Has Kibera Come of Age?

 Kibera, one of the hotspots of 2008 post-election violence, is currently experiencing delicate peace. Anxiety and restlessness among the residents of Kibera is evident owing to the delayed presidential poll results. The community is awash with rumours of the vote tallying irregularities at the national tallying centre based at Bomas of Kenya.  The reality on the ground however, is that the calm situation can only be maintained a little longer. As late as yesterday, there were anomalies with the electronic tallying of votes and the commission chair declared that they shall resort to manual tallying of votes. This made the anxiety among the youth to increase. Someone might not easily notice tension but it is easy to see that the youth might just be waiting for a trigger to call them to action.

Meanwhile, the living condition in Kibera is also becoming unbearable. There is unavailability of basic commodities like food and fuel. The shopkeepers have decided to be cautious and are rarely opening their shops.  The few shops which are open are selling the foodstuff at high prices, perhaps caused by the increasing demand for goods which are scarce. The verandas of most shops have been turned into places of social chatter where different youth groups sit down and discuss the results as they are tallied at the National Tallying Centre.

There are also some youth groupings who insist that if the election results won't be favourable to any of the coalition then the best alternative to solve the dispute should be the law courts. These youth are convinced that Kenya has matured enough to avoid violence because of political competition. However, the most important thing noticed is that the residents of Kibera and the Kenyans at large hope for a violence free elections. Even though the vote tallying is slow and Kenyans and Kibera residents are slowly losing patience with the electoral body, the sense of maturity and tolerance being experienced in Kibera has never been witnessed before in any Kenyan election history. To this end, could Kibera residents and Kenyans generally be coming of age?  

This is what can be done

There is a time in everybody's life when things do not happen the way they should. This is a fact of life. Winners will tell you that at some point they lost, during the real event or during practice. Kenyans are right now glued to their television and radio stations as well as social sites, taking in the election results as they are being relayed by IEBC from the national tallying centre, Bomas of Kenya. Though the exercise is far from complete, there are emerging leaders. So far the candidates that have received majority of the votes are Raila Odinga of CORD and Uhuru Kenyatta from Jubilee. Kenyans are taking the results with mixed feelings; others are in celebratory mood as others remain expectant of the votes that are yet to be counted. It is however a fact that at the end of the day, there will be a winner and a loser despite anybody's preference. 

Keeping calm and reasonable is the first step that you as Kenyan should take. Remember that everybody has the right to elect a leader of their choice and this right is protected by the constitution. It is very reasonable  to shout for joy when your preferred candidate has won. it is even interesting to cap it all with a jig! However, be careful not to act in a manner liable to demoralize people that support the opposing candidate. This can simply be achieved if you refrain from sentiments bordering on insults or singing songs with derogatory words. Do not in any way imply that the winners tribe is more superior than the candidates that have lost. Conduct yourself with utmost decorum. 

There post election violence of 2007/8 is still fresh in peoples mind. It takes peoples minds back to the real scene when there is a presence of groups of young men on the streets conversing in low tones. the fact can even be aggravated if the conversations are held in mother-tongues. Do not engage in contentious group chitchat about the elections. More so, stay away from groups that talk about refusing the outcome of the elections or claiming that the IEBC is biased. As a responsible Kenyan commit to keeping peace by not engaging in propaganda or hate speech. Report plans of attacks against certain groups based on their tribe or choice of leader.

There might be technical hitches either from the tallying stations, the national tallying center or even from the media houses. Use hotlines that have been provided by the IEBC, email or post comments on their social sites. You can as well use the police hotlines in case there is violence.  The IEBC hotline is  0800 720002 the police Hotline is 0736350100 (central police station). 

Most importantly, talk to women, mothers, business men and ordinary citizens who seems to be the most vulnerable in the society and yearns for a caring person. People want the elections to run smoothly, get  responsible leaders so that their life can continue. Be part of the people that make this happen by remaining peaceful and urging friends and neighbors to keep peace and address their concerns to the relevant authorities during this expectant period. 

Written by Caroline Chencha and Ramogi Osewe

This project is funded by the European Union

Kibra goes to polls

Voters wait to cast their ballot at 42 terminus polling station

Today Kenya decides on the leaders that she wants. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Committee reports that there around 14 million people who are registered as voters and were expected to vote today. In Kibra constituency, there was a huge voter turnout with many of them reporting at polling stations as early as 4 o’clock in the morning, eager to exercise their civic right and duty.  “Supporters of political parties were waking up people at 3am by blowing whistles and vuvuzelas,” explained Karen, a 26 year old voter at DC grounds. This was also witnessed by members of the Action Inter-Ethnic Youth Dialogue and Reconciliation Project who were on the ground monitoring potential peace threats in Kibra.

long queue at Olympic Primary School polling station

The team reported long queues at polling stations. Olympic Primary School, DC grounds, Toi Primary and Shadrack Kimalel Primary School had exceptionally long queues. Voters complained of slow moving lines and occasionally asked the IEBC officials to speed up the process. However, despite the low-toned complains, relative calm prevailed.

