Dispatch From Kenya: Eyewitness to Unrest

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) was quick responding to violence that erupted in Kenya following the December 27 elections, but our Nairobi-based staff has also been affected by the unrest. Here are the stories of two members of our CRS family.

Kinyanjui Kaniaru

Kinyanjui Kaniaru is an engineer focused on water and sanitation. He has worked for CRS for more than 13 years and has been a mentor to many agency employees. He worked with CRS’ East Africa region to help pull together a strategy for water and sanitation programs, and has helped CRS Kenya with projects across the country.

Like many Kenyans, Kinyanjui Kaniaru, known as KK to colleagues, closely followed the campaign pitting President Mwai Kibaki against challenger Raila Odinga, and participated in what seemed to be a relatively orderly vote on Dec. 27. And like many Kenyans, KK’s life has been overturned by the disorder that broke out in following days.

Much of the violence across Kenya has occurred along tribal lines – Kibaki is ethnically Kikuyu while Odinga is a Luo, and some of the fighting has followed that division. But scores of groups have engaged in violence and no tribe has been spared. KK serves as a spokesman for many Kenyans when he states directly: “I am first a Kenyan, nothing more, nothing less.”

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