I'm gonna bring you up to speed on Kenyan current events and pose to you a question I've been asking myself as I reflect on what's going on here: Can peace prevail when justice is not served?
This past March 2013, Kenya held presidential elections. The country (and the World Race teams coming here) were overjoyed that the elections were peaceful — as the last elections in 2007 were far from it.
Thousands of people were killed in tribal violence that ensued 4 days after the 2007 elections. You see, there are 42 tribes in Kenya and tribalism is still very much alive and thriving. When Kibaki of the Kikuyu tribe was announced as 2007 President, his losing opponent Raila of the Luo tribe announced that the elections were rigged and that his people 'would not retreat' until Raila was named President of Kenya. And that's when the violence started.
(Here's a little tidbit of USA trivia for you: Luo is actually the tribe that President Obama's Dad is from. The Kenyan people love to share that with us! There are Obama posters, mugs, etc everywhere. His life is a symbol to the Kenyan people that 'dreams come true.') I digress.
The 2007 tribal violence quickly spread across the country, but was especially horrific in Kisumu, Eldoret, and Nakuru. (Another sidenote: Nakuru is a region famous for it's Lake Nakuru Wildlife reserve –where plan on going on a safari next week!)
A tragic story from the city of Eldoret, where I am now staying for a few days, was when 150 people were burned alive inside a church. I was told that when a 5 year old little boy was running away from the fire, one of the rioters grabbed him and threw him back into the flames — to die with his family.
The majority of the atrocities committed in 2 months following the Decmber 2007 elections occurred in the Nairobi, Rift Valley, and Nyanza Provinces, as these are the provinces largely inhabited by the Kikuyu and Luo tribes –the tribes of the 2 presidential candidates.
As the violence continued, other tribes got involved out of fear. It escalated to the point that if you were in a land not native to your tribe, your life was in danger. Our host family told us there were a few days here in the village when the schools and businesses were closed and a curfew was instituted in the village — because gun shots were heard at night.
The violence only came to an end when United Nations Representative Kofi Annan came to Kenya and suggested that (losing) Presidential Candidate Raila assume the never-before-present role of Prime Minister, while Kibaki keep his office as President. Both candidates agreed and Kenya had it's first and only Prime Minister serve from 2007-2013.
During their time in office, Raila & Kibaki worked together to draft the new Kenyan Constitution and put the beginnings of an end to tribalism in Kenya. They instituted 'chiefs' in each native tribe region that would serve at the county level –but beyond that, tribes were encouraged to submit to the Kenyan federal government regardless of whose tribe sits in power. All of this in an effort to never repeat the violence that ravaged the country after the 2007 elections.
So, it ended well: opposing tribes learned to work together, a new Constitution was instated (which I've heard was modeled after the US Constitution), and ultimately, it seems that peace prevailed.
But… justice was never served to those who were behind all the violence back in 2007…
and the United Nations' International Criminal Court says it's time.
Uhuru, the newly elected 2013 President, is a fellow Kikuyu tribesman to former President Kibaki. And Ruto, his Deputy President, hails from the Kalenjin tribe. Both were largely politically active during the 2007 elections –and thought to be behind many of the riots. Now, 6 years later, they are both facing criminal charges from the International Criminal Court for acts against humanity in the post elections violence.
The thing is, now Kenya is at peace.
These two leaders were peacefully elected and now stand to rule peacefully under a new constitution. But… justice hasn't been served. The Kenyan people fear that if the International Criminal Court presses charges against the Kenyan president and deputy president, the peace Kenya is now enjoying will vanish and chaos will ensue.
If charged to appear in ICC in The Hague, The President & Deputy President will likely refuse to show up and become fugitives in their own land. But other than being on house arrest in Kenya, they won't really be punished. The Kenyan people will suffer instead.
The locals here say that if the ICC presses charges and Uhuru & Ruto don't show, the UN will place sanctions on Kenya — making it harder for foreigners (like me) to come in and help, harder for Kenyans to leave and work overseas, and the UN may even take away the the World Bank teacher grants that fund the majority of public education in Kenya.
If justice is served, it won't be the guilty that pay it… it will be the Kenyan people.
The Kenyan people see all this coming and want to avoid it. Accordingly, many of the Kenyan witnesses who originally pressed charges against Uhuru and Ruto back in 2007 are backing out, one by one. Nobody of the accusers want to testify anymore. Because now, 6 years later, Kenya is at peace…and it no longer seems 'worth it'. Not at the risk of losing peace.
Can peace prevail when justice is not served?
As I read in the Kenyan Daily Nation newspaper last week:
"Punitive vengeance in the name of justice cannot be a means to reconciliation"
–Ms. Koki Muli Grignon, Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN
For peace to prevail in Kenya… it seems that justice cannot be served.
Crazy, huh? What do you think? Can peace prevail when justice is not served?
What would Jesus do? 😉
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
