MY WEEKEND: ‘Ghosts’ of 2007 election chaos abound

About a week ago, a group of us met to plan a social event that we projected would draw about 100 people. We agreed on most factors, including possible venues.

We were, however, unable to settle on an appropriate date and, of course, with no date, there was no function.

It started with one of us suggesting early July, which would have given us enough time to round up the number of audience we were targeting, but then someone pointed out, “Isn’t July too close to the General Election?”

We all paused, reflecting on what she had just said. What she hadn’t voiced, but which was obvious, was that with one month to go before the General Election on August 8, most people’s minds would be pre-occupied with nothing else but that, so convincing them to batt away their unspoken fears for a day and attend a day-long do would be a hard sale.

August was, of course, out since, even though no one said it out loud, there was no knowing what the atmosphere would be like around that time – what with all the expected political tension.

We struck off September too. “Too soon …” someone else said. She did not have to expound on what she meant by that. In the end, we all agreed that it would be prudent to put the event on hold until 2018. By then, we hoped and prayed “things” would be back to normal.

The ghosts of the 2007 post-election violence have never left us. They have been hovering around for 10 years and, as we approach August, their presence gets stronger.

We are fearful of what might happen because we saw, experienced and were affected by what transpired then. We are fearful because we don’t trust our politicians to preach peace in public and in private too. We are also fearful of the abnormal hold that our tribal affiliations have on us. Will we shed them long enough to vote peacefully and accept the results, whichever side they favour? 

It is irredeemably sad that anyone would be forced to put their lives on hold because of a General Election. It should be just one of those things in a day’s work, important yes, but just one of those things. Like going to the market or supermarket, buying what you need, and then going back home, case closed.

No punching the cashier because the price of unga and sugar has gone up, or torching the supermarket because the price of milk has gone up too. One should vote, and then go back home and await the results while going about life normally.

A General Election should not be a matter of life and death.

Three weeks ago, a friend parted ways with her househelp of two years. She called the lady that had linked her up with househelps in the past. After explaining the qualifications she was looking for, the lady told her that she had two possible candidates in mind with the qualifications she was looking for.

The only problem was, she explained matter-of-factly, was that they came from a “certain” tribe. With the elections coming up, she continued, she didn’t think it was prudent for this friend to employ either of them. Better safe than sorry, she finished.

This friend was taken aback because when hiring a househelp, never had she considered tribe a barrier. What she cared about was experience, a good record, and roho safi.

 But fear had been sown in her heart, and so she told the lady to keep looking for someone more “suitable.”

Isn’t it appalling that we have gotten to this stage as a country? Instead of moving ahead, we’re moving backwards, propelled by mindless hate and resentment. Just because we don’t speak the same language.

[email protected]; Twitter: @cnjerius. The writer is the editor, MyNetwork, Daily Nation