Kenya: The Cauldron of Violence Is Hotting Up Again
By Greg Nicolson, 14 September 2012
Analysis
Johannesburg - Many Kenyans hoped the country could overcome past election
violence as it heads to the polls in six months. That hope has been lost as
politicians once again exploit ethnic differences and bleed their
constituents in their pursuit of power.
Two years ago, Kenyans passed a referendum that was hailed for removing vast
powers of the political elite that have entrenched a generation of leaders
and promoted corruption, violence and tribalism. President Mwai Kibaki
called it "the most important day in the history of our nation since
independence". The 2007-08 post-election violence hung like a shroud over
the process, but, most importantly, the constitution was passed in peace.
Kenyans are now asking whether anything has changed. In the last month, more
than 100 people have been killed in a series of clashes in eastern Kenya's
Tana River District, the worst incidents of violence since the post-election
mayhem killed more than 1,000.
The first raid was put down to a dispute over resources. The 1,000-kilometre
Tana River cuts through Kenya and most of Nairobi's drinking water comes
from the Masinga Dam. But getting water remains arduous for villages in the
Tana Delta, home to pastoralists and crop farmers. The region is sparsely
populated and wields little influence in Nairobi, so no one seemed to mind
when chunks of land were taken from locals and sold to international
investors.
The chances of conflict increased as access to land decreased. As one
commentator put it, "There is no effective plan for water capture and water
harvesting, the only long term source of water is the Tana River itself. And
the certainty of conflict between the pastoralists (mostly Orma) and the
farming communities (mostly Pokomo) arises from the fact that when a large
herd of cattle heads for this river, it is inevitable that it will trample
on crops which represent the fruit of many months of toil, to the farmers."
The conflict came in August when clashes between Orma and Pokomo communities
killed 52 people.
After the brazen attacks continued in September it was clear there was more
to it than access to land and water. Kenya is six months out from a national
election and political violence has marred the run-up to votes in 1992, 1997
and 2001. The Kenyan Red Cross warned the same might occur as communities
arm themselves in preparation, voters come to terms with new demarcations
pitting ethnic rivals against each other, and politicians cope with a new
system of devolved power.
"It is 100% political," said National Cohesion and Integration Commission
Chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia, who was tasked with investigating the causes of
violence. "One community wants to destabilise the area and block the
community from registering as voters so that it does not influence voting in
the coming election."
Kibaki, whose response to the disaster made Jacob Zuma's reaction to the
Marikana killings look statesmanlike, acknowledged it was politically
motivated this week by sacking an MP who had been charged with inciting
violence. He blocked parliament's move to send the army into the area,
instead opting to deploy 2,000 General Service Unit police (think Tactical
Response Team).
So far, security forces have shown a complete inability to deal with the
threat. Despite warnings of violence, police have continually been
outnumbered, outgunned, arrived late to the battles, or have been forced to
simply watch on in horror. Inquiries into the post-election violence found
they failed to act on warnings, and it seems they're doomed to repeat their
mistakes.
While Kenyans often look to the judicial system as a panacea to the
country's political malaise, the killings in Tana River show that many
people neither trust nor fear the arms of justice. Victims make reprisal
attacks instead of going to the police and no one seems to fear arrest.
Belief in the justice system seemed at an all time low in the last month as
communities also waged attacks in northern Kenya and deadly riots in
Mombasa.
On Monday, 33 villagers and eight police officers were killed in
Kilelengwani village as two groups of 300 hundred attackers staged a raid.
It came only a day after the provincial commissioner announced a programme
to remove up to 3,000 illegal guns in the area and arrest the killers
without fear or favour. After the attacks, Kibaki set a curfew for Tana
River, but the killings have continued.
The conflict has uprooted thousands, many of them women and children.
Hussein Abdalla Wayu, 25, told Daily Nation he would never return home.
He was out when the raiders came on Monday and got the news from his
brother. "He told me my 58-year-old mother had been slaughtered, my
78-year-old father had been shot dead, my 90-year-old grandmother had been
butchered and my sister's nine-year old son's throat had been split open. My
45-year-old aunt had disappeared. I was overcome by grief and collapsed."
It's hard to be optimistic about the constitution when more than 100 people
have been killed for someone's political gain. For Kenya, the tragedy shows
some politicians haven't learned the lessons of the International Criminal
Court process, where those behind the post-election violence have been
charged. As the countdown to the election begins, the challenges are only
going to increase. One can only hope they arrest the situation now.
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Received on Fri Sep 14 2012 - 13:53:34 EDT
