We’re going to be broadcasting from a neighbourhood of Kibera called Olympic. It witnessed some of the worst violence anywhere in the country after the election. Kibera is one of Africa’s biggest and poorest slums so visiting it for the first time was always going to be a sobering experience. The visible and shocking scars of January’s post-election violence made it much more so. You can see pictures of our venue here.
Churches are burnt out, whole streets of stalls made of corrugated iron and wood have had to be rebuilt, shopping arcades are just blackened shells with nothing but their signs left. People were killed for their political and tribal allegiances and many more left and have not come back.
One of the hundreds of houses that were destroyed stands next to the offices of a small NGO here in Olympic. It belongs to a Kikuyu man (the tribe of President Kibaki), and was attacked by those angered that Raila Odinga had not been proclaimed President. The owner hasn’t been back, but it would break his heart if he did ever come.
The roof is gone, the walls have been partially knocked down and bear the marks of a fire that must have spread throughout. Even the toilet has been smashed right down where its base sits in the concrete floor. There aren’t many personal effects which suggest the owner knew what was coming, but hanging from one damaged window frame is a jacket. It’s an important reminder that what looks like a dilapidated old house was someone’s home until recently.
On Wednesday, Kenya’s commission into the post election violence begins. It will hear the testimonies of hundreds of Kenyans who were affected by or involved in the violence. The country wants to establish what happened and perhaps even more important to understand it as well. On a far smaller scale we’re going to try and do the same today.
We’re going to sit in what once was a family living room, and talk with people from Olympic about what they saw, what they did and how they felt during those weeks after the election. If you have any questions or comments for them, please post them here.
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Kibera Slums is the biggest and the poorest slum in Africa! People there live in extreme poverty,imagine life without food,water,electricity and proper shelter people here live in house made of carton boxes,metal scrapes,and grass.the hygenic conditions here is the poorest and unimaginable!,people eat anything that they come across.
The slums was worsened by the Elections Violence as the Kikuyu’s (president Kibaki’s tribe) and Luo’s ( Prime Minister’s Rails Tribe) who once lived in peace have to fight each other and kill one a nother!,
KENYAN”S ELECTION VIOLENCE VIDEO CLIPS TO ALL WHYS LISTNERS ACROSS THE GLOBE!
If you’r truly a patriotic citizen do pray to God that what had happened to my country will never happen to your’s.After watching this video clips tell me if you feel their is justice in this world!
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There is no justice in Kenya!and in Africa in Britain and the USA if one person is killed the killer is brought before a court of law but in Kenya be responsible for the death of over 1,200 and you will be rewarded with a promotion!..Oh God why can’t you speak?
The Kenyan problem was and is extremely simple – the incumbent President frauded the Election. So long as the world is using election systems which are 500 years old every election in the world is wide open to fraud. There exists since 2006 a voting system which is specially designed for the 3rd world, and indeed for extreme cases like Nigeria and Zimbabwe, but the West has point-blank refused to entertain this system, describing it as ‘dangerous’. If it is any consolation, the Chinese have used the same wording. I took this system to ECK in May 2007, we had discussions, but they stated in the end that ‘it is already too late to utilise this system for December 2007′. In fact that was not correct, but maybe it was an indication that ECK suspected they would be instructed to fraud the election. This system would also have avoided the double-fiasco and the present impasse in Zimbabwe. Why does the West refuse? It is a question of the bottom line – money, resources, stability – for every 3 anti-western dictatorships in Africa there are 47 pro-western dictatorships which would be displaced by an unfraudable voting system. The eloquence of Condoleca Rice at the Lebanon Reconstruction Conference early in 2007 is worth nothing in the face of the hard men at Foggy Bottom, Whitehall and the Elysee Palace. In fact the politicians are not truly in charge of this global opposition to the enforcement of democracy – the civil servants and commercial interests are in charge. Mr Alex Weir, Harare, Aleppo and London
I will certainly be listening in today to hear first hand accounts and thoughts.
Stay safe!
Is Kibera representative of Kenya,what is it about slums that are so attractive to broadcaters.Pitch up in Nairobi head for the slum,it,the largest in Africa,land in Bombay head for the largest slum in Asia Dharavi.(jill mcgivering)
You even did a few broadcasts from Glasgow recently .
I do not understand how people can liver in such places without taking some action to better their lives. If that means a revolt and overthrowing those in charge, then it should be done. People standing still and living through such life is depressing to read, watch, or hear.
