Experiencing the threat of ethnic cleansing...

Here follows a post that I wrote on Monday 28th January, noting my feelings and experiences as the situation in Naivasha escalated and began to affect the Sunshine compound.

It has been a shock and disappointment to find myself having to come home, although I fully appreciate that in the circumstances, it was the only thing to do. I am now hoping and praying that peace will come to Kenya, and looking forward to being able to return to Naivasha to join with our Christian friends and partners in helping to rebuild this devastated community.

"I awoke this morning to hear more stories of tension boiling over in and around Naivasha, as tribes seek to enact revenge and to claim land as their own. The wardens here at the Sunshine Home were kept awake until the early morning due to the noise of gunshots in the town centre. But I still remained isolated and unaware of the extent of the troubles as I slept through.

I awoke expecting the thirty builders to have begun their day’s work continuing the construction of the home here but as I left my front door there was an eerie quiet across the compound. No work and no sound. I came to find a dozen labourers sat at the gate with the wardens. They were talking, some distressed, others just crouching deep in thought. None of the workers here are under threat, they are all Kikuyu, so none display real anxiety yet they continue to shudder in disbelief as members of their tribe seek revenge in their name and incite more violence within the Rift Valley of Kenya.

As I ask more questions about the situation it only continues to deepen my disconnection from everything and everyone. I’ve begun to feel sheltered; it is like being content on a desert island yet knowing that sharks are stalking and devouring their prey in the surrounding water. All the workers give me assurance of my safety but I can’t come to terms with the situation and I’m at a loss to how I can be of any value here at this time.

I have been in contact with people at home these last two days and I know that many people are well aware of the situation and my predicament here. My own home church met and prayed, while friends and family have texted me news, obviously worrying about the situation. I have contacted the British High Commission in Nairobi for advice.

I have sat here reading and contemplating for much of the day, continuing to feel useless. I attempted to take some food to the Luo children in the house down the road but they had already left, forced away by the Kikuyu mobs.

It was only later this afternoon that I caught a glimpse first hand of the anarchy that is gripping Kenya for the first time. It wasn’t graphic or brutal, but it sent a shiver down my spine. At the gate of the compound one of the Sunshine Boys was returning and myself and the warden were letting him in. As we did a group of five Kikuyu youths were walking past, wielding machetes, clubs, and wooden batons. They stopped and spoke in the Kikuyu language to let us know that they were seeking more Luos. They were told that there were none on site, and as they continued on their way they called out, “greet the white man,” and were gone.

At that moment the cold hard truth of what is happening hit me. It became very real that these lawless groups of young men are terrorising Kenyans across the country, beating and murdering their fellow citizens. I felt utterly feeble in response to the situation and began to consider my own safety in these circumstances. About twenty minutes later, another group of around twenty-five youths stopped at the gate, weapons in hand. They asked the same and were seeking the same, but seemingly left disappointed and continued on their way.

How do people become so perverted in their understanding of justice? How can they believe that what they are doing is right? What grips these gangs with such anger that they would seek to destroy a fellow man with his wife and children? It is simply evil, and I search the depths of my heart as I try to lift these lost people before God and cry out in mercy for their lives."

Reflecting on the past weekend in Naivasha...

I returned the UK yesterday morning, amidst a torrent of conflicting feelings about leaving my friends in Naivasha. Now that I once again have access to the internet, having been safely secured in the Sunshine complex for the past few days, I can begin to post some of my reflections noted during the weekend. The following post was written on Sunday 27th January, as I began to find out what had been happening in Naivasha town centre, when the violence began.

"I sit down to write this blog and I feel somewhat separated from the real world, or at least the country where I’m living at the moment. I’m not completely aware of what’s been going on the last few days as news isn’t too easy to come by, but stories have been relayed to me via word of mouth.

By all accounts it has been a heartbreaking day for many Kenyans, especially those living in Naivasha. It is reported that 30 to 40 people have been killed in the town centre, just 5 minutes from where I am staying. We heard this morning was that a demonstration was taking place in Naivasha, but throughout the night members of the Kikuyu tribe had set up a road block had been set up on the East African road where it passes Naivasha. Those living in Naivasha are predominantly from the Kikuyu tribe but the problems have arisen since Kikuyu’s from other areas have travelled into the town seeking revenge and using violence to force all other tribes to leave this area.

All known non-Kikuyu’s in the area are being targeted and forced to leave their homes through beatings and further threats. Just one minute away from where I am staying a family from the Luo tribe have a tiny house. The father was beaten last night and told to leave by this evening and the gang plan to come back and burn his house later today; if the family remain they will be killed.

This is only the news I’ve gathered from those living beside me and I am unable to find out what is happening further afield. I find it impossible to relate to what causes these people to turn to these evil acts of murder and violence in order to seek their warped form of justice.

