My worst vacation - Guest Post

A Kenyan came back home for the Christmas break after living outside Kenya for several years. He was happy to be home, happy to see his relatives and hoping for a routine election, where he could vote for the candidate of his choice, spend more time with the people he has not seen for years and then go back to his life. Boy was he in for a shock...

I've had the worst holiday/vacation ordeal that I've ever known. My first week in Kenya was generally smooth sailing as I was first in Nairobi (did a bit of the ohangla jive with my usual compatriots) before going to Kisumu to unwind a bit. Come election day, everybody was quite jovial and ready to usher in Agwambo as our deliverer into Canaan, but alas! The rest is history.

At one point I got stuck in Kisumu for almost one week, when it seemed like I was in prison. I remember new year arriving and there were no celebrations about it; instead, people were wailing all over like someone really important had passed on, yet it was because Kibaki and his cronies had stolen the vote! Meanwhile, there were civilian road blocks all over, airtime was almost impossible to come by, petrol was scarce, foodstuff was terribly difficult to reach, and all internet cafes were either closed or looted/burnt!

I wouldn't like to subscribe to the school of thought that Agwambo should concede defeat in order to attain peace. I believe that peace can only be attained when people's souls are at rest (i.e. when the truth is out and confidence in our electoral system is regained) and not simply by just stopping the current mass action and riots. If Kibaki and his cronies are not put in check now, it could entrench a bad example for future immoral leaders to obtain/maintain power. Hence, even if it means doing so thru sacrificing the comfort (and even the lives) of the present generation, it is done all in a bid for ensuring a better tomorrow for our future generations.