If meaning has been manipulated leading to us killing each other, let us manipulate it so that we do not kill each other. – Prof. Wambui Mwangi

In the last couple of weeks, a group of Kenyan writers has been meeting to analyze and whack out ways to respond to the post-election crisis in Kenya.
One way has been through the production of a series of opinion pieces under the byline “Concerned Kenyan Writers”. These pieces have and continue to be placed in various media outlets locally (Nairobi Star, Daily Nation and The East African) and internationally (New York Times, South Africa’s Mail & Guardian and Germany’s Sueddeutsche Zeitung).

The aim of these opinion pieces has been:

* to present a human face to the Kenyan post-election crisis
* to counter the static images and impressions of escalating
violence and anarchy in the foreign press &
* to document this turning point in our nation’s history for posterity.

Many articles have been written and many more continue to be written. With the express permission of all the writers involved and with the intention of keeping the conversation and the emerging dialogue alive we will, among other things, publish some of those pieces on the Kwani? blog over the next few weeks.

We know that what we have now are just a fraction of the voices and we are willing to throw this space open for all those others, be they writers, ideologues, social scientists or else, that wish to join us.

Send us an email through matathia@kwani.org or drop us a comment in the comments box of the blog (http://www.kwani.org/blog).

There are also many other people that are doing what we are doing: examining and re-examining the Kenyan situation. We look forward to working with them towards building broader and more efficient synergies.

Please do not respond directly to this email. For all general inquiries email info@kwani.org

Charles Matathia
Online Editor
Email: matathia@kwani.org
Blog: http://www.kwani.org/blog

What does Kwani do?

* Edit and publish the foremost literary journal in the region representing new regional literary voices
* Locate, nurture and develop literary talents from as wide a segment of East African society as possible
* Work towards expanding the reading and contemporary story creation culture in Kenya
* Actively build links into the different spheres of African and other writing and stimulate shared creative initiatives
* Represent and promote the works of new authors associated with the Kwani experience both in Kenya and abroad
* Forge collaborations with institutions and individuals to present, develop and support literary and other creative ventures
* Seek, establish and forge regional and global literary linkages with writers, publishers, editors, agents and policy makers to stimulate imaginative and creative exchanges that contribute proactively to global dialogue in a variety of issues
* Proactively move literature into other creative spaces and expand literary audiences and clients of literature

For more news and stories from Kenya, we urge you to read the blog from Kwani?, Kenya’s premier literary magazine: http://kwani.org/blog/.

Jan. 5th

Hi Nita and Caroline,

Nice of you guys to keep in touch. I’m sure you’ve seen alot of it on CNN. Its been pretty bad, elections gone bad, politicians gone crazy, Kenya in a mess. No one ever thought Kenya could end up this way. Its all about the elections, there was a bit of rigging going on and the tallying of presidential votes had irregularities. Kibaki, the past and present president had himself quickly sworn in. All this has made the opposition furious and their supporters are up in arms. Their first demand before any talks begin is that the president should resign. But the president will most likely not. Now the problem comes because each leader banked on their tribes to vote them in. So these supporters are now taking it personal with the supporters of their opponents (or perceived supporters ie. those of a different community) and thats why its going this way.It’s Raila’s vs Kibaki’s people.

But there’s a class issue involved. The middle class are up in arms against the violence, they feel nothing about who wins or looses, they are not killing their neighbours. Its the poorer classes that are fueling and involved in the violence- those that have nothing to lose, everything to gain. The anomie is a good opportunity for them to loot shops and steal from neighbours and everyone around.

Thats how its been so far, but i think the tension is going down. nothing has been solved so far but at least Nairobi has been almost normal today and yesterday. I think most of the writers you guys met last time are okay, havent heard any bad news yet.

Thats how it is for now. I’m not sure if there’s much you or even any of us can do; its these bonehead politicians that need to sit down and reolve the problem. But a zillion thanks for your offer. Thats the story for now i guess.

Cheers.

Kingwa

***

Jan. 6th

Hello, everyone. Greetings from Nairobi, Kenya. Thank you for your prayers and concern. Since all of you have asked how we are doing, I am sending this “global email message” as the best way to update you all.

We are struggling along here in Kenya. Prayers please for peace and harmony. The TV reports on BBC and CCN are accurate, but at times over-dramatized. Presently there are 250,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kenya mainly Kikuyu. John Allen’s article in NCR — “Catholics must walk carefully in Kenya ‘s political crisis” — is insightful. We are hopeful that a Coalition or Cross-Party Government (Government of National Unity) will emerge.

The mood in Nairobi seems to change from day to day. Fortunately the section where the Maryknoll Society House is located is calm. But post-election violence continues especially in the slum areas.

I am reminded of a recent New York Times article that said that multiparty democracy in Africa is messy and unpredictable. Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, said: “We prefer self government in danger to servitude in tranquility.”

Two personal notes. Here in Kenya I am working with the various members of the team of our new website:

Small Christian Communities Global Collaborative Website

www.smallchristiancommunities.org

The Kenyan members come from different ethnic groups (including Kikuyu and Luo) and different churches and religious denominations. We are trying to model unity, collaboration and solidarity.

On 16 January, 2008 I will begin teaching a course on “Small Christian Communities — A New Model of Church in Africa” at Hekima College, the Jesuit Theologate here in Nairobi. From Ecclesia in Africa — Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation on the First African Synod (14 September, 1995) I will use a quotation from Number 89 under Living (or Vital) Christian Communities: “Above all, these small communities are to be committed to living Christ’s love for everybody, a love which transcends the limits of natural solidarity of clans, tribes or other interest groups.” This is the challenge for us here in Kenya right now. The SCCs can be an agent for bringing the different ethnic groups together.

Peace, Joe Healey
Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Maryknoll Society
P.O. Box 43058
00100 Nairobi, Kenya

***

Jan. 18th

Dear Friends,

I have just read and signed the online petition:

“Call for Urgent Resolution of Kenya Electoral Crisis”

hosted on the web by PetitionOnline.com, the free online petition
service, at:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/kenya08/

I personally agree with what this petition says, and I think you might
agree, too. If you can spare a moment, please take a look, and consider
signing yourself.