As the voting is complete and the country awaits the official announcement of the result, there is a calmness and peace that seems to have settled over Kenya. Although there may the scattered or occasional conflict in isolated places, the overall feel of the country is quite positive.
I am so proud of Kenyans for acting responsibly during this voting process. I know that many of them (and many others of us) were a bit apprehensive heading into this "Referendum Week." The outcome of the last trip to polls in Kenya was less than desirable, to say the very least. It seems that they have learned a lesson from the past. As my housekeeper said to me this morning, "We have really tried. We have learned this time." (The word "tried" in this culture is more commonly related to "done," or in this case, "done it.")
As of now, the official results have not been announced, but the "Yes" camp appears to have a significant victory with 67% of the vote, according to Kenya's Daily Nation. The results are expected to be officially announced by the IIEC within the next day.
Across the country, lines were already formed by 5am with people ready to cast their vote. This was not just the early morning work crowd trying to get to the polls before heading to work. These were people who were enthusiastically exercising their right! Isn't that amazing?! One of our baby caretakers told me this morning that her father got up yesterday morning at 4am to make his way to the voting booth.
People stood in lines for hours waiting to vote. Our baby house housekeeper waited in line for almost 5 hours to cast her vote. How many people do you know who would have done that in America? I don't know many. Honestly, I don't think I would have. We would just leave, going about our business and complaining about the unorganized process and the absurdity of the government for expecting us to spend our precious time standing in line.
(All pictures taken from www.nation.co.ke)
Please continue to keep us in your prayers until the final results are posted and the reality of that settles in across the country. But, so far so good!
2 comments:
I was wowed by the picture of the tribel women in line to vote. Shame on me, but I really just imagined the more educated and the city dwellers voting. Go Kenya
Isn't that cool? Some really take it seriously. And the other one showing the rural polling place, a board box. They make it work.
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