Kibera Slum After the Election

On March 4^th, Kenyan people across the country queued in long lines to cast vote.  As the official results of the Presidential race has not yet been declared, Kenyans are now patiently waiting for the official announcement on who is going to become their 4^th President.  But as a tallying process prolongs, there are some signs that people’s living conditions in so-called hot spots are tightening up.

Three days after the general election, I visited Kibera slum, which blew up during the 2007/2008 post-election violence.  Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and it is a melting pot of different tribes.  For example, people of Kikuyu, which is Kenya’s largest tribe, live next to Luo people, and the two tribes have been contesting for the Presidential seat in this election; Prime Minister Odinga is from Luo, while Vice Prime Minister Kenyatta is from Kikuyu.  Orange campaign posters for PM Odinga are ubiquitous in Luo-dominant areas in Kibera slum, while Mr. Kenyatta’s red leaflets can be found in every corner of the opposite side of the slum.  As Kenyan people have tended to vote along tribal lines, the tribally mixed slum became one of the sites of the appalling post-election tragedy.

As the 2007/2008 experience still remains a fresh memory, slum dwellers in Kibera have not yet returned to work, taking precautionary measures.  When I visited the slum on 7th, almost 80% of the shops and street vendors in some areas had been closed since the election day.  Even if people open their shops, it is not easy to earn their living.  Households have restrained their consumption in fear of emergency, and customers have not come back yet.  “I am thinking of closing my shop again because there are no customers,” said a lady who stood sadly in front of her rotting tomatoes. 

Higher wholesale prices due to less production raised the overall price level in the slum.  A distribution system has posed another challenge.  Trucks with fruits and vegetables usually come to the slum every day, but the service has been suspended.  As the demand exceeds the supply, prices of food, water and other commodities have gone up by the factor of two to three.  Charcoals, which are basic commodities for the people in the slum, were also sold at higher prices.  “I usually sell one bucket of charcoals at KSh 40, but now I’m asking customers to pay 70,” said a man on the street. 

In sum, their financial inflow has been suspended, while their outflow has increased tremendously.  For those who are living from hand to mouth, such a situation imposes an enormous pressure.  “I have four children, but now, the price of milk is higher, water is higher, and I can no longer afford living here.  I’m taking my children back to my hometown in Kisumu,” said a lady who had not had breakfasts for days.

Once the election results are confirmed peacefully, people will soon return to their ordinary life.  Kenyan people have learnt from their bitter experience how important peace is.  I hope Nairobi would come back to life soon.

48 Hours Before the General Election

Kenya will have a general election for the first time since the 2007/2008 post-election violence in less than 48 hours, and people’s mood here in Nairobi is mixed.  For some, the election is a festive event.  Today I saw some excited young people singing songs together on the street.  But for some, it is a source of anxiety.  When I went for a grocery shopping at 10am this morning, there was already a long line at the register.  It was interesting to see each Kenyan queued with two to three huge carts whereas Westerners waited impatiently with only one cart per person (of course Kenyans generally have larger families than Westerners).  Some daily stuff, like 5-liter water bottles, went out of stock quickly. But the situation is not as serious as to raise the price level.

Such anxieties are well understandable.  More than 1000 people were killed and around 0.6 million lost their homes after the last election.  In December 2007, the voting itself was conducted peacefully.  It was after vote counting started when the peaceful atmosphere suddenly changed.  After people started questioning the results, the violence spiraled out of control just like a wild fire.  Kenyans paid the high price.

President Kibaki called for peace during the election. (Source: KBC)

This time, many people are preaching peace, from young to old, from laymen to religious leaders, and from big names to street beggars.  Yesterday, President Kibaki appeared on Kenya’s national TV and asked Kenyans not to pick up arms.  The eight Presidential candidates pledged for peace during the historic presidential debate conducted for the first time since the independence.  Peace concerts and rallies have been taking place across Nairobi in the past several weeks.

The vote is mightier than the sword.  Let’s hope that Kenyans will show the international community that it is undeniably the leader and role model of East Africa with a free, fair, credible, and peaceful election.