It puzzles me to imagine of an ‘Omondi’ and ‘Karanja’ who have lived peacefully as neighbours for over 10 years suddenly turning against each other simply because an influential person somewhere convinced them that one does not belong to one’s ethnic group. It is indeed sad seeing how people who have experienced happy and sad moments together can easily be swayed to hate each other by someone who knows nothing about their daily challenges and whose aim is to achieve his selfish ambitions regardless of the means.
During the 2007/2008 election season, I was in KARI Muguga a cosmopolitan area where many families called home for a very long time. It was astonishing to see long time neighbours who lived borrowing from each other, attending each other’s events and even supporting each other in times of need turn against each other. Similar worse events happened in many other places in Kenya to the point of others losing lives and even majority becoming internally displaced within their home country.
Thus far we have come since the 2007/2008 post-election violence, I believe that as a country we have learnt that thriving in peace and harmony is one of the most precious gifts one can have and hence must be guarded jealously. I am assured of the fact that no sane mind would ever wish to see such events recurring.
Long -time friends and neighbours allowing themselves to be used as tools of hate and violence by politicians to the point of having their neighbours displaced while others losing lives and property they had spent money to acquire over years is bizarre.
Having youth easily incited to cause violence in many towns injuring, killing, and destroying property worth billions was the most worrying. Being paid very little money to destroy an economy that would in turn create job opportunities for them was the most unfortunate incident they have lived to regret.
Time has come when the youth must take the lead role in preaching peace and refuse to be used as agents of violence. Being the hope for the future of our nation, the youth must act and live as peace ambassadors never to be used as catalysts of violence.