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Professor, students weigh in on Kenyan election violence
Christena Dowsett
Issue date: 3/5/08 Section: NEWS
David Wachanga of the journalism faculty watched helplessly as violence unfolded in his home country of Kenya during the last few months.
"There is no way one can talk of having peace when your country is in such crisis," Wachanga said. "It's getting better in terms of the violence has subsided. But if you look at how the country has been left, the country has been taken back more than 20 years."
According to a statement on the U.S. Department of State's Web site, on Dec. 27, Kenya held elections for the presidency as well as positions in parliament and local governments. Less than an hour after the results for the elections were announced, incumbent president Mwai Kibaki was sworn in for his second term in office. Outraged supporters of the opposing candidate Raila Odinga said the elections were rigged, claiming Odinga as the official president.
Heated clashes soon followed. Angry Kenyans burned churches, farms, schools and homes to the ground. An estimated 1,000 died at the hand of fellow Kenyans and 250,000 nationals were displaced.
Prudence Ukwishatse, NT senior and president of Africanists United, lived in Kenya for 10 years after her family left their home in Rwanda. She said the conflict took a toll on Kenyans at NT.
"It seems like this would happen 50 years ago," Ukwishatse said. "Here they identify themselves as Kenyans. Back home they identify by their tribe."
Wachanga agreed and said the main problem is the country's division.
"We're not seeing ourselves as Kenyans anymore, but as ethnic entities," he said.
Doug Henry of the anthropology faculty said the violence in Kenya took everyone off guard.
"Ultimately, the only thing that will bring long-term peace to the region is for all Kenyans to feel that they have political representation that acts in their best interests," Henry said.
In early January, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, started mediation talks between rival leaders Kibaki and Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement. According to a Feb. 29 story in the The Standard, a leading Kenyan newspaper, Odinga and Kibaki signed a power-sharing deal last Thursday.
"There is no way one can talk of having peace when your country is in such crisis," Wachanga said. "It's getting better in terms of the violence has subsided. But if you look at how the country has been left, the country has been taken back more than 20 years."
According to a statement on the U.S. Department of State's Web site, on Dec. 27, Kenya held elections for the presidency as well as positions in parliament and local governments. Less than an hour after the results for the elections were announced, incumbent president Mwai Kibaki was sworn in for his second term in office. Outraged supporters of the opposing candidate Raila Odinga said the elections were rigged, claiming Odinga as the official president.
Heated clashes soon followed. Angry Kenyans burned churches, farms, schools and homes to the ground. An estimated 1,000 died at the hand of fellow Kenyans and 250,000 nationals were displaced.
Prudence Ukwishatse, NT senior and president of Africanists United, lived in Kenya for 10 years after her family left their home in Rwanda. She said the conflict took a toll on Kenyans at NT.
"It seems like this would happen 50 years ago," Ukwishatse said. "Here they identify themselves as Kenyans. Back home they identify by their tribe."
Wachanga agreed and said the main problem is the country's division.
"We're not seeing ourselves as Kenyans anymore, but as ethnic entities," he said.
Doug Henry of the anthropology faculty said the violence in Kenya took everyone off guard.
"Ultimately, the only thing that will bring long-term peace to the region is for all Kenyans to feel that they have political representation that acts in their best interests," Henry said.
In early January, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, started mediation talks between rival leaders Kibaki and Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement. According to a Feb. 29 story in the The Standard, a leading Kenyan newspaper, Odinga and Kibaki signed a power-sharing deal last Thursday.
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Ben Williams
posted 3/12/08 @ 3:04 PM CST
FYI.
Model International Organization and Africanists United are hosting a discussion on this topic Thursday March 13 at 4pm in Wooten 216. I think that David Wachanga will be speaking. (Continued…)
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