Burnt-out shops in Kibera, Nairobi.
(Photo: © Colin Smith/CMS)
Direct from Nairobi's largest slum, Kibera, where he works, CMS mission partner Colin Smith describes reactions to the election aftermath and the chilling effects on ordinary people there.
NAIROBI, 16 JAN - The big news this week was the reopening of parliament yesterday and the election of the speaker and deputy speaker.
We were glued to the TV for much of the evening in a very closely fought contest.
On this occasion the opposition, which has a majority in the House, got their victory by a margin of three votes.
There was dancing in the streets in Kibera and the watchmen at Transworld radio next door could be heard cheering over the fence!
The victory is a vital encouragement to many, indicating that the opposition can wield real power in parliament and put significant pressure on the government. Hopefully it will reduce the sense of need to take protest out onto the street.
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The downside is that, unless there is political resolution, it could create gridlock with parliament unable to function, the government being continually outvoted by the opposition.
The events following the election of the speaker were fascinating with points of order on whether in a republic oaths of allegiance should be made to the president and in the event Raila [Odinga, opposition leader] managed to get away without swearing that part of the oath.
The debate certainly indicated that democratic debate is alive and well in Kenya, but did little to enhance the status of the president.
While open debate is permitted in parliament, efforts have been made to silence the voices on the street.
Graffiti with a poignant message: "Preach peace... love thy neighbour".
(Photo: (c)Colin Smith/CMS)
Today was the first day of three days of mass action called by the opposition. Riot police were again out on the streets, crowds dispersed with tear gas and the Central Business District was evacuated in the afternoon.
Protests in Nairobi have generally been peaceful. In Mombassa and Kisumu the police sought to disperse the crowds using tear gas and live ammunition with two people being killed in Kisumu.
It is difficult to describe the present situation. With the exception of this afternoon, things seem to be getting back to normal in Nairobi but in the slums the tension remains high and will probably continue to do so while there is no political settlement in sight.
Kofi Annan was due to arrive today as part of a mediation process but it is unclear how committed the government is to outside mediation.
We finally opened college on Monday although many students are still not back and some have not been able to travel from western Kenya.
It was clear from the start that we could not begin teaching. Instead we created space, so that in chapel and small groups, students could share their stories and experiences.
Out of hiding
Some have been in hiding or sheltering in churches and police stations. A number had chilling tales having witnessed murder or being confronted with moral dilemmas they had not had to face before as they sought to preserve their own lives and the lives of others.
Some at present simply can't talk about the past three weeks.
At the moment we are using the mutual support of small groups but some may need more specialist counselling. A number still don't know where some of their relatives are.
A significant challenge for staff and students is that those who may have been portrayed as their enemies in the places they have left are their classmates in college. Working through some of the grief, anger and the sense of injustice on all sides is not going to be easy.
The task of helping re-establish businesses in the slums and get people off food handouts is proving challenging as days of mass action and incidents of insecurity make it difficult to assess the situation on the ground and do not provide an environment in which it is safe or wise to try to reconstruct businesses.
The problems of accessing food and money in the slums means some youths are operating like tax collectors, taking a percentage of anything that is carried in or creating "tolls" to extract funds from transport taking goods in or out. It will be some time yet before security is established.
Today the mass action meant that many parents - ourselves included - took the children out of school at lunchtime before the protests hit the streets.
Do please continue to pray particularly for political settlement and for the long process of reconciliation that still lies ahead.