I suppose being non-Kenyan means I will never really grasp the significance of tribal heritage and how it is still so crucial to modern-day life. It seems really unnatural for those of us not from a tribal culture, since people here all claim to be Kenyans yet continue to destroy one another and their economy. The present troubles are certainly threatening the future and stability of the country, and therefore the daily life of every Kenya, particularly those living in the most poverty. We only need to look at Zimbabwe today and Rwanda a decade ago to know that as this situation escalates, all people will suffer; a human catastrophe could be just around the corner.

The question I ask myself is what can I do? What difference can I make? Currently I feel completely helpless and unable to bring any hope to the people. I can only cry out to God and ask for his justice to fall in this place, I pray for his mercy upon the people who have such distorted views in resolving the situation and ask the Lord for his peace to come to Kenya…"

Coming home...

Just to let you know that I am due to fly out of Kenya tonight at 23:20 local time, scheduled to arrive back at Heathrow tomorrow morning. The situation in Kenya is not improving and I am therefore returning home as my safety cannot be guaranteed. I will be spending most of my day at Nairobi airport awaiting my flight, as this is one of the safest places to be at present.

I will post more on my feelings about this dramatic turn of events soon. Please do continue to check back and keep praying for the people of Kenya.

Dedicating Kannganda...

I was particularly excited to be here in East Africa to see the beginning of the work on Mission Care International's latest development project, in Kannganda, a village in the Mukono District of Uganda, just outside the capital city, Kampala.

We spent the morning of 19th January in the village for a dedication ceremony, planting jack fruit trees at various points on the land which is going to be used for the church, clinic and housing for pastoral and healthcare workers. The Mission Care team were joined by the UK delegates at the Africamp conference and many of the villagers and their children for a moving time of prayer and celebration.

Pastor John Mulinde of World Trumpet Mission and Pastor Jonathan McGill of Bromley Town Church, the two Christian groups with whom we are partnering on this project, together with Colin Bloom, all shared about the work which will be taking place over the coming months. It was a privilege to share in the unbridled joy of the villagers as they heard about the plans for a healthcare and maternity facility as well as the facilitation of water and electricity to the village.


As us Brits seem to have some difficulty in pronouncing "Kannganda" correctly, we have nicknamed the project here "the Jack Fruit project", after the three jack fruit trees that we planted on the site as we prayed over the land. One of our Ugandan friends then treated us to a taste of jack fruit, which was surprisingly sweet with a chewy texture - not to everyone's taste but I enjoyed it!

The work planned for the site in Kannganda is going to make an enormous difference to the community here and I look forward to sharing more news as the work develops. Please remember the work in your prayers, and consider investing in the building work - for only £20 a month over two years, you could contribute 20 bricks on a monthly basis, ensuring that our work is completed as quickly as possible. Do contact the Mission Care UK office for more details as to how you can get involved in this amazing work.

Living in Naivasha at the moment...

On Friday last week I was working on a post to provide an update on my first week in Kenya, which follows. Over the weekend however, as you may have seen, there have been a series of terrible events taking place in Naivasha, where I am living. I have been advised by the British High Commission to stay in my house, which is in a gated and secure compound, and I am safe at the moment, and in touch with the High Commission and Mission Care colleagues in the UK as we wait to see what is going to happen next.

Please remember the people of Naivasha in your prayers. Many have seen traumatic events unfolding in their community that they would not have dreamed were possible.

The events of the past few days are a stark reminder of how quickly things can change. When I arrived in Kenya a week ago it was in full safety to a town which had not seen any trouble, excited to see the progress being made at the Sunshine Boys Rehabilitation Centre. I was able to see Sunshine Cottage for the first time, where I am now living. This picture shows me, together with Mission Care Chief Executive Colin Bloom, and the Director of the Sunshine Boys, Simon Kinyanjui Chege, outside my new front door.

The cottage is amazing, far beyond what I expected, and the time and effort that many of the Kenyans had put into preparing it for me was really humbling. They were so happy that we had arrived safely and it was great to join them.

Over the past week I made two trips back to Nairobi, to the airport, taking friends for their flights home. I learned quickly that I would need to be careful on the road; one policeman attempted to bribe us at one of the many police check points on the roads. He wanted 3000 Kenyan shillings, which is about £24. Corruption is a massive problem in Kenya, and is something of which I will need to be very wary. On this occasion the policeman had not realised that I was travelling with Kenyan friends in the car (as I will be doing on most of my trips), and when he realised he quickly backed down and was somewhat embarrassed.