People need to united together and make a stand otherwise nothing will change. I know it’s a hard thing to do but eventually something needs to happen. Powerful, developed nations do not care about anything occurring n Africa and that is shame. There is little choice in these instances and I hope things can improve somehow.
Great stuff as always, brining significant issues to the forefront.
What can be done to help the people of the Olympic neighbourhood rebuild their lives? What kinds of businesses, social centres, community projects, etc. do you think should be established or re-established? What can the people of the neighbourhood do to make it happen? What kind of help would you need from neighbouring communities? The Kenyan government? People around the world? What do you miss the most about your neighbourhood as it was before the violence broke out? What is your vision of the future of your neighbourhood?
[quote Alex Weir ]In fact the politicians are not truly in charge of this global opposition to the enforcement of democracy – the civil servants and commercial interests are in charge. Mr Alex Weir, Harare, Aleppo and London[/quote]
There should be no “enforcement” of democracy. Every nation should be responsible for itself. The involvement of the US in everyone’s business is the cause of many problems in the world.
I am with WHYS team here is nairobi and i witnessed the killings and even saw one man dangling the head of a dead person on a machete. It was so awful and i wont forget. Vijay slums are representative enough. Its very hard to find foreighners in slums. So its representative
Hi my dearest Ros, and a very big Salaam from Baghdad to your Kenyan audiance… I do have some questions to you guys : At the moment, is anyone of you guys ready or willing to make friendships or even get married to people of a different tribe from his /hers ?! Has anyone of you guys had to break his/her friendship with or even divorce his/her husband/wife who belongs to a different tribe because of the post-elections violence ?! All the very best to you guys and please you all stay safe ok ?! With my love.. Yours forever, Lubna..
There should be no “enforcement” of democracy. Every nation should be responsible for itself. The involvement of the US in everyone’s business is the cause of many problems in the world.
Apologies to dretceterini and indeed to everyone for my unfortunate use of language – this is not enforcement of democracy on to the population – this is enforcement on to the presidents who steal huge amounts of money and resources from their own people, in collaboration with foreign diplomats, foreign politicians, and foreign commercial interests.
Alex Weir, Harare, Aleppo and London
Have any of the people that were doing the killing been prosecuted?
Viresh in the US
I was born in Nairobi in 1968. I now live in San Francisco. I still consider Kenya my home and am heart broken to hear about the violence and current situation. Please – lets find a way to live together and embrace our differences.
Terrible stories. Do you think the violence was spontaneous? Or was it organized?
Robert in London
My name is Kiplangat Too, I am a Kenyan currently living in Poland. The violence that erupted in Kenyan was brought about by the pre-existing tribal tensions. Politicians reward people from their own ethnic community thus people vote for their own. We need to vote on merit and speak the national language swahili or english. Moreso I believe there will be cohesion when rampant poverty is alleviated.
It is one thing to justify such destruction as frustration towards the government, but how can you justify mindless vandalism and destruction of fellow Kenyan’s home as frustration towards the government. There is none. How does burning a person’s home down further any cause?
Andrew in Australia
You know what World Have Your Say should do? Merge with “Africa Have Your Say”. That’s all people here seem to talk about nowadays. Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Kenya, Zimbabwe. Are there not enough real issues in the world which we can discuss? Is the world not threantened by Islamo-fascism? Is the economy not in recession? Anyone who tries to suggest other topics for discussion are promptly ignored, and either Africa is discussed or “Men’s Biological Clocks” or women’s clothing. Enough already! Has the BBC devolved into a sensationalist pamphlet published in the Olympic slum?
Thanks to all the Kenyans for sharing their stories. It’s horrible, my prayers and thoughts are with all of you.
The people of Kenya have the government they are willing to tolerate. If they wanted things to be different, it is within their power. Obviously, most of the people do not want things to be different, they just want their tribe to be in power.
g
Zimbabwe situation is completely different from Kenya – the Zimbabwe violence is the Government against the People – pure and simple – Mugabe is even killing Shona – his own people…
Alex Weir
Harare, Aleppo and London
The Zimbabwe violence is the Government against the People – pure and simple – Mugabe is even killing Shona – his own people…
Alex
Harare, Aleppo and London
Stay safe Ros and the rest of the team in Nairobi…..
Dennis
Onondaga Community College
Syracuse, New York
United States of America