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ISSUE 079, March 16-31, 2013
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Peace building efforts before and after elections bear fruit By OLOO JANAK Nationwide peace campaigns during and after the just concluded General Elections are being enjoyed by all and sundry. Many peace campaigners are still earnestly praying that it holds despite the electoral disputes that have emerged after the polls. In Migori, most residents have lauded the peace efforts that were made before the elections because Migori County has remained calm with people going about their businesses as usual. “We plan to have more peace initiatives now after the elections although there are challenges brought about by disputes after elections. People have begun to ask us as peace makers, very difficult questions, claiming we are ‘lulling’ them to sleep as elections are stolen,” said Jackton Minyiria, chairman Migori Civic Local Affairs Network (CLAN). Prior to the election day, CLAN led Migori residents in a major demonstration to sensitise the people to maintain peace in a town which in 2007/2008 witnessed massive destruction, looting, death and injuries. Hundreds of people fled from some towns in Migori County including Migori, Rongo, Awendo, Sori, Muhuru, Macalder and sections of Nyatike Constituency.
Waki report
Human rights groups and the Waki report estimated that at the time, more than 36 people were killed, mostly through police shootings during the chaos that resulted from the disputed presidential results. From Nyatike, eight councillors who were elected unopposed by default on the Party of National Unity (PNU) in an area that was supporting the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and hundreds of their supporters fled to Tanzania in fear where they stayed for two months until the National Accord that brought back peace was signed on February 28, 2008. Two days to the March 4 Elections, Migori CLAN, in partnership with other local groups including boda-boda operators, held a peaceful demonstration in the town, on a five kilometre stretch along the town’s main highway to
Tanzania with messages of peace. The hundreds of demonstrators that were drawn from Migori town, Kuria, Awendo, Rongo, Nyatike, Uriri and other areas of the county who gathered near the Migori Teachers’ College from where they marched through the bus stage, to the outskirts of the town at Banana/Kimaiga area before congregating at the Posta Recreation Park where they were addressed by local leaders and officials of Migori CLAN.
Peace groups
The security team provided a police outrider to control traffic, in recognition of the important role the local peace groups and demonstration would contribute to peace ahead of the elections. Migori CLAN and local groups received support from the Peace Initiative Kenya (PIK) and its partners and Amkeni Wakenya UNDP Programme which contributed banners and other IEC materials focusing on peace and voter education. These were distributed to the residents during the event at the Posta Park. “What we witnessed in 2007 and early 2008 should never happen again and we want to appeal to all of you to send this message far and wide,” Omolo Awange, a local elder, told the gathering after the demonstration. The youth, led by the boda-boda (bicycle/ motorbike) and taxi operators pledged to maintain peace both during and after elections. The banners with the messages of peace and calls on the people to come out and vote were displayed at the Posta Park for two days till the evening prior to the elections, attracting many other people who also picked the voter education material that were being distributed by Migori CLAN staff and volunteers. “We recognise the value of peace and we want to thank the residents of the County for
A peace caravan and demonstration held in Migori town led by Migori Civic Local Affairs Network with support from Peace Initiative Kenya and Amkeni Wakenya in efforts towards peace building and conflict mitigation before voting involved boda boda taxi operators and area residents. Pictures: Oloo Janak turning up to participate in this exercise,” said Anne Ngetich, Migori County Commissioner who also joined the team later and officially received a police patrol boat that was brought from Kisumu.
The patrol boat is to help the police effectively man the Kenyan waters on the Migori side of Lake Victoria, including Migingo Island, which has been claimed by Uganda for some time now.
Violence on the eve of voting leads to poor voter turnout By DIANA WANYONYI As Kenyans participated in the elections, Mama Halima Osman, a housewife in Kilifi County watched the queue from the veranda of her house. To Osman, safety is more important than participating in the exercise. “I was afraid of stepping outside my house. We were still in shock after what happened. What if we were attacked by the raiders while waiting to vote? I could not take the risk,” she recalls. On the eve of March 4, five police officers and two civilians were murdered at Chumani and Chonyi areas in Kilifi County. The attack left two police officers and several IEBC officials admitted in Kilifi District Hospital sustaining deep head, leg and hand injuries after they fell victims of raiders suspected to be members of the outlawed Mombasa Republican Council (MRC).
During the attack, one IEBC clerk went missing after they were ambushed at Chumani Secondary School which was the polling station and tallying centre for parliamentary results in Kilifi North Constituency. Kilifi North had 69,151 registered voters. At the Kilifi District Hospital, casualty section, doctors and nurses in solidarity treated the injured. Fifteen victims were taken to hospital; eight of them were admitted in stable condition.
Attack
Speaking while undergoing treatment after sustaining deep head injuries, Benjamin Yongo (not his real name) a policeman, explained that they were attacked and car-jacked by the raiders at Chumani area while on their last trip of dispatching ballot boxes in the respective polling stations at 2:30am. “I was escorting the last trip of the ballot boxes after we had dis-
patched several to different polling stations when suddenly our vehicle was surrounded with more than 40 men who were armed with machetes, bows and arrows. We were forced to surrender for our dear lives, they quickly dragged us out of the vehicle and started beating us,” explains Yongo, closing his eyes in pain. After minutes of silence, Yongo opens his eyes with difficulties, tries to utter something but no words came out. After a short while he gains his confidence while folding his right fist, though he is thankful that he is still alive, he is worried about the driver of the car saying that he cannot remember what happened to him after the attack. “They questioned me on why I went against their wish but I had no idea what they were talking about. The next thing I felt was a sharp pang on my forehead then blood started oozing out. I fell down unconscious that is when they robbed me off my
possessions including an AK 47 rifle, uniform, identification card and mobile phone. When I regained consciousness, I managed to escape after fighting one of the raiders who was keeping watch over me,” he says. Outside the casualty section another police officer narrates how his two childhood friends, who were also his colleagues, were brutally murdered by the raiders.
Security
“I still cannot believe what happened, the previous day we talked on phone and we agreed that we would meet after election because we were assigned to different places,” he explains, rubbing his eyes as he tries to hold back tears. Opposite Kilifi District Hospital is Uwanjani Polling Station in Mnarani Constituency, seven kilometres from Chumani. Here at least one could see a long queue of voters. At the Chumani Polling Station, the voting exercise did not take place
due to security reasons. In Mkunguni area all ballot boxes went missing while at Kiwandani one set of ballot box could not be found. However, for fear of further attacks, there are polling stations which were forced to close early. Four other polling stations that were closed down before 2:00pm were Mkongani, Mzizima, CRS, Jezasdzomo and Mkangagani. This was due to the insecurity that was witnessed in the area. Charo Tsuma, a resident of Jezasdzomo area said he did not participate in the voting exercise for security reasons after they heard gunfire shots from a distance. “From my house to the polling station is a walking distance but I could not risk my life. I have two wives and children to take care of,” said Tsuma. Kilifi County has seven constituencies namely Kaloleni, Rabai, Ganze, Malindi, Magarini, Kilifi North and Kilifi South.