It is a cool rainy morning here in Mombasa and we had a lovely Easter celebration with 11 friends in our home yesterday. All is calm and we are grateful for the peaceful acceptance of the court ruling Saturday evening. The court made the unanimous decision that the elections were free and fair and that the two men elected president and vice president will be inaugurated on 9th April. This is the end of discussion and there will not be anymore appeals or legal challenges in Kenya.
Judy works in Bangladesh slum and I will go there for a clinic tomorrow. In 2008 this slum was the center of post election violence and many people were hurt and killed. This month the priests (St. Patrick Fathers from Kiltegan in Ireland) report that some police came and beat up youth with sticks while they were playing on the football field and prevented other gatherings of people. But the people didn't fight back and there was no escalation of violence. The parish has been working diligently to help people channel their anger nonviolently and they have succeeded. In addition, all three priests are older than me and live in the slum with their parishoners. I suspect that Pope Francis would be approving of their lives of service!
Most people I have talked to just want to put the election process behind them and get on with their lives. They want to make a decent living and send their kids to school. For me, the concern is for those people who suffered during the violence in 2008. I heard many of their stories and know how much they suffered at the hands of people well known to them. I hope that they will be able to tell their stories at the International Criminal Court in the Hague. But recently the court had to drop charges against one man because the witnesses had died, been killed or changed their minds and refused to testify. The Hague also said that the government of Kenya was not cooperating in providing what was necessary to determine the truth. Now, two of the three men still charged have become the government of Kenya! I doubt they will do a better job of 'cooperating'. I feel very sad for the future of these people and the country as a whole. This is not a very joyful Easter for me.
But I will go to work tomorrow and do my best to serve the needs of the people who come to the clinic. I'll take heart in knowing that there are many of you who are keeping us in thought and prayer and admit that I can only do my little part. Wishing you all a very Happy Eastertide and the arrival of Spring as soon as possible in Illinois!
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