" One time you are sitting under an air conditioned office and the next moment you are fleeing for you life without shoes on your feet," Other than that we are normal like the rest of the world. This is how I summed it up for a co worker of mine who kept asking me about life in the motherland. The ongoing civil and political unrest in the East African nation of Kenya has once again proved that anything is possible in Africa. Kenya of all the countries in Africa should have known better. Kenya has enjoyed peace and prosperity thanks to its so called democratic society. The country founded by one of Africa's most revered sons Jomo Kenyatta over half a century ago has suddenly proved ordinary. A lot of people were shocked to hear that one of the largest tourist destinations in Africa is in Chaos.
Not too long ago Nairobi was considered the central part of Africa. This was before the liberation of the nation of South Africa. Most flights to Zimbabwe in particular used to connect in Kenya before heading to Europe and elsewhere. Needless to say the corruption in Kenya has been rampant for many years. One time Kenya was considered one of the most corrupt governments in Africa. The stability of this country made it a better alley of United States especially in the fight against terrorism. Kenya's position in the east Africa is one that is unique given that the neighbours in Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea have for years been going through wars. Kenya is a home to most refugees of these countries. Given all this background most were fooled, as for me I knew it was a matter of time.
One of my favourite saying is this " The reason why history repeats itself is that so many people were not listening the first time". The learning experience must never end. To me Kenya was no different from Zimbabwe and still isn't. In our pursuit of better living we must never be caught off guard. All African countries must find a way of dealing with the differences among themselves. Portraying a good fake image to the world will not help us. Most countries that look stable are no better than a volcano brewing under the earth. The Kenyans have been playing this false image game for too long. The A.N.C of South Africa must learn from this. Zimbabwe tried this game. For a moment they fooled the world but not for long. "You cannot hide something with horn in bag," goes the saying.
We pay dearly for building on the sand. We end up resorting to the extreme measures AK 47. Anybody who thinks the sound of gunfire is the solution to problems need to think twice. Being a child of war myself I can attest to that. Whenever I hear the sound of the gun my stomach gets loose. I still remember clearly as If it was yesterday when we lived in the village in Lupinyu area in Victoria falls. The bus Pullen and Sons was burnt and there was no transport to leave the area. The bus driver and the conductor were never found. My mother and my grandfather's family and I all left everything, taking the clothes which were on our skins. One of the boys was shot and killed on his way to school. His name was Bernard having just started his first grade. We were lucky we managed to escape unharmed even though my grandfather left my grandmother there and the two never lived together ever since.My Grandfather was the headman of the area was on a hit list of the Rhodesian soldiers.
All this was just before Independence (1977 or 79 there about). However years later after Independence in 1983 we had to flee our home in Lower Gweru in the same fashion. This was an ethnic cleansing. I was doing my third grade when one day a group of militants called the youth came to our school and demanded to speak on our assembly. The school was divided into two groups. All grades five to seven were taken away for training. At first all this looked like a joke but the days that followed were going to be hell on earth. People were killed, some were taken away from their homes and never found. Some were beaten thoroughly by the youths. Every male of high school age was considered a dissident. Many were buried in mass graves. This was now a different war. War against the civilians. Pregnant women were butchered openly.
As for us we had survived because of our Shona relatives who adapted us when the going got tougher. Any Ndebele speaking people were persecuted. To this day the people of Bhembe area in Lower Gweru still do no want to talk about this period of time. They just say "Akuthule ngalokhu mtanami". Its been said that the oppression of Africans against another is more severe. African people have no respect for each others blood. I wish these statements were false but sadly they are true. It remains to be seen if Kenyans will deliver themselves from self.
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