Amid post-election violence in Kenya, more than four hundred civilians have lost their life while thousands of displaced people struggle to find food and shelter on a daily basis. The turmoil threatens both to undermine a country that has made significant steps ahead over the last years, and the politically and economically fragile - East Africa region.
For within-country historical understanding, read the openDemocracy article by Peter Kimani. He argues that today's ethnic tensions are a result of abiding and perilous personal, power-hungry strategies by specific leaders. The vying between Kibaki and Odinga go back years if not generations.
If you're wondering what you should be asking of the West's governments, read Kenya: Chaos and responsibility, where Mike Holman on openDemocracy tells us that Britain, the IMF, theWorld Bank and the USA have turned a blind eye to terrible mis-governance in Kenya. Less corruption may have made the conditions for proper elections.
For a closer look at what fomented the post-election political violence, read Gérard Prunier’s latest openDemocracry article, Kenya: Roots of crisis, where he explains how a potent mix of economic tensions and ethno-political diversities, amid growing expectations for change and power redistribution has driven Kenya to another decisive moment in its history.
So far, the majority of the diplomatic initiatives aiming at political reconciliation have not yet delivered substantial results. The US and UK joint statement for a "spirit of compromise" and Gordon Brown's call for a government of national unity are facing strong opposition by those who claim that the elections were rigged.
Zimbabwean human rights lawyer Daniel Molokele writes from South Africa: "And on top of that United States and the EU - supposedly bastions of democracy - to their shame are pressing all parties in Kenya to accept a compromise that is less of a fudge and more of an injustice, by recommending the establishment of a coalition government. This idea issupposedly in the democratic interests of Kenya. But those interests cannot be served by forming a government that was not the electoral will of the people. I wonder if the Americans would have been happy with a coalition government to satisfy Al Gore's supporters when President Bush was put in the White House? If not, why recommend it to Kenya?"
In a similar mindset, Thinker's Room, one of Kenya'smost popular post-election blogs, calls the electoral result a "travesty" and argues that the erupted violence is a gloomy outcome, triggered by PNU's deception of an aggrieved, large population that was thirsty for change: "What we have lost, my friends, is our voice. The power of the ballot. The right to determine our leadership and our destiny. The very thing our forefathers risked their lives fighting for. So if you are celebrating because Kibaki ‘won' or you are bitter because Raila ‘lost' my friends you need to wakeup and smell the coffee. You need to be better because your voice has been stolen from you."
Bankelele, a finance-focused Kenyan blog that's been running since 2005, examines the current crisis in the context of economy and progress and traces its origin beyond politics and beyond the - often - simplistic Kikuyu vs Luo approach. "From stories about the violence around the country, this has gone beyond any PNU vs. ODM, or Raila vs.Kibaki. It has pitted neighbours against each other, the have-nots against the haves, communities being targeted, revenge targeting, rapes, looting, highway extortion or murder gangs, and others acts verging on ethnic cleansing.
There have been simmering issues in the country - unemployment, poverty,landlessness, jealousy & envy, police crackdown on cartels in slums and the matatu sector, the government crackdown on pyramid schemes that had developed extensive networks of'investors and savers' in many urban & rural areas, - all followed by opportunistic thieves (looters).The bloodshed in Kenya is a result of simmeringt ensions in the country. It has been totally unnecessary, could have been avoided, but the spark/pressure cooker was triggered by the ECK decisions over the weekend."
Brian Kennedy from allAfrica.com, the leading African news provider, tries to put together the pieces of the rigging allegations and refers to the reports that say that the Kenyan police is in position to give different results of the polls from what the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) announced: "Daily Monitor investigations also indicate that ECK officials overlooked the fact that Kenyan police personnel deployed to guard all the 36,000 polling stations countrywide also kept a record of the voting and compiled an accurate record of the results, so that even if something happened to the ECK structures, the Kenya Police is in position to give the nation correct results of the polls. Sources say that the Kenya Police tally indicates a major difference from what the ECK announced."
At the same time, Kenyan blogger Joseph Karoki adds another international aspect to the crisis by claiming to have confirmation that Ugandan militias forces have entered the border areas in Nyanza and Western province. Yoweri Museveni, Uganda'spresident, was the only African leader who congratulated Mwai Kibeki on his win. The escalating crisis in Kenya threatens to destabilise neighbouring Uganda'seconomy, as fuel prices in Uganda have more than doubled recently due to the shortage of fuel. "Last night I received news that there were reports of Ugandan militia in or around Nyanza Province and Western Province.I waited utill I got confirmation from the ground. After several late night phone calls, I did confirm that Ugandan Forces were indeed within Kenyan borders. Just within the last hour Ugandan Army Spokesman, Major Felix Kulayigye, confirmed the deployment of the troops on Tuesday, saying ‘it is to forestall possible spill over of violence in Kenya'."
At White African you can find a running list of blogs covering the elections in Kenya.
