Chapter 3: The Year 2007 – The Election That Shook the Nation
The year 2007 began with a sense of anticipation. Kenya stood at the edge of what many hoped would be a new dawn. The economy was growing, roads were being built, and optimism filled the air. Yet beneath the surface, old wounds—tribal divisions, political mistrust, and inequality—waited like dry grass before a spark.
In the small village where John Mankind was now two years old, life moved quietly. His parents had survived the drought of 2006, and though the land was still fragile, they had begun to rebuild. But even in the calm of rural life, the talk of politics reached every home. Radios crackled with campaign speeches, and the names Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga were on every tongue.
The people were ready to vote. They were ready for change.
The Election
On December 27, 2007, Kenyans went to the polls in one of the most hotly contested elections in the nation's history. The incumbent, President Mwai Kibaki, led the Party of National Unity (PNU), while the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, represented the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
From dawn, long lines formed outside polling stations. Men and women waited patiently under the sun, their fingers marked with ink, their hearts filled with hope. For many, this was more than an election—it was a chance to reclaim the promise of democracy.
Early results showed Raila Odinga leading by a wide margin. Celebrations erupted in parts of the country. But as counting continued, the numbers began to shift. The gap narrowed. Confusion spread. Then, on December 30, the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) declared Kibaki the winner.
Within minutes, Kibaki was hurriedly sworn in for a second term at State House. The ceremony was brief, almost secretive. Across the nation, disbelief turned to anger.
Even the ECK chairman later admitted he did not know who had truly won.
The Violence
The announcement ignited a storm. Protests erupted in Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, and across the Rift Valley. What began as political demonstrations quickly descended into chaos.
The violence took on an ethnic dimension. Neighbors turned against neighbors. Homes were burned, shops looted, and roads blocked. People were attacked not for what they had done, but for who they were.
In the Rift Valley, entire villages were set ablaze. Families fled through the night, carrying children and whatever they could salvage. In Nairobi's slums, the air filled with smoke and screams. Police clashed with protesters, and bullets replaced ballots.
By the time the fires began to die down, more than 1,100 people were dead. Between 300,000 and 600,000 were displaced, forced into makeshift camps. The country that had once been hailed as a model of stability was now a nation in mourning.
In John's village, the fear was palpable. His father, though far from the violence, kept a machete by the door. His mother whispered prayers each night, asking that the madness not reach their home. The radio spoke of killings, of families torn apart, of children lost in the chaos.
Kenya was bleeding.
The Search for Peace
As the violence spread, the world watched in horror. The international community called for calm, but the killings continued. It was only when former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Nairobi that hope began to return.
Through weeks of tense negotiations, Annan brought the rival leaders—Kibaki and Odinga—to the table. The talks were long and painful, but finally, in February 2008, a deal was reached.
The National Accord and Reconciliation Act was signed, creating a coalition government. Kibaki would remain president, and Odinga would become Prime Minister. The agreement ended the violence, but the scars it left behind would take years to heal.
In the camps, displaced families began to return home, though many found their houses burned and their land taken. The government promised justice and reconciliation, but for most, survival came first.
Other Shadows of 2007
Even before the election crisis, 2007 had been a year of trials.
In January, an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever swept through northeastern Kenya, killing 95 people and devastating livestock. The disease spread fear among farmers already struggling to recover from years of drought.
In May, tragedy struck again when Kenya Airways Flight 507 crashed in Cameroon, killing all 114 passengers on board. The nation mourned as families waited for news that never came.
Yet amid the sorrow, there were moments of pride. In January, Nairobi hosted the World Social Forum, drawing activists and thinkers from around the globe. Kenyan athletes continued to shine, winning major marathons in Boston, London, Chicago, and New York, and dominating the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa.
In February, a statue of Dedan Kimathi, the legendary Mau Mau freedom fighter, was unveiled in Nairobi—fifty years after his execution. It stood as a symbol of resistance and remembrance, a reminder that Kenya's freedom had been bought with blood and courage.
The Child and the Nation
As the fires of 2007 burned, John Mankind grew in innocence. He was too young to understand the hatred that divided his country, too small to grasp the meaning of politics. But he could feel the tension in the air—the fear in his mother's eyes, the silence in his father's voice.
When the rains came again, they washed away the ashes but not the pain. The land turned green, but the hearts of the people remained heavy.
John's father often said, "We are one people, but we have forgotten how to live as one."
The year ended not with celebration, but with exhaustion. Kenya had survived, but it was forever changed. The dream of unity had been shattered, and the nation would spend years trying to piece it back together.
And somewhere in that fragile peace, a child named John Mankind took his first steps into a world still learning how to heal.
End of Chapter 3 – The Year 2007: The Election That Shook the Nation