A Festive that never was!

I was just 10 years old when I witnessed conflict for the first time. The post-election violence that occurred in Kenya between 2007 and 2008 following the disagreement in the presidential election result was held on the 27^th of December 2007. I remember the feeling, it was scary the state was in ruins all because those meant to lead us went into war, so many people died and others were rendered homeless while businesses were burnt down and destroyed in the process, it was chaotic and horrifying.

I was in my maternal home, my grandmother was ailing and my aunty was taking care of her along with me, and two of my little cousins. When the worst nightmare struck, we left her at around 4:00 pm to go to the shops and get grass for the cow. From afar my aunty spotted the GSU lorry coming towards the shop, we were almost home but she asked me to run back to the shops to get my uncle and warn him of the arriving GSU (General Service Unit). I ran back and without much convincing he followed me home but we didn’t get far before they spilled and we were forced to hide in the maize plantation till they were gone, those minutes felt like hell.

After almost an hour we started walking home again, cautious not to run into any because they didn’t spare anyone, on we went and to our surprise some had followed us, it was raining and so slippery, all I remember hearing was my aunt telling my uncle to let my hand go so I could run towards her. She grabbed me but due to the slipperiness she couldn’t go far having dislocated her feet and thumb while trying to save me, so she asked me to run into the nearby house leaving her there.

Luckily she got up lay in a ditch and covered herself with a sack, she narrowly escaped their wrath. After a lot of those horrific moments, we eventually got home. 6:00 pm was the curfew time, you were not supposed to be found outside less you would be beaten mercilessly or arrested. All that happened because we were seeking leaders to lead us into the greatest but their selfish desires claimed so many lives and peace for a while tribalism crept in and many continue to suffer.

It is sad that even though it is not my country experiencing it fellow humans are, when will the Gaza attacks end? Isn’t humanity more important than the cause of the conflict, are there not any better ways to solve things without bloodshed? How much longer will the human blood keep on being the price, is it after all humans are wiped away? I think it is enough!

Since the beginning of the war, so many people have died, others rendered homeless and so many properties are getting destroyed. A festive that was meant to bring families together and tourists from all over the world won’t be because Bethlehem is in ruins, nobody wants to go there for their safety and all the festival happenings are kept on hold because the city bleeds, it is screaming chaos.

I feel sad because economies were just rising after the pandemic and now this feels worse than the pandemic. People are unsure of tomorrow and to think the army that is meant to protect the people are the ones fighting the people is sad. States should realize that nothing is more important than life. The conflict has been on for decades yet people keep dying on it. Even though the victims won’t enjoy the festive season that peace finds them soon, all the organizations responsible for maintaining and restoring peace will act quickly and save the people.

Wars are ugly and I pray as we forge forth that someday they will be just but a sad history because it will be long gone. At least if not for anything else for humanity’s sake. I stand with the people of Gaza and I pray that the calamity that is threatening to hit doesn’t, that of hunger and risk of famine. God, we can’t reach them but you can for the sake of humanity and the innocent ones may this war end, it is enough!