Rwanda genocide

…..Sixteen years of painful memories. What lessons do we have for Kenyans?

I may have been too young to understand what was taking place in Rwanda in April 1994 but i may not be too young to see a similar scenario taking place in our beloved Country Kenya today. Kenya is not alone  so what does the future hold for Africa?

Before the genocide, Rwanda was a country experiencing tribal and political upheavals like many African countries in the past and even today.
However things came to a turn around, after the assassination of  President Juvenal Habyarimana on April 6. Contrary to many people’s believes the assassination may not have  been the proximate cause of the mass killings that we are all ashamed to talk about. The assassination was only the beginning of madness .

According to the rebel Hutus, the Tutsis wanted to enslave them and thus this had to be averted by all means.In a period of just  100 days 20% of the Country’s Population lay by the roadside dead as the World Watched. But even if the killings had been prevented the tribal strife that existed may never have been removed from people’s hearts. This was the main cause of the Genocide…..Tribalism!

Many African countries which include my motherland Kenya are in such dilemma. It is until we solve our feelings about each other that we will avert this alarming rate of constant political and tribal uprisings. It is until we accept that a Kikuyu has a right to life just like a Kalenjin or a Luo that we shall see a free Kenya, a free Africa.

If i may take a stroll and just remember Kenya’s Post election Violence:happening only days after a strongly contested poll. Let it never be said that Kenya was not heading to the pit. More than 1,000 Kenyans lay dead and dozens displaced and are still displaced in their own country. Justice has not been granted and the World in still watching.

What caused the Upheaval? Politics, rigging have been largely blamed but i stand out and say NO! NO! NO! to this school of thought .It was pure tribalism. How come this happened only in some areas and done by out particular communities against others? If we had been nurtured to love each other despite our background, do you think we would have gone to the extent killing each other mercilessly like we did?

Until when  are we going to blame on our political leaders and affiliations?How many times are we going to lay blame on our God-given resources like land which may never be enough for us all?So do we continue with the killings or do we choose to love each other.To love and to share our national heritage.

As a young African i chose to love the Kikuyu, the Luo and all the other ethnic groups in Kenya. I did not choose to be born in Kenya! But even if i was to choose i would be born a Kenyan again and again because if it can’t work as a Kenyan it may never work as somebody else.

Choose today to Love your neighbour despite our differences in language.We are the only ones who can change the destiny of our country.The destiny of our Continent. The destiny of this World.

The writer of this blog is a Practising Journalist.