Kenya is caught in a circle
of violence

 Kenya has experienced a dramatic increase in violence over the last decade. Several factors have contributed to this development, the latest is the severe drought which has been affecting the country for more than a year. Sources in the National Council of Churches in Kenya (NCCK) estimate that at least 1000 people died of hunger and hunger related effects such as fights over scarce resources.

The NCCK, a member of the ACT alliance, is concerned by the growing violence. Information obtained by NCCK from local authorities such as village peace committees, area councillors and church workers indicates that the figure of people killed might be as high as 3000, but this figure is difficult to confirm as the issue is a very sensitive one in Kenya. Staff members of the Council on the ground confirmed that 44 people starved in Turkana and 11 in West Pokot recently and some 420 people died in cattle raids between July 1999 and June 2000 in Turkana, West Pokot and Trans Nzoia in North Rift Region, Baringo and Samburu in South Rift Region and Laikipia in Central Region.

In the same districts about 49,500 cattle have been lost through theft or was killed during violent attacks. This has greatly compounded the problem of hunger. The situation is getting worse because in parts of Central Region people have been feeding cattle on banana plants which have been depleted. Banana stumps are being dug out as the only remaining food for the cattle. But banana fruits form an important staple human food. Subsequently there are conflicts about these resources between pastoralists and farmers. Nevertheless most of the cattle are very meagre and hardly produce milk. Water resources in the country are dwindling as well - another source of conflicts. Rivers are quickly drying up. The Chania river by-passing Thika town for example has become a tiny stream. Tourists visiting the famous Chania Falls are surprised and disappointed to find bare stones.

The drought is fuelling violence, which had erupted in various parts of the country, sometimes propelled by politicians rising strong irrational emotions, widespread mismanagement of resources, a high rate of unemployment and ethnic conflicts.

Tribal animosities enhance the conflicts over dwindling resources. There were skirmishes on the Gucha-Migori border in Nyanza Province. The tribal animosity was between the Luos and the Kisii communities. Such conflicts slow down development activities. Oluoch Kanindo, Chairman of Sony Sugar, lamented that tribal differences had forced his company to suspend harvesting cane from the Gucha side of the border. There was also a boundary dispute between Luhya and Teso communities recently and violence between the Maasai and the Kipsigis in Narok District. This led to the death of three people, five were injured and houses burnt down. According to the Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner, pasture was the main bone of contention between the pastoral Maasai and the largely agricultural Kipsigis. The pastoralists’ herds strayed into the agriculturists’ farms leading to violence.

At about the same period, there were fights between Ajuran and Gare tribesmen at Wajir on the Kenya/Ethiopia border. The attacks led to the death of ten people, 17 people were injured and admitted to hospital and 100 herd of cattle stolen. Sophisticated weapons were used in the attacks.

In 1999, NCCK carried out a study in the North Rift Region to find out more about the causes of ethnic violence. The study says that unlike in the past when cattle rustling was on small scale between neighbouring communities, an element of commercialisation has crept in. The increase in cattle being sold to far flung districts has led to more cattle rustling attacks. Lucrative cattle markets exist in Uganda. Another factor is the influx of sophisticated weapons. Some of them are illegally acquired from gun peddlers. Some of the guns were supplied by the government to the security personnel, police reserve and home guards. In times of conflicts, the security personnel sometimes fight alongside their ethnic communities instead of keeping peace impartially. Some security personnel are involved in the sale of weapons and uniforms.

Another finding was that the security personnel have inferior weapons compared to those of cattle rustlers and raiders. The security personnel would therefore avoid risking their lives by not getting involved. The study found that politicians sometimes played a crucial role in promoting violence. This is done through encouraging communities to have their own security systems. Some of them have been giving ultimatums to other communities to return stolen animals. Such ultimatums are implemented through violence.

These conflicts are fuelled by self-appointed politicians who claim to be spokesmen of their communities. They have no qualms inciting their constituents against other tribes. These excellent orators cunningly use peoples current situation such as poverty and misery, fears of the future and concocted historical fables to rouse strong irrational emotions against others. Another disturbing thing is that politicians are increasingly being associated with terror gangs.

Violence has become a widespread phenomenon in Kenya and the perpetrators are no longer camera shy. In October people who are said to be members of Mungiki, a religious sect, acted violently in broad daylight and in front of media cameras in Nairobi. Besides engaging the police in running battles, the mob shamelessly stripped six women naked after accusing them of being indecently dressed by wearing trousers. There is an explosive mix in society leading to more violence. Mungiki which means masses in the local dialect, Kikuyu, for example is mainly made up of people who are politically, economically and socio-culturally disadvantaged.

The NCCK has tried to change the situation by facilitating peace meetings at the community levels. It has held several leaders meetings which have attracted politicians from warring communities. The aim has been to encourage and develop a culture of dialogue rather than violence as a way of solving problems. NCCK has itself been a target in recent outbreaks of violence. Within the last weeks three churches and several buildings owned by the churches were burnt down by violent youths in Nairobi. In these incidents one woman was killed and a number of religious leaders including NCCK’s General Secretary Rev. Mutava Musyimi was injured.