Oblate reports on Kenya violence

By Laureen McMahon

Reports of political violence in Kenya have been of particular interest to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate; the congregation sent a team of priests to serve in the east Africa country a decade ago.

Peter Andrews / Reuters / CNS Members of the Kisii tribe prepare to fight a battle with those in the Kalenjin tribe in the town of Chepilat, west of Nairobi, Kenya, Feb. 3. The Red Cross in Nairobi said more than 1,000 people have died and 304,000 have been displaced in Kenya's postelection crisis.

Father Ken Forster, OMI, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Vancouver, returned from Kenya last year after nine years in the Diocese of Meru. He has reported to The B.C. Catholic that messages from fellow Oblates indicate that the conflict has not yet affected Oblates in the Mount Kenya region, but life in Nairobi, the Western Provinces, and the coastal provinces has turned chaotic.

He said he has been told by Father Mario Azrak, OMI, that many hundreds have been reported killed and over 200,000 displaced in the violence. These estimates, he suggested, are probably low.

The failure of President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and opposition leader Raila Odinga to stem the trouble also puts foreign aid at risk, and this could, said Father Azrak, cripple the country's economy because of the effect on trade and tourism.

The violence broke out after the country's elections when it became known that more votes had been counted in parts of the country than there were people to cast them, "but it also goes back to the campaigns that Odinga fought on tribal and socialist grounds," said Father Azrak.

"He wanted to create a kind of federal system where people of particular tribal backgrounds should live and work in their particular region. He also promised those in the slums of Nairobi lower matatu fares (for Kenya's privately owned minibus system) and almost no rent."

After the flawed election, said Father Azrak, people rioted and looted stores and many landlords responded by evicting them.

The police, said Father Azrak, were restrained at first, but as the violence increased they opened fire and people died.

The Associated Press has

Churches provide refuge for the homeless

reported that many churches are providing refuge for those such as Mary Kimani who have lost homes. The 42-year-old woman took shelter in a Catholic church in Nakuru, a city of 300,000 where buildings had been reduced to smouldering rubble.

"I'm badly shaken," Kimani said. "I don't know where to go."

Father Azrak said he thinks a new election should be held as soon as possible after the fighting is contained.

Kenya's Catholic bishops, Father Forster told The B.C. Catholic, are united in their condemnation of the violence and their advocacy for social justice.

"The voice of the Church in Kenya is important; it is outspoken and it is listened to," said Father Forster, one of the original Oblates sent to Kenya after the Bishop of Meru extended an invitation to Oblate priests in Rome.

"Our team went to a parish on the slopes of Mount Kenya at Kionyo, which is far up the mountain and difficult to get to," said Father Forster. They were, he added, warmly welcomed by the people who belong to one tribal group.

"They wanted to prove to the bishop that they could accommodate the priests," said Father Forster, "so they built a stone house and equipped it with a stove."

There are 14 Oblates in the community. Seven Kenyans so far have made temporary vows as Oblates and others are in formation.

"The order has been in at least 17 other African countries and has about 800 members throughout Africa," explained Father Forster.

"Kenya is a nation of 37,000,000. About 78 per cent are Christian and a third of those are Catholic. The faith is just exploding, and the people are extraordinarily proud of their Christianity and very open to its expression in a way that is quite distinct from how we live our faith here in North America.

People tend to wear their religion "on their sleeve," said Father Forster, even naming their businesses after saints.

"Without a good resolution to this recent violence, it's going to be hard on all Kenya," said Father Forster, "because the rallies which are supposed to be peaceful soon turn into opportunities for people to add to the chaos."

While the struggle runs along ethnic lines, he said, fortunately "it's not the same as has happened elsewhere, such as in Rwanda, probably because Kenya is home to more than 40 tribes rather than just a few."

He said he will return to Kenya some day, but only temporarily.

"I tried my best to learn the language but never became fluent. We are working to draw natives to the priesthood because we don't have young men to send to Kenya."

Living in Africa puts the poverty of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, while admittedly a huge problem, into perspective, said Father Forster.

"Few African families can afford to educate their children. There is little medical care and the majority of families cannot manage.

"In spite of their poverty, however, they have a tremendous spirit of thanksgiving and are grateful for everything they do have, which stands out as different to what we usually see in North America.

"They believe everything is a gift from the Lord; even when the rain lasts for weeks and months, they say `thanks.'"