Daniel Checks In

Kenya is on the brink of Civil War. I have heard from a couple of my friends over there. Miriam is a teacher who was boarded up in her home when I spoke to her. She's afraid to leave the house or even to talk on the phone.There is terror in this usually outspoken woman as she tells me only prayers will help them now. We have lost 2 children, 1 teacher and 2 grandmothers from our program.They were killed in the rioting over the weekend.
Odinga is going ahead with his rally in Uhuru Park in Nairobi. Ostensibly it's going to be a call for peace, but I'm pretty certain (along with most folks) that it's going to be the beginning of Civil War. Odinga is a Luo and they lost to Kibeki (a Kikuyu). The hatred is spectacular and it all goes back to circumcision.The Kikuyu's are the Luo's aren't and so that leads to descriptions of tribal attributes based on a flap of skin. Make no mistake, they really believe what they say about each other and it will probably spill over in a few hours.
My friend Daniel is still alive. I've got his latest article here. As long as he's publishing, I know he's ok. He has seen so much in his young life, but I believe he was born for this job. I pray he lives long enough to enjoy a small part of it.
The following is his report from the Nation Newspaper published a couple of hours ago.
NEWS

Police escort families out of clash-torn areas

Story by DANIEL OTIENO
Publication Date: 1/3/2008

Police were Wednesday assisting families displaced by post-election violence in Kisumu Town to exit safely.

Nyanza provincial police boss Grace Kaindi said she could not confirm the number of the displaced persons, as all they were doing was to provide security for convoys through the turbulent sections of the road.

On Tuesday night, police escorting a lorry ferrying displaced persons shot two people, killing one of them instantly at Katito in Nyando District.

Road blocks

Police sources said the two were in a group of people who erected barriers on the road and threatened to burn the lorry that was headed for Kisii Town.

Drivers plying the Kisumu-Kisii and Kisumu-Kericho roads reported roadblocks erected by gangs who were demanding cash.

The night also witnessed a heavy police presence in the town.

A trail of death and destruction is still haunting Kisumu, with several families still seeking refuge in police station compounds.

At the Kisumu airport, many families waited for the better part of the day for a plane out of the town.

Meanwhile, a state of uncertainty remained, as vehicle owners kept off the roads either for fear of their security or for lack of fuel.

Wednesday ought to have been a working day, but most public and private offices remained closed, as most people who travelled to their villages for the festivities failed to make it back.

Although hundreds of residents flocked the town following re-opening of two supermarkets, there were still many police officers manning all major entry and exit points.

Running out of cash

Many witnessed for the first time what remained of the once serene atmosphere, which now had all the signs of a city rising from war.

Major shops were shuttered and the banks’ automated teller machines started running out of cash.

Hospitals were discharging patients who could take their medication at home, to create room for the critically injured.