It is a beautiful Saturday morning here in Nairobi. We expect a relatively quiet weekend. Even though things are quiet for us, we realize that this is not the case in other areas. For the most part is seems our life can proceed as normal with mere avoidance of trouble spots. There are still many in this country who have fled their homes. The government is steadily pushing the refugee camps to close and force the people to return home, but it appears that most will not choose to return to their homes due to fear of continued violence. The church closest to our school has roughly 200 refugees that they estimate will be there 3 to 6 months. There is another camp in the Limuru area that reportedly had 15 babies born there last week alone. The question for these people now is where to go and what to do.
The talks continue with the opposition and the government. Yesterday’s paper had an article which was the most encouraging piece of news we have seen so far. They reported that 40 Members of Parliament from both parties had agreed to speak together for peace. The District Commissioner has agreed to lift the ban on public gatherings so that these leaders can publicly call for peace among their constituents. Today’s paper is also reporting that religious leaders from the National Council of Churches in Kenya are calling for pulpits to be used to preach peace. Sadly, this has not been occurring everywhere already. There have been many stories of inflaming messages coming from the pulpit – from all sides of the issues. We pray that both political and religious leaders will indeed be called to preach and teach peace and aid the healing that needs to occur.
Today’s paper is also reporting that the differences in the two sides are still quite obvious. Even their word choice in public statements causes quite a stir. All along, the two sides have differed on the starting point for discussion. Basically, the government has stated that the legitimacy of the President’s election is not up for discussion, and the opposition says that the recognizing his election is not an option. The mediation team has their work cut out for them. However, they appear very skilled in negotiation, as currently, they are not discussing the hard issues. They are only discussing the facts of the election, keeping all parties at the table.
Yesterday, the town of Nakuru, about three hours from Nairobi, suffered terribly. There were at least six people who died in the violence there, and the town is now subject to night time curfews. Nakuru is the fourth largest city in Kenya. Some of you may have visited Nakuru’s game park with (among many other types of wildlife) the beautiful flamingoes in the lake and obnoxious monkeys in the parking lot.
We have now made it a whole week with the kid’s school in session. The administration of the school feels that we can proceed on a normal schedule. So, Wednesday we will travel to Murang’a for a business seminar and discipleship class. The farmers there are growing passion fruit. We are looking forward to getting back to teaching our classes. Horace has been working on the phone and in Thika ordering supplies and getting things organized for the project managers, but it is not quite the same as visiting in person.
As for family life, Horace, Jr.’s experience at Middle School Model United Nations was definitely a learning experience in politics and life in general. Thursday, he was very disappointed (along with his advisor and many fellow students) that his resolution did not pass and that he was not given the opportunity to debate the issues that were presented against it. However, Friday his resolution was given the “best resolution” award in his committee. Not only that, but in the advisor’s meeting, it was singled out as a good example of a well-done resolution. So, it was a good end to a frustrating week. He did enjoy the experience, and I think he may even pursue the high school version. Still no basket ball games, but we look forward to some in the coming week.
Mary Shea made the swim team, so it looks like that will dominate things for a few months for her. She did a great job and is looking forward to it. She also will get to participate in basketball intramurals, so no tough decisions were required yet.
That is your weekend news update from the Tipton household. We look forward to sharing more with you next week as we continue the journey toward what one of my friends calls the “new normal”.
Please pray that these encouraging signs continue toward lasting peace.
Blessings,
Anne
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Wednesday, January 23rd
Today was a fairly normal day for us. We even managed to run errands in the downtown business district without difficulty. It seemed to be normal down there – which means the roads were full of traffic. We commented several times how odd it was that so much “normal” activity goes on in this city when so many are suffering. It is highlighting, yet again, the contrasts even within the city.
However, Nairobi was not without trouble today. The news is a bit unclear at this point who started what. There was a scheduled prayer meeting for the opposition – which had permission from the government. However, at some point, violence surfaced and police and protesters clashed with at least property damage. Tear gas was used to disperse the gathering. We are unsure if there were injuries or deaths involved.
