Todonyang’ Massacre and other Kenya's undocumented wars

I think Kenya has failed to live up to the expectations of victims of politically-instigated, tribal, trans-national conflicts. The ups and downs that characterize the daily life of these citizens sum up this official neglect.

We may not all decipher the intrigues that cause human beings to go to war. We may not all be in a position to grasp the “happiness” in the hearts of combatants when they kill, maim, abduct, and/or conquer their “enemies”. But there is one common line that sticks with all of us – combatants and non-combatants alike: That the welfare of victims must assume a central position in peace negotiations.

Surprisingly, a dangerous trend seems to have taken control of all peace initiatives out there – especially in northern Kenya. It is a fact that this region has known endless bouts of bloodbath. It is true that these conflicts have left behind untold socio-economic damage. It is also true that owing to its perceived economic low potential, this region has received little attention from Kenya’s officialdom. 

To bridge this gap, stakeholders in this peace business have come up with what they call “local solutions”. This entails sponsoring peace talks and facilitating interaction between warring parties.

The notion that these gun fights have “tribal”, “cultural”, “boundary” (or whatever) inclinations thus warranting “a local solution” should be challenged.

While I think the reasoning behind this “local solution” route is sound, its implementation has transformed it to a waste of time.

With regards to northern Kenya’s “cattle rustling”, experience has shown that once peace deals are signed the story ends there – a factor that lays bare the limitations of these so-called “local solutions”. Consequently, the whole import of peaceful coexistence has been reduced to one empty statement: That absence of war is peace, and peace equals silencing guns.

Many instances lend credence to calls for a complete overhaul of this “local-solution” thing. 

On May 2, 2011 over 50 people were killed in Todonyang’ village in Turkana North Constituency. The attackers are believed to have crossed over from Ethiopia. Apart from posting a few police officers to the area, nothing else materialized from the side of Kenya’s government. The dead were buried and forgotten.

As regards this Todonyang’ incident, it is important to add that by sending additional security personnel, the government of the day did act because the 10^th Parliament made noise.

On November 2, 2014 about 21 police officers and 3 civilians met their death in the hands of bandits in Kapedo in Turkana East Constituency. All that followed were declarations and hot talk from the who-is-who in government. Thereafter silence reigned and everything was forgotten.

Sometime in 2009 some 39 people were allegedly killed by bandits in Lokori Division of Turkana East. To date, no conclusive narrative vis-à-vis the identity of the killers, the reason behind their actions, where they came from, and more principally, the whereabouts of survivors exists. Like many other incidents before this, the victims were pushed to the corner. 

In Kainuk, Lokichoggio, Kibish and many other border points of Turkana County, if you get killed, you are buried and life continues. People have accepted the situation as “normal”.

Well, this is just a preview of what happens in Turkana County. If we include figures from the whole of northern Kenya, one may be excused to equate the whole thing to a genocide.

Yet this story hardly goes beyond a simple pastoralist manyatta.

Though unrelated, it is logical to claim that it is hypocritical for some of us to pontificate about the need to “remember” and “honour” Kenya’s 2007 post-election violence victims while we belittle the impact of the many undocumented wars stalking this nation.

There shall be no true peace if “remembering” is delinked from daily life exigencies of all. To pick this path is to weaken the foundations of true peace.

And here I point out the nakedness of northern Kenya scholars. What prevents these people from documenting the stories of their people? Or do they subscribe to that school of thought that equates peace to hollow political jamborees?

With County Governments in place, will it still be business-as-usual with regards to the welfare of victims?

As to who pockets the millions of donor funds managed by NGOs claiming to be fostering peace among Kenya’s warring communities, when will soberness and truthfulness guide the way state and non-state actors interact with citizens?

With many of their followers forced to die under the rains of bullets, Turkana leaders are yet to name even a single public edifice, space or whatever after them.

Instead of sponsoring useless junkets for politicos and NGO-types, isn’t it time to expend those billions of shillings on building world class Memorial Villages that will not only settle the issue of honouring and remembering victims but also act as village-based institutions through which members of the society are empowered?

It will be an insult to the dead, the injured and the poor to state that Todonyang’ Massacre victims and many of their colleagues across Kenya have received help. They haven’t and that remains a fact!

When, how and who should remember victims of wars? This question must reactivate our collective consciousness.

Twitter @mlemukol.