 Tension arose at 42 terminus polling station when the Biometric Voter Registration kit went low on power and went off. The voters started complaining to the IEBC officials suspicious of what was happening. However, an IEBC official explained that they had power reserve and went ahead to equip the BVR kit with a charged battery reserve.  The exercise resumed shortly after that with voters satisfied with the quick response by the IEBC officials.

A similar event was witnessed at Joseph Kangethe Polling Centre. The use of manual registers made the process slower at this particular polling station and the officer had to come in. “Please be patient as you queue and cooperate with us. We have resorted to using the manual register but be assured that all of you will vote,” urged an IEBC official at Joseph Kangethe.  On the other hand, Pentecostal Assemblies of God polling station in Gatwekera had already finished voting by 2pm.  

Security has been tightened in Kibera with Police prison wardens patrolling the villages. General Service Unit officers stood guard at the polling stations ensuring that there was order and the votes were secure. Many shops remained closed with the absence of women and children being noted on the streets of Kibera, especially at Lindi village. “We have to go back home as soon as we have cast our votes to take care of our children and also to be safe in case anything happens,’’ said Linet,  a voter at Lindi. Youth are also seen walking in groups and conversing in low tones as they anticipate the results of the elections.

So far the Action Inter-Ethnic Youth Dialogue and Peaceful Reconciliation believe that the Kibera citizens have tried to accommodate each other in this election. There has been no noted tension and even shops remained close not because of tension but because people were going to vote. The level of tolerance is what the Kibera citizens need. 

Report compiled by Caroline Chencha 

This project has been funded by the European union 

Kibera Pre-Election Conference

Youth Kibra are demanding that all political aspirants should sign the election code of conduct which requires them to carry out peaceful campaigns. In a pre- election conference attended by four MP aspirants in Kibra constituency, the youth claimed that politicians take advantage of their joblessness by giving them money in exchange for blocking other aspirants from specific villages in kibera.  Politicians are the ones that have the power to instruct their groups to either remain peaceful or cause chaos, let them show their commitment to peace by signing the election code of conduct,” said Nancy Moraa, a 27 year old person with disability living in Kibera.

The conference which was organised by the “Action Inter-Ethnic Youth Peaceful and Reconciliation Project” was meant to give a platform for the youth living in Kibera to share their concerns on the oncoming general elections specifically on threats to peace and suggest how these threats could be eliminated. It was attended by a representative of the district peace committee, Kibra constituency National Assembly aspirants, The Standard Group, Radio Africa, Royal Media Group, Seeds of peace Africa and Amani Kibera Initiative and youth from Kibera.

Among the threats the youth identified are political youth groupings, politicians giving out money ranging from 50 to 1000 shillings, joblessness, interparty intolerance and increase of guns in Kibera. “Four weeks ago, a woman’s house was almost burnt because she did not support an aspirant from her own community. We allow ourselves to become too attached to political parties to the extent that we can kill people just because they are wearing a T-shirt belonging to a party that we do not support,” remarked Caroline. “Our children carrying guns, our very own sons are stealing from the women selling on the streets,” added Khadija.

Fredrick Amayo, Sigar James, Ndura Waruingi and Taib Noordine who are among the six Kibra aspirants for the Nationa Assembly  vowed to carry out peaceful campaigns and accept the results of the elections. ‘’I have nothing wrong against my brother sigar and all the other aspirants. Given a neutral organising entity  I am willing to take part in a campaign,’’ stated Fredrick Amayo. The aspirants greeted each in a bid to display unity despite vying for the same

Press Statement on nomination skirmishes 25th January 2013

“The Action Inter-Ethnic Youth Dialogue and Peaceful Reconciliation Project-Kibera”

Press Statement on the just concluded Party Primaries.

We, the members of “The Action Inter-Ethnic Youth Dialogue and Peaceful Reconciliation” popularly known as the Kibera Peace Initiative, wish to express our concern about the violence which broke out during the recent party nomination exercise that took place on 17^th January 2013, and later led to loss of property  in some parts of Kibra Constituency.

We have established that more violence was linked to the ODM party nominations for various posts within Kibra constituency between supporters of different candidates in the said nominations. It was evident that, either ODM party was not adequately prepared for the exercise or did not accord it the seriousness it deserved and on the same breadth underestimated the people’s reaction and its impact on the peaceful co-existence among the people of Kibra constituency.

Most polling stations received the ballot boxes late and consequently voting commenced late and as a result, many voters did not cast their votes. Under the guise of darkness, some voters voted repeatedly, defeating the whole purpose for a fair election. This situation rendered some aspirants helpless and hence developed the feeling that the nominations were perhaps tailored to favour certain candidates. The only solution for some candidates at that time, was to use their supporters to keep vigil over the whole nomination exercise and in the process there was widespread tension, intimidation and chaos from the supporters of rival candidates both parliamentary and county assembly, that eventually turned violent.

