Odinga once brought hope to Kenya. Too bad it was false hope. Three weeks after my return from Kenya in 2007 presidential elections took place. When Kibaki (Party of National Unity) won, Odinga (Orange Democratic Movement) accused Kibaki of cheating. Odinga took action by fueling tensions between his tribe and Kibaki’s tribe; Kalenjin and Kikuyu respectively. As a result, the Kalenjin went on a rampage killing Kikuyu tribespeople, burning their homes, and forcing them to abandon their homes and farms. These tribespeople were once next-door neighbors.
The UN brokered a peace deal resulting in the creation of a coalition government. But, Odinga and Kibaki now seem to be in cahoots. Both are clearly corrupt and they have not been living up to the deal; “Land reform; constitutional change; judicial and security sector reform; tackling youth unemployment, and addressing ethnic tensions”. As a result the UN is giving Kibaki and Odinga two months to create a Special Court so that war criminals can be tried. This includes ministers, legislators and businessmen who fostered or funded the electoral violence. This is ludicrous because Odinga and Kibaki are at the top of the list! If they don’t abide, the threat looms that war crime suspects will be sought out and tried by the ICC.
Today, maize farms remain abandoned putting millions of Kenyan’s at risk of starvation, tens of thousands still live in emergency tents, the vast majority of Kenyan’s have lost hope in reform, and tensions between tribes is building once again.
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