Tomorrow was to be another day of protests, but as of about an hour ago, they were called off. Evidently, the opposition has agreed to cancel them at the request of Kofi Annan and the mediation team. We are thankful for that positive bit of news. To hear that the parties are involved in serious mediation talks rather than political posturing seems very encouraging. President Museveni of Uganda is also in town attempting mediation. This was an area of confusion as we thought he might be part of the mediation efforts of the Annan team. However, it seems he is attempting his own separate process.
Horace, Jr. went to the UN today for his model United Nations forum. He really enjoyed the experience. He has yet to present his resolution, but he did make an impromptu comment on another resolution. All in all, it has been a great experience, and we are thankful that it has been able to proceed.
However, his basketball game was cancelled. The school that they were to play did not feel comfortable busing their players across town because there was trouble in-between the two areas of town. The team was greatly disappointed, but they understand the reasoning behind the decision.
On another positive note, Mary Shea has decided to try out for swim team. That will happen each afternoon this week. She has enjoyed the process, but is waiting to see what all it entails. She has lots of other activities that she wouldn’t want to miss – like her own chance at basketball which starts Monday.
While the news that we are all seeing is pretty ghastly, we do not want to overlook the blessings we have received – our school and a fairly normal routine with all the activities, relative peace for the people with which we work, and a glimmer of hope in the mediation process. We also are hearing pieces of news of the individual moments of reconciliation and peace between people that are otherwise being driven to hate. Please pray that all of this continues and that this country moves toward peace – not a superficial paper or verbal agreement but a deep healing peace brought about by reconciliation in the truth of Jesus Christ between all people.
We will continue to keep you updated as we know more news. We appreciate all of your prayers and encouraging messages. Thank you for supporting us and the people here in your prayers.
Blessings,
Anne
However, Nairobi was not without trouble today. The news is a bit unclear at this point who started what. There was a scheduled prayer meeting for the opposition – which had permission from the government. However, at some point, violence surfaced and police and protesters clashed with at least property damage. Tear gas was used to disperse the gathering. We are unsure if there were injuries or deaths involved.
Tomorrow was to be another day of protests, but as of about an hour ago, they were called off. Evidently, the opposition has agreed to cancel them at the request of Kofi Annan and the mediation team. We are thankful for that positive bit of news. To hear that the parties are involved in serious mediation talks rather than political posturing seems very encouraging. President Museveni of Uganda is also in town attempting mediation. This was an area of confusion as we thought he might be part of the mediation efforts of the Annan team. However, it seems he is attempting his own separate process.
Horace, Jr. went to the UN today for his model United Nations forum. He really enjoyed the experience. He has yet to present his resolution, but he did make an impromptu comment on another resolution. All in all, it has been a great experience, and we are thankful that it has been able to proceed.
However, his basketball game was cancelled. The school that they were to play did not feel comfortable busing their players across town because there was trouble in-between the two areas of town. The team was greatly disappointed, but they understand the reasoning behind the decision.
On another positive note, Mary Shea has decided to try out for swim team. That will happen each afternoon this week. She has enjoyed the process, but is waiting to see what all it entails. She has lots of other activities that she wouldn’t want to miss – like her own chance at basketball which starts Monday.
While the news that we are all seeing is pretty ghastly, we do not want to overlook the blessings we have received – our school and a fairly normal routine with all the activities, relative peace for the people with which we work, and a glimmer of hope in the mediation process. We also are hearing pieces of news of the individual moments of reconciliation and peace between people that are otherwise being driven to hate. Please pray that all of this continues and that this country moves toward peace – not a superficial paper or verbal agreement but a deep healing peace brought about by reconciliation in the truth of Jesus Christ between all people.
We will continue to keep you updated as we know more news. We appreciate all of your prayers and encouraging messages. Thank you for supporting us and the people here in your prayers.
