Transforming the current conflict

Over the last 20 years Kenya has had serious episodic occurrences of direct violence but none as serious as what we have witnessed over the last one week where the violence is widespread and systematic. Indeed the present violations amount to crimes against humanity. These crimes will continue to occur unless we are prepared to deal with the root causes of the discontent. And I don’t mean the disputed presidential election. Our problems run deeper.

Root causes are those issues about which the conflict is really about. They are the contradictions that need to be addressed to enable a constructive transformation of any conflict. If not dealt with, the potential for violence will remain even if we put out the fire that is presented by the election standoff.

Kenya’s fault lines for conflict have now burst open as a result of what a large section of the population is claiming to have been a stolen election: Key among these fault lines are corruption and ineffective governance, unemployment, gender discrimination, generational exclusion, identity, insecurity, economic and social disparities. All these problems have been simmering and now the lid is off.

Our government very quickly needs to accept that our country is in conflict and deep crisis. Calls for peace without addressing the injustices that are highlighted by the fault lines amount to mere rhetoric. All citizens have the responsibility to save Kenya. There are many ways to do this; demanding action on corruption, governance and a new constitution are a few options open to us.

Already we are witnessing massive rapes, maiming , mutilations, pillage, looting and burning of properties, displacements of populations, starvation, solidarity and polarization on ethnic identify, loss of trust among groups that have hitherto coexisted peacefully, shootings and mass social trauma. These are events that happen in war and conflict situations and they are happening here.

This is not a problem that we can sort out on our own. Let’s no delude ourselves. Let’s accept the AU and local offers of mediation. I implore our leaders to take pause, and think through what messages they are sending out. I urge them to critically examine the root causes of our current explosion and deal with the issues in an inclusive manner.

Referring to one side as ‘losers’ will not help us transform this conflict peacefully. We shall all become losers in that scenario.