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SPECIAL FEATURE
The Kenya Crisis
In 2002, Kenya stood up to the world after a
successful political transition. We trumpeted our
democracy, social maturity and national pride. Yet,
today, we are wallowing in shame in the wake of a
highly publicized violence and civil disorder
occasioned by disputed elections on December 27th.
What exactly happened? After being respected for so
long as the bastion of peace in a volatile continent
how did we descend so abruptly to become a laughing
stock among comity of nations?
This brief summary is in response to many friends,
readers and customers across the world who wrote to
us seeking to know:
What (exactly) happened?
In the run up to the general elections, presidential
race was very fierce and described as "too close to
call" after pollsters predicted marginal victory for
either Mwai Kibaki, the incumbent, or his chief
challenger, Raila Odinga. In fact, the Daily
Nation, Kenya's leading and respected newspaper
had an editorial a week to the elections, reminding
the Electoral Commission of Kenya, ECK, of its
delicate agenda because of the impending crisis that
could befall the nation if the candidates tied. It
was obvious to many that our democracy is too
fragile to withstand such a high stakes and
competitive process.
Most lively elections
Starting off as the most competitive and lively
elections in Kenya since independence, which also
attracted highest turn out in the country's history,
little did Kenyans know the disaster that lay
ahead. As one commentator noted:
"It was to be a circus... the circus became
fracas... and the fracas turned into a nightmare"!
Results started coming out quite promptly from
8.00pm on the polling day to the following day on 28th
with Raila Odinga making an early lead ahead of Mwai
Kibaki. On 29th, tension was mounting
especially among Raila supporters when it appeared
results were unnecessarily delayed in some zones.
This delay lacked any professional explanation and
fuelled speculation of mischief and ECK's maladroit
management did little to restore public confidence.
When results finally came by late 29th
indicating Kibaki had caught up with Raila, the
country was in great tension and confusion which
flowed onto 30th without a decisive
communication from ECK.
Controversial victory
This tension simmered till late 30th when
ECK, amid great controversy, dispute and emotion
announced Kibaki the winner ahead of Raila by about
300,000 votes. By then however, the die was cast;
bitterness was irretrievably high especially among
opposition supporters for whom victory was
tantalizingly close only a day earlier. They went
onto rampage protesting alleged rigging of elections
in favour of Kibaki.
Death and displacements
This is what triggered the civil unrest to a scale
never witnessed in Kenya since independence. It has
been so traumatizing and shameful for our dear
country which has also greatly dented our
international credibility as a modern state.
Officially, about 1000 people have died and nearly
400,000 displaced from their homes. Not of course to
mention destruction of property estimated at 3
billion dollars. It was Kenya's moment of great
shame which we hope shall not be in vain.
Infant democracy
So at the beginning of it all, it was nothing
strange beyond politics. We know politics ignite
similar tensions and emotions the world over and it
similarly happened in the US at the last elections
where Al Gore lost to George Bush Jnr. under
controversial circumstances. The only difference is
that here we lack strong and independent
constitutional safeguards due to infancy of our
democracy and corresponding institutions.
Who Said So?
"When women are depressed they either (over)eat or
go shopping. Men invade another country"
Current Situation
The worst hit areas were Kisumu in Western Kenya and
Eldoret in North Rift. In subsequent weeks there
were sporadic skirmishes in Nakuru and Naivasha
which lasted barely 2 days. However normalcy has
gradually returned everywhere and no violence is
reported in the last two weeks. The north rift area
is still tense due to a slightly different form of
land politics that was ignited by the political
crisis.
Political Mediation
The government has been in mediated talks with
opposition chief, Raila Odinga, under stewardship of
former UN Secretary General Koffi Annan and a team
of "Eminent Africans". It is hoped the country's
politics will stabilize sooner than later and guide
the nation back on the path to sustainable peace and
prosperity.
Kenya Safe for Visitors
We therefore wish to assure all our readers, friends
and potential visitors that Kenya is safe and is the
same beautiful country famous for its beautiful
landscape, wildlife and tropical beaches. And please
don't fear Kenyan people too; our hospitality is
exemplary; we only were overcome by emotions but we
have chosen peace and "returned to reason".
God bless Kenya!
Kenya Tourism Federation, the umbrella organ for
tourism associations in Kenya is making daily
updates on the events in Kenya. Please refer to the
following websites:
www.katokenya.org
www.magicalkenya.com
www.kws.org
No Visitor is affected
We wish to reiterate to our readers:
::
That no single tourist or visitor to Kenya has been
harmed by the violence;
::
Majority of tourist destinations in Kenya have
remained safe and totally unaffected by the
skirmishes;
:: That
many countries have now reviewed advisories to their
citizens against travel to Kenya;
::
That Kenya Tourism Federation reviews security
situation in all tourist areas on a 24 hour basis to
ensure optimum visitor safety and security.
