Bridge growing rift in the valley of Kenyan politics

Anyone seeing the Great Rift Valley for the first time would describe it as stunning. Whether glimpsed from the escarpment at Kijabe, or from the majestic heights of Kabarnet town, the spectacular views never fail to make one’s breath catch. Within the confines of this valley, cosmopolitan towns thrive; with people of every ethnic extraction engaged in various pursuits. But on the peripheries of these towns, enclaves of predominantly homogeneous Kalenjin communities exist, making the bulk of the inhabitants of the Rift Valley.

The Kalenjin community has been in the news lately. Not for its athletic prowess, for which it is renowned, or for the warm hearts and sunny smiles of its members, their teeth whitened by years of copious milk consumption. The community has made headlines because of perceived selective crackdown on its prominent personalities in public offices. This has been, ostensibly, on allegations of graft. To understand why the random acts of individuals would cause consternation in an entire community, it is necessary to delve into the social construct of the Kalenjin.