Blessings,
Anne
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Tuesday, January 22nd
Sorry we have been a little slower in updating the blog the past few days. We have had lots of rain which makes our internet less reliable. We have a wireless connection to our house which works with an antenna. So, clouds and rain block the reception. Even when there has not been rain, the connection speed has been very slow. So, it has taken longer to be productive online. Someone once told me there are two speeds of internet in Kenya, slow and painfully slow. That is certainly evident this week.
It is a beautiful day today, however. We are hoping this shapes ups to be a normal week. The kids could use it, and so could we. I have had too many conversations lately that centered on the need for “normal” life to return. Many of us are being intentional about getting back into routines. Actually, Horace, Jr. had to write a poem for Language Arts with the topic of an emotion during this time frame in Kenya. He chose “Confusion,” which I think is totally appropriate.
We had some great news yesterday; Middle School Model United Nations is on schedule starting today. Horace, Jr. will be lobbying other groups for support of his resolution. His teacher cautioned them to get support based on the issues; he was instructed by his coach not to use it as an opportunity to collect phone numbers of cute girls. J Basketball is also on target for him tomorrow. Mary Shea will start her basketball next week.
Expectations are high for the arrival of Kofi Annan today. We hope and pray that some sort of agreement will be reached. There are many confusing statements in the press about what will and what will not be acceptable to both sides. We will wait and see what happens. The paper has many pages dedicated to this topic today. It seems there is a lot of discussion about the discussion.
Out of all of this controversy, it is becoming more apparent that the troubles have been brewing under the surface for quite some time. The struggles are not only between people of different people groups, but also between the rich and poor. Kenya is a country of contrasts having both abundant wealth and extreme poverty. Some have said this is mostly between the two people groups of the Presidential candidates, but there have been many more conflicts that have flared up.
In our area, we see very little of the troubles. It is difficult to believe that all of the terror has happened in the same country, let alone the same city. Just across town, it is not so settled. I received a call today from a friend asking me to be the emergency contact for her children in case she is not able to cross town to get them from school. Of course, we are glad to do it, but it is unsettling knowing that they feel the need to do this, so please pray that “the peace of the Lord which passeth all understanding” will fall on this nation. As Horace, Jr. said, “confusion” is definitely the emotion of the day.
We will do our best to update you as more news breaks.
Blessings,
Anne
It is a beautiful day today, however. We are hoping this shapes ups to be a normal week. The kids could use it, and so could we. I have had too many conversations lately that centered on the need for “normal” life to return. Many of us are being intentional about getting back into routines. Actually, Horace, Jr. had to write a poem for Language Arts with the topic of an emotion during this time frame in Kenya. He chose “Confusion,” which I think is totally appropriate.
We had some great news yesterday; Middle School Model United Nations is on schedule starting today. Horace, Jr. will be lobbying other groups for support of his resolution. His teacher cautioned them to get support based on the issues; he was instructed by his coach not to use it as an opportunity to collect phone numbers of cute girls. J Basketball is also on target for him tomorrow. Mary Shea will start her basketball next week.
Expectations are high for the arrival of Kofi Annan today. We hope and pray that some sort of agreement will be reached. There are many confusing statements in the press about what will and what will not be acceptable to both sides. We will wait and see what happens. The paper has many pages dedicated to this topic today. It seems there is a lot of discussion about the discussion.
Out of all of this controversy, it is becoming more apparent that the troubles have been brewing under the surface for quite some time. The struggles are not only between people of different people groups, but also between the rich and poor. Kenya is a country of contrasts having both abundant wealth and extreme poverty. Some have said this is mostly between the two people groups of the Presidential candidates, but there have been many more conflicts that have flared up.
In our area, we see very little of the troubles. It is difficult to believe that all of the terror has happened in the same country, let alone the same city. Just across town, it is not so settled. I received a call today from a friend asking me to be the emergency contact for her children in case she is not able to cross town to get them from school. Of course, we are glad to do it, but it is unsettling knowing that they feel the need to do this, so please pray that “the peace of the Lord which passeth all understanding” will fall on this nation. As Horace, Jr. said, “confusion” is definitely the emotion of the day.
We will do our best to update you as more news breaks.
