Subsequent Days

Saturday, December 29th

Twelve of us hiked Ngong Hills, meeting at my house at 7:30am. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! This was my 6th or 7th time there, but no matter how many times I go, I find the scenery to be absolutely stunning. We did all four of the big peaks, which is a total of 10 very strenuous miles. The altitude is 8,000 feet, so breathing on the steep inclines becomes quite a challenge. Additionally, we walked two miles (also uphill) from Ngong town to the entrance to the hills. Upon reaching the end, at “Kona Baridi” (cold corner), we walked another three miles towards Kiserian (the closest town). Finally our armed guard for the day (a requirement by the Kenya Wildlife Service) got a lift and hired a matatu to come back for us. It was good to finally reach home and take a shower!

Mood of the country: Throughout the day, each of us had received numerous updates via our phones regarding what was going on in all parts of the country. Certain parts of Nairobi were “no-go zones” due to the unruly crowds. Collins and I went to Chunge’s house again to watch the TV coverage. They’ve cancelled a much-anticipated family trip to Mombasa due to the situation. Things are not looking good. People were getting impatient to know the results; rigging was strongly suspected. The Electoral Commission did not seem to be completely transparent in the tallying process. One polling station reported 99% turnout and another, 115%! Many of the large supermarkets and almost all small kiosks closed early or did not open at all.

Sunday, December 30th

Some churches cancelled services due to the widespread unrest, but my church went ahead with theirs. Although the congregation was smaller than normal, we had a great service. We spent over 15 minutes in intense prayer for the nation of Kenya.

Mood of the country: Helicopters patroling the city can be heard overhead. Just before 6:00pm, the Electoral Commission forced the media to leave the premises of their headquarters. The incumbent, Mwai Kibaki, was declared the winner. Shortly thereafter, Kibaki was secretly sworn into office. Raila continued to claim that the counting was full of fraud. Widespread violence and destruction erupted, virtually shutting down the entire nation. Police in riot gear were dispersed everywhere. TV and radio were forbidden to give any live updates, essentially creating a news blackout. Again, virtually all businesses were closed throughout the day. There is very little movement around the country, with hundreds of thousands of families hunkering down in their homes, afraid to venture out. Fear is the order of the day.

NOTE: Kenya is composed of 42 tribes. This election, like every other one in its history, basically followed tribal lines. The violence is being perpetrated – for the most part – by the youth of a few tribes who were for the opposition candidate, Raila Odinga, pitted against the largest tribe of the nation, who were predominantly for the incumbent.

Text message I received: “Tonight will be very bad.”

Monday, December 31st
(also declared a public holiday by the president, as is common for the day immediately after the swearing in of a new president in Kenya)

Collins didn't feel well all morning, most likely due to all the distressing news we've been hearing. He went to “Karen shops” (near my house) in the afternoon, to see what food items he could find for us. None of the three grocery stores were open! He managed to find two small loaves of bread and a milk packet at a small kiosk; he got some fruit and eggs at a small produce store. Phone credit was not available anywhere!

Mood of the country: Much fear. Public transportation was almost at a standstill, both in cities and rural areas. Urban and rural market areas (including the normally bustling one at Matunda) were like ghost towns – completely deserted! Throughout the day, Collins and I were able to get the best information from BBC (originating in London). Local stations concentrated on music (due to the gag order) and appealed for peace. Late in the day, numerous reports of killings, looting of businesses, and torching of buildings and homes were reported.

Text messages I received throughout the day:

“It’s getting to be like hell. Deb, please cry out to God to intervene.”

“I can still hear gunfire. Feels like a bad dream.”

“We’ve received reports of houses and churches being burned down. Please pray.”

“Just got a call from Dad that people are starting to fight near home. He said not to come home tonight. We’re holed up at a friend’s house. Please pray.”

“It’s bad everywhere.”

"My neighbor's houses have been burned to the ground!"

“I’m almost out of credit. Mom can’t travel to her Mom’s funeral. My sister is spending nights at a police station for safety. My bro can’t come for his kids. My travel plans have been suspended.”

Status of water in my house: None all afternoon and evening. But we had filled all available containers in the morning anticipating the problem.

Tuesday, January 1st
(naturally this is also a public holiday)

I was finally able to get a good night’s sleep (10 hours)! I walked to Karen shops. Fortunately, I got to Nakumatt (a large grocery store) just as it was opening. Over 100 people poured in at the same time. Many shelves were already empty. There was virtually no produce or fresh milk. Items like flour, sugar, rice, bread, and long-life milk disappeared quickly. I was also able to get a newspaper. The stories and photos were very sad and very depressing. My friend, Mike (from church) came over for the afternoon. It’s always good to spend time with him!

Mood of the country: Much sadness. By evening the number of people killed is reported to be 200! 30-40 people (mostly women and children) died in a torched church in Eldoret, where they had gone to seek shelter. Local public transportation is increasing somewhat, but no vehicles are allowed to reach downtown Nairobi, which is the main hub of all routes. Mayhem is still rampant all around the country! Price gouging goes on in the few small shops and kiosks that are open; fuel is scarce throughout the entire nation. President Kibaki gave his annual New Year’s speech, repeating his claim that Kenya has just conducted “free and fair elections”. The international community called for an audit of the vote counting.

Status of water in my house: Intermittent in the morning; on through some of the day, but dirty. None available in the evening.

Wednesday, January 2nd
(first normal working day in since December 24th)

Life, at least in our neck of the woods, seems to have returned to a relative sense of normalcy. The newspaper is full of horror stories!

John, the carpenter on the compound where I live said this to me this morning -

"Our country - now, what can we do? It's so bad. The only thing is just to pray!"