Gitonga Marete
1 March 2008
opinion
Nairobi — Awake Mother, Mighty Kenya, awake!
Ignore not this tragedy
Befallen on your beloved land;
Sad, sad the laden sky, it smells of tears
No recollections as emotional;
People of your land, so dear
Gone frenzied all of a sudden;
Evil and hatred seeps through your Beloved Country
Oh, how traumatic!
As the Kofi Annan-led mediation talks continue, the crisis seems to be of great concern to all Kenyans. These are the words of a Mombasa housewife who, touched by the chaos, has written the poem to put across a message to Kenyans.
Nita Gudka is not happy that Kenyans who have lived in peace over the years, have now turned against one another. "It does not matter what tribe you belong to, the colour of your skin or your status in society, we are all the same," she says, adding that the rich and the privileged should not undermine other Kenyans.
"When, for instance, Kenyans of Indian origin need blood in hospital they do not go for Indian blood," she reasons. "They get that of a Luo, a Kikuyu or even a white person." "Why then do we divide ourselves on tribal lines?"
And Nita is not an ordinary housewife. Having worked at the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) as a bilingual secretary for a couple of years until 1984, she settled for marriage at age 24. The mother of two says she loves writing and stresses that her message to Kenyans is that of peace.
In her poem, she laments that the current animosity in the country is beyond belief. While some people hide in prayers, others are killing compatriots in churches, she says, and appeals to Kenyans to take charge of their destiny.
Nita has a few bad words to say about leaders who have taken a hard stand in the mediation talks, resulting in their suspension on Tuesday.
"The suspense is not good for the country, and my only appeal is for the leaders to look beyond personal interests," she says.
Nita is also an accomplished artist specialising in abstract paintings and glasswork. She also decorates pots and designs cards which she supplies to bookshops.
She urges housewives not to confine themselves to the house. "I urge them to engage in other constructive work as they take care of their families," she says.
"This is the only way they will earn respect as homemakers and professionals." She also does voluntary work, collaborating with children's homes and schools for the underprivileged.
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