The post election violence in Kenya has been labeled particularly by the international media as Ethnic instigated. This is absolutely wrong! From a Kenyan perspective and as a Kenyan I disagree with this hell bent notion. Ethnicity is not the primary causation of the recent post lection violence.

However, the reality is that Ethnicity is an issue only because our politics have been since independence organized regionally just like most of the rest of the world where you find that certain regions traditionally vote for or belong to a certain politically party. Unfortunately, though our regions happen to be predominantly occupied by a certain tribes. For instance, Nyanza province is predominantly occupied By Luo and Kisii tribes; Central province by Kikuyu tribe, Rift valley is home to Kalenjins, Turkanas, and Masai etc. Because of this organization which dates back to pre-colonial era (Divide and Rule by the colonial governments), ethnicity becomes an issue in cases where a dispute like the 2007 elections happens.

So to just say that the post election in Kenya is an ethnic product is inaccurate if not a malicious act by international media. The pre-conceived notion that Africans like to kill each other is baseless and an act of irresponsible journalism.

To put this in perspective, the post election violence was as a result of politics gone bad. People at each different regions felt shortchanged by the defective structures and as a result of irresponsible electoral officials (incompetence and abuse of office) people protested and took to streets.
Unfortunately God forbids, the political divisions turned their anger to each other, and as a result because the regions are historically organized ethnically, ethnicity partly played a role. The root cause was poor leadership and defective and weak systems. However, the reaction by Kenyans was not the right way to react and I hope people have learnt some lessons from that.

I have always maintained that any system that is vulnerable to manipulation, it doesn’t matter where it is in the world it will always be abused by the incumbent. Why? Coz human beings have a problem with power, as the good Lord Acton puts it “"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”

So ethnicity is not an African problem or Kenyan problem. In this particular case, the international media reported irresponsibly its like saying that one morning a Luo woke up and decided to kill a kikuyu, or a Kalenjin woke up and decide to kill a Kisii or other 43 tribes in Kenya. No that is just not true!

It was like I said earlier a result of bad politics. This is not to ignore the suffering that occurred because of WRONG WAY OF REACTION by Kenyans themselves. But to plainly say that it ethnic motivated is hill informed.

By Pat Loa Lorem

Jackie ,
Soo proud of you!!Thanks for showing the western community we are not ignorant and we are sensible people.
love you

While acknowledging the importance of unity among Kenyans, as I would with any other nationaities, I fear for loss of the wealth of cultural diversity that comes with the different tribal identities in Kenya. How much of the tribal identity should be abandoned in the name of peace and unity? Can peace and unity not exist amid diversity? This challenge is not unique to Kenya but Kenyans can lead the way and begin to cherish their divesity in solidarity.

Keep up the Good Work Jackie!

Thanks for a nice post!

"Can peace and unity not exist amid diversity?" Just yes.

I really dont belive that ethnicity has nothing to do with any confilct in the era we live in. the Post cold war era. The era of reorganization of renewed nationalism and war. BEhind most wars is profit, manufactured nationalism and a lot of recent hatred. Gets me thinking sometimes....African conflicts might be a bit more complex. They might have to do with dependency and decolonization...or not

Conflict is what it is. Wherever there are people there is going to be conflict. The african situation is still one that hasnt unfolded completely in my opinion.

There is still a lot of work to be done when it comes to Africa and the situation there. There is an immidiate need for assistance not manipulation.

People need to start changing the way they think. The proper kind of aid has to be chanelled to Afric so that there is progress.

I fear for loss of the wealth of cultural diversity that comes with the different tribal identities in Kenya.

Thank you. I have been looking for this video.

The interview was excellent and provided much needed insight, the divergence into the lives of Kenyans in diaspora could have been avoided by keeping focus on the important issues, well done Jackie for your views!!