OPINIONKenya would have died a long timeago: Here’s the secret why itsurvives

[bzar]

IN SUMMARY
100 times more Kenyans have died
in ethnic clashes than Tanzanians,
Ugandans, Rwandans, and even
Burundians”

On Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI called
for an end to violence in Nigeria. He
lamented what he called “savage acts
of terrorism” on churches. He also
prayed for an end to violence in
Kenya, and other tormented African
countries.
The Pope’s prayer highlighted an
unhappy similarity between Nigeria
and Kenya. Both countries are
troubled by communal violence. Even
more troubling is that Kenya and
Nigeria have the most violent attacks
on churches — and mosques — in
Africa today. In third place is another
East African country, Tanzania!
In 2012, there were nine reported
attacks on churches across Tanzania
by what the media described as
“Islamist militants”. However, while
there were injuries, there were no
reports of deaths.
In Kenya, there were four attacks on
Christian churches across the country
in which 20 people were killed, and 65
wounded. There were three attacks
on mosques, in which one person
was killed.
All in all, the attacks on churches,
mosques, and terrorist bombs at
nightclubs in various parts of Kenya
killed 50 people this year.
In addition, humanitarian agencies
say there are still 300,000 Kenyans
displaced by the 2007/2008-election
violence (and earlier ones in 1997) in
camps for internally displaced
persons.
Last month, a United Nations report
said 412 people had been killed in
Kenya in communal clashes, 258
injured, and another 112,000
displaced (that was before the latest
killings in the Tana River delta).
This is not just a story of violence,
lawlessness, and a State stretched to
its limits. Something more
fundamental is happening. Countries
like Rwanda had the 1994 genocide in
which nearly one million people were
killed, and Uganda had years of rebel
wars in which up to 500,000 were
killed.
But times have changed. In 2012,
there was not a single person killed in
Rwanda or Uganda in attacks on
churches or mosques, because there
were no such incidents. Meanwhile
100 times more Kenyans have been
killed in ethnic clashes and terrorism
than Tanzanians, Ugandans,
Rwandans, and even Burundians.
Once Kenya, rightly so, prided itself as
an “island of stability” in East Africa.
Even discounting the post-election
violence, right now it is the least stable
country and the most violent country
in the EAC, by far.
But of course, that is overly simplistic.
Kenya also remains the most
generous host of refugees in East
Africa. Even after many South
Sudanese have gone back home and
Somalis started trickling back, the UN
officially estimates that there are still
about 600,000 refugees in Kenya.
Unofficially, that number is close to
900,000, more than all the other EAC
countries combined.
How do you explain this contradiction
of a violent country, with its own
population of 300,000 IDPs, yet it is
also safe enough for nearly 900,000
refugees?
In addition, Kenya is East Africa’s most
innovative country, and has its most
successful companies, the only ones
that have managed to transform into
regional multinationals (Equity Bank,
KCB, Bidco, Nation Media Group,
brewer EABL, Serena Hotel, Nakumatt
and Uchumi supermarkets, to name a
few), or become African and
international players (Kenya Airways,
Craft Silicon, Ushahidi, Kenyan
marathoners).
Robert Reich, an American political
economist, professor, author and
Secretary of Labour under President
Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997, is a
man who likes to think about these
kinds of phenomena.
He called it the “secession of the
successful”. Interpreting his concept
broadly, this takes many forms. High-
minded civil society, tired of inefficient
governments, usually take action and
help with education, the poor, and
even try and resettle IDPs.
Rich people and successful firms, fed
up with political corruption, red tape,
and poor investment in infrastructure
like roads and airports as well as low
investment in technology, usually take
advantage of globalisation and
increasingly more open regional and
world markets, to do business where
things work better.
The total effect is that within troubled
nations, you find islands of excellence,
prosperity, and global-mindedness
very different from the parochial,
mindset fuelling ethnic cleansing in
the bushes and valleys.
Kenya is no longer an island of
stability, and like other societies, has
its rich, poor, corrupt, warlords, and
tribal chieftains. What are keeping the
Kenyan dream alive are its “successful
secessionist” and the role model and
confidence they offer to the rest.

 

[Geza Ulole]

[h=1]Kenyans buy arms in case of chaos: report[/h]

Photo/FILE A group of youths brandish crude weapons during protests in Nairobi December 31, 2007 following the announcement of the disputed results of the general elections.
IN SUMMARY

• Violence eruption after previous elections instils sense of insecurity

Kenyans could be arming themselves ahead of the March General Election as they believe little has done for their security.
A report by the Kenya National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the Small Arms Survey released this month says Kenyans are "highly concerned" about their safety during and after the elections and have bought guns or relocated to places they see as safer.
"Specifically, 48.4 per cent felt unsafe during political campaigns: an understandable anxiety given Kenya's recent political history and its recurrent electoral violence," says the report Political conflict and vulnerabilities: Firearms and electoral violence in Kenya.
It says previous experience when chaos erupted after elections has instilled fear among people, many of who have bought arms.
"Households in which a member had been a victim of crime were significantly more fearful of their safety during political campaigns. Households that admitted owning firearms cited electioneering as the period when they feel most unsafe," it says.
"In the absence of reliable security guarantees for all citizens, regardless of their ethnicity and region, fear of electoral violence will rise and citizens may resort to self-help arrangements such as acquiring arms, organising gangs, and conducting retaliatory attacks," says the report.
Since the introduction of multi-party democracy, Kenya has erupted into violence almost every time polls are held. The report says more than 4,000 people, including 1,133 in 2008, have been killed since 1992, 1.6 million displaced and property worth more than Sh5 billion destroyed.
Even though violence has often been confined to Coast, Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western provinces, there are fears it could erupt anywhere because of increasing self-arming.
Although the report says as many as a third of Kenyans could be having guns, they still feel unsafe.
The report says armed conflicts among pastoralists should not be overlooked as they could fuel post-election chaos as people rush to get arms through the same channels as the herders.
Last year, it was estimated there were almost 500,000 illegal arms in Kenya.