Blessings,
Anne
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Saturday Night in Kenya again
After a turbulent week, we are now having a quiet weekend. Praise God! Friday was marred with a number of deaths at the hands of police. However, some of these “peaceful” protests got out of control, as machete wielding mobs began to attack the police, who, in turn, used full force to dispel the crowds. Near the Massai Mara game reserve, a Kikuyu village and a Massai village attacked one another. I want to stress in all of this violence, it doesn’t appear to be political. In Nairobi, most of those participating are unemployed, frustrated and angry and simply spoiling for a fight. In the rural areas, tribal tensions have festered under the surface for years, and the election was the catalyst that has allowed them to explode.
All in all, however, the size of the protests has been dramatically smaller, less than 10 percent the size of the previous week’s, and the violence has been much more sporadic. This tells me that the people are growing weary of this nonsense and want to get their lives back to normal. I know we do.
I attended the meeting with the US Ambassador yesterday. Many sources believe the counting process and the reporting of results of the election were flawed on both sides. While the US recognizes the limitations and mistakes of both sides on this issue, our home country is neutral in its choice of who it would support – this is an important point that we wish more of the Kenyan community were made aware of. There is, it seems, always blame for the US in international matters. There are Kenyans who blame the US for supporting the opposition and encouraging the trouble. The Ambassador reiterated that they are simply interested in a peaceful resolution that is crafted by Kenyans. The US and other outside interests are merely here to support a process of reconciliation between parties in Kenya. They are not here to issue orders and tell Kenyans what must be done. As it stands now, both sides have shown interest in talking but have not acted toward that. The EU Parliament has recommended suspending aid from European countries to Kenya. The US does not agree that this is necessary at this time. The Ambassador is very positive that a peaceful, political settlement will occur. Just how that will be is anybody’s guess.
The opposition has said it will be switching tactics from demonstrations to boycotting certain businesses. These are businesses which are owned by those who are close to the current government. Time will tell what effect this has on the country. There is a delegation of former Presidents of African countries here in Kenya, and the opposition met with them yesterday. Kofi Annan is due to arrive in the country Tuesday. He is recovering from the flu.
While our children did attend a few hours of school today to get some extra instruction on a few things, we will be back to a regular schedule beginning Monday. We are praying that we can get back to “normal”. Of course, all events are subject to cancellation. One area of concern in our household is, of course, sports. Basketball is back on the calendar with two games scheduled for Horace’s team. We have not received word on the Middle School Model UN.
I suppose the question is, “What will “normal” look like for us?” If this political stalemate muddles through a solution over the next several months, then sporadic violence is possible, as all parties become frustrated. However, if a negotiated settlement is reached soon, all parties will once again be forced to live with one another. Please pray for true reconciliation amongst all Kenyans.
We will keep you posted about further developments here in Kenya.
May God bless all of you.
Horace
All in all, however, the size of the protests has been dramatically smaller, less than 10 percent the size of the previous week’s, and the violence has been much more sporadic. This tells me that the people are growing weary of this nonsense and want to get their lives back to normal. I know we do.
I attended the meeting with the US Ambassador yesterday. Many sources believe the counting process and the reporting of results of the election were flawed on both sides. While the US recognizes the limitations and mistakes of both sides on this issue, our home country is neutral in its choice of who it would support – this is an important point that we wish more of the Kenyan community were made aware of. There is, it seems, always blame for the US in international matters. There are Kenyans who blame the US for supporting the opposition and encouraging the trouble. The Ambassador reiterated that they are simply interested in a peaceful resolution that is crafted by Kenyans. The US and other outside interests are merely here to support a process of reconciliation between parties in Kenya. They are not here to issue orders and tell Kenyans what must be done. As it stands now, both sides have shown interest in talking but have not acted toward that. The EU Parliament has recommended suspending aid from European countries to Kenya. The US does not agree that this is necessary at this time. The Ambassador is very positive that a peaceful, political settlement will occur. Just how that will be is anybody’s guess.
