Kenya’s Election: Another sad image for Africa!

By Panther Alier

January 3, 2007 — I am sitting here writing with tear coming down my face; another stable state in Africa going to state of anarchy! And more disappointing is H.E. Mwai Kibaki calling for others to use their sense obligations to Kenya’s constitution, for the sake of stability, but falling short of demonstrating his own obligation by taking appropriate lead on the deteriorating conditions in Kenya today. The leader of African Union has called off his visit to Kenya. Other African leaders are keeping silent because they feel guilty of the same offend or they are in state of wait-and-see. Kenyans alike are working toward bringing down their own beloved country! One wonders if any single Kenyan knows what they are getting themselves into. But, whatever the case is, Kenya has been torn and effects of this event will continue to be felt for decades, if not, centuries to come.

I was a refugee in Kenya. I had something important to teach Kenyans having to flee from war situation. Kenyans, in general, have seen what living as a refugee means. It is my best hope that they understand what they are getting themselves into. Not that I expect any Kenyan to read this message right now, but I feel a sense of obligation to remind Kenyans using my story for the nine years I have lived in their country. It is a story of bribery. Bribe was institutionalized such that even the police chiefs would agree with their men/women to do the job so that by the end of the day they each have kitu kidogo (something) for tasker (beer).

At one point, I was traveling to town of Lokichokigio, a small town at border of Kenya and Sudan. I came across so many stopping points where Kenya’s police had set up to solicit money from the refugees that traveled between Lokichokigio and Kakuma refugee camp. After bribing myself out of the police from the first two police stations, I ran out of money to bribe the last station. Unfortunately, running out of the money was not a language Kenya’s police understood. They mistaken the situation I was in for being in denial: they thought I was denying them what was rightfully theirs.

I began to pay heavily for the mistake. I got hit in the face; a blow that threw me for a hard landing. I arose after a moment of the state of consciousness. This time, I wanted to die like a man. My hand was well-placed in the air—ready for good hit on the Kenyan policeman. I had heard, before, Kenyans referring to us (refugees) as dogs: dogs in African sense. So this time with my hand up, I was prepared for what could possibly be the last slab on human face or wherever my hand landed on that policeman. But, my cousin who was traveling with me then saved my life. He interrupted by first taking a hit, then wrestling me down.

I looked up and the policeman was standing with his rifle ready to go off. Suddenly, the voice interrupted. It was the chief that sat under the acacia tree on well-placed stones waiting for collected bribes. He came and grabbed me in the arm and pulled me to the roadside, little away from the crime scene. The chief asked me why we, the southern Sudanese are fighting the Arabs from our country? He went on making himself clear that the reasons the southern Sudanese are fighting is to “own and eat the land”. “But it would not be just eating soil”, he said. “You will learn to eat from people like we do here”. He went on advising me to work on my temper. “You would have died like a dog had your cousin not been there” he said.

Now, I am sitting here, switching between reading online and watching news from the TV on Kenya. I am disturbed by the development. No single report is encouraging. There is widespread level of violence. Nairobi is becoming a ghost town at night. Kisumu is brought down close to rabbles. Churches are becoming the target. The President that has lost credibility is calling for calm. The opposition leader is rallying the rule of mobs. I hope Kenyans understand what dying like dogs really means. But, above all, Africa’s image of democracy is tarnished.

The author is pursuing Masters’ degree in Sustainable International Development at Brandeis University, USA. He can be reached at [email protected].