Kenyans buy arms in case of chaos: report - News - nation.co.ke

 

[Geza Ulole]

IN SUMMARY
100 times more Kenyans have died
in ethnic clashes than Tanzanians,
Ugandans, Rwandans, and even
Burundians"

On Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI called
for an end to violence in Nigeria. He
lamented what he called "savage acts
of terrorism" on churches. He also
prayed for an end to violence in
Kenya, and other tormented African
countries.
The Pope's prayer highlighted an
unhappy similarity between Nigeria
and Kenya. Both countries are
troubled by communal violence. Even
more troubling is that Kenya and
Nigeria have the most violent attacks
on churches - and mosques - in
Africa today. In third place is another
East African country, Tanzania!
In 2012, there were nine reported
attacks on churches across Tanzania
by what the media described as
"Islamist militants". However, while
there were injuries, there were no
reports of deaths.
In Kenya, there were four attacks on
Christian churches across the country
in which 20 people were killed, and 65
wounded. There were three attacks
on mosques, in which one person
was killed.
All in all, the attacks on churches,
mosques, and terrorist bombs at
nightclubs in various parts of Kenya
killed 50 people this year.
In addition, humanitarian agencies
say there are still 300,000 Kenyans
displaced by the 2007/2008-election
violence (and earlier ones in 1997) in
camps for internally displaced
persons.
Last month, a United Nations report
said 412 people had been killed in
Kenya in communal clashes, 258
injured, and another 112,000
displaced (that was before the latest
killings in the Tana River delta).
This is not just a story of violence,
lawlessness, and a State stretched to
its limits. Something more
fundamental is happening. Countries
like Rwanda had the 1994 genocide in
which nearly one million people were
killed, and Uganda had years of rebel
wars in which up to 500,000 were
killed.
But times have changed. In 2012,
there was not a single person killed in
Rwanda or Uganda in attacks on
churches or mosques, because there
were no such incidents. Meanwhile
100 times more Kenyans have been
killed in ethnic clashes and terrorism
than Tanzanians, Ugandans,
Rwandans, and even Burundians.
Once Kenya, rightly so, prided itself as
an "island of stability" in East Africa.
Even discounting the post-election
violence, right now it is the least stable
country and the most violent country
in the EAC, by far.
But of course, that is overly simplistic.
Kenya also remains the most
generous host of refugees in East
Africa. Even after many South
Sudanese have gone back home and
Somalis started trickling back, the UN
officially estimates that there are still
about 600,000 refugees in Kenya.
Unofficially, that number is close to
900,000, more than all the other EAC
countries combined.
How do you explain this contradiction
of a violent country, with its own
population of 300,000 IDPs, yet it is
also safe enough for nearly 900,000
refugees?
In addition, Kenya is East Africa's most
innovative country, and has its most
successful companies, the only ones
that have managed to transform into
regional multinationals (Equity Bank,
KCB, Bidco, Nation Media Group,
brewer EABL, Serena Hotel, Nakumatt
and Uchumi supermarkets, to name a
few), or become African and
international players (Kenya Airways,
Craft Silicon, Ushahidi, Kenyan
marathoners).
Robert Reich, an American political
economist, professor, author and
Secretary of Labour under President
Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997, is a
man who likes to think about these
kinds of phenomena.
He called it the "secession of the
successful". Interpreting his concept
broadly, this takes many forms. High-
minded civil society, tired of inefficient
governments, usually take action and
help with education, the poor, and
even try and resettle IDPs.
Rich people and successful firms, fed
up with political corruption, red tape,
and poor investment in infrastructure
like roads and airports as well as low
investment in technology, usually take
advantage of globalisation and
increasingly more open regional and
world markets, to do business where
things work better.
The total effect is that within troubled
nations, you find islands of excellence,
prosperity, and global-mindedness
very different from the parochial,
mindset fuelling ethnic cleansing in
the bushes and valleys.
Kenya is no longer an island of
stability, and like other societies, has
its rich, poor, corrupt, warlords, and
tribal chieftains. What are keeping the
Kenyan dream alive are its "successful
secessionist" and the role model and
confidence they offer to the rest.

Those refugees number are not true Tanzania had at one point nearly 1 mio. refugees in her territory esp. during the Burundi, Rwanda and DRC conflicts at their prime!

 

[bzar]

we are talking about the present.

 

[Kabaridi]

How do you explain this contradiction
of a violent country, with its own
population of 300,000 IDPs, yet it is
also safe enough for nearly 900,000
refugees?

What we do not know is that there are currently many groups factions NGO's etc, that have special interests after the forthcoming general elections which they have to defend. They would rather publish anything to get the undivided attention they want. They would inflate figures for their own selfish purposes

Why should we compete with TZ on how many refugees we host, whether we host less, there is actually no dignity to hosting refugees. Some of the internal IDPs are as a result of crude and acrimonious reforms from politicians. We have the Orgiek community in Kenya. Most of us are ignorant enough to belittle this community as primitive, yet they are actually awake to the 21st century reality.

That is why politicians have found the most convenient tool to be the media to supplant the public by evicting orgiek from the mau ranges in the name of reforms. They actually are not given an alternative settlement but are refereed to go to IDPS, yet nobody is talking about this. Bear in mind reporters and writers are always inclined to sensationalistic ideas.

 

[Dhuks]

300,000 IDP's from 2007 elections my foot.