ALYSA PERRERAS | staff writer
courtesy | ASSOCIATED PRESS
Opposition leader, Raila Odinga (left), and members of his party watch during voting to select the parliament speaker.

WITH AP SOURCES

Disputes over the 2007 presidential elections in Kenya have caused one of the most stable nations in East Africa to enter into a violent time of uncertainty.

Disputes about whether Mwai Kibaki was actually re-elected, as he claims, over opposition leader Raila Odinga have escalated to violence in some areas of Kenya.

“The desire for change in a relatively poor society, a contagious sense of hope, and centuries of tribalism, combined with a disputed election in a new democracy creates substantial grounds for tension turning into violence,” senior elementary education major Sarah Odell said.

Odell has spent much her of life in Kenya and her parents and siblings are living in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Independence is a new thing for Kenya, having only been an independent country for 40 years and only having three different presidents during that time.

The current generation of Kenyan citizens has never undergone an election with such close results. The announcement of the election results reported Kibaki winning with 51.3 percent and Odinga earning an extremely close 48.7 percent.

The Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) is responsible for the tallying and announcing of votes. Several of its members have admitted to flaws in the electoral process.

Violent riots and protests have followed. At least two members of the ECK have had their homes burned to the ground,. The violence triggered by the disputed elections has claimed at least 600 lives.

During Kibaki’s five-year presidency the standard of living rose for the average Kenyan and there was economic growth throughout the country. However, Kibaki’s government has battled allegations of corruption and has not followed through on all promises made in 2001. People want to see change. However, linking the unrest in the country only to the presidential elections would not be accurate.

“While violence is never the goal, it is superficial to think that a country can go from being one of the most peaceful countries in Africa to such turmoil in the span of a week without there being some underlying tensions,” Odell said.

U.S. and European observers have criticized the official results that came three days after the election, a long and unexplained delay in vote tallying. Their concern might be attributed to lessons learned from watching other countries where political disputes have turned into full-scale civil wars.

In addition, it is important to note the significance of Kenya for many international organizations. Nairobi boasts the 2nd largest UN compound in the world and the U.S. has one of its strongest embassy presences in Nairobi. Kenya is also home to multiple aid agencies, NGOs, and other non-profit organizations.

Kenya’s political turmoil was addressed when they re-opened Parliament on Tuesday, Jan 15. Odinga’s party, the ODM, holds 99 seats in the 222 seat parliament, making them the majority party. During the meeting, parliament voted on a Speaker and the winner was of the ODM party.

The 10th session of Parliament opened 16 days after the announcement of the disputed presidential elections under heavy security. Tuesday’s parliament was the first time since the elections that President Kibaki came face-to-face with the ODM presidential candidate, Odinga.

With both parties blaming each other for recent violence in Kenya and each still claiming to have won the most amount of votes, there is no telling when resolution may come.

“My heart breaks for the everyday Kenyan. Those who are most dramatically affected are those who just want life to get back to normal. The average Kenyan just wants to go to work, pay their kid’s school bills and live in peace,” Odell said. “I also feel a weight for my family, a burden to pray, which I think is a good thing.”