This is not a genocide?

I have spoken to a number of Kenyans who think this is not a genocide. They say that this is just political violence that is as a result of Kibaki stealing the election. Others say that a genocide can only be committed by a government and not the opposition. These sentiments have been echoed by some international media houses.

We heard the same sentiments expressed in the Rwanda genocide. The press found excuses to explain the slaughter. In April 1994, schools in Kenya were closed for the April. I remember reading that the Hutu extremists attacking Tutsi's because a Hutu president had been killed in a plane crash. The savage reaction by the Hutus was seen as a justified way of showing anger. The international community watched and hoped that everything would calm in a few days. They were wrong.

Months leading to the genocide, hate media had dehuminized the Tutsi refering them as cockroaches. In 1993, Kangura -a Hutu extremist newspaper- published an article titled “A cockroach cannot give birth to a butterfly.”

"We began by saying that a cockroach cannot give birth to a butterfly. It is true. A cockroach gives birth to another cockroach...The history of Rwanda shows us clearly that a Tutsi stays always exactly the same, that he has never changed. The malice, the evil are just as we knew them in the history of our country. We are not wrong in saying that a cockroach gives birth to another cockroach. Who could tell the difference between the Inyenzi who attacked in October 1990 and those of the 1960s. They are all linked...their evilness is the same. The unspeakable crimes of the Inyenzi of today...recall those of their elders: killing, pillaging, raping girls and women, etc," The newspaper said.

In Kenya were have been treated to such rhetoric by our newspapers, FM radios and blogs. In political meetings were were told of the kikuyu conspiracy to dominate Kenyans for the next 100 years. The Raila Odinga campaign for presidency built its case on creating anti-Kikuyu sentiments. It then offered Raila Odinga as teh person to end kikuyu domination.

Those who watched Hotel Rwanda may remember scenes where Hutus visit hospitals, refugee camps and even the Hotel Rwanda its self and demand the ejection of all "cockroaches". I was motivated to pen this rant after reading these chilling accounts on the BBC:

'They looted all the shops that belong to Kikuyus and Kisiis. Then they broke into the rented off-campus houses of students and then a crowd of about 1,000 people surged to the university gate and shouted that they wanted to storm the university.
They demanded that all Kikuyus, Kambas, Meru, and Kisii people leave the university within two hours. That was the only way to save the university from being stormed.
They said they would stay at the gate until their demands were met. Three armed policemen arrived and spent time negotiating with the crowd. Finally the police advised us to evacuate the named ethnic groups.
We put those faculty and students, numbering about 250, into three university vehicles and they were taken to Kapsabet Police station under police escort. They are still there.'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/7171443.stm

In Another report filed by LA Times gave an account of one Gabriel Okelo who has become the foster child of the genocide.

"It is the first time I ever killed," said Okelo, who is about 20. "I never imagined it would come to this. It was not a planned thing at all.

"I was angry. When you are angry, it's easy."

"It's Kenya versus Kikuyus. We are slaughtering them and we will keep slaughtering them. It will go on and on and on in all parts of the country. It will be war. Religious leaders have been preaching peace. Peace, peace! But there's no justice," he said.

Los Angeles Times, January 4, 2008

If you still don't see this as a systematic elimination of some Kenyan tribes you need to check yourself into the nearest mental facility!