As you likely already know, Kenya is going through some difficult times right now. The recent presidential election, which had voter turnout in some areas of 115%(say crooked politicians) has caused tremendous upheaval. There have been fighting and attacks going on in a country that has always been known as a stronghold of peace in East Africa. Somewhere between 3-500 have been killed and thousands left homeless. Kenya is located directly north of Tanzania. Shannon and I know a native Kenyan woman running an orphanage/feeding program in the slums of Nairobi. We emailed her to let her know we were praying and here is her response:
Dearest Friends,
Praise Jesus,
Thank you so much for your email. Things has been so bad here, but I thank God for He has hidden me and the Children under His Blood. Last week 100 houses were burned down at night in our Slums where our Children Home is. God saved our Children. To-day we are feeding more than 150 Children whose houses were burned down. Thank you for your prayers and concern. Please pray that God will provide more support so that we can be able to feed these children who has been left without a home. some of them their parents has been killed.
I write this with tears, but our God will save us.
Pass my love to your family.
Shalom and blessings.
Anne.
Last night, I woke up after having a dream of a man with a machete standing over another man lying on the ground covering his head and face with his arms. I immediately began praying for Kenya and after awhile fell asleep again. Then this morning, about 10 minutes before my alarm clock went off, as I lay in bed waiting for it to do so, the Chris Tomlin song Amazing Grace was running through my head. The line "My chains are gone, I've been set free..." caused me to think of the people in Kenya whose earthly chains have disappeared as they have left this life for a new one in heaven but it grieved my heart as I realized that certainly there are some who have gained new chains, the chains of hell.
Finally my alarm clock went off. I have it set to radio rather than buzzer and Praise FM is the station it is tuned to. The same song is what was playing when it went off.
This has caused me to really pray today for Kenya. For the safety of her people, for the restoration of a true and good government. Will you join me in those prayers?
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I was moved by that letter from Anne to drop a comment. It is really so devastating to know the effect war has on the psyche of the average person who finds himself entangled in the heat of such political, religious or ethnic / tribal wars. Most importantly is the fate of the helpless and innocent children whose future and destiny is being trampled upon by selfish and greedy politicians, scavenging for political positions, they would resort to warring or causing chaos for their personal and selfish aggrandisement.
Imagine you were a little boy in some distant African country where the sun seems to kiss the earth and nature speaks in subtle tunes. You have always anticipated what it would be like to grow up in such a serene atmosphere when all of a sudden, war broke out between some factions in the society and you watch as your loved ones were butchered mercilessly like animals by some ruthless soilders. Against your wish, you were forced to enlist into the army and ever since then, all you have ever known is blood, war and death! What future awaits the blood sucking animal that this once innocent African boy has been turned into?
Also, on Thursday, 27th of July, 2006, Nigerians and the world woke up to the news of the gruesome murder of a Governorship aspirant, Engineer Funsho Williams, who was gruesomely murdered in his bedroom! http://kingsleykekepoetry.blogspot.com/2006/12/familiar-friend.html
Up till the now, the killers are still roaming as free men and have not been brought to book! Imagine what would happen to the children of this politician whose decision to serve his country had brought him cold death? This is just one in a million of such cases of murder and assassination which are politically motivated all over the world!
In the midst of all these, I often ask - What is leadership? I thought Leadership is a position of responsibility towards the masses. I thought Leadership comes with service and loyalty to the people. I thought a leader is a representative of the interest, passion, drive, motivation, desires, aspirations and purpose of the people. But the present spate of ethnic, tribal, religious and political war among most countries of the world has to a great extent call to question the integrity of most African leaders. Most importantly is the way and manner in which such chaotic situation is handled.
In moments of deep reflection, I often ask; are our leaders living on the dreams of our great ancestors who fought for the emancipation of the black race? Is this the Africa our fathers fought for? Was this their dream of a better future for the African child whose destiny is trampled upon by the careless feet of corrupt politicians? Is this the African dream? Come to think of it, will our fathers rejoice in their grave-bed if they wake up to the realization of what the world has become as a result of the callousness of some so called leaders? Maybe, we should remind our leaders of the African dream that our great Ancestors fought for and for which every African must live!
Bloated bellied breeds of coloured race;
spindly, dangling frames for support;
eyes deeply sunken with no mist of hope,
laced with lashes of hunger
These are my kindreds --
frail buds of the giant Iroko tree
that fosters the tropic African forest;
now hewn down and left to rot.
Children butchered in parent-less homes
where papa nurtures aborted dreams.
Forcefully enlisted to war
against fellow brothers;
mama lays still, in a pool of blood,
sacrificed for our wishful tomorrows.
We roam the streets of Africa,
no longer terrified by death's mournful knell:
for our death lies in us
the mystery of our empty bloated bellies.
Yet, we will survive
amidst the incessant threats of penury
and the rumblings of infirmity
from one vicious cycle to another.
We wear a face, naked with hunger
and resigned to forlorn feast.
When in some distant continents,
children have enough to eat and throw away
yet, we will survive!
Tell the waiting vultures
that prowl the streets of Africa,
preying on the remains of our brothers
yanking their lifeless limbs apart, NO MORE!
Taking refuge in my silhouette
trailing behind wounded children,
waiting till their last breath is drawn,
and a human dinner is declared ready!
But tell the waiting vultures
that no more carcasses will litter the streets.
Our continent, no more a grave yard
where dreams are murdered, yet unborn
and visions stifled, still in its bud!
For our sun will rise again,
and our earth will bud,
adorned in the colours of nature.
Our barns will burst in abundance;
we will speak one language, one word, PEACE
This is the African dream.
The cause for which our fathers died.
The cause for which we WILL live!
Leadership is a position of responsibility. Let the African leaders know that with great power comes great responsibility and every man is positioned for a purpose. You could choose to be a life-saver (Queen Esther) or a life-taker (King Herod who murdered all the infants as at the time when Jesus was born). The choice is YOURS!
Kingsley keke
Lagos,
Nigeria,
West Africa
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