Pray for Kenya

by Dr. Jeremiah Koshal, RCE Research Fellow

On Dec. 27, 2007, over 10 million Kenyans voted peacefully to elect members of local councils, members of parliament and above all the country’s top executive—the president. While both local and international observers applauded the smooth voting process, they casted doubts on the flawed tallying process, which saw the incumbent declared winner. The announcement by the country’s election body plunged the country into violence, which mainly pitted the two tribes against one another, but afterwards others joined in.

In a span of a little bit over a month, over 1,000 people have died while close to 300,000 have been displaced from their homes. The killings have also resulted from police brutality as people demonstrated against the flawed results. Thousands of homes have been reduced to ashes, including a Church, where close to 30 people were killed while seeking refuge there. Thousands of business have been destroyed and the transportation system got paralyzed, leading to shortage of food, fuel and other essential commodities.

With the international help, especially the Kofi Annan-led mediation team, the prayers of many around the world, the country is slowly returning to normalcy. But it will take a long time to restore broken relationships and trust between communities, a dwindling economy and a fragile security system. As of today (2/8/08), there has been a shift in mood in the political process, and the deadlock between the government and the opposition appears to have been broken, making way for a new sense of optimism.

As you pray, remember the following pertinent issues:

- For the government and the opposition to agree to a complete settlement and for each side to honor what has been agreed upon

- Long-lasting peace and reconciliation between all the tribes in the country

- Improved security, as the situation of lawlessness has ushered in the era of all kinds of gangsters

- A speedy response and solution to the humanitarian crisis, as many people are without shelter and food. A health hazard has been created in camps, police stations, stadiums, etc., where the displaced are stayed

- For the national assembly to pass all the necessary legislation that will ensure distribution of wealth in the country, including land and other resources, as this was one of the causes of the conflict; the flawed election was just a trigger