Situation in Kenya

On 30th January, I again telephoned Grace Andiki, the project coordinator. I spoke at length to her and two male members of the bursary committee who had arrived at the school to attend a meeting. Before getting through to Grace, I had sent the e-mail, reproduced below, to her, the Principal of the Secondary School and the Treasurer of the Bursary Committee.

The community and teachers are trying their best to keep normal school activities going, and Grace was actually teaching in Got Matar Primary School, of which she is Principal, when I called. There appears to have been no trouble in the area around Got Matar, but there is clearly a great deal of nervousness. The schools have received “threats” from “big men” – presumably hard-line political activists – which they are doing their best to ignore. I urged them to do all in their power, as leaders within their community, to ensure the safety of all living there, wherever they may come from and whatever the provocation. “What you say is correct” was their response, and I feel confident of their commitment to do their best to maintain calm.

The members of the Bursary Committee also expressed their thanks to donors for making possible the construction of the secondary school “which looks really lovely”.

Tensions are clearly running very high across Kenya, and we can only hope that they will begin to subside as a result of Kofi Annan’s current mediation efforts.

Copy of E-mail dated 30th January:

Dear Grace, Elizabeth and George,

It is enormously worrying – and distressing – to see the mounting violence that is taking hold across so much of Kenya – not just in the urban centres but now also in rural communities. It is pitting neighbours who have lived peacefully together for years against each other, causing immeasurable distress and hardship, and undermining the very foundations of your fine nation.

We are concerned about your own safety and that of all the teachers and children in the Secondary School and the 10 primary schools in the Got Matar Community, and about the safety of members of your families living elsewhere.

We very much hope that the Community Development Group and the Schools will play a calming influence and do all they can to prevent violence spreading to the area – safeguarding the security of all people living there, whatever their origin – and ensuring a bright future for the children for whom you are collectively responsible. The new school is a beacon of hope for the people living in the community. Please do not let this hope in any way be undermined by allowing tensions to arise within the community. Please ensure that it is a safe haven for all, in which no one – however strongly provoked – takes the law into his or her own hand.

With our very best wishes,

Andrew &
Roberta
MacMillan
30th January 2008