The Clashes

One of the issues that has come up in discussion with people I’ve met from all walks in life here in Kenya is “the clashes”---the political unrest that erupted into violence back in January of this year. It genuinely seems to have upset everyone, and everyone seems eager to reassure us that things are settled now, and that the violence was a brief aberration in Kenya’s history. I can tell that people were scared, that the spectre of lawlessness and protracted political violence seems all too possible in Africa, and that no one wants to see that happen here in Kenya. That said, there is still a lot of frustration with the situation. Most people are at pains to avow that all is peaceful now, that Kikiyu and Luo have forgiven and forgotten….but the supporters of Odinga will justifiably point out that he WAS cheated out of the election, and supporters of Kibaki will justifiably point out that Odinga incited the violence… One conversation in particular remains in my mind---Phyllis and I were touring the Gede ruins in Watamu—we were accompanied by a guide and by our taxi driver, Johnson, a well-spoken and engaging young man. Our guide had been a particularly humorless companion—impossible to distract from his rehearsed lines---until Phyllis asked them both how things were recovering from the troubles. Like nearly everyone else we talked to, Johnson was quick to reassure us that everything was fine now, but the guide finally went off-script to make the point that everyone knows the Kikiyu had it coming, and that everyone knows that all the Kikiyu want to cheat everyone else, etc. etc.---it was the first, and only time that I heard anyone verbalizing some of the race issues that led to all of this---When Phyllis made the point to him that peace is the important thing now, and that she has workers from all different tribes, and that no one tribe can be called good or bad, etc.,,,, the guide backed down a bit, but not too quickly---later on, as we all paused at the gift shop, he turned to some of his friends, and laughingly introduced Phyllis as “a Kikiyu”----she called him on it, and insisted on an apology, which he finally offered---not that Phyllis saw the term Kikiyu as an insult, but it was obvious that this man did, and Phyllis said that during the clashes, this was the way participants labeled anyone who was seen as supporting the ‘other side’---it was a sobering moment, and I suspect a great deal of this kind of thinking is going on just under the surface….

Here is a shot of our guide looking deceptively light-hearted and cheery!---he wasn't!!--but he kindof insisted on getting into our photos and striking these funloving poses......hmmmm.....

On a more optimistic note, my two safari guides felt sure that the peace would hold---they pointed out that they were friends, and had no problem working together, even tho’ Evans is a Kikiyu and Bonifice is a Kamba (the Kamba supported the opposition party)----let’s hope that’s the template for the future….