These in from Wycliffe, Cameron, and Jacintah.

SMS from Wycliffe, 27-Jan-08, 03:56
“Army choppers filled the sky of Nakuru shooting. Pple r killing one another. Getting worse n worse is Nakuru.”

SMS from Cameron, 27-Jan-08, 08:32
“Was in town for a min today. Was quiet. On way to nairobi kikuyu are checking vehicles. [Withdrew] $400 today, will do same tmrw 4 mattresses & food.”

SMS from Wycliffe, 27-Jan-08, 08:34
“It’s war. 4 last 2 days live[s] claimed 120 over. Now spreading 2 Naivasha abt 60 miles frm Nkr. Shooting outside Pistis is on. 2 nights no sleep I’ve 2 [see] kids safe”

SMS from Cameron, 27-Jan-08, 08:57
“Have seen choppers the past few days. Safe. Haven’t seen fire today. Still lying low. Will keep you posted as i know [more]”

SMS from Jacintah, 27-Jan-08, 15:57
“Am really afraid, it’s already 1 am and i am unable to sleep. Am just sitting on my bed thinking wen will peace kam!”

SMS from Jacintah, 27-Jan-08, 21:52
“This is beyond politics its tribal which was hidden 4 long n it has erupted, n we still say post election violence. Our neighbours have shifted we’r alone. Peace not known since all sides have laid their rules down.”

Getting worse before it gets better
Contrary to an ealier post in which I reflected upon my conversation with Wycliffe and a related NPR story, the situation has moved form political to general lawlessness to inter-tribal conflict with intentional killings for the purpose of revenge.

I have received communications from Cameron, Gladys, and Jacintah.

SMS from Cameron, 25-Jan-08, 04:35
“Dont come unless already set. I can’t even get to [Pistis]. Bought 400$ food w gladys and she took [to Pistis]. I am safe but sit[uation] is bad. Talk soon.”

SMS from Cameron, 25-Jan-08, 06:00
“Hey k, doing fine. 30 refugee kids @ CMD [Pistis]. No internet, town is shut down. Safe @ home, cam”

SMS from Cameron, 25-Jan-08, 22:39
“No immediate rush w money. I’ll use my own until [donations] come in. Banks may not open - army shut down town today w curfew. Areas around [Pistis] most dangerous.”

SMS from Gladys, 26-Jan-08, 11:02
“Hi kai, thank u 4 the support of money. Cameron bought goods worth ksh 27,000 2day. Thank you 4 ur love n concern. Mama Gladys n Bishop”

SMS from Cameron, 26-Jan-08, 12:06
“50 dead today here. Burning houses a mile away. But home and safe. Plan to be here months. Violence no longer pol[itical].”

SMS from Jacintah, 26-Jan-08, 21:37
“Hi, we’r all fine n pistis is ok 2. The morning of yesterday i saw 7 dead bodies which were cut n burnt at ponda mali ([where] u bought potatoes, do u remember that market?) we’ve curfe n security implemented at nite but still people r dying during the day n early morning.”

I spoke to Cameron two days ago and then again this morning, following a long conversation with Wycliffe. Cameron is living a few miles from the Pistis orphanage, off the main highway to Nairobi, on the southwest side of Nakuru. From his home there, he can see smoke on the horizon, homes burning in the area immediately surrounding Pistis.

Yesterday, Cameron went to town with Gladys, the founder of Pistis, to purchase food for the orphanage. He is using his own funds until we can route the donations (over $1500 USD in the pas 48 hours) to his account.

He describes downtown Nakuru, the business district, as relatively untouched by the violence. Roughly 50% of the stores are shutdown, steel roll-away doors protecting the store fronts from vandalism. The number of people on the streets is also at roughly half, with a greater military presence than normal.

Nakuru is under a 7 pm to 7 am curfew, which Cameron states is working to some degree. And yet 50 people are reported to have been killed yesterday. Wycliffe confirms this number from Pistis. Cameron is unable to get to Pistis which is in the center of the high tension area.

Wycliffe is now living at Pistis instead of his apartment or his family home two kilometers distance, toward the national park. He is acting as a security guard by night, and helping to keep things running smooth by day.

The tension around Pistis has escalated to a critical high, with threats by tribesman to avenge killings, boys and men carrying jengas and machetes even as they pass by the police and military. It is the poorest part of Nakuru with the highest density of people. This is where tribal conflict erupted some years earlier.