In some polling stations, voting did not take place totally, but results were announced. The voters felt betrayed beyond restraint. Some aggrieved candidates also receded to the powers of their supporters to enable them air their grievances to the party headquarters that appeared impervious to formal petitions, resulting in violent protests and destruction of property. The situation was further aggravated by the fact that media; print, electronic and social were awash with the news of nomination linked protests in different parts of the country. While Kibera was experiencing delays in elections, other parts of the country were already contesting results from the bungled nominations across the country.

Social media was also awash with perceived winners and losers, further worsening the already delicate situation. Worse still, ODM party did not take the lead to appeal for calm among to its supporters. Voters in Kibra constituency may have read mischief in the on-goings and resorted to the only way they thought they could be heard and by the time the leaders reacted, it was too late, the tension had already tipped into violence.   

Children in Kibera express their concerns over peace in the coming elections

Students’ leaders in the entire Kibera population have added their voices to the need for peaceful elections during the fourth coming general elections in Kenya. In an event organised by the Action Inter Ethnic- Youth Dialogue and Peaceful Reconciliation Project, a partner project by Umande Trust, Sustainable Energy and nine youth organisations in Kibera and funded by the European Union; students leaders all over Kibera came together on the 22^nd of February 2013 at Salvation Army in Kianda. The meeting dubbed school students symposium was organised with the aim of providing a platform where the peace concerns of the children in Kibera can be heard and action be taken especially during the election period. This was organised considering that children stand to suffer when there is violence in the community. As it is, schools will be closed during the election week. 

The round-table talks that were later punctuated with a session on public speaking on the role of Kibera students leaders in peace building saw the students identify issues such as trends, ethnicity, territorial disputes and common accepted stereotypes and dangerous emerging youth culture contribute a lot to the insecurity among the students and this is always translated to the community as a whole. The student leaders generally agreed that youth form trends such as substance abuse to look cool among their peers but this in the long run can create dependent youth who resort to stealing to maintain this lifestyle. “It is always easy to start drinking and smoking because your friends provide the stuff in the early stages but after addiction, you need to buy your own. Most students resort to dangerous ways like stealing, sometimes violently, and this compromise the peace situation in Kibera,” One student said at the conference.

In identifying these issues, the young leaders majorly agreed that these peace threats can be associated by the peer pressure that is very common in the schools for nobody want to fail to get recognized by friends. The head prefect from Nairobi Day School summed it such: “There is a general dangerous trend emerging across the Kibera schools. Young boys are recruited in community gangs and introduced to illegal activities by those they consider friends in the school. It is no longer fashionable to be disciplined in school. The order of the day is to see young students defying simple instructions and thus ending up either causing trouble in the community or falling victims to circumstances within their control. The bottom line is negative peer pressure. If students desist from this then we shall see a different Kibera.” It is from this background that then the students looked at possible ways of changing the situation.

From most of the deliberations presented, there was a general belief that students can start by understanding and inculcating the basic tenets of morals that in the long run can contribute to the peace agenda in Kibera. It was interesting to note that all the students who contributed to the debate knew the importance of morals such as discipline, self control and compassion for your neighbour. The student leaders created the belief and conviction that the community needed each person’s contribution towards the realization of a peaceful and safe Kibera. To start with, they accepted to be commissioned as peace mentors and promised to mentor the other students in school so as to offer the link between nurturing young leadership towards peace building in Kibera. The students too took a pledge to keep the peace alive in Kibera.

By Ramogi Osewe

Instead of whistles and blaring music, listen to us

Are you an aspiring candidate? Read this letter drafted by youth in Kibera. The youth opted to write an open letter to all aspirants in the coming general elections hoping to get their voice heard by the aspiring candidates. "We are tired of being subjected to blaring music, deafening whistles and endless meetings when the candidates are carrying out their campaigns. We want a leader who is available and listens to us," urged 21 years old Jane Mwikali, a resident of soweto East Village in Kibera. Read on especially if you are an aspirant in Kibra constituency.

 To our leader, the upcoming president, We as the people of Kibera humbly write this letter to inform you of what we as the community need; and please hear our grievances. We would like to have peace because the post- election violence really affected us and it brought loss of lives, displacements and loss of property; therefore we think that it is a high time for you to take full responsibilities. Insecurity being the second most important issue here in Kibera, we hope and trust that you will play a crucial role in ensuring that there is security in this area. In terms of development, we would like to get infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and training institutes. This will help us, the members of this community. We call upon you to work hand in hand with the community now that we are the people who will elect you. We want a leader who will fulfill his promises and is willing to work with the community and also a leader who is transparent. We hope that you will create employment to the youth as this will reduce crimes and drug addictions and proper sanitation. Lastly, we hope that you will not be corrupt and be a good example to other leaders in government. Thank you.

 Yours faithfully,
 Ruth Kioko
 Philip
Jane Mwikali