Kenya: The Loss of Innocence.

It is slowly becoming clear that the violence in the slums of major Kenyan cities and the bushes of Rift Valley have as much to do with the outcome of the elections as with the resentment of perceived Kikuyu domination. Any lasting solution towards peace must involve avenues to address and possibly dismantle the perception that Kikuyus are out to systematically reap where they did not sow. It is time to be real my friends.

Before we can move on, we must all agree that the manner by which Kibaki was installed president does not help the situation. In fact, the arrogance portrayed by his key players, from KICC to State House and beyond, has only cemented the ill anti-Kikuyu sentiments spreading like wildfire across the nation. Even the Kikuyu elite and some poor Kiambu village folks are patting themselves on their backs in congratulatory acknowledgment of having stolen this one 'legally' . The rest of the country is in awe and amazement at how this heist of voting rights was completed in very short order. FACT: The presidency was stolen. Yes my friends, it is time to face the truth.

Back to the violence. Every chap of average intelligence is well aware that the burning of churches in Eldoret will have to be avenged. The killing of Kikuyu folk countrywide will have to be avenged. Let us keep it real folks. Mungiki folk have been sharpening their pangas since the eve of Dec 27th, 2007. Yes my friends, these jamaas are fast regrouping and this time with the support of every Kikuyu who saw pictures of heavily protected Kikuyu-folk-laden convoys enroute from RV to Central. We will never be too sure but we have an idea of what the humanitarian govt. forces deployed in opposition areas are all about. Looking for answers in the bullet riddled bodies in Kisumu morgues is of no consequence. Yes my friends, ukweli ni mbaya. We are all victims.

So what next? Mungiki will soon strike and more tears will flow. The govt. will then follow-up and use all its military might to purge any signs of anti-govt. rebellion. After a couple of weeks of running battles, the Kenyan people will get tired and slowly revert to their normal day to day activities. They will give up to the powers that be at which point, Kazi Itaendelea. Yes folks, let us not imagine that Kibaki will step down or budge from the seat of power. The reality is that Kenyans must pay rent and put food on the table. We actually will have no choice but to retreat to our obscure shelters as we watch Kimunya, TransCentury and other assorted Kibaki lieutenants share out Safaricom among other delicacies. Yes folks, with one policeman on every street for months, an uneasy peace will return to Kenya. What about the anti-Kikuyu sentiments? What of those who say that Kibaki's action has legitimized every fallacy they've heard of Kikuyu's before? Yes we will walk the streets again, but what will happen when lets say a Luo man driving in the deep of Nyeri accidentally knocks down and kills an old Kikuyu woman crossing the street? Do you now see the type of scars a stolen election has etched onto the Kenyan psyche? Will we ever be brothers and sisters again under a tattered flag that does not recognize the value of our votes? These wounds will remain with us for years after these jamaas have retired to their Muthaiga homes. These wounds will follow us to every ballot box going forward. These wounds will determine the city we choose to work in, the schools we send our children to and the areas we choose to open up businesses. These wounds will make us turn a blind eye to the evils committed against our brothers from other communities. With these wounds, the jokes of Bwana Ojwang and Mama Kayai will loose meaning. With these wounds, some sheng words such as Musakhulu, Musapere and Mujaka will no longer be politically correct. The reality is that some of us are very happy with the turn of events. Some of us are mad as hell. All of us will remain insecure for years. Ask yourself why, the next time you board matatu number 16A to Kayole.

We will return to our work stations throughout the country and use the next five years trying to relocate to work areas close to our native homes. Only an insane Luo man will take up that promotion in Muranga town. This is serious trouble my friends. You see, the thing is that as a country, we have lost innocence. We can never talk of Rwanda with a chip on our shoulders. In all, the theft at KICC has made us grown men. Never again will we be able to propagate the notion that Kenya is a peace loving country. We are as fallible and as volatile as all other African countries. Kenya, as a bastion of democratic ideals, has been buried by the actions of Mwai Kibaki. This is the only man who could have ordered the PNU machinery to stop and desist from topping up the vote results from his strongholds. This is the man who may have chosen to resign after seeing the questions raised by the ECK chairman and some commissioners, observers etc. Any prudent man of singular leadership qualities and intelligence would have averted the crisis at KICC by doing the right thing......i.e. let the people decide.

But more importantly, when the election news is old news, what will Kenyans do to ensure peace in future? This is what I suggest. First and foremost, the fallacy that Kikuyus are bent on dominating other Kenyans must be dismantled. Let us choose to really get to know our neighbors. More often than not, you will find out that the struggles faced by most Kikuyus are similar to those faced by all Kenyans. They are just as poor and led by a coterie of the same bunch of inept leaders that the rest of the country displays. Whereas it is unlikely that you will find other communities doing business or settling in Central Kenya, the prevalence of Kikuyus in other areas may well be a simple result of population growth. If we have ever needed each other, this is the time. This is the time for national healing and reconciliation. Do not expect solutions from political leadership. Let us join multicultural churches. Let us demand that our workplaces reflect the face of the country. Let us choose peace.

If we continue fighting and shedding blood on behalf of our political leaders, nobody will be left behind for them to lead.