Wycliffe walked through the streets just outside of Pistis and counted some 20 bodies, slain in the past day or two. In his thirty years he cannot recall anything like this.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Mission in Action - Australia
Date: Jan 25, 2008 9:30 PM
Subject: “Nakuru Town is Shut Down”
To: studentprojectafricanetwork

Trouble is escalating in Nakuru and I have never felt so scared for MIA and the people of Nakuru. The people that many of us know and love… This is out of control and there is nothing we can do for them.. As I type this my hands are sweating and my eyes are welling up with tears.

Mary and the girls are still enroute to Nairobi and then has to make the very unsafe drive home to Nakuru. She has stressed the point that she NEEDS to be home with her children. I will update the site as soon as I hear they are home safe.

The update I have received over the phone from Tammi as she spoke to Ivan is below. You can see more info on the website as well… I will keep it as updated as I can. Some of you will not know the people named below but they are some of our workers who are a big part of our family….

The Kikuyus have said that for every one Kikuyu killed in Eldoret, 2 Kalenjins will be killed in Nakuru. Apparently (from Ivan) the road up to Piave has people waiting with bows and arrows, manchette’s and other weapons incase they are attacked, they are ready to fight. The roads into Nakuru have been blocked and there are checks going on everywhere in Nakuru. One staff member said that the Kikuyus are asking everyone who is not kikuyu to get out of matatus and they are fighting (if not killing) them. So matatus and cars are rarely on the road. They are also targeting the Luo tribe (Anishas tribe) as they are thought to have voted for Raila.

Ivan had to send Wesley back to his home for the orphanages safety, as he is Kalenjin so some prayers his way wouldn’t hurt! There is a good chance that he will have to fight.

Last night was expected to be a very tense night and the violence is ALOT worse than when I was there. As I spoke to Ivan there was a fight happening in Molo, not too far away and many fires.

In town the GSU (riot police) have bee deployed but there are still MANY fires. They are even starting fires during the day! Outside our friends orphanage there are fires that Ivan could see as he spoke to me.

There is talk over there of the violence entering the showground. I’ve seen the showground with my own eyes and if they go there things are going to get a lot worse, there are thousands of people there. Many (if not all) are there because they were scared to be in their own town. Now they’ve tracked them down and are ready to kill them. This is escalating beyond belief

Sarah Eaton
Mission in Action
Nakuru Baby Orphanage
www.nakurubabyorphanage.com

The next morning

SMS from Jacintah, 25-Jan-08, 21:08
“At least the morning has come. We don’t know wat next. Part of Pistis neighbourhood houses have been burnt. I don’t know [where] we r heading.Tension is very high.”

SMS from Jacintah, 25-Jan-08, 23:49
“Gun shots r heard. People r chased. Pistis is in the middle of all thats happening.”

And through a phone conversation I learned the photos from Gladys’ email showcase an estimated 2,000 displaced or homeless individuals. While the Red Cross is working to support those people in the ball park, Pistis remains without financial nor material support. I fear the food will run dry quickly, having seen 90kg bags of beans and rice consumed daily, even when rationed.

My sys admin and I have completed the new donations form for SPAN. We are now moving to raise funds to send to Cameron, Executive Board member who is in Pistis now. With these funds he will purchase food, clothing, beds, and soap for the children. Please consider a donation of any value.

A sleepless night in Nakuru
I stepped away from my office for a few minutes to fix a late lunch in our office kitchen. Upon return to my desk, I noticed three missed calls and a text from Jacintah in Nakuru, Kenya.

SMS from Jacintah, 24-Jan-08, [n/a]
“PRAY, WE R SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO’VE SWORDS, LIVE GUN SHOTS N ARROWS HERE IN NAKURU. NO PEACE BUT MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON US N SAVE OUR NATION”

I immediately called her back. Her voice was shaking. It is 2:00 am there. She cannot sleep for the yelling and gun fire. Her family, my host family, is scared to sleep indoors for fear of a fire bomb hitting their house, but outside is equally scary, and cold. A house was burned just down the alley and across the street. It was all I could do to not cry while listening to her.

She echoed her brother’s email in sharing how the thugs are neither motivated by the politics nor inter-tribal tension, rather taking advantage of the chaos for personal gain.

It is nearly impossible for me to sit here, with everything I could ever want in life, in a safe neighborhood where I can freely walk to and from work, and not drive to Denver to catch the next plane to Kenya. I don’t know if I will do more good here where I can raise funds and help coordinate relief, or there where I can be with the children whom I have come to know and those who are new to Pistis, to offer some level of comfort, perhaps protection.

I remember the riots following the Rodney King trials in California in the early ’90s and realize this can happen anywhere. But it truly hits home when it is a place that I have been, to people I hold dear. I just hope the next call I receive from Jacintah is one of her waking to a peaceful day and a sky filled with blue in place of burning grey.