The date of the referendum on Kenya’s new constitution draws frightfully near. I have to ask the question: has the country learnt from the mayhem that followed the 2007 general elections, have the Kenyan people recognised enough how close they got to the abyss to ensure that sectarianism does not crasha vibrant economy and take her people with it.
Being Ugandan means that I have had to live through periods of turmoil, including exile, 2 military coups and a guerrilla war. But that does not mean one gets used to it. what it does is make you acutely aware of coming trouble and also makes you perpetually conscious of having to be prepared for any eventuality.
That said, The December 2007 elections caught me completely off guard. I had, like everybody else, fallen for the line that said Kenya is an island of stability, more so because kenyans do not like wars and fighting. How wrong we were all proved to be. It begets us all to realise that maintaining the peace requires constant work, attention to detail and the nerve to make hard decisions.
I found myself relatively trapped in my house for at least 2 days during the riots, the fridge was bare and so i lived on what remained of the christmas cake. the fact that it was loaded with rum probably helped calm my shot nerves. I never atually saw any violence, but the tension in the air was almost palpable and I did not sleep much, always waiting for that knock on the door that would require me to explain my tribal ancestry.
Hence my dilemma, the referendum is 3 days away, should I pack it in and catch a plane to kampala and sit it out for a week. And if so, should I leave now or on the voting day or just before the results are announced. Or Should I just stay put and trust that Kenya’s formidable civil society (a credit to this country) will keep the government and the security apparatus on its toes and prevent any wanton post election violence. The warning signs are there and so are the discrete movements of professionals out of eldoret. A close friend who is a flower farmer is taking no chances and has moved to Nairobi already.
I am holding my breath…….I hope I dont turn blue.
I know the feeling…we can only pray it turns out well.
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