African Woman and Child Feature Service

It was a unique and emotional moment when the women met in Mombasa and narrated their experiences over the 2007 post election violence.

A look on their faces reveals the bitterness and anger they have been endured after losing lives and property. And now the emotional battle ahead of them is how to handle the perpetrators they meet on almost a daily basis.

It is something that can be described as a time bomb as not many want to speak of it.

The Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida) organized a two-day workshop for victims/witness support at Mombasa’s Kohinoor Hotel to empower the women to submit their statements and testify about human rights abuses against them to the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC).

Although TJRC’s first visit in Coast province was received by protests and walkouts, there have been calls from various stakeholders for Kenyans to give the team a chance, even as its chairman, Bethwel Kiplagat is facing pressure to resign.

Fida, by holding the workshop, intended to build the skills and confidence of the women saying it was important given the historical significant under reporting of crimes against women.

They were also to create awareness about the work of TJRC.

According to Fida legal counsel Fatuma Achani, most of the women were not aware of TJRC activities and also had no idea over its existence and functions.

Achani said Fida’s Winnie Maina had to take the participants through the background of the creation of the TJRC Act and each was given a simplified document of it.

“We had to look at the purpose, functions and powers of the TJRC and also on how hearings of the commission are to be conducted,”

The official added that they also talked on amnesty, reparations and the relationship between the TJRC and regular courts, with issues on reparation being discussed in details.

She said the women, who come from Mikindani, Likoni, Changamwe and Kisauni areas, raised their fears over the process which were addressed.

They last day of the workshop was committed to human rights violations and getting victims testimonies.

“The women at the end of it should be empowered to speak out and know their rights and how they were violated. Some are leaving in the comfort zone dur to years of oppression and are no longer ‘in touch’ with the reality over human rights violations,”

The official added that a similar workshop will be conducted in Kisumu, and that Fida will move to the grassroots to ensure all women were empowered.

Tears flowed freely when the women begun narrating the ordeal they went through during that period.

For Ms Dorcas Wamboi Kamau, 31, being alive today is one of the miracles she always thanks God for. She narrates her story,

“My child was only 18 months by then. I always recall how I spent three days with her without food after we ran away from people who had already taken our property and wanted to kill us. I watched them with my very own eyes as they vandalized my business, burnt the building and took off with all my property. It was immediately after the news came that Mwai Kibaki had won, that is when my problems begun.

I used to live in Mikindani area with my husband and one child where I had a salon, boutique and cosmetic shop. My business was the envy of many and I had all reasons to be happy until that day. I was in my house and heard loud noises from outside with people chanting ODM slogans.

I moved to my balcony only to realize they were standing outside my shop and hitting the metallic door with stones and all sorts of crude weapons trying to break in but it proved difficult. They later managed to burn the rooftop while others broke the three padlocks and gained entry as I watched. Some of them were women in the group of about 50 people.

They took away my salon equipment, cloths and anything they could lay their hands on. They used the salon’s magazines to set up fire after they were done, all these as I watched. My husband, who had quit his job just remained in the house with our child since he was not strong enough. After all was done, I called the police since my case was the first one in the area but they said there was nothing they could do. We kept vigil the whole night afraid the gang may come to our house since they knew where we lived and they had seen me on the balcony earlier in the evening.

 In the morning, I set out with five other women victims to the chief’s office but we never went far as the estate turned chaotic with youths protesting on the streets. They came next to my house and burnt a pub and kept on shouting we should wait for out turn since we were next.

That was the lost stroke and we could not take all that, after losing our property. I took my child and strapped her on my back and since my husband did not look much of an ‘opposite camp’ I asked him to follow us behind as my defence would be the child. I thought they would have mercy on me if they saw me carrying a baby. We locked our door and left. At some point, they chased after me and a sympathizer opened his door for me and shielded me for some time until they concentrated on other issues.

Eventually, we managed to trek some more to the highway and got a lift from a truck which took us to Voi then we connected with another which dropped us at Mtito Andei. By then it was quite late at 11pm and we were tired, I had wore slippers only and so was extremely won out. We got a room and rested until the next morning intending to get a bus to Kerugoya but it was all in vain.

There was no transport on the road. There were only private cars with people transporting their families home. Another family from Mtwapa was travelling via a matatu told us they were headed to Kitui, so we boarded and they charged each of us Sh1,000. We arrived around 7pm and found matatus connecting to Embu, after which we connected to Kerugoya and hired a taxi to her home place in Kiang’ombe. We could not go to his rural place in Kianyaga since it was far.

We stayed there for two weeks and kept in touch with our neighbors in Mombasa and they informed us that victims were being registered. We had to leave our child home and went back to Mombasa to start life afresh. We found all our house property intact.

Rebuilding life afresh, we had to shift to Tudor area, and considering my investment ran into over Sh1Million, and which I had taken a loan for, I gave up my savings and took a small loan of Sh20,000 to start a small business which I run to date.

Three months after, I took my child. Two of the youths who participated in the looting died mysteriously. They both committed suicide. One threw himself in the ocean and another took poison. It is claimed they could not cope with the guilt conscious.

I managed to get Sh10,000 from the government but when the Sh25,000 was announced, was told my name was not in the register of victims. I am still following it up though I know there is nothing that can come out of it.

We received intense conselling from church and various groups.  I have decided to move on though can never get myself to forget what happened,”

Mercy Njeri Mungai, 56, was a wealthy businesswoman in Changamwe Magongo area until she was subjected to abject poverty after the violence. Her husband went missing for 8 months since he was mentally unstable.

“On 31st December, I had just escorted a friend and went back. While in the house, I heard youths chanting ODM slogans and I peeped towards Bokole area, saw rowdy men with crude weapons including pangas, machetes, rungus and sticks moving towards my house. I was with my 24 year old son and sister when they started hitting the gate but failed to break it. They shouted at us to open and threatened to burn the shop. I had a boutique and retail shop just next to my house which they broke down and partly burnt. The ruins still lay as they were, a vivid memory of what transpired. They also burnt four houses along that line. Police arrived later but said they did not have water to quell down the fire.

It cost me around Sh800,000 for the whole investment and the government gave me Sh10,000. When the TJRC comes, I would like them to know that I need to be compensated equally to what I lost since I am yet to recover. For those who committed such atrocities, I have no words for them but I am apprehensive they might strike again,”

Ms Timeh Mohammed, 34 had a humble business of selling shoes at the Likoni ferry stalls and just near her home. The mother of four had her house being broken into and property stolen by people known to her.

“The police was encouraging them to steal and asked them not to injure people. The youths moved freely saying they had been authorized to steal, so it was difficult for business owners to resist since they were also protecting their own lives. I had taken a Sh60,000 loan which I was repaying slowly. Now, I cannot take another and I am just at home idle. I am involved in women issues,”

The Secretary of displaced persons in Likoni, Ms Rosemary Nyambura says her house and business premises was broken into.

“They took away all my property from my salon and cosmetic shop and left some writing on the wall indicating ‘Ambia Kibaki Raila tosha’-(Tell Kibaki Raila is capable). Immediately after I was informed of the breakings, I developed high blood pressure which up to date I try to deal with. And spend a lot of money trying to control. I have some orphans in my house who were left by my sister and other relatives that I have to take care of.

I was given only Sh10,000 by the government yet I lost over Sh400,000 in my investment. I feel the ‘Operation Rudi Nyumbani’ should have also been ‘Operation rudisha mali’ for us who lost property so as we could rebuild our lives.

Fida, by the end of the workshop, was hopeful that the women will be able to air their grievances during the TJRC hearings when they begin.