The opposition has said it will be switching tactics from demonstrations to boycotting certain businesses. These are businesses which are owned by those who are close to the current government. Time will tell what effect this has on the country. There is a delegation of former Presidents of African countries here in Kenya, and the opposition met with them yesterday. Kofi Annan is due to arrive in the country Tuesday. He is recovering from the flu.
While our children did attend a few hours of school today to get some extra instruction on a few things, we will be back to a regular schedule beginning Monday. We are praying that we can get back to “normal”. Of course, all events are subject to cancellation. One area of concern in our household is, of course, sports. Basketball is back on the calendar with two games scheduled for Horace’s team. We have not received word on the Middle School Model UN.
I suppose the question is, “What will “normal” look like for us?” If this political stalemate muddles through a solution over the next several months, then sporadic violence is possible, as all parties become frustrated. However, if a negotiated settlement is reached soon, all parties will once again be forced to live with one another. Please pray for true reconciliation amongst all Kenyans.
We will keep you posted about further developments here in Kenya.
May God bless all of you.
Horace
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Thursday, January 17th
Today was another day of protests in Nairobi. There are varying accounts of deaths being reported in Nairobi and Kisumu, but it looks like at least 6 people have died today. The numbers of people who are demonstrating seems to be smaller than previous days.
One of the more startling images that we have seen was the CNN reporter being hit with a tear gas canister as the police were trying to disperse the media from the protest area. This reporter grew up in Kenya, so it was a bit disturbing to her that all of this is going on in her homeland.
One of the more startling images that we have seen was the CNN reporter being hit with a tear gas canister as the police were trying to disperse the media from the protest area. This reporter grew up in Kenya, so it was a bit disturbing to her that all of this is going on in her homeland.
Horace joined the Anglican Diocese of Thika staff today as they loaded a truck full of supplies headed for the western part of the Rift Valley to a town called Molo. Planting Faith donated over 6,000 pounds of maize (corn) meal for the relief effort (finally, I was able to get the picture on this page - see above). Due to the generosity of donations we received in December 2007, we were able to make this purchase to assist the effort. Maize meal is a staple in the diet here, and can be quite useful to feed the displaced people who are going hungry. Water, clothing, soap, and diapers were among some of the other supplies going on the truck. Please pray for the safety of the supplies and the people accompanying the truck to its destination.
Tomorrow brings more scheduled protests. Horace will be attending a “Town Hall Meeting” tomorrow at the American Embassy. The Ambassador is scheduled to speak, and the American community is anxious to hear what he has to say.
Horace, Jr. was scheduled to be a part of the Middle School Model UN next week. He was selected as the Ambassador from Australia to the UN, and with his team had worked quite hard on a resolution that he wrote for road building in East Timor to build the infrastructure for the agriculture sector. (Do you think he is influenced from home???) Actually, we had nothing to do with the concept or planning of his resolution, and we were quite impressed with his work. In this program, the kids get to visit the UN offices here in Nairobi and debate their model resolutions. We think it will at least be postponed, but we pray that it is not cancelled. There would be many disappointed students here if that happens.
The general sentiment seems to be weariness with all of the turmoil. The majority of the people in Kenya do not wish their country to be in this condition. Everyone is ready for a normal life to pursue their work and studies. So, continue with us in persistent prayer that all will return to peace.
Blessings,
Anne
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Wednesday, January 16th
About 11 pm last night, we gave up watching the live coverage of the first meeting of Parliament since the election. They had argued over most everything that they possibly could. They did manage to elect a Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and the new members of Parliament were sworn in – after being told that they must pledge allegiance to the President – regardless of their feelings on the outcome of the election.
Although there was much debate, and it was a lengthy process, I was happy to see that it was relatively peaceful and civil. We honestly did not know what to expect from the process and were quite prepared to see the worst unfold. The clerk of Parliament made an exception to the ban on live news coverage to allow the media to carry this procedure on all three local television stations.
