Prayer Letter, February 2008

Dear Supporter,

By the time you receive this I will have returned to Kenya to assist and encourage our staff and children during this time of civil unrest. Already one person has been murdered close to the clinic and as you know times of national lawlessness encourages thugs and criminals.

So many people have asked me about the Kenyan situation, that it most certainly deserves a response. It is therefore to inform our people of the intricacies involved and the effect upon our work that I offer this very simplified report of this Kenyan tragedy.

Background Story
There are nearly fifty Tribes in Kenya, with the Kikuyu being the largest. (Central Kenya).

Since independence in 1963, the Kikuyu have been in power.

At the Dec 2007 elections the Kikuyu retained power in what the world now considers a rigged election. Followers of the losing opposition party, Luo (Western Kenya) rose up against Kikuyu people dwelling in their midst and slaughtered them.

Now the Kikuyu are fighting back in what has degenerated from a reckless political decision to tribal warfare. At present the fighting is taking place on the North Westerly Migratory line taken by both these tribes over the past decades (see map). And wherever there are pockets of either tribe violent clashes have taken place.

It should be pointed out that this geographical feature is not a random one, for this same route is the only trade route from Mombasa on the Kenyan coast to Uganda, and Sudan, not to mention even further into the interior.

As you can see all the major towns and Cities so far affected by serious violence are situated on this trade route.

Unfortunately this route is the only road route available to us if we wish to travel to our centre in Kisumu and this could be problematic.

Eyewitness Report
To give you some idea of the horror of this tribal warfare I reprint an eyewitness report sent to me by SMS on Monday the 28/01/08 after the Naivasha Massacre of Sunday 27/01/08.

You will understand that I cannot reveal the occupation or identity of my source, but I have known him for ten years and I consider his testimony to be impeccable. I spoke to him on the phone and he told me he personally witnessed 17people murdered in his presence on a raid on the town by two lorry loads of Kikuyu, a raid that commenced at around 10 a.m. on Sunday morning. Since my friend was well placed to witness these things I have no doubt whatever of the terrible atrocities that took place that day.

"Naivasha is terrible, Luos were burnt inside their plot in my presence. The mortuary was filled with dead bodies since Friday. Peoples property has been burnt to ashes. People have no where to go. Matatus (buses) have gone on strike, many have camped in police stations with a lot of fear, cold, no food and no hope for their future.

These men even stopped all Matatus from Nakuru and ordered all Luos to come out and walk to Nairobi on foot from Naivasha. Whoever refused was cut down with pangas (long broad bladed Machete). One man, a Luo, was cut in pieces and buried in the cemetery by the killers.

The hospital was full of assaulted Luos and no nurses and other medics to care for them, many hospital staff didn’t go to work through fear.

Two people died from bleeding while awaiting doctors to stitch them. The male ward was full and many were lying on the floor. Please pray for us, people are suffering".

The report also told of Luo men (who traditionally are uncircumcised) being forcibly thrown to the ground and the rite performed with the said panga.

Such barbarity is no new thing to Kenyan history, in the 1950’s the Mau Mau a (Kikuyu uprising against the white land grabbers), used tactics equally bloody and atrocious, burning and slashing to death, tearing open women with child, burying alive – and all this against their own tribespeople who refused to take their oaths of allegiance and join their barbarous campaign.

May it please the Lord to deliver Kenya from writing a similar page in their present history.

F.A.M.E. WORK

Apart from the foregoing all is well with F.A.M.E. projects. Irene and myself, with a visitor Mrs Ireen Cardwell, spent Christmas at our new Rescue Centre.

It was a happy and worthwhile visit, sharing the Christmas lunch of meat, rice and chapatti bread. Watching with interest the children’s joy at receiving their presents of new clothes, school bags etc brought its own reward.

Our Kisumu Centre is well also. But since our manager is Akamba we are concerned that the inter-tribal tension may widen and thus put her in peril. This is one of the reasons why I return. The future of the centre itself may be threatened.

May it please the Lord to deliver Kenya from writing a similar page in their present history.

We had plans for a New Church opening in the summer, the building very kindly provided by Mervyn and Vi Livingstone. But all visits must be put on hold this year till we see what takes place. Pray for our work, our children and workers.

Pray for all missionaries labouring there. These are trying times.

Kind Regards Alan & Irene