Yesterday, Kenya's 10th Parliament convened formally, to implement the Harambee House Accord. Kenya's urban middle classes bask in the justified relief of our country being pulled back from the very brink of civil war. But the 600,000 Kenyans living in appalling destitution in IDP camps have nothing to celebrate.

The lavish motorcades to Parliament, the assurances of speedy economic recovery, the pretense that everything is "back to business as usual", are the clearest signs we could have of the criminal blindness and self-interest of the political class.  This is the blindness and greed that dragged Kenya into this crisis in the first place. Never again can Kenyans allow the power and resources of the country to be concentrated in the hands of a tiny, powerful elite.

So what must we do?

Firstly, stay involved in civil society initiatives set up in the past two months. Rescue Kenya offers a comprehensive list of the groups and organizations set up, across all sectors, from civilian humanitarian relief to political action. Among the forces that brought Kenya back from the abyss, the strength and speed with which Kenyan civil society mobilized, domestically and internationally, cannot be discounted.

Secondly, participate in the political process. Tom Maliti, AP Kenya correspondent, offers this blueprint:

"As citizens, it is our national duty to remind our parliamentary leaders that this is not just about them. It is about all of us.
 
"How do we do that? Many of us went to the same school with a current member of parliament or have worked with them or just attended a half day seminar with them before they became politicians. Or it was their relative we were in school with or the person we know is an aide or key ally.[Read More]

 Kenyans based in the US have created a network of communication for diaspora groups to take action and support the ongoing quest for Peace With Truth and Justice in Kenya.

The fear is growing, says L. Muthoni Wanyeki, Executive Director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission. But we must resist and dispel it by naming the sources of the violence, and demanding accountability.

DON'T GIVE IN TO CLIMATE OF FEAR

by L. Muthoni Wanyeki

This piece originally appeared in The East African Lives have been lost and continue to be lost. Women have been raped — many of whom find themselves now forced into transactional sex to obtain basic goods and services within the internally displaced camps all over the country. Livelihoods have been destroyed. We are all being forced into a situation of feeling secure only where our ancestors happened to originate. And fear is growing. Day by day.

We held our breath as the mediation process was launched. We are still holding it. A new form of violence has emerged. We whisper: were the murders of two Orange Democratic Movement parliamentarians political assassinations? The propaganda war intensifies.

Part of the propaganda war has to do with naming the violence. The term "genocide" is invoked — ignoring the fact that genocide includes elements of state complicity. The term "ethnic cleansing" is thrown around loosely. Both terms heighten the fear.

Yes, there are historical grievances that need to be addressed. Yes, there are contemporary experiences of exclusion and persistent inequalities that also need to be addressed. And, most importantly, yes, the victims — and survivors — of the current violence have experienced and understand that violence to be the result of their ethnicity. But the violence is politically-instigated. And it finds ethnic expression or manifests itself ethnically because... [Read More]

Maina Kiai is the Chair of the Kenya National Commission for Human Rights. In the past two weeks, he's received death threats for his public stance for truth and justice for all Kenyans.

Yesterday, he spoke before the US House of Representatives on the crisis in Kenya. You can read his full statement at the excellent Kenyan Emergency Blog. Some quotes:

Kenya is at a cross-road that will mean either the complete disintegration of Kenya or the beginning of a new, more democratic, sustainable nation suited to the needs and aspirations of the Kenyan people.

What is going on in Kenya is a political crisis with ethnic manifestation because politics in Kenya is organized ethnically.

Part of the reason why militia—on both sides—have been so potent and dangerous is that they arose from the earlier violence of the 1990s and were never de-mobilized. Nor was there a process to deal with the root causes of that violence, with the Kibaki government choosing to sweep the matter under the carpet, despite campaign promises to the contrary. With grievances bubbling and fermenting close to the surface, it was relatively easy to reactivate the militia using methods similar to those of the 1990s. Most important, the paymasters and planners of the 1990s clashes were never held accountable.

The violence is neither genocide nor ethnic cleansing: The root of the problem is not that different ethnic groups decided they could no longer live together. The root of the problem is the inability of peaceful means to address grievances.

It is clear that the flagrant effort to steal the presidential election was the immediate trigger for the violence. All independent observers have said that the tallying p... [Read More]

The Rwanda Men's Resource Centre has issued a global call to action for men, and male leaders, to speak out against gender-based violence in Kenya.

Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre                                WE-ACTx

Global Call to action for Men and Male leaders!

Speak out Against Gender Based Violence In Kenya!

Add your Voice   Sign and Share this Pledge!

Men's Pledge Against Gender Based Violence


Today, Kenya is experiencing an unprecedented wave of sexual violence that has been directed at thousands of Kenyan women, girls and a number of men and boys.
 
As men, we recognize that violence against women and the girl child affects men as well as women, those we care for, the family, you & me, the community and the nation.

We recognize that men and male leaders have an important role to play in stopping Gender-based violence, and acting as Role Models for other men.

Today, we are joining our voices to denounce gender-based violence in Kenya and to publicly commit ourselves to working in active solidarity with women and NGOs working to end ongoing gender-based violence in the conflict that has gripped Kenya.

As men, we call upon other men and male leaders to publicly speak out, and to join in this global call to protect Kenyan women and children, to demand that the government act to protect citizens against sexual assaults, and to stop sexual attacks that are linked to police and armed militias.

As men, we affirm that Positive Masculinity is about you and me and what we do to bring about Positive Change in Humanity.
[Read More]

A network called Pyramids of Peace, led by Rachel Wambui Kungu, met Mungiki militia in Naivasha last week, and persuaded them to remove roadblocks for the next seven days. They need airtime and cellphones to continue this amazing work.

From AfricaNews:

"Rachel Wambui Kungu, +254 721 626 389, is back in Nairobi. Her team met with key leaders of the Mungikis in Naivasha. They have given their names and phone numbers to participate in the Pyramid of Peace and to engage the violent Mungikis who have moved onward to Nairobi. They agreed to remove the road blocks for the next seven days. They will organize a large meeting in two days or so to meet with leaders from the Catholic church and with the local head of the police. Afterwards, they wish to meet with the Kalenjins for dialogue. They are ready for a permanent peace upon three reasonable conditions:

1) that Kalenjins and others stop fighting and free the roads as well,
2) that the opposition leaders tell their people to stop fighting,
3) that the youth be involved in the decisions affecting them.

Wesley Chirchir Chebii, +254 722 992 107, returned this morning to Eldoret where he drafted a message for a press conference given by Kalenjin elders who talked effectively on radio stations. Wesley will go tomorrow to the Kalenjin roadblocks at Iten. He is well prepared to build on the momentous victory by Rachel and her team.

How you can support Pyramids of Peace:

* purchase cell phone airtime for Kenyans which they can share or barter, try https://www.kikwe.com or http://www.mamamikes.com

Rachel ... [Read More]

for daring to speak out against electoral malpractices, and human rights violations in the past weeks in Kenya. The threats arrrive by email, sms, phone. Their names are on lists, being circulated globally, that denounce them as "traitors to the Kikuyu people" and suggest they should be killed.

These are friends I grew up with, went to school with, worked with in the weeks following the election. They have dedicated their lives to truth and justice in Kenya.

Please sign the Amnesty Petition for their safety.

Sukuma Kenya was set up a few weeks ago by Dipesh Pabari, close friend, dedicated Kenyan journalist and activist. It's the charity I recommend to everyone who asks where they can donate to ease the suffering of displaced Kenyans. First, because I can personally vouch that EVERY PENNY you donate, beyond transaction fees, goes directly to the relief effort. All those involved are volunteers - no overhead costs.

Secondly, because it channels the relief efforts through a Kisumu organization, Ladies in Action, that has been in operation for several years. The Ladies in Action are all long-term Kisumu residents (many were born there) who have chosen not to flee the crisis. They know Kisumu better than any outside relief organization.

Here is Dipesh's appeal:

How many more must die? How many more must lose their homes, their farms, their livelihoods? The weekend was a bloodbath in Nakuru and Naivasha. I spoke to a close friend in Nakuru who is huddled in a house with other Kikuyus as they listen to the screams of people who were once friends calling for their blood. Already two of her aunts were killed in the earlier violence in Burnt Forest. A Reuters article has "Kenya's Rift Valley burns and death toll soars" and Kisumu was ablaze again.

And as the people fight a battle against themselves instead of against the injustices brought on by years of exploitation by the very leaders we vote for, the Ladies in Action continue to feed. My mother founded the Ladies in Action several years ago to help orphans and elderly people primarily. Wh... [Read More]