Some Numbers
1: Country, Kenya
1: Vote per person. Every vote should count and every vote should be counted
500:850+ Five hundred Over Eight hundred Kenyans, fellow citizens, neighbors, brothers, siblings, mothers, fathers, people killed in the violence.
2,800: 4,760 Family members that (statistically) lost a sibling, father, mother in the violence
255,000: People displaced
60 billion 100+ Billion: shillings lost in the recent violence
The analysis has on the situation has been done by some more knowledgeable about the situation that I. See them here and here. Others more well spoken than I have given their take on what can be done.
What I DON’T know:
- Who won the presidential election
- What the hell Kibaki is thinking
- What the hell is wrong with Kenyans?!!!
What I DO know:
- No Kenyan, while in Kenya, should not walk or hide in fear in the country of their birth. That is unacceptable and we should not condone any acts of violence - heck, any threats of violence!! More to the point, all Kenyans know that it this is wrong. It is also a crime in Kenya last time I checked.
- You cannot and should not subvert democracy even if it seems expedient to do so.
- Wengi Wape: Even if it makes you sick to your stomach to see how moronic (in your view) voting patterns of your fellow Kenyan might be, you must abide with the decision of the majority
- We cannot and should not ever, ever be ruled by fiat
- Democratic, safe countries are wealthier, safer and more prosperous countries
- Democracy is not, like a sweater, something that you put on from time to time. It’s like breathing- you do it all the gaddamn time
- All criminals that participated in the killings of their fellows Kenyans should be brought to justice. They should be tried in a court of law and if found guilty, should have the book thrown at them so that, in the words of Chief Inspector Wariahe “Wawe funzo kwa wengine”
- That Kenyans, we who have been building a country in relative peace, we can rise above this madness, embrace our problems and deal with them rationally.
I don’t believe in the lowest common denominator approach to leadership for Kenya. I believe that Kenyans deserve and are entitled to better. We have known better. We were unbwogable remember?
I believe that the way out of this quagmire has to be approached with a sober, sincere and honest need to craft a lasting solution to this problem as this is not a trifling problem. The lives and sadly deaths of Kenyans affect me profoundly. Any Kenyan’s death diminishes me, because I am Kenyan.
36,913,721: Kenyans that can make a difference. Non violence can and will make a profound difference.
(edits 1/31)