During my first week in Kenya I also visited Moi Ndabi, the site of a Mission Care International water project, and met with the chief and assistant chief of the village. The team from Mission Care who joined me in Kenya have been working hard, meeting with our partners and ensuring that the various projects are progressing, but we also managed to squeeze in a few trips to help me get my bearings in the Rift Valley. We visited the Lake Nakuru National Park and also climbed Mount Longaknot. On this second trip we were grateful for the guidance of Silas and Dano, two of the Sunshine Boys. The journey was hard and fairly treacherous; I was very hot and my legs have been paying for my exertions over the past few days.

It is daunting being here in Kenya on my own since the last of the Mission Care team returned to the UK, especially in the current climate of unrest in Naivasha. I am reminded constantly however that God is with me, and that I have an awesome opportunity to serve Him through serving Mission Care International and the Kenyan people. Please do continue to pray for my safety and protection, but also pray that I can use this time to be a blessing to those around me, that I may build God's kingdom here and share the Good News in a situation which right now seems so desperate to so many.

Going to Kenya...

With the situation in Kenya escalating to violence following the elections after Christmas, I went through a somewhat frustrating time during my first week in Africa. We heard many different stories as to the level of unrest and potential threat to safety. By Saturday 19th January we had to make a decision as to whether we could travel there and advice from the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office was recommending against all but essential travel to Kenya. Although it was generally believed that Naivasha, where I am now, was safe, flying into Nairobi would have been against FCO advice, meaning that I would not be covered by any insurance, should anything happen to me.

On Saturday therefore, a decision was made that I could not travel to Kenya given the climate of tension and unrest described by our Kenya friends and the FCO. If it had been purely up to me, I think I would have been somewhat selfish and travelled anyway. Not because I am reckless or irresponsible, but because of a commitment to Mission Care International’s partners and knowing that it is precisely at times of trouble that I could encourage and express something of God’s love when it is most needed. However, given the news we were hearing, I fully accepted and respected the decision that I could not travel to Kenya and started to think about reorganizing my trip.

At that point I felt absolutely gutted. It was really hard to have to think about not being able to go, but everything was completely out of my hands, and of course, the dire situation for the people of Kenya was far bigger than my own personal disappointment. I spent time praying for the people of Kenya, particularly for the politicians, that they might be able to move to reconciliation and restoration, and for the Kenyan tribes, that they might overcome land and race tensions and live peacefully. I continue to pray these prayers, even though the tension has subsided somewhat.

Now, I am safely in Naivasha, in the process of settling into my home for the next seven months, Sunshine Cottage (more information on the cottage to follow soon). Due to the decreased tension and the planned visit of Kofi Annan and others for reconciliation talks, the FCO changed its advice on Sunday 21st January, meaning that travel was safe again. I joined with three members of the Mission Care team and flew out of Uganda early Monday morning, much to the joy of our Kenyan partners.

Please do join me in continuing to pray for Kenya as the country seeks to return to its former stability and move forward from the unrest of the New Year.

Arriving in Uganda...

On Monday 13th January we arrived into Entebbe Airport in Uganda from a night flight. The first part of my stay in Uganda was with a team including Mission Care staff as we attend Africamp, a Christian Conference organized by the World Trumpet Mission. The conference is attended by Christians from across the globe and provided a great opportunity for me to hear from God and think about these next seven months as I seek to serve Him here in Uganda and Kenya. During the conference I have experienced some real moments of wonder. The joy and passion of Ugandan Christians in worship has been awe-inspiring and a real challenge.

Mission Care has good links with the World Trumpet Mission and Lead Pastor John Mulinde has identified a rural town called Kannganda as a place for Mission Care to be involved in transforming a community where there is much poverty, as well as spiritual and physical suffering.

On Monday 14th January and Tuesday 15th January I spent a lot of time in Kannganda surveying the site before we choose how best to meet the needs of the people. Equipped with some odd architectural instruments I have been assisting Andrew Scott, Projects Director, and Jonathan Crisp, Finance Director, in mapping out the size and depth of the land before Andrew designs the buildings.

The locals spent much of their time watching and wondering what we were up to, but spending these two short days with them it was a reminder of the almost impossible situation they are in. Their clothes are dirty, torn and shredded, most have no shoes and although they are smiling and laughing the children are obviously malnourished. Mission Care intend to invest in the area by providing water and healthcare facilities, and providing social and spiritual help by building a home for a pastor and a church. All this seems some way off but our presence today seem to bring hope of a better future, especially in the lives of some of the young children. I look forward to sharing more news about the development over the coming months, and to seeing this community radically transformed.

On a slightly more trivial note I also enjoyed my time in Kampala by savouring some amazing cuisine the last few nights, an Indian restaurant, called Khana Khazana, served me a bucket of curry, a bit like KFC, while Fang Fang, a Chinese, included the tastiest broccoli some of the team had ever experienced. I made sure to appreciate these things while I had the opportunity!