[SIZE=6]Uneasy calm[/SIZE]
Jun. 24, 2016, 5:00 am
By DOROTHY JEBET
The peace prevailing in the Rift Valley is not long lasting. What we have is a form of sustained ‘calm’ in the face of cracks and threats that could trigger violence at the slightest provocation. The suspicions that haunted the region thanks to the 2007-08 post-election violence were put to rest following the political marriage between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto that came to the fore after influential people in President Mwai Kibaki’s administration talked the duo into vying for the presidency.
The marriage was meant, first and foremost, to frustrate Raila Odinga’s quest for the presidency. And it worked miracles. The second objective of the union was to bring together the two major warring communities in Rift Valley. It worked wonders. People who had been displaced by the PEV returned to their farms and businesses to start from scratch after their livelihoods were pulverised in the blink of an eye in 2007. But is the marriage really a panacea to lasting peace in the region, especially in the hotspots of Nakuru and Eldoret? The answer is a big NO.
Firstly, in 2013, the violence did not rear its ugly head since the events of 2007-08 were still very fresh in people’s minds. Secondly, the marriage between the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin ensured the two leading protagonist communities had to keep the peace to give their respective sons a chance at leadership. Thirdly, the fear of facing Fatou Bensouda at the International Criminal Court kept politicians from stirring up acrimony.
We need long-lasting solutions to keep the peace for posterity in this volatile region.
There are pockets of violence every other day in the region. When the Marakwets and the Pokots are not busy shooting themselves with arrows and guns for sport, the Tugens and the Pokots are pursuing their favourite pastime of hunting each other in the caves of Arabal. But these conflicts don’t raise eyebrows as those between Kalenjins and Kikuyus do.
When Kikuyus took to the streets of Eldoret town a fortnight ago to condemn Kiambu Governor William Kabogo’s remarks that their community will not vote for Ruto in 2022 as per a 2013 MoU between TNA and URP, something had to be done immediately to correct the situation. The Kalenjin community, too, protested the remarks. There was tension and it had to be dealt with before it got out of hand.
Kabogo was dragged into one meeting after the other. Kikuyu elders read him the riot act. Two days later, the DP invited Kabogo to his political function in Kuresoi, Nakuru. This was a well-choreographed PR job that helped ease tension in the region. Kabogo blamed the media for misquoting him. Unbelievable. The
Page 2
DP made a feeble attempt to explain Kabogo’s remarks. Anyhow, the two leaders’ meeting put things to rest. The topic was swept under the carpet for the sake of calm in the region.
The Kikuyu had every reason to protest Kabogo’s words. There is so much at stake. They have just embarked on rebuilding their lives after the devastating PEV. Although the calm has helped the communities move on with their lives, we need lasting peace that will not be torn asunder by the breaking of a mere MoU so that if the UhuRuto marriage flops, the Kikuyu and Kalenjin can continue living in peace with or without the contract.
Let’s go back to the drawing board and address all the historical injustices so that we can welcome real peace.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2016/06/24/uneasy-calm_c1373465
