Comments on: What’s Next for Kenya?

By: Kenya Security Situation

Kenya Security Situation — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:48:21 +0000

I found your blog post via Google blog search while searching for kenya security situation and your post regarding “What’s Next for Kenya?” looks very interesting to me and it is also very creative. I have an travel website of my own and I must say that your blog is really good. Keep up the great work on a really high class resource.

On resumption of talks led by Kofi Anan, President Mwai Kibaki ruled out the possibility of accepting any deal that cannot be accommodated in the current constitution. The opposition have been pushing for the amendment of the country’s constitution to create the position of an executive prime minister to be in charge of government while the president retains the head of state status. The prime minister’s position would be taken by Hon Raila Odinga.

By: Aric in America

Aric in America — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:32:35 +0000

I found this blog by accident via MetaFilter and I just read all our your posts
and this line from the first post struck me “We challenge, over and over again, with increasing weariness, the international media coverage that presents this as “tribal warfare”, “ethnic conflict”, for an audience that visualises Africa through Hollywood: Hotel Rwanda, The Last King of Scotland, Blood Diamond”
I can tell you that as an American the continent of Africa in our news has never been
summed up so well in a single quote. Don’t know what else to say…I hope the people of
Kenya know freedom someday, it seems they more than deserve it. On a side note I
cannot imagine 65 % of the American voting public, it is amazing how much freedom we have
and how few of us actually give a shit.

By: Update « A Political Mugging in God’s Own Country

Update « A Political Mugging in God’s Own Country — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:22:25 +0000

[...] trading town in western Kenya an MP Lorna Laboso visited the scenes of the recent battle between Kisiis and Kalenjins. “The police are killing people, right left and centre instead of protecting them and their [...]

By: mwik

mwik — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:03:37 +0000

but its not Maasai/Kikuyu clashes this time but Maasai/Kalenjin. Somewhere there are some Kalenjin telling the media this is their ancestral land b/c I’ve seen it elsewhere. of course, maybe they did get as far as Nakuru before the Maasai moved down from the Sudan and moved them out. But then they’d have to be killing the Maasai. another moment where its gets couched in ethnic mythology but its really more economics and land played out in ethnic politics.

it hurts.

By: a.m.

a.m. — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:53:22 +0000

I too think that the Rift Valley is mostly Maasai, up to Nakuru. But, we know that the Maasai have in their cultural mythologies an ancient struggle with agrarian tribes, including the Kikuyu, so there must have been overlap. I am reminded of the Masaai creation myth, that they came down from heaven on a road of cattle skins into the Rift Valley, and that all the cattle in the world belonged to them. It was just a matter of taking them back.

I was born on the edge of the Rift Valley during the Kikuyu oathing that was taking place back in the early ’70′s. Then Kikuyus were rounding other Kikuyu men up at night and forcing them in ceremonies to make blood oaths in service to Kikuyu dominance throughout Kenya.

By: mwik

mwik — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:27:46 +0000

I’m continually confused by the reference to the Rift Valley as ancestral Kalenjin land–wasn’t it Maasai? at least up to Nakuru?

By: kenn

kenn — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:52:54 +0000

its interesting that you mentioned that Jomo Kenyatta gave Rift Valley land to fellow kikuyus. u forget that MOI- A KALENJIN!! ruled Kenya for two decades. He had the opportunity to right the perceived wrong but did not. Its convenient to blame the Kikuyu for all Kalenjin problems just like in Africa we all blame the “white man” for all African ills. Even after they all get their “ancestral lands” back” in 10 years they’l sell it to outsiders.

By: Kenyan Pundit » Quick Hits - Feb 11

Kenyan Pundit » Quick Hits - Feb 11 — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:08:04 +0000

[...] – All might be calm in Nairobi, but there are indications that the violence might be far from over elsewhere. [...]