Despite bloodshed over disputed election, Sister Cities delegation still hopes to sign pact with Thika

It's been a week since Kenyans cast their votes in the most highly contested election in the country's history, and despite the stories of bloodshed and rioting, a delegation from the Dixon Sister Cities Association remains resolute in its plan to travel to the country in February. "We haven't changed our plans at this point," said Sister Cities Association Board member Geoff Vanderlin, who lived in Kenya from 1968 to 1971.

When it arrives in Africa, the Dixon delegation will travel to Thika, located roughly 25 miles northeast of the capital of Nairobi. There they will sign an official agreement making Thika and Dixon sister cities. Dixon also maintains sister city relationships with Castlebar, Ireland and Herzberg, Germany.

The group plans to fly out of Chicago Feb. 23 and return March 7. Members have spent more than $300 each on shots and visas, and each person is paying his or her own way. They have until Jan. 21 to change their minds; however, Vanderlin doesn't see that happening.

"We are confident that we will be able to go at this point," he said. "We're going to take advice from our Kenyan friends, both in Chicago and in Kenya, before we make our final decision."

A 12-person delegation from Thika spent a week in Dixon and other parts of northern Illinois this summer making the acquaintance of local officials and the Dixon Sister Cities Association.

According to the mayor of Thika, Bill Kariuki, Kenya has been looking for partners to help it grow since the 2002 election ended the 24-year dictatorship of Daniel Toroitich arap Moi. In the past five years, Kenya's economic growth and poverty reduction has made it a success story on a continent full of tragedy.

Now violence is threatening that success. The World Bank estimates Kenya is losing nearly $30 million a day because of fighting over whether President Mwai Kibaki fairly won the Dec. 27 election.

Some 300 people have been killed, untold numbers of women raped and 100,000 left homeless. Shops and homes have been looted and houses and cars set ablaze.

The government and opposition leaders are blaming each other for the recent bloodshed, and there have even been accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing. There are an estimated 42 ethnic groups in Kenya. President Kibaki is from Kenya's largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu, while his opponent, Raila Odinga, is from a different group, the Luo.