Life stories
Testimony of George O. Obuya
Hi Shirley,
Thank you a lot the soothing message at a time of grief when our country is on fire as a result of the politically instigated violence and mass deaths due to election stalemate that has brought the kind of sufferings never witnessed in this country since independent.
Well, today, I received a text message from my friend and Association secretary, Benard Mulama that you were inquiring from him about my heath. Well, I am all right but am experiencing a lot of difficulties with life like many other Persons with Disabilities as a result of these problems. Accessing town for internet access has been difficult due to police guns and marauding gangs. That has killed about 200 persons in this town alone over the past one month. I too had been mishandled several times by the police and the marauding gangs and robbed when I ventured out to hunt for scarce food. They attack and kill people indiscriminately even without provocation simply because the people of this town and elsewhere opposed the results of election said to have been won by the opposition but which the ruling elites forcefully stole. UN, EU, USA, AU, COMMONWEALTH, among others also rejected the result sparking this serious violence. It has created nearly half a million internally displaced and the Deaf persons under my care were not spared either as some has so far scattered, some ran to their rural homes in search of peace and food, others have their parents short dead or injured, while those HIV/AIDS victims could not get adequate care due to inaccessibility to health institutions, nutrition, etc. However, there has been no report of disabled person losing life so far. All the humanitarian organisations distributing relief food and medical care has largely ignored disabled persons despite me writting and personally making numerous visits to these organisations.
That is the trauma we are faced with over the past one month as efforts are being made by former UN Secretary Gen, Koffi Annan to find a solution to the crisis, but the people believed to have caused the problem does not seem care about the suffering and bleeding the nation.
That is all for now,
George O. Obuya,
Kisumu - Kenya