Today, we woke to rain. It is not expected to rain this time of year, but it poured early this morning and continued for quite some time. Our first conversation this morning was, “Could this be an answered prayer about the demonstrations?” It certainly diminished some of the numbers that were apparently planning to march. The rain, and fear, that is. It has been widely reported that people who would demonstrate with the opposition are avoiding the situations due to fear.
Demonstrations were held, however. In Nairobi, they were forced to disperse when the police used teargas. Police also shot three protesters in one of the slum areas. In Eldoret (Western Kenya), it has been reported that two people were shot by police. Mombassa (our beach town) also had a large protest rally. We witnessed none of the confrontations, but we did receive messages warning us of closure of major streets and areas of town as police attempted to break up the demonstrations.
I read an interview with the US Ambassador today in which he spelled out some of the positions the US holds regarding the election and the crisis we are currently experiencing. We had understood before that the US has long valued its relationship with Kenya as Kenya has been a force of stability in a part of the world where terrorism could otherwise run rampant – Kenya borders Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. However, one of the most interesting things that he said is that by “our” (assuming he means the US) estimation of the results of the election, it would appear that the winner probably did not win by more than 100,000 votes which is a very narrow majority. In that light, the US would like to see the two opposing parties form a solution of peace together. He also said that he feels the election process was quite well done up until the tallying procedure by the election commission.
Tomorrow, we continue the process. We are carefully waiting, listening and watching to see what unfolds. We value your prayers and pray that peace will prevail.
Until tomorrow,
Anne
Although there was much debate, and it was a lengthy process, I was happy to see that it was relatively peaceful and civil. We honestly did not know what to expect from the process and were quite prepared to see the worst unfold. The clerk of Parliament made an exception to the ban on live news coverage to allow the media to carry this procedure on all three local television stations.
Today, we woke to rain. It is not expected to rain this time of year, but it poured early this morning and continued for quite some time. Our first conversation this morning was, “Could this be an answered prayer about the demonstrations?” It certainly diminished some of the numbers that were apparently planning to march. The rain, and fear, that is. It has been widely reported that people who would demonstrate with the opposition are avoiding the situations due to fear.
Demonstrations were held, however. In Nairobi, they were forced to disperse when the police used teargas. Police also shot three protesters in one of the slum areas. In Eldoret (Western Kenya), it has been reported that two people were shot by police. Mombassa (our beach town) also had a large protest rally. We witnessed none of the confrontations, but we did receive messages warning us of closure of major streets and areas of town as police attempted to break up the demonstrations.
I read an interview with the US Ambassador today in which he spelled out some of the positions the US holds regarding the election and the crisis we are currently experiencing. We had understood before that the US has long valued its relationship with Kenya as Kenya has been a force of stability in a part of the world where terrorism could otherwise run rampant – Kenya borders Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia. However, one of the most interesting things that he said is that by “our” (assuming he means the US) estimation of the results of the election, it would appear that the winner probably did not win by more than 100,000 votes which is a very narrow majority. In that light, the US would like to see the two opposing parties form a solution of peace together. He also said that he feels the election process was quite well done up until the tallying procedure by the election commission.
Tomorrow, we continue the process. We are carefully waiting, listening and watching to see what unfolds. We value your prayers and pray that peace will prevail.
Until tomorrow,
Anne
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Tuesday, January 15th
Well, we had written a summary of today’s events, but it seems that the day is not over for the controversy.
This evening the Kenyan Parliament met for the first time after the elections. It was an interesting event. Their task was to elect a speaker. The opposition won, but only narrowly; however, that was not the real story. Why so many were concerned was that yesterday on an exclusive interview with CNN, opposition leader Raila Odinga stated that he fully intended for his party to sit on the official government side (traditionally reserved for the president’s party) rather than the opposition side. The local scuttlebutt was that it could get crazy in Parliament today. In fact, some of the roads around the city center were blocked off in anticipation. Praise God, it was not to be. Odinga and his party peacefully took a place in the official opposition’s seats and let the politics begin. Pray that this is foreshadowing of things to come. They also elected a deputy speaker. The other purpose of the gathering was to have the official swearing in of the members of Parliament. They have been meeting for about 7 or 8 hours now. It is 10:25 pm here. The debate is currently still in progress about whether the members of Parliament will pledge allegiance to the President. We do not know what the outcome will be; stay tuned, and we will add it tomorrow.
