Commentary (by James Bett) - Violence in Rift Valley was not premeditated

Ref: http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143982996&cid=190

Published on March 9, 2008, 12:00 am

By James Bett

We need a sober approach as we try to find a solution to the crisis, which though political, may not necessarily be ended with a political solution.

Many people have talked of serious underlying issues that are responsible for the skirmishes that were triggered by the disputed presidential poll. These include: Land, historical injustices, economic disempowerment, ethnic mistrust and unemployment.

Long-term peace can only be obtained if people are honest with each other.

Starting on a wrong premise will lead to wrong conclusions, which in turn leads to wrong diagnosis of the problem and wrong prescriptions or solutions.

It is in the interest of Kenyans that some of these biased misconceptions are corrected.

†Many Kenyans were satisfied with the process of voting, counting and declaration of results at the polling centres. The unprecedented and spontaneous violence that rocked most parts of the country was precipitated by the announcement of disputed presidential results by ECK.

The violence not premeditated as it has been reported. The premeditated theory has been so well spun that even the international community have bought it.

One diplomat was recently quoted saying, "it may have been spontaneous in Western, Nyanza and Coast but at least in the Rift Valley it was clearly planned!" Why this singling out of one region?

What would make it spontaneous in all other parts of the country except the Rift Valley?

It is a complete fabrication that there was any form of planning, training or financing of youth to engage in violence.

A few points why the violence could not have been planned.

Kenya has one of the best intelligence networks. Indeed, together with the military intelligence and police network, including that of informants, nothing escapes their watchful eye.

Claims have been made that the violence was planned as far back as six months in advance. It is utterly unbelievable that such planning involving probably thousands of people could have escaped this elaborate network.

Otherwise we may have to ask why the Government failed to beef up security in Rift Valley when it expected trouble.

There were many PNU candidates, and even voters, in Kalenjin land.

Few had arrows

Didn’t even one person learn of the planning and whisper a warning to the authorities?

Many Kalenjin youth who participated in the violence in most urban areas of Rift Valley carried only sticks and stones. Only a few had arrows or other weapons. It takes less than 15 minutes to make an arrow! If the violence was planned for six months, why didn’t the youth just make as many arrows as they needed?

Many articles in local and international media claimed that communities were now arming themselves in readiness for war "should the Annan-led talks fail".

It would be understandable if those arming themselves were those who were unprepared and had therefore been taken by surprise. But one wonders why the Rift Valley people should be buying guns after and not before the war they planned themselves for?

If it is that easy to acquire these firearms, then why didn’t they do it during the ‘six-month preparation period’?

These ‘planners’ should have known the importance of evacuating their own from areas where there were likely to be revenge attacks from the affected community. There is no sign that the people living outside their ancestral land were evacuated or prepared to evacuate at short notice. In fact many travelled to their rural homes to vote and travelled back to Nairobi, Nakuru, Nyeri and other ‘dangerous’ areas, just when their brothers were ‘preparing to go to war’, only to become IDPs in a police station two days later!

Many SMSs that went around after the crisis warned people to stock up essential items such as food, fuel and even airtime in anticipation of an escalation of the chaos.

If the Rift Valley people planned a war before the elections, someone should have noticed some panic buying and stocking of these essential items amongst the planners.

I was in Eldoret during the first one week of January and saw the desperation of people as everybody was grounded for lack of fuel, could not communicate by phone and almost all essential items went missing in most homes.

It is true that many Rift Valley residents expected ODM, which the majority of them voted for, to win. There was no reason at all to start a war when you should be celebrating! If there was need to plan anything, it would be how to celebrate, not to fight.

-The author is the Chairman of EMO a community organisation, serving people in the Rift valley. This is an excerpt of a speech read during an interdenominational prayers and peace rally in Eldoret last Sunday.