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We Accuse the Press
Perhaps to underpin the aphorism that the media is a
necessary evil, both local and international media,
in our judgment, performed dismally in the wake of
this crisis. Here are our reasons:
Local Media
A survey in December 2007 ranked Kenyan media as
among the "freest in the world". So free has been
the media in Kenya that even the most cardinal
official and personal secrets are liberally purveyed
by our media with abandon.
With such freedom, it puzzled many that the media
was unable to independently tally results that were
announced directly from polling stations. It
happened in 2002 general elections and 2005
constitutional referendum where the media was far
ahead of the ECK in national tally making it
extremely difficult for ECK to play any mischief
even if it intended to.
Where was media's data?
Where was Kenya's media at this hour of need? Since
when did the media anywhere in the world sit back
and wait for "official" government information
especially on such sensitive information. Yet a big
section of the local media is openly anti- Kibaki
and even unprofessionally hostile to his government.
How elections could be rigged in Kibaki's favour as
alleged, right under the noses of media houses -
some of which campaigned vigorously against him - is
indeed baffling. To date, no media house has even
attempted to come up with an independent tally of
presidential votes. We consider this is great shame
and our media should receive as much wrath as the
ECK.
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International media
Is Western media that desperately hungry for bad
news; or does bad news from Africa appease the
racial egos of some reporters and their editors
abroad?
Fine, we had a disputed election and even turned
violent (some even reported there was civil war in
Kenya). It was bad and shameful to us indeed as we
all thought Kenya is above such mess. However, we
did not deserve to be scandalized by the
international media who threw all decorum and
sensitivity to the dogs in their haste to report
murder and barbarism in Africa!!
Flouting professional code
Kenyans across the world reported great dismay and
disgust at seeing dead bodies of their fellow
countrymen shamelessly beamed by international press
in flagrant disregard of professional rules, fair
play and morality. Worse mortalities have happened
elsewhere in the world including western metropolis
like New York and London and these same media
outlets do not broadcast pictures of dead bodies, a
code they hedonistically flout when reporting
Africa.
Western glee at violence
Wambui Mwangi, a Kenyan professor of political
science in University of Toronto, commented in the
Daily Nation:
"The world is saying that Kenyans, on the brink
of one of the most astonishing democratic transition
in Africa, degenerated, very conveniently for the
West's stereotypes, to a "business as usual: chaos
and anarchy right on schedule"
"These broadcasts",
she concludes, "are awash with just
barely-suppressed glee at being able to say that
tribal violence is tearing Kenya apart, long
regarded as an exemplary bastion of stability in the
region"
Part of the problem
We know very well that throughout the world, bad
news is more "newsworthy"; and neither do we claim
that negative news from Africa should be ignored.
But we request that our news be handled with the
same journalistic principles of fair play, national
interest and human sensitivity as rest of the world.
On this count, the Western reporters and their
editors miserably failed the people of Kenya and are
accomplices to the damage on our tourism and
international reputation. The fact that foreign
media was not the cause of the problem is
irrelevant. Their handling of the crisis made them
part of the problem and deserve the harshest barbs
for such unethical, cheap and simplistic journalism.
Share your views with us:
bulletin@menengaiholidays.com
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Humanitarian Assistance
In the entire Rift Valley Province, the political
crisis triggered a slightly different form of
politics unrelated to the poll dispute. This is a
complex dimension whose details we need not venture
into here. Suffice to say the aftermath was
displacement of hundreds of people (Internally
Displaced Persons), officially estimated at over
300,000 who are now living in various make shift
camps across the country. Majority escaped with only
their lives, and are solely dependent on assistance
from well wishers. Most had lost their relatives in
the grisly attacks and there are many children who
cannot trace their parents and vice versa and a
visit to any of these camps is truly heart rending.
Donations through Red Cross
We have received requests from our friends locally
on how they can channel their assistance and we have
handed over such donations to Red Cross Regional
Offices in Nakuru. Any of our readers who may wish
to assist these displaced people in any way and
needs our assistance is welcome.
Education
Among the displaced are hundreds of pupils who
cannot rejoin their former schools and some of who
have lost their parents and guardians. Those who may
wish to contribute to education of one or several of
these children are equally called upon to help and
we would be eager to assist. Appeal is especially
being made for those who can help children who were
due to sit for their examinations this year so that
they can rejoin schools and resume learning as soon
as possible.
Verbatim from Our Customers
"Dear Daniel...
...Yes! We are back in The Netherlands. We had a
wonderful time and the safari was the ONE thing we
remember best. Luckily we did not have much
trouble due to the elections. I do think of you
guys often, and feel for you, praying the
situation in Kenya gets better.
And thank you so much for being flexible around
the elections day, and also during our safari. We
will definitely recommend you to others! Say hello
to Geoffrey and Mary..."
Brigitte and Baris, February 2008; Netherlands
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