The Kenya Crisis:A Problem far beyond Election violence

By Rev. Stephen Okhutu
Contact Tel: +256 712 734 661
Email: s_okhu@yahoo.com


I had intended not to comment on this subject but something within me convicts me of cheating my readers.

You know, I had gotten used to the nature of African leaders –here In Africa the incumbents never lose elections.

At least that is a situation we had lived with since the colonialists decided to rule Africa with a remote control.

These leaders are the same, whether in power or otherwise. The difference is in to what extent they fool the public. Those are the politicians anyway; Selfish politicians that put selfish interest first at the expense of the masses.

Imagine someone rigging, or rather stealing the votes and afterwards pulls out the guns to shot at whoever protests against the practice.

Then another one who claims that his votes were rigged chooses to parade human beings to suffer the fate of death for his own selfish interests. Politicians!

What hurts is that people act so blindfoldly not to realize that it is their life in danger. Remember it was Odinga who helped Kibaki rise to presidency in Kenya but after Kibaki refused to create the position of prime minister, a position that Odinga desperately wanted to take, Kibaki then became an enemy of the public (at the command of Odinga). The result was the 2007 elections and its out come.

How can one resolve and with determination, to kill a fellow human being just because he is fighting for the interests of a particular politician, which politician is also working as puppet to a colonialists seated a thousand miles away! Where is the so-called African wisdom?

OK, I respect human diversity, but who says one will always gain what he wants at the expense of others? We all believe Africa is rich in both natural wealth and wisdom. But who is stirring up different groups of people in Africa so as to exploit African wealth? Can’t he really use his peaceful bargaining power to reach consensus.

This reminds me of a story; there once lived two friendly fraudsters in a certain African village. One gave his bags of cement to his friend to keep them for him. When time came for him to use them, he went to his friend for them. His friend humbly pleaded to him that the bags were taken by an eagle! OK, the friend forgave him.

Then his turn came. He also kept his construction pipes with the friend who once gave him the bags of cement. When he came to fetch them the friend told him that the rats ate the pipes.

‘Eh’, he wondered, ‘how can the Rats eat pipes?’

The friend told him that we are living in a world where eagles can fly away with bags of cement. In the same world it is easy for rats to eat pipes.

Remember also a story of the fish that lived in a fishpond. It was so proud and took itself to be so special from the other fish that lived in the lake. This pride could not allow the fish dig an escape route from the pond just in case the farmer wanted to eat it. Life went on so smoothly until time came for the farmer to make prey of it. That is when it wished it had gone back to the lake.

Let our political leaders learn that in whatever they do, they will remain human beings, regardless of how much wealth they acquire. It may even be better if they develop their political area and people, because this is where they will end anyway! Home is their last destination. And for African, No Black will turn into a White. The best is to love your nature. It is your natural identity anyway!

Perhaps that is why Jesus taught us in Mark 12:31 to love our neighbors more than ourselves. That is law for all Christians.

But how can one love a neighbor when at the same time he is pointing guns at him anyway! And he latter claims to be a christain?

Kenyans, whether Luo, Masai, Kalengin, Itesot or whatever tribe in Kenya, can killing each other solve the problem?

In Uganda there is a saying that when the elephants fight it is the Grass that suffers. Can’t my brethren in Kenya learn from this? Who can’t see that Kibaki and Odinga are just engaging the masses to suffer at their own expenses?

OK, let us be forced to believe that Kibaki rigged the elections, sorry, but what guarantee was they that Odinga will not act contrary to their demands? Ok, let us also believe that killing is the solution, why then don’t you kill Kibaki or Odinga than killing innocent people?

You are angry I know, but this is not a guarantee that you will kill whoever comes your way. People, there must be a difference between animals in the jungle and human beings. Maturity and wisdom is what we need. Don’t just get annoyed for the sake of it, but think. Take your time to think please. That is why you have those brains in your head.

Happy New Year

To all my readers,
Happy New Year to you all!
I believe 2008 has swept in a new wind of happiness.
Just look for what you can do best and the blessings of the Lord will find you there!
That am sure... just believe!

Rev. Stephen Okhutu
Execute Director, Spiritual Revival Ministries -Uganda