Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers and encouragements. Today was a real test for our first ever meeting with the receiving community in Turbo. The meeting was very crucial in the sense that the IDPs are being forced to return to their homes. But as a peace team from the Friends church, we felt that it was necessary to meet with the receiving communities first before we could bring together both parties for reconciliation. Nobody had ever met the receiving communities but they are only ordering them to accept them back.

Today 15th May, I led a team of 15 members of the FCPT in Turbo for this meeting which we had requested the chief and the District Officer to convene on our behalf. We arrived at the venue on time and the meeting began at 11.00am with prayers. The members of the Kalenjin community came as chiefs, Assistant Chiefs, village elders, women leaders, elected councilors, other pastors and other members of the community. It was hard to figure out what the outcome of the meeting would be. The D.O opened the meeting and threw it to me to explain the purpose of the day and why we have called for that meeting. Many of the community leaders were suspicious about the meeting as they thought we have come to convince them accept the IDPs from the camps.

Thanks to God who gave me wisdom to break the suspicion from the members.

After I had explain who we were and what our mission was and what we wanted to be done and our role will only to listen and do nothing but just listen and find a way forward. They later accepted my clear explanation and realize that the meeting was very important for them. At first they were not willing to open up at all, but I later led them through a leading question which opened up heavy discussions from them. The question was "Were you equally affected with the post-election violence or it was the IDPs only?" The people talked as if they have never talked anywhere before and they were very open with us. It was discovered that nobody had ever asked them such a question, but other people have been accusing them of destroying other people's properties. They got an opportunity to express how they have been affected by the post election violence. They expressed how the police killed their innocent sons and the arrest of innocent boys who were rounded and accused of fueling or aggravating the violence. They complained of some chiefs being fired for not stopping the youth from causing violence.

The Receiving community accused the Kikuyus of arrogance, pride, dis-respective to their community leaders, use of abusive language, refusing to vote for their civic and parliamentary leaders but only voted for the president who came from their ethnic group. They complained that, if these people came from far and have accepted to leave among them, they must respect their culture and values as they found them living that way. They accused them of mockery in the sense that, they bluntly told them that they will be ruled for more than 100 years. Whether they like or not their presidential candidate will win the presidential. They talked so bitterly that the Kikuyus have no heart for other tribes in Kenya; they look at themselves as superior to everybody. You could read bitterness from their heart, we listened very keenly and through them concluded to go down into their local villages where these people were chased and meet with more of the youth who executed the act of violence. They anonymously accepted on the proposal and the meetings were fixed in the seven locations from 19th - 27th May, One meeting per day per location. By accepting our team to visit them and meet more villagers was a good sign of willingness to let the IDPs return but firs people were to be talked to first. After this meetings we shall them have a meeting between the Receiving community and the IDPs to bond the relationship and then steer up the process of resettlement. There is need for more prayers during this exercise. It is a tough one and we wish that it succeeds so that other places could copy the same from Turbo and Lugari area.

Tomorrow 16th we move to Lugari Division and also meet with a similar group of leaders from that area. This team will be led by Joseph Mamai the chairman of FCPT while I will be at Kaimosi hospital conducting interviews for the hospital administrator. On Saturday 17th there will be a bicycle race in both Lugari and Turbo area involving young people as a means of bonding a relationship. This activity is very important and we wish to have similar activities in the area as a reconciliation tool within the communities. On the same Saturday 17th may, I will be having a seminar with Lugari Yearly Meeting after commissioning the bicycle race. The seminar is meant for strategically leading the Lugari yearly meeting in a business plan for the 300 acre land for economic purposes.

We need prayers and support in all.
................................................................

John Muhanji

Director,

Friends United Meeting, Africa Ministries P. O. Box 478, Kisumu. Kenya

E-mail: johnm@fum.org

Phone:254-735-601707

Skype: john.muhanji

Listening to Christ: A simple faith that transforms life.

A ministry of the Friends Church John 15:14

Sincerely,

Kim Schull

Administrative Assistant

Friends United Meeting