It's about 8:22 am 2 days after rioting in Kenya. Responsible for the security of some 2000 staff, I think about the newest piece of information that has just been shared. A pickup truck surrounded by school children carrying a freshly killed young man is touring the the neighborhood.
Ok - I'm thinking now ...... the school children are to prevent the police from firing live bullets -- something that has been going on for 2 days. And the kids are also being used to to dissuade the police from firing teargas, a smell that is now more familiar to me than freshly baked bread.
Now - questions to answer -- why was the young man killed and how much impact will that have as the convoy attempts to garner sympathy and support. And were are they going. Will there be more bullets flying?
The young man was killed along with 2 others (apparently) as they tried to steal steel from the railway station down the road. The stations' building material was 'made available' from the chaos 2 days earlier. The convoy is likely headed to the police station next to our facility in an attempt to send a "see what you did now" message.
"What are we doing Layne" -- ask a couple of team members.
The threat seems mild but still --
Ok - let's hold all incoming staff vehicles. Tell them all to shelter in place. Get on the group application and tell them to move to a gas station or other safe place and wait for permission to enter the slum. Lock the gates and make sure no one leaves the facility without permission to do so.
Decision made - now I hope it's the right one.
It wasn't -- the convoy disbanded quickly and the threat evaporated nearly as quickly as it had appeared. Fuck!
This example is one of many that has to be made over the last few days. Historically, the protests have been noisy teargas scented festivals with little violence -- but this last one was different. The good news - no one on our team was hurt. That's the main objective.
However there were 10 dead that have been publicly identified- countless citizens injured - and many more arrested. Thugs and looters quickly took what they could leaving businesses and individuals so much the poorer in terms of stuff and their sense of fairness and personal security. Sadly.
On the July 12 protest (this is about the 6th over a number of months) I would like to share my own experience.
We held team members in one of our depots from 16:00 to 17:30 due to the teargas and sounds of gunfire all around us. Intel I received at 17:00 was;
- Gunshots are blanks to disperse crowds
- Street are clear to the main exits of the slum
- Passersby are not in danger as the protest is directed at police/ Government Institutions
- The protest is losing momentum quickly and people are heading home
Staff released on on their way home, it was time for me to go home.
I had left my motorcycle at home given the possibility of insecurity so I eased the Rav4 out into the slum through our big blue gates. I had had a reconnaissance on the neighborhood done 15 minutes before and had been told that all was clear. All looked well as I moved slowly along the street littered with rocks garbage and discarded clothing. People walked in the center of the street with no thought to the motorcycles whizzing about them. The air thick with the smoke of burning tires and teargas.
Squinting through tears and the windshield I saw a man ahead walking toward me carrying a Panga (Machete). As I watched he swung half-heatedly at an old man passing on a bicycle hitting only the handlebars. Suddenly our eyes met and I'll never forget the murderous look in those eyes and the almost zombie-like movement of his body as he moved toward the car. I swerved quickly around him and hit the gas knowing for sure that all was not well. Ahead of me the road closed up with hundreds of people yelling, thicker smoke, more fires and rocks flying.
A note on throwing stones. Somehow when I think of throwing stones, my mind travels to skipping stones on a pond ... not the fist sized boulders that are used in a protest like this one. This was a wake-up call for me.
I suddenly realized that I wouldn't make to the turn ahead. The road was completely blocked and closing in behind me. Many of the crowd turned to look at my panic stricken expression. Many started shouted warning and hurried instructions to get me turned around and moving away from the fighting. I'm very thankful for their assistance.
A side street was clear so I made the turn and crept along as people funneled around me. If I hit someone it will be a very very bad situation indeed. It's incredible how strong the temptation to just hit the gas at a time like that can be. Horn honking and moving slowly I was closer to peeing my pants than anytime since I was 7. At the end of the road there is a turn to the right. Having made it that far I thought I was in the clear. The photo below is not mine - nor are the ones above, but the one below was similar to what was ahead of me as I turned that corner. Fuck!
Four tires burned in front of me blocking the road completely. A truck passed me as I viewed the road ahead. I watched fascinated as the truck drove directly through the flames careening wildly over and around the bricks and rocks on the road. A car coming toward me was swerving wildly driving over the big bricks, the car clearly damaged from that fear-driven journey
I hit the gar and drove through the fire and into the boulder field. All those years of playing Gameboy Tetris paid off as I saw a path ahead. Into a shallow ditch - parking lot - more burning tires -- I was getting there. At one point rocks stopped the car. I tried to work around but I was stopped and getting out of the car was not an option. A man suddenly ran over and pushed the boulder out of the way. Another kind soul. Just ahead power lines were across the road with the pole leaning precariously. No choice. The lines miraculously slide over and around the car as I came to another intersection. On my right, the protest was raging and a police anti riot squad blocked my path. Hand on the horn I continued forward and they parted to let me pass. The look of complete terror likely persuaded them to do so. Lastly in an act of divine intervention 1 Layne got to the 4 lane highway. It was strewn with cars crisscrossed moving in all directions even though it was a one way road. Complete Chaos.
I made it through and later stopped to wipe the pee off the seat 😉 That was a bit too close even for a fairly adventurous soul like myself.
There are more protests planned for next week. I think I'll bring a sleeping bag and bag or 2 of Doritos and a few KitKats.
As a reminder - I support hungry kids in the slum and if you want to donate - I will not spend the money on Doritos or Kit Kat Bars
If you would like to donate - you can email me to chat about it or do so through:
MPESA -- +254745237248 (Local)
Pay Pal -- laynegmahon@gmail.com (International)
Or interact -- Laynemahon@live.com (Canada)
Thanks for reading....Layno somewhere along The Great Rift Valley!!!
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