by Peter Ndoria.

Created on: June 23, 2008

BETWEEN KENYA AND A BRUTAL FUTURE

The unfortunate events of January this year marked a bad precedent for this nation and an opening of what might be a dark chapter for the history of Kenya. Sense had taken a back seat and there were calls for mass action and people to arm and fight them'- with them' varying according to your tribal or political leanings.
One leading politician came out and directly called for the balkanization of Kenya, with a famous "Lesotho" remark. Ironically, this senior politician is now charged with the Ministerial function of marketing the country to tourists. Violence pays because it seems to have worked in his case.

Kenya now has precedence where the use of violence, or the threat thereof, can be used successfully. Not surprisingly, the opposition in Pakistan and Zimbabwe gave pre-election warnings at the time that they would go "the Kenyan way" if the government rigged elections.
Back in Kenya, when a local but influential gang got tired of fighting for recognition through regular channels, they subjected the nation to a week of burned matatus and violence that crippled the transport sector. The result? An assurance from none other than the Prime Minister himself that there would be dialogue. Soon after, Prison warders went on strike demanding long-withheld improvements in their lives. Things almost turned nasty when they turned away armed members of other disciplined forces that came to hold brief for them. The very real threat that they would release prisoners saw the Vice-President engage them in dialogue immediately.
Violence is effective because its immediately felt, vis-vis the legal means of seeking remedial measures. The threat of violence also looms near to all, like the time transport was paralyzed for a week. It is also cheaper to organize; you just need to identify a cause or injustice- real or otherwise- and mobilize people in that direction.
For example, in the aftermath of the Peace Accord some disgruntled politicians made demands, which were unconditional in nature; they wanted everyone released, regardless of court process or the degree of culpability. Some even identified the SLDF as a cause and demanded that all suspects be released.
Such way of thinking is geared towards identifying a cause or injustice that is localized or regional and advancing a siege mentality. The nation is held at ransom with statements like historical injustice' or mass dissatisfaction' that in essence is the politicians' way of using his region

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