Kenya Burns

It’s been a decade now since ‘La Guerre’, as the world chose to call it. The world had seen too much of wars, probably too much that they ran out of names to call it or perhaps it was picked up from the journalist who dared venture into the interior to scoop the scoop of the century! Dumbfounded, he was found locked in a torpedo man cave , unable to mutter anything than ‘La Guerre’. Off to counseling and rehabilitation, he gave us a name, serving his purpose.

It had all started off as innocently as all our online memes. The government releasing a press statement to all media stations, stating in clear English and Kiswahili that the powers that be had an obligation to ensure continuity of the state as we know it, they would additionally proceed to destroy absolutely enemies of state, come what may. The Army generals peeking behind the government spokesman, in full combat presenting an impenetrable wall that would only result in blood & death if questioned, poked or crossed. The line had been drawn on the ground, the army had gotten fed up by the instability, what’s the use of protecting country from the borders while country burns itself??

President Uhuru Kenyatta, had been cast as a disturbed, angry man, not in control of his nation, appearing only to attempt a speech for peace albeit unsuccessfully. It had been a month after the Supreme court was forced to declare his Presidency unconstitutional after a collapse of five years after his swearing in back in 2013. The care taker government structuring proves too hard a nut to crack, as the ruling gets us unprepared. Suddenly we are faced with questions we had never before pondered,

Is Uhuru supposed to vacate the state House?
Is the care taker government to be led by the National Assembly speaker?
Is the caretaker government to move into State house?
Is the Caretaker government meant to appoint a new cabinet?
Is the army suppose to sit on its well armed hands in silence?
Would the army agree to obediently play tool to a caretaker government?

The opposition strongholds celebrate, with shaky and uncertain voices of jubilation they cheer of a seeming win over the government, but uncertain of what is next. The political speeches being delivered had long thrown caution to the wind, the proverbial war drums were splitting the airwaves. It had been too late to recall our elected leaders, even with their disgusting acts and utterances.

The opposition leaders decided to declare Raila Odinga President of country, on account of rigged elections, four in total in the past two decades. Celebrations spread across half the nation. The Central region in Kenya gets the message of lawlessness all too well and decide to result in their famed guerilla tactics, ethnic cleansing, at least that’s what the rumor mill let out. What we know for sure is that bodies started dropping, across the nation tribal alliances defined who lived and who died. The police looked on, abandoning duty with a seemingly lack of leadership.

After two days of death, and La Guerre threatening to escalate, the nation seemed polarised with the two sides baying to extinguish each other! Moving closer and closer to each other, the rebels in north Eastern Uganda see an opportunity to spread their territory and sell their weapons for a quick buck. South Sudanese warring clans find an equally intoxicating neighbor to call home, they move in. From the North East the Somali terrorism outfit Al-shabaab finds inroads into country, their first duty is to raid the refugee camps to destroy the deserters of their cause, after all hadn’t they sworn to find them in life or death.

The Kenyan army raises arm, declares state of emergency, arms up and spread out across country to at least force a semblance of peace… What follows next is catastrophic to say the least, too hard to comprehend. All manner of inhuman acts go down, directly associated to the military and many more to opportunistic individuals. The police who had stood up for law and order having been ordered down by the military intervention, had left the country lawless. For once in our history our mighty army used it’s superior fighting skills and weapons against its own nation. The tribal gangs claiming several regions as their own, were considered terrorists and no effort was spared in squashing them.

The nation was smoldering, never had a great nation disintegrated this fast. Before the UN forces came to aid, the damage was done. The warlike tribes had chosen the time to relive their centuries old fame, arming themselves to the teeth with crude weapons. For the first time in a century we see the Nandi run through scours in a matter of hours. We witness the Mt. Kenya worriors, of Ameru decent, leave a trail of bodies from the mountain to the capital, reclaiming their ancestral land.

I watch as a ball of dry grass roll past our makeshift tents. A ruffle in the back, sounds of joy permeate the air, I at first wonder what that is and the memories creep in slowly but surely, a distant memory. I enquire and learn that Museveni has finally agreed to hand 10 acres to the Kenyan refugees in their North Eastern region. I slowly rise, my knees haven’t been what they used to be, ever since the GSU officer got the best of it as I escaped with my life & the meager clothes on my back. The gesture though long overdue, was something, maybe our children, those that survived the ethnic cleansing, will make better decisions.

I walk away, head permanently dropped, maybe they will also increase the water rations per household.

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