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On the ground in Kenya

Posted at 11:10 AM on January 2, 2008 by Bob Collins (1 Comments)

One of Africa's most stable countries has become unstable. Rioting and a massacre in a church have dominated the international news.

I'm interested in talking to Kenyans in Minnesota who may have a connection (family etc.) back in the country. I'm also interested in talking to Minnesotans who have worked or lived in Kenya, to help us put a personal face on the situation. Please contact me via e-mail.

Note also that Kenyans in Minnesota are rallying at the Capitol at noon, calling for an end to the violence.

We're monitoring several blogs for a better sense of what's happening in the country.

White African, for example, details the value of the Internet at times such as this:

First, though the internet is good for us in the diaspora and a few in Kenya, it just doesn’t have the reach to the wananchi (average citizen) in Kenya. The government knows that shutting down radio, TV and print is still the most effective way to squash news.

At Kenyan Pundit, Ory Okolloh writes:

Been watching footage of the situation in Eldoret and keep wondering where the police, military are? You can’t get access to city mortuary because there are like 60 guys guarding it, but vigilantes have set up 30 roadblocks on the Eldoret road - what the hell is going on?

For images from Kenya -- and, yes, they are disturbing. Be forewarned. -- see the Insight Kenya blog. It's operated by Joseph Karoki, who set it up immediately after the elections there. He is updating it several times an hour.

Mental Acrobatics, described as "the personal blog of a Kenyan patriot, African man, citizen of the world," has been mentioned by several ex-pats of Kenya as a source they're using to stay in touch.

Eldoret, ladies and gentlemen, things are very very bad in Eldoret. Homes being raided. Churches being burnt. Shops being looted. Murder and rape in broad daylight. Ethnic groups after each other. Let me tell you this is much much bigger than Kikuyu –v- Luo. Pamoja.

Be sure to read the comments attached to that post.

There are also a wide range of images on Flickr.

Update 6:29 p.m. As I was about to leave for the day, I got an e-mail from Julia Opoti in Minneapolis:

I am one of the founders and an editor with kenyaImagine, a Kenya opinion and analysis weblog. I live in Mn, but our writers are Kenyans from all over the world. Over the last couple of days, I have been keeping a live blog (the articles with *) on the events going on in Kenya.

Looking forward to hearing from you
Julia

It is really an outstanding Web site and one I hope to peruse in great detail.

(Photo: Tony Karumba/AFP/Getty Images)

Comments (1)

I just wanted to comment on this story.

We keep listening and watching what is happening on the ground but, I believe all this is not coincidence. Go to www.youtube.com and you will find a lot of whats happening is an old rhetoric from the campaigns, About Majimboism, Giving land back etc. Someone needs to call a spade a spade and stop playing the 'political correctness" here. ODM and Raila have this thing planned to the down tot he wire. Just go do a search on you tube and see whats happening now.

If thats too much truth to handle. Explain this how did 1000 armed man gather at Baraton University demanding the lives of some specific tribes in hours. Link

All this was premeditated violence and ethnic cleansing and Raila needs to face the music for it after they settle these elections rigging (both PNU & ODM).

Time will tell as the truth comes out.

Peace

Posted by Common Sense | January 6, 2008 9:39 PM

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