described the situation as terrible but assured that the Government was doing everything possible to restore normalcy.

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Missionaries speak of rioting, looting, beatings

News of missionaries in Kenya from The Mission Society.

I just finished speaking on the phone with each of our missionaries in Kenya.  All of them are doing fine.  Things were very tense Sunday when the announcement was made that the incumbent president was re-elected.  Sunday night had lots of rioting, looting, and beatings.  The local news media were all shut down except the government station.  Stores are pretty well all shut down.

 

Amanda Smith lives near the center of Nairobi.  She plans to stay put in her apartment - PTL that a friend who flew in yesterday was able to get to her place safely as Amanda was unable safely to get a taxi and go meet her at the airport.  The Slingluffs live near the Kibera slum area that has had lots of rioting and burning.  Several homes have been burned and their church is trying to minister to the resulting refugees.  Rick and Debra also are sufficiently stocked to pretty much stay in.  Rick said there are rioters on the streets, but no one has attempted to come into their housing area, which is secured.  Most of the anger seems aimed at the govt and at the dominant tribal group rather than foreigners, so our folks are not intentional targets of violence.  Rick said his family is doing fine, although the children are certainly sensing the tension.

 

The Dickersons also said they managed to stock up with about week's worth of groceries before all the stores shut.  Things are fairly calm where they live, but they have still been advised to stay in.  Julie Campbell lives far out in a rural area, a few hours from the major city of Kisumu.  Kisumu has seen quite a bit of unrest, but Julie says her village is very calm.  The road out is blocked, so she really couldn't leave now if she wanted to.  Most people in her village knows her - they are of the Luo tribe, which is the tribal group of the opposition leader.  She said they are unhappy with the results, but eager for things to get back to normal.  For Julie, the main issue is some medication that she will run out of in 4 days, so we need to pray that she will be able to safely get to Kisumu by Thursday to get additional medication.

 

My sense is that in addition to praying for our missionaries safety, we need to pray that the church of Kenya would rise up to be a strong force for peace and reconciliation.  Even though, as in most countries, the same ethnic divisions that exist in the society exist within the church, let's pray that the church can rise above that and demonstrate the unity they have in Christ.  Rick said several church leaders are already working to set up meetings for reconciliation between the political factions.

 

This whole situation reminds us of some of the risks that are inherent with the kind of work we're involved in.  It reminds us all the more of our absolute dependence on the Lord and the assurance we can have by resting in Him.  Not a bad lesson for the New Year!

 

Grace and Peace

Jim

Jim M Ramsay

Director of Field Ministry

 

 

 

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TROUBLED ELECTIONS IN KENYA

This is a prayer request from Larry & Bev Neese who are missionaries in Kitale, Kenya. They are presently in the states as Beverly has cancer.
We met them in Nairobi and have been in touch several times while they have been here in the states. Joe & Nancy are training pastors in Kenya.
I have forwarded both letters to you.

Kitale is town where people stop for supplies. This would be one of our stops before we go up into Mount Elgon.

They greatly need our prayers. Also continue to keep us in your prayers as "timing" is so important. We don't want to be one step ahead of God. He always knows what is best.

We thank you so very much for your continued prayers,

Linda

Prayer needed for the people of Kenya,

Brothers I have just received this very disturbing email from a very good friend in Kitale where our main campus is located in Kenya. The elections in Kenya have been rigged and the president has had himself sworn in as the winner.

After talking to George Wafula the principle of our schools in Kenya he has requested prayers for his country one of the most stable countries in Africa until now. We are concerned for many of our workers as well as our teachers who are in areas where clashes are taking place. That is a tribe in the mountains Mt Elgon just one hour are armed and marching on one area that voted for president Kibaki and a number of homes and businesses are being burned and people killed. We are told that Bungoma, Kitale, Kisumu, Mombassa, Nakuru and other cities are experiencing tribal clashes and burning of businesses as well as people being killed. The area where our school is located was for president Kibaki the standing president and that in it's self is not good since he has rigged the election.

Please pray for calm in the country and that the duly elected president will be placed in office as per their countries laws.

I have a trip planned to depart on January 7 for a seven week time in the country which at this point is very questionable due to these problems.

Thanks for your prayers

Larry Neese


Dear Family and Friends,

We are not sure how much news anyone has of the election and the situation here in Kenya. We are asking you to please pray for Kenya to be restored to peace. We will update you on what is happening here.

As for Kenya's election - yes, Kibaki stole the election - in fact, we watched it on TV - it was done on national news and now the country is in chaos - rioting in many of the cities.
We have the GSU (General Security Unit-the red caps) here in Kitale, we heard gun shots last night over towards town, Kisumu town is on fire - Eldoret, Kakamega, Nakuru, Magori, Kericho, Kisii, Mombasa and along the coast and of course all throughout Nairobi - Mathare, Kibera, Embakasi, Keriobangi, Eastleigh slums all having riots. Transportation is shut down, stores are closed all over - this was as of last night. Even the news broadcasting of the chaos the government are setting up a "parallel government" in Kenya - whatever that means for the country???

What happened with the election - at shut down to try to "restore the peace". The last we heard last night, Riala Odinga went on the air to say that he and his people each polling station when the count was finished all the agents signed a report form called a 16A form. Then that official form and all the other papers were to be taken to Nairobi to the ECK (Electoral Commission) to be used to announced the tally on the news. Well, on national TV, when the ECK chairman read some of the "very late results", Riala's team realized the numbers had been changed and they produced original copies of the 16A for those polling stations that were different than the ones received and announced by the ECK - then a man who was hired by the ECK to receive the 16A forms and tally them came forward on national TV to admit to seeing those forms that were "altered" - he said that he went to his superior and when they wouldn't correct the situation, he left his job because he knew it wasn't right. Everyone went wild in KICC where the ECK were announcing from, and the "GSU red caps" came in put everyone out of the KICC compound. Then within 10 minutes they announced Kibaki the winner by 230 thousand votes and that was that. Everyone here in Kenya knows that the election was rigged so Kibaki could win. It is very, very sad.

We have been staying here on the compound - on Saturday we went in town quickly to purchase a few needed things and as soon as we left there was some serious fighting between the Kikuyu and the Luya and one person killed - the stores all closed down and everyone rushed out of town - then the GSU moved in - we haven't been in town since and we sure won't be able to go in for a few more days.

Please pray for the situation here and for our continued safety as we "ride this out".

In HIS Service,
Joe and Nancy

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