On a more negative note, however, former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan has postponed his trip to Kenya for medical reasons. He is supposed to be coming to help mediate talks between the opposition and government here, but he has been told his efforts are not necessary by at least one government minister. Please pray that the talks will continue soon.
Tomorrow the opposition is supposed to be holding mass rallies all over the country. The opposition has stated their intention to be peaceful; however, it is a real concern whether that will be the case or not. Our employee, Samson, just returned from his home in western Kenya. He was stuck there, as there were no buses running until yesterday. While he is very supportive of the opposition, he too is worried about whether the rallies will be peaceful. He told me, “These people…they have no brains. They use the demonstrations as an excuse to loot and rob.” As I’ve thought all along, the violence has not been organized (or at least not well organized). Thugs have simply used the elections as a catalyst to carry out vendettas, burn, loot and rob.
On the home front, we are taking all precautions for tomorrow. School has been cancelled; however, the kids are loaded up with work that should keep them busy pretty solidly for the next three days. The school can count these as “home school” days, so as not to be penalized at the end of the year, having to add extra days to the calendar. We all plan on staying home for the time being, but it is our prayer that the rallies will be non-events and that life will get back to normal soon. We are all certainly ready.
Please pray for peace in our adopted country Kenya; pray for reconciliation in truth amongst all Kenyans, and finally…pray that we all keep our sanity if we have to stay in the house for three days.
Blessings,
Horace
This evening the Kenyan Parliament met for the first time after the elections. It was an interesting event. Their task was to elect a speaker. The opposition won, but only narrowly; however, that was not the real story. Why so many were concerned was that yesterday on an exclusive interview with CNN, opposition leader Raila Odinga stated that he fully intended for his party to sit on the official government side (traditionally reserved for the president’s party) rather than the opposition side. The local scuttlebutt was that it could get crazy in Parliament today. In fact, some of the roads around the city center were blocked off in anticipation. Praise God, it was not to be. Odinga and his party peacefully took a place in the official opposition’s seats and let the politics begin. Pray that this is foreshadowing of things to come. They also elected a deputy speaker. The other purpose of the gathering was to have the official swearing in of the members of Parliament. They have been meeting for about 7 or 8 hours now. It is 10:25 pm here. The debate is currently still in progress about whether the members of Parliament will pledge allegiance to the President. We do not know what the outcome will be; stay tuned, and we will add it tomorrow.
On a more negative note, however, former U.N. secretary general Kofi Annan has postponed his trip to Kenya for medical reasons. He is supposed to be coming to help mediate talks between the opposition and government here, but he has been told his efforts are not necessary by at least one government minister. Please pray that the talks will continue soon.
Tomorrow the opposition is supposed to be holding mass rallies all over the country. The opposition has stated their intention to be peaceful; however, it is a real concern whether that will be the case or not. Our employee, Samson, just returned from his home in western Kenya. He was stuck there, as there were no buses running until yesterday. While he is very supportive of the opposition, he too is worried about whether the rallies will be peaceful. He told me, “These people…they have no brains. They use the demonstrations as an excuse to loot and rob.” As I’ve thought all along, the violence has not been organized (or at least not well organized). Thugs have simply used the elections as a catalyst to carry out vendettas, burn, loot and rob.
On the home front, we are taking all precautions for tomorrow. School has been cancelled; however, the kids are loaded up with work that should keep them busy pretty solidly for the next three days. The school can count these as “home school” days, so as not to be penalized at the end of the year, having to add extra days to the calendar. We all plan on staying home for the time being, but it is our prayer that the rallies will be non-events and that life will get back to normal soon. We are all certainly ready.
Please pray for peace in our adopted country Kenya; pray for reconciliation in truth amongst all Kenyans, and finally…pray that we all keep our sanity if we have to stay in the house for three days.
Blessings,
Horace
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