Raila Odinga, James Orengo and William Ruto in jail

Hello friend,

I know that you have heard by now.......PNU has rigged the elections and sworn in Kibaki as president after stealing more than 700,000 votes.

Less than an hour after the results were announced....Kibaki was sworn in as president.

As you can imagine, Kenyans are pissed off after voting overwhelmingly for Raila and ODM. There has been violent protests all over the country. And now, there is an information blackout as all the independent tv stations and radios have been ordered to shut down. Another shocking blow to our fellow citizens.

Also, Raila Odinga, William Ruto and James Orengo have been arrested. It is not clear why at this moment. Let us all pray that the government does not do something stupid by harming anyone of these three.

What is our country to? This is a definite return to dictatorship and it has happened at a time when Kenya's democratic growth was just beginning to take shape and take route.

This takes us back at least 30 years and it will be appalling if this situation is upheld.

What I am hoping you and I can do is start to mobilise concerned Kenyans in the diaspora. I am in Australia, find a point man in Europe and find another point man in America. Do you know anyone who knows the links Raila had when he visited overseas just before the campaigns started?

Bring those business barons and moguls on board to pack a punch as we cry out. Let us hold peaceful demonstrations in large capital cities and call the attention of international media and UN to the plight of Kenya. Let us try to hold press conferences with radio and tv stations that will hear us out.

If you are reading this letter, don't think you are not affected just because you are not on the ground in Kenya. YOu probably have friends or relatives still in the country.

Our brothers and sisters need us and are crying out for our help. They are relying on us to speak for them at a time whey they are being muzzled for expressing their rights.

Please forward this letter to as many people as you can. Feel free to contact me on this address.

Christine Saleh
tinalwanya at yahoo dot com
Queensland, Australia.