Can a lull in political violence be turned into real peace in Kenya? Apparently not, opines Gamal Nkrumah This week, fighting between supporters of the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the backers of Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki intensified throughout the country. Political violence ensued in Kenya's Rift Valley especially in the towns of Nakuru and Naivasha, where an estimated 300 lives were claimed by the internecine fighting this week. It is rough out there, and the rival Kenyan political factions refused to lend an ear to the mediation efforts of African and international peacemakers. He may have cracked his whip, but still the former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan couldn't keep the Kenyan protagonists from reaching out for each other's throats. None of this is exactly cheerful. The political system in Kenya is prone to too much fiery anger. The dramatic face-off between Kibaki and Odinga lingers on. To misgivings add jealously. The country is fast sliding into political chaos. In 2002, former Kenyan president Daniel Arap Moi relinquished office, and the country entered a new phase of democracy. The days of one party rule were over. Kenya should now be starting a second phase of political transition. What is of critical importance is that political reform cannot take place in an economic vacuum. Economic prosperity and political reform go hand in hand. People vote for leaders who would enhance their economic well-being. The overriding concern is that Kenyans realise all too well that democracy cannot feed the masses. What is needed is a radically fresh take on democracy. Rich ethnic Kikuyu associates of Kibaki, wealthy businessmen, are playing the tribal card, regardless of the consequences, for they are immune to the violence by virtue of their privileged status in society. Hapless poor Kikuyu are being slaughtered. Westerners, the ethnic Luo and Luhya peoples of western Kenya, strongly believe that it is high time that they "eat" -- enjoy the advantages of their leaders ruling the country. They reason that they have never had a leader in charge of the country, and by extension they have been effectively excluded from the decision-making process. This line of thinking is not entirely without merit: there is a strong realpolitik rationale for a deal that recognises the aspirations of Odinga's ODM. Kikuyu leaders, including the Kenyan president himself, must understand this. For the westerners of Kenya, the current political battle is perceived as a bread and butter issue. They want to see their leaders in positions of power. Nothing less is acceptable.
