Continuing Crisis
Kenyaby Cyd Miller
What elements of Kenya’s history are contributing to the current crisis? And what do people on the ground say is the way forward, a month into the post-election violence?
People groups
Kenya is comprised of at least 42 ethnic groups, diverse in mother tongue, customs, history, traditions, territorial lands, and often in the denominations of the missionaries who evangelized them in the late 19th and early 20th century. Even in urban areas, where Kenyans live and work together, ethnicity is revealed in surnames, accents, food and color preferences, and subtle physical variations. Kikuyus, from the highlands north of Nairobi, are the biggest group. Luos, the 3rd largest group, come from around Lake Victoria, and frequently have surnames beginning with O. (Their near-neighbors, the Luhya, are the second-largest group.) Many of the colorful Maasai, known from tourism photos, remain herders on the plains south of Nairobi. Kenya’s celebrated long-distance runners come largely from the Kalenjin grouping of several related tribes.
Often because of land issues, as well as humankind’s natural propensity to distrust those unlike “us,” stereotypes develop and cooperation in politics and nation-building become difficult. The Western colonizers made good use of these natural divisions to keep groups from joining together to seize power. And after independence, the new power brokers chose to continue the practice. Tribal clashes in Kenya are neither new nor limited to the current crisis.
Economic classes
The vast majority of Kenyans, regardless of tribe, are young and poor. Among the 15-24 year age group, unemployment runs rampant, leaving many vulnerable to those who would exploit their anger. The growing middle class can seem as isolated from the poor as their rich neighbors. And be sure, there are very rich people in Kenya – they live on huge estates, behind thick walls, drive huge SUVs, Benzes and BMWs, send their children to expensive private schools and get health care in hospitals with marble floors and the latest technology. Lest you think poor Kenyans are poor because they are lazy, sit outside Kibera slum in the early morning and watch as thousands pour out of their tin-roofed hovels, walking miles to the industrial area in hopes of a day job to earn enough to buy food for their families. Watch later as they return in the evening, perhaps with a few coins, perhaps with none. And tomorrow they will be back again. Or watch as women leave their own children to walk another 3-4 miles to care for someone else’s children, do their laundry, cook their food, then walk home with a few shillings until the next day.
Political history
Any Google search for “Kenya History” will deliver a plethora of details about the peoples and history of Kenya. Briefly, at Independence in 1963, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, a Kikuyu, became Prime Minister, and then the first President of the Republic. He was succeeded by his then-vice-president, Daniel Torotich Arap Moi, a Tugen – one of the Kalenjin group. Moi served as president from 1978 until his retirement in 2002. While calling for unity, he appointed many of his fellow Kalenjin to positions of power during those 24 years. His hand-picked successor, Uhuru Kenyatta (son of the first president) was defeated by an unprecedented alliance of parties, dubbed the “Rainbow Coalition.” The Luo, Kamba, Kikuyu and others joined to see Mwai Kibaki elected president. Cooperation came, of course, with expectations of sharing in the privileges that come with power.
For a while, the nation reveled in change and openness. The promise of free primary education meant a million children, never before enrolled, showed up on the first day of school. Public transport passengers forbade drivers to give bribes to police at informal roadblocks. Prisons opened to the press, as did the long-rumored torture chambers where political rivals, journalists and others had been held.
However, other changes were slow in coming. Allegations of corruption carried over to plague the new government. Attempts to revise the constitution – inherited from Britain and designed to keep the powerful in power – failed. Agreements and understandings were broken. By the time elections loomed in 2007, the Rainbow Coalition was no more.
Current crisis
One month after the election, at least 850 have died. Over 250,000 people have fled their homes, and an estimated 6,000 have crossed the western border into Uganda. New violence has exploded in Rift Valley towns like Nakuru and Naivasha, and at least two Members of Parliament are among the dead.
Missionaries Scott and Barb Harbert, nurturing a prayer movement under the leadership of the Africa Inland Church, write:
The highways leading in and out of Nakuru have been a playing field between the rioters and police. But this is anything but a game. It is a crisis that is spreading throughout Kenya. But we want to emphasize that the raiders carrying out this violence are a very small percentage of the Kenyan population. The majority of Kenyans want calm and normalcy to return. The Church in Kenya is trying to be salt and light, helping wherever and whomever they can. We hear many testimonies of Kenyan Christians and missionaries coming to the aid of people throughout Kenya.Way forward
At this writing, African and international leaders continue to move among apparently intractable leaders, attempting to influence what is happening on the ground. Meanwhile, a group of slum pastors have begun peace and reconciliation talks to ask such questions as:
- What can we do to bring an end to the looting and killings? How do we forgive the ones who we know looted from us?
- We want to heal our people; how will we make the necessary changes?
- How can we learn what is going wrong among the young people? How do we love and accept them?
- How can justice be done? Who needs reconciliation? How can we bring the 42 tribes together?
- How can we change the perception of ethnicity as a curse and make it a blessing to the nation?
Like them, Christians across Kenya are meeting together, asking similar questions, and longing for an immediate end to the violence, and a just and truthful solution to the crisis. They ask us to keep aware of their needs and to continue to join them in prayer. As Kenya fades from the media, remember that the crisis – and the need for prayer – continues.
Remember also that sisters and brothers in Christ face similar challenges around the globe – Pakistan, Chad, the Middle East, China, the Americas, Eastern Europe, Eurasia and wherever tomorrow’s “crisis focus” arises. Pray – to the only One who can bring true reconciliation and peace – that believers will strengthen their faith and knowledge of the Word now, so that when crisis comes, they will stand strong.
Unless otherwise noted, all materials on the urbana.org web site are Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA. All rights reserved.
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