What's going to be the future of Kenya after what's happened there following their Elections?

How the hell could the results of the Kenyan election been any worse? It's the worse nightmare to have the results end so close or were they rigged? This has led to a lot of demonstrations and violence in Kenya.

This will set Kenya back a long way if there is political unrest and violence. They had enough problems before with the lack of faith in the government, corruption, rising prices of food, lack of jobs, social unrest, high fees, high taxes, dwindling tourism (which is a main source of Kenya's economy), etc. I feel really sad and worried about the future of Kenya and the people I've come to love as friends.

I've got a feeling that the Internet and phone service in Kenya are not functioning normally with all the rioting. So I feel that a lot of people in Kenya don't know what is really happening (I don't think the rest of the world does either) so they are dying to find out.

I'm not a Kenyan so the results won't affect me however I know many people and friends in Kenya who need jobs and a change to their very poor life style. Many Kenyans were hoping and expecting a change to help the country go forward in this new Millennium. They needed a change to help create jobs for the unemployed. I volunteered in Western Kenya which definitely supported Raila Odinga so that's also where my loyalties lay.

However what bothered me about what's happening in Kenya is that the people vote by the ethnic party the politician represents not the politician. So any electionthe soo protest and demonstrations will also be divided along ethnic lines. I also can't understand after the riots of recent days that so called losing politician Raila Odinga is still insisting they would go ahead with plans to lead a protest march in the capital Thursday. Most politicians would cancel such a march for the good of their country. They wouldn't want to see further bloodshed and violence happen in order to further their agenda. Yeah they may be disappointed in the results but would follow up with legal means to dispute the results. I question a person who ran for the leadership of the country who would lead a march that will probably lead to more bloodshed and violence.

I feel so bad for the Kenyan and their predicament that I have a strong urge to return to volunteer again. I would sacrifice and volunteer again but it would help if Kenyans could change some of their beliefs. Most Kenyans have a belief that all Mzungu's are rich and can buy things or help them. However it is expensive enough to volunteer as we pay for everything i.e. flights, lodging and food plus we don't have an income at the same time. However I not only volunteered in the village but also helped a few people I met who needed some assistance. What I don’t care about are people I hardly knew who would ask me for assistance.

Hey, I’m far from being rich as I didn’t have a home or job to return to when I left Kenya. But it’s hard to ignore people you know who need some assistance when I have a bit of money. It didn’t take much to help people as it made me feel good to help some people I met

1. Millie - from the village that I volunteered, who was engaged had completed college but couldn't find a job so I helped her and her finance.
2. Esther - from the village that I volunteered, who was married with a baby but couldn't find a job
3. Edwina - from the village that I volunteered, who was about to start college
4. Ben - from the village that I volunteered, who was married but didn't have a job
5. Parmella - from the village that I volunteered, who was married but needed some help
6. Maurice - from the village that I volunteered, who helped us so much but didn't have a job
7. Patrick - from the village that I volunteered, who was an orphan and needed some help
8. Stephannie - from Kisumu who had a job but wanted me to buy her things but had no interest in me.
9. Helen - from Nairobi who needed help for her son and wanted to finish English classes to go to college. Also helped her family with food and some other things.
10. Viona - from Zanzibar who wasn't married but had 4 children to raise and had a small business
11. Simba - from Lamu who had a small business but was always needing help
12. Khadija and Evangilina from Lamu who had no jobs but who were good friends who I felt strongly about so I helped them
13. Khadija's family who were very poor so helped the family with food and rent payment.
14. Pricilla - who I met on the bus to Lamu who lived in a village near Lamu. She told me she was taking Law at Nairobi university. She was engaged to another law student. However she kept calling or sms me and wanted phone cards (probably to call her fiance who lived in Nakuru). I don't care who she called but if she was engaged why call me as I hardly knew her (but was a mzungu so she must have thought I had money).

I liked all these people but had no true romantic relationship with the girls and the guys were friends. So I spent a bit of money on some people of Kenya and even more volunteering in Kanayewegi near Kisumu. There were also many others who wanted me to help them who I can’t recall but who all wanted to be friends. I suppose they thought since I was a mzungu (person with white skin so I guess I was a honorary mzungu) who could help them with money.

But you know with all the misconceptions by the Kenyans they still need help and I’d be willing to help them. But only time will tell if I make it back